Most of us know how Snapchat works at this point, right? It’s a mobile app that allows its users to send photo and video messages that automatically delete themselves 1-10 seconds after being viewed. That is the general premise. From a marketing standpoint, is it possible for Snapchat to be a beneficial marketing tool for your business? Well, as we’re finding out, the answer is yes.
As new social platforms begin to emerge, businesses need to adapt their marketing tactics in order to take advantage of the new opportunities to communicate with their customers in fresh ways. In the case of Snapchat, businesses are starting to promote themselves through a new short-term visual messaging format. Take NYC based yogurt shop 16 handles for instance. In January, they ran a promotion using Snapchat.
MWPartners describes the contest below:
“First, you would send a Snapchat image of yourself tasting yogurt on-site to the company’s Snapchat account. Then, 16 Handles would automatically send a Snapchat image of a coupon back to your account. Finally, and most importantly, you would have to wait to open the snap containing the coupon until you were at the register and ready to redeem it — because when the image was opened, it would automatically delete itself 10 seconds later. The coupon could be anywhere from 16% to 100% off on your purchase.”
As with any social media site –the cost to actually run the campaign is minimal; but, the results can be exponential. There are many ways to take advantage of Snapchat’s features and adapt them to fit your businesses marketing needs –you just have to find the right fit for your company.
Taco Bell is another business who has used Snapchat for marketing recently. They were able to build buzz around a new product by using a sneak peek on Snapchat. Your brand’s “snaps” could include a string of teasers that lead up to the product launch. Give your Snapchat community a reason to follow your brand. When you send out an image of your new product as a sort of reveal, you are treating your community like personal friends rather than customers.
You can snap photos with promo codes, deals, coupons, and more. Snapchat allows for a casual and playful environment when marketing to fans. It is a great opportunity to get creative as a way to drive sales, promote engagement, or increase your following on social media.
Have any of you used Snapchat in your marketing efforts? Have any of the businesses you give business to used Snapchat to market? How have they set up their campaigns? Do you think they were successful or engaging?
