growth

Snapchat Marketing: How to Drive Growth with Snapchat

Summary

Discover how to drive growth for your business using Snapchat. Learn how to create a strong brand presence, develop engaging content, leverage influencers, and track your success.

What is Snapchat and Why Should You Care?

Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app that allows users to send photos and videos to their friends, which disappear after they're viewed. Launched in 2011, Snapchat quickly became popular among younger users and now boasts over 280 million daily active users.

While Snapchat's primary audience is young adults, it's important for businesses to recognize the potential for reaching a wider demographic. By tapping into Snapchat's unique features, you can create engaging content that resonates with your target audience, ultimately driving growth for your business.

Building a Strong Brand Presence on Snapchat

Developing a Consistent Brand Identity

Creating a consistent brand identity is essential when using Snapchat for business. Start by choosing a username that reflects your brand and using a profile image that aligns with your visual identity. Consistency in tone, voice, and visual elements will help establish a strong presence and make your content instantly recognizable.

Example: Everlane, an ethical fashion brand, maintains a consistent aesthetic on Snapchat by sharing behind-the-scenes footage of their production process and using simple, minimalist visuals that align with their brand identity.

Creating Engaging Content

Snapchat offers several features that can help you create captivating content:

Snapchat Stories

Share a series of Snaps that tell a story or highlight a specific aspect of your business. Stories are viewable for 24 hours and can be an excellent way to showcase new products, events, or promotions.

Snap Ads

These are short, vertical video ads that appear between users' Stories. Snap Ads can be an effective way to drive traffic to your website or app, promote a product, or raise brand awareness.

Filters and Lenses

Create custom filters and lenses that showcase your brand or support a specific campaign. Encourage users to share Snaps with your filter or lens to increase engagement and visibility.

Example: Taco Bell created a highly successful campaign by designing a custom lens that turned users' heads into a giant taco[^3^]. The lens generated over 224 million views and increased brand engagement.

Leveraging Influencers and Partnerships

Collaborating with influencers and partnering with other businesses can help expand your reach on Snapchat. Identify influencers who share your target audience and have them feature your products or services in their Snaps. Alternatively, you can partner with other businesses to co-create content or host joint promotions.

Example: Grubhub, a food delivery service, partnered with Snapchat influencer Shaun McBride to create a series of engaging Snap Stories. The campaign generated a 20% increase in Grubhub's follower count.

Measuring Success and Optimizing Your Strategy

To ensure that your Snapchat efforts are driving growth, it's crucial to track key performance indicators (KPIs) and make data-driven decisions. Some essential KPIs to track include views, screenshots, completion rate, and engagement rate. By analyzing these metrics, you can identify which content resonates with your audience and optimize your strategy accordingly.

Promoting Your Snapchat Presence

Don't forget to promote your Snapchat account on other platforms to maximize your reach. Add your Snapchat username or Snapcode to your website, email signatures, and other social media profiles. Additionally, cross-promote your content by sharing your Snapchat Stories on other platforms or by teasing exclusive content only available on Snapchat.

Example: Warby Parker, a popular eyewear brand, cross-promotes their Snapchat content on Instagram and Twitter, encouraging followers to check out their Snapchat account for exclusive deals and behind-the-scenes content.

Expanding Your Reach with Snapchat's Unique Features

Snapchat's unique features can be leveraged to further drive growth for your business. By understanding how to use these features effectively, you can create memorable experiences for your audience and expand your reach.

Spotlight: Showcasing Your Brand in a New Light

Snapchat Spotlight is a feature that allows users to discover and watch engaging short videos. As a business, you can use Spotlight to showcase your brand's strategy and create content that appeals to a wider audience. Spotlight videos can be funny, informative, or creative – just make sure they're attention-grabbing and align with your brand identity.

Example: A skincare brand might create a series of fun, educational videos on Snapchat Spotlight, highlighting the benefits of their products and providing skincare tips, while staying true to their brand's voice and aesthetics.

Geofilters: Engaging Users with Location-Based Filters

Geofilters are location-based overlays that users can apply to their Snaps when they're within a specific geographic area. Businesses can create custom Geofilters for events, promotions, or store locations to increase brand awareness and engagement.

Example: A local coffee shop might create a custom Geofilter featuring their logo and a fun design, which customers can use when they visit the shop. This encourages users to share their experience with friends, increasing the coffee shop's visibility on Snapchat.

Snap Map: Connecting with Your Local Community

Snap Map is a feature that displays shared Snaps from users in a specific geographic area. By encouraging your customers to share Snaps from your business location, you can increase your visibility on the Snap Map and connect with potential customers in your local community.

Example: A retail store might host an in-store event or promotion and encourage attendees to share Snaps from the event. These Snaps would appear on the Snap Map, attracting more local users to visit the store and engage with the brand.

Boosting Sales and Revenue with Snapchat's Ecommerce Features

Snapchat has introduced several e-commerce features that businesses can utilize to drive sales and increase revenue. By integrating these features into your marketing strategy, you can create a seamless shopping experience for your customers.

Shoppable Snap Ads: Encouraging Users to Shop Directly from Your Ads

Shoppable Snap Ads allow businesses to promote their products with interactive, swipeable product catalogs. Users can tap on the products featured in the ad to visit the product page and make a purchase. Shoppable Snap Ads are an excellent way to showcase your products and drive sales directly from the Snapchat platform.

Example: A fashion brand might create a shoppable Snap Ad featuring their latest collection. Users can swipe through the products and tap on their favorites, taking them directly to the product page on the brand's website.

Shopify Integration: Streamlining the Shopping Experience

Snapchat's integration with Shopify allows businesses to sell products directly from their Snapchat account. By connecting your Shopify store to your Snapchat account, you can create a seamless shopping experience for your customers and simplify the purchasing process.

Example: A home decor brand with a Shopify store might use Snapchat to showcase their products in action. Users can swipe up on the Snaps to visit the product page on the brand's Shopify store and make a purchase without leaving the Snapchat app.

Embrace the Power of Snapchat for Your Business

Snapchat offers a unique opportunity for businesses to engage with their audience and drive growth. By building a consistent brand identity, creating engaging content, leveraging influencers and partnerships, measuring success, and promoting your Snapchat presence, you can unlock the full potential of this powerful social media platform.

So, don't let Snapchat's playful nature deceive you. Behind the disappearing messages and fun filters lies a treasure trove of opportunities for businesses to connect with their audience and drive growth. It's time to get snapping!