Social media marketing is an undeniably important part of modern advertising plans. Eighty percent of U.S. adults have a Facebook, and 95 percent use YouTube. But one of the most enigmatic social media platforms, especially for those well out of their teenage years, is Snapchat.
Snapchat is a young person’s platform, based around images that users put out into the world for a day or less before they’re deleted. And if you use it right, Snapchat can be a great way to connect with your customer base. Read on to get some Snapchat story ideas that can up your marketing game.
Design a Geofilter
One of the great ways you can use Snapchat for marketing is to set up a geofilter. These are filters that go over a Snapchat picture or video that contain a phrase or logo from your company. They only cost about $15, and anyone in a designated geographic area can see and use them.
If you’re holding a special event or conference, especially for young people, setting up a geofilter can be a great way to get the word out about your event. People who use the filter will send the snap to their friends, who can then see whatever you put on the geofilter. And it helps your participants feel like they’re a part of the event documentation, which keeps them engaged.
Use Moving Emojis
We’re all familiar with emojis, and as long as they’re used right, they can be a great marketing tool. These days, young people don’t want to see carefully-scripted advertisements shot with perfect lighting. Instead, they’d rather see a company speaking to them honestly and using the language they use.
One fun way to do this on your Snapchat feed is to take advantage of a new moving emoji feature. Attach them to photos to add a little mood and pizazz to the photo, or use them in videos. This can be a fun way to poke gentle fun at some of the people in your organization and humanize your snaps.
Send Out Coupons
One awesome way your company can use Snapchat is to distribute coupons through it. Although you can send out coupons on your snap story, that may not be the way you want to go about it. There’s a better way that encourages more customer engagement and gets you talking one-on-one with them.
Put out a call on your snap story announcing you have a giveaway or a coupon for people who send you a snap of a certain thing. For example, if you’re a restaurant, get them to snap you a picture of their dinner to get a coupon for a free dessert. Then once they send that snap to you, you can reply back to them with the coupon in Snapchat’s individual chat.
Connect with Influencers
You’ve probably heard some about how powerful having a few solid social media influencers in your circle can be, and Snapchat is no exception to this. It’s hard to catch attention on social media since you have literally millions of competitors. So utilizing people who already have a lot of attention can be a great way to pull potential customers your way.
Working with social media influencers isn’t unlike a modern version of celebrity endorsements. Find an influencer who might be interested in your product, and send them a free sample. Offer them more free or discounted products if they share your company information with their followers.
Release Teasers
Because Snapchat is such a here-and-gone media format, it creates a lot of urgency in its users. Everything has to be documented, consumed, and reacted to right now before it goes away. This makes it a great platform to use for releasing teasers and special company announcements.
A day or two before your big announcement, put out on your Snapchat story that you have major news coming. Give a few hints about what it is and tell people to keep an eye on your feed for the big news. Then when it comes time to make the announcement, don’t forget to put it out on Snapchat, too.
Keep It Casual
As we mentioned before, today’s young people are tired of the picture-perfect advertising of the past. They have grown up surrounded by this sort of marketing, and it has started to feel disingenuous to them. They’re so accustomed to ignoring and mistrusting it that it’s become an ineffective way to reach young people.
If you want to connect with your young customers on Snapchat, the best thing you can do is keep a casual tone. Don’t take yourselves too seriously, and don’t be afraid to get goofy during a Snapchat story. Showing the human side of your company is a great way to keep customers engaged with what you’re saying.
Tell a Story
When you boil it down to its core, Snapchat (and most social media) is about telling a story. The concept is right there in the name: we call them snap stories for a reason. These platforms give us tools for using snippets of video and photos to build a narrative of our lives and business.
So be sure to use the storytelling aspect of Snapchat to your advantage, with the help of companies like Agency Boon if you like. Tell the story of what your company values, how you work, and what you do. Get your viewers as engaged in your business story as you are, and you’ll have found yourself loyal customers.
Get More Snapchat Story Ideas
Snapchat can be a powerful marketing tool if you use it right. Remember, don’t get too serious with things, and use this platform as a way to engage with your customers on a real, human level. Also, office chair races are never a bad idea from a marketing standpoint.
If you’d like more Snapchat story ideas, visit the rest of our site at StatusWish. We have articles about all things business and social media. Check out our list of social media tips and tricks today.
