There’s a Snap for That

August 15, 2016 By Kate,

Navigating the World of Branding Through Snapchat

If you’re not already familiar with and using Snapchat, it’s time to hop on the bandwagon. What used to be thought of as a teen centric social medium, is now a brand marketer’s dream. There truly is no better way to advertise with the complete engagement of viewers. In fact, users aren’t just interacting with your brand, they’re also marketing it for you! In the world of marketing, it really doesn’t get much better. Many advertisements nowadays are seen as an interruption, not an enjoyment. But not Snapchat. They’ve truly changed the game.

B2C Marketing: Personal Interactions

If your brand is focusing on marketing directly to the consumer, Snapchat is something you definitely need to consider, at the least. Through Snapchat, businesses can choose to sponsor ads, geofilters and lenses. Snap Ads are 10 second videos that promote your brand. You can add interactive features, such as swiping up to receive an extended video, article, or anything else you see fit for the advertisement. [caption id="attachment_9193" align="aligncenter" width="274"]

Image via Snapchat[/caption] A geofilter is great for marketing as well. Users can swipe through various geofilters after taking their picture. Many of these are location base so they are especially great for promoting storefronts and business locations. [caption id="attachment_9189" align="aligncenter" width="490"]

Image via AdHawk Blog[/caption] A lense is an interactive special effect in real time. Users are able to see the special effect as soon as they open the lense to take the picture. Even before a picture is taken, users can can play around with the lense, giving your brand as much face time as possible. These 3 marketing options offer a fun way to connect with and promote to potential consumers, which is much better received than interruptive advertisements. [caption id="attachment_9188" align="aligncenter" width="360"]

Image via AdHawk Blog[/caption]

ROI

The return on investment is obviously important when it comes to marketing a brand. While finding the ROI of Snapchat is hard to track and there are no tools to to assist, there are clear indications that using Snapchat as a marketing tool is beneficial. Focusing on the numbers we do have access to is a great way to confirm how beneficial snapchat can be. To start, there are 100 million active viewers everyday, which includes 41% of all 18- 34 year olds in the U.S. That’s a lot of people you are able to easily reach, in just one day! As far as Snap Ads go, they have 5 times higher click through rates than ads on similar platforms. Geofilters usually reach between 40%- 60% of users in the United States, and sponsored lenses get an average of 20 seconds of play time. That play time doesn’t even count the amount of time other users are spending watching their friends snapchats with the lense. There are so many ways to reach users through snapchat, and all a business has to do is produce something users want to take advantage of. These Snapchat features provide a much more intimate interaction with the consumer, as they let them have fun and enjoy the company’s promotion. Plus, if your company chooses to advertise with a Snapchat filter or lense, users are basically marketing for you by sending out pictures or videos with your brand on it. What more could you ask from a potential customer? [caption id="attachment_9192" align="aligncenter" width="956"]

Image via Snapchat[/caption] While there are no ways to tell the exact ROI right now, you can have peace of mind knowing your business in on the top of everyone’s minds. And that in itself is a great thing for any company. So trust the numbers, trust your instincts, and dive in! Snapchat keeps taking steps in the right direction, especially for marketers. The company continues to introduce great features to connect businesses to consumers. Marketing on this platform is still new for everyone, but it is important to take advantage of Snapchat marketing while you can. Businesses are quickly realizing the popularity and success through this social platform and prices are rising fast. Making your brand known through platforms that draw the user's attention is rare. While most advertisements cause an undesired break in your activity, like commercials, Snapchat provides extra entertainment. Make marketing effective for you and amusing for the consumer. Contact Digital Operative for a quote on how to improve your marketing strategies.