Snapchat launched in 2011 and brought with it some fun new filters and new ways for people to connect. This led to other social media networks creating their own photo filters and new ways to share.

Even though Snapchat has over 238 million daily users, it seems like not as many brands advertise on that as on other platforms. In 2018, only 28.3 percent of marketers used Snapchat, whereas 69.2 percent used Instagram for their marketing needs. The majority of Snapchat uses are Gen Z and Millennials, so if your target audience is in those generations, Snapchat marketing could be an untapped resource for your business. According to data from Snapchat, people on their platforms are 20 percent more likely to purchase things through their mobile devices than on a computer, so advertising on Snapchat can be a huge boon for eCommerce.

These tips can help you incorporate Snapchat marketing into your strategy.

Create Interactive Filters

The filters are one of the things that make Snapchat so popular. A business can create their own filters to give Snapchat users a fun way to interact with their brand. Snapchat users spend a lot of time interacting with the different filters, and they usually share photos and videos of themselves using the filters. This is a great way to get more user-generated content.

Geofilters

Through the use of geofilters, you can create Snapchat filters that only work when someone is near your location. Restaurants and stores get the best use out of the geofilters. If someone uses a geofilter in or outside of your shop, that is instant user-generated content and free exposure for your business. Geofilters can cost between $5 and $5,000, depending on how widely you want the filter to be promoted.

The great thing about Snapchat’s filters is that you can make one, no matter what your business is, and people will probably use it. For example, Taco Bell created a Cinco de Mayo filter that turns your head into a giant taco; Dunkin Donuts made one for National Donuts Day that turned your head into a giant pink donut, and they had extra geofilters for when someone was in one of their stores.

Promote on Other Platforms

If you already have a following on another social media platform, you can use it to encourage your users to visit your new Snapchat profile. If you give your Snapchat content a specific focus or share things there exclusively, it can be easier for you to bring your audience over there.

One way to promote your Snapchat content on other platforms is to give your followers on those platforms sneak peeks of the content that is exclusively shared there. This will help make people more interested in looking at your content on Snapchat.

Work with Influencers

If you work with influencers, you can coordinate a brand takeover with them. A brand takeover is when an influencer takes over your Snapchat account for a day, encouraging their audience to follow your account. The influencer will promote your takeover on their account in advance, which will help bring traffic to your account on the day of the takeover, if not sooner. By doing so, if any of their followers want to see what they are up to for the day, they need to head to your Snapchat account.

This is an opportunity to promote Snapchat-exclusive content on your other social media accounts. Spend some time advertising this takeover on your Facebook or Instagram accounts to help you drive traffic to Snapchat.

Paid Advertising

As is the case for other social media networks, Snapchat has a paid advertising option. Aside from geofilters and branded promotional filters, there are a few other ways that you can use paid advertising on Snapchat.

Story Ads

When you use a story ad, it will appear in the Discover section and as a branded advertisement. You can create a short video or have between three and 20 images in the ad. These are full-screen ads with a call-to-action (CTA) in them, and they are generally straightforward. Typically, the CTA is an instruction to swipe up to visit your website.

Commercials

You can also get commercials that are not skippable for at least the first six seconds, and they are found in the curated content section. These are great for helping you extend your reach and build your brand awareness on Snapchat. If your budget allows and your audience falls into Snapchat’s primary user group, it might be worthwhile to run some commercials on the platform to see how well they are received.

Collections

Collections ads use tiles that link to products that Snapchat users can shop for right in the app. This ad style really only works for eCommerce companies.

Conclusion

Snapchat may only attract a specific demographic — Gen Z and the Millennials mostly — but, if that is your target audience, you can use Snapchat to grow your business. Its advertising methods may be a little different than you are used to, but they work well, and since there are not as many businesses on Snapchat as there are on Instagram, you may not have quite as much competition on Snapchat as you do on other social media platforms.

Seattle Public Relations can help you craft an excellent Snapchat advertising strategy, and our experts’ knowledge of digital marketing can give your brand a leg up on the competition on Snapchat. If you think Snapchat marketing is for your business, we can help get you started and set your ads up on other social media platforms as well. Contact Seattle Public Relations today to get started!