As marketers, we try to make sure we’re covering all our bases and using all of the tools in our power in order to get our message across. A big part of that is making sure that our clients have a strong presence on social media platforms, and that we’re using those same platforms when it comes to their marketing campaigns. But, when it comes to crafting a campaign strategy that’s powerful, engaging, and cost-effective, the key is utilizing social media platforms that are the most likely to garner engagement and conversions for that specific client.
While some social media platforms may be obvious when it comes to deciding where to run your campaigns (Facebook, Instagram, etc), there are other social media platforms that aren’t taken advantage of as frequently that can produce some pretty amazing results - if you’re the right type of business for that market. Snapchat, for example, is a social media platform that may work great for some businesses but not for others. If you’ve been considering whether to use Snapchat as part of your social media marketing strategies, here are some factors you may want to consider.
Your Audience
Before deciding whether Snapchat will serve your marketing needs, be sure to have a good idea of who your audience is and, in particular, what age group they are in. Given that 71% of Snapchat users are under 34 and 45% range from 18 to 24, your audience’s age will be a great indicator of whether or not this platform will be effective for your marketing strategy.
Your Campaign
Snapchat is great for many things, but one of its setbacks is that their marketing options are not as advanced, or varied, as those available on other social media platforms like Facebook. Despite this fact, Snapchat ads reportedly garner twice the visual attention that Facebook ads do.
If you have a clear idea and objective that you are trying to accomplish and can present it in an eye-catching way, Snapchat is likely to prove more useful at getting your message across.
Your Goals
Before choosing to add Snapchat to your social media marketing strategies, consider what your objective is: building brand awareness? promoting your business? promoting a specific campaign?
Snapchat is great at building brands and spreading campaign messages. Big businesses often partner with Snapchat to promote their campaigns. Consider Spotify, for example. Through Snapchat’s Discover channel they feature artists, interviews, and other music news. This has helped them build an enormous brand that users are happy to follow.
Your Time
Using Snapchat to promote campaigns is much more cost-effective than having a spot on the Discover channel, but it does hinge on maintaining an active, daily presence. Social media platforms generally require regular posting, but Snapchat takes this to a whole new level. Consider whether your business has the personnel to keep up with Snapchat.
Your Ad Needs
Snapchat offers 3 types of ads for their business profiles: Snap Ads, Snapchat Geofilters, and Sponsored Lens.
Snap Ads: These are 10-second vertical videos that appears between Stories. These ads may include the option of swiping up for more in-depth content, such as a long-form video, an article, an app install, or a mobile website. According to Snapchat, these ads receive five times the click-rate than they do on other social media platforms featuring videos.
Snapchat Geofilters: These are small art graphics that show up over a snap story, usually detailing the location where the snap was taken. There are two kinds of Snapchat Geofilters: OnDemand Geofilters and Sponsored Geofilters. The latter is considerably expensive, but typically reach 40 - 60% of daily Snapchat users, which makes it worth it for many businesses.
OnDemand Geofilters, which start at $5, are generally inexpensive and can be used by a business to advertise a short event without much hassle.
Sponsored Geofilters, are filters that will always show up when consumers take a snap at your business, or regarding your business. This gives your customers the ability to select your Geofilter and pass on the information to their friends.
Sponsored Lens: If you know what a Snapchat looks like, then you’ve probably seen snaps of people with cat ears, bunny ears, or big circle glasses and freckles. These graphics are called lenses, and they allow users to play with your interactive ad. Sponsored Lens may seem silly, but Snapchat users interact with these lenses almost every time they take a snap. Creating a Lens that reflects your company will definitely increase its visibility and increase users’ intent to purchase.
More Information
Adding Snapchat to your social media marketing strategies is a big step that requires much research and support. If your business already has a good following, Snapchat can help you give your clients behind the scenes access that is more personal, as well as the ability to promote exclusive content, promotions, coupons, or contests. If you’re not already on Snapchat, it’s worth considering whether it would be beneficial for your organization to set itself up on the platform. Don’t want to make the decision without a second opinion? Feel free to reach out and ask us!