12 June
Using Snapchat in digital marketing. How to advertise on Snapchat and for whom it is intended for?
Snapchat is a mobile application for sending and receiving images or videos to other users, these remain visible for only a few seconds. It was created in 2011 and is currently one of the most used platforms in the world.
An average of 203 million people use Snapchat and take 3.5 billion photos every day. In this article, I will explain how to use it, how to advertise on the platform and why you should advertise there.
The Snapchat mobile app is currently one of the most used platforms in the world!
Creating a Snapchat profile
To use Snapchat you need to create an account on your mobile phone (Itâs not available for PC).
To start, download the app to your phone from the Play Store if you have an android and from App Store if you have iOS. After you download it, open and tap in the blue tile that says âSign Upâ, then tap âContinueâ.
Create a Snapchat account – first three steps
Enter your first and the last name, and you can choose if you want to put your name or the name of the company. TapâSign Up and Acceptâ and it will take you to the birth date, just spin the months, days and year until your birth date comes up, and tap âContinueâ.
After that, Snapchat will give you a suggestion to your username, so if you donât like it just tap the blue letters saying âChange my usernameâ.
Create a Snapchat account – fill in the information and choose a username
For security you will need to choose a password, your email, mobile number … When you finish these steps Snapchat will send you a confirmation code. At last, you can find your friends that use Snapchat.
Congratulations â you have created your Snapchat profile!
Create a Snapchat account – last three steps
How to create a successful Snapchat account?
You’ve successfully created an account, what’s the next step? Before you start advertising, you need to learn how to use Snapchat.
Letâs start with the opening screen, when you open the app, a standard back-facing camera will display. On this screen you can the flash turn on and off, turn the camera (front or back camera), search snaps near you and go to your profile.
Try it! Take a photo! Just tap in the round white button. If you want to make a video you need to press on the button and hold it. After you take the photo you can choose the time that the photo will be visible (one to ten seconds), choose a filter, add an emoji sticker, a link or text.
Imagine that you took a spectacular picture and you need to save it, just click the downward pointing arrow (Save) to save to your Memories. Now that you are ready to send your spectacular picture, tap the blue button and you will need to decide which friends should see it. If you want to add the photo to your Snapstory choose âMy storyâ.
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Editing the profile on Snapchat
You can’t really edit or customize much on Snapchat’s profile. However, you can enter some information about yourself, add a bitmoji and a username. To see your profile tap on the ghost, person or the bitmoji in the upper left corner.
There, you will also see your Snapchat score which is the total number of snaps youâve sent and received. When you are on your profile you can see a yellow square with a QR Code. So, if you want to search for a user, you can just scan the QR Code of the other person with the camera on your phone. You can also put the link of your company to the QR Code to make it easier to reach your page.
Communicate with other users of Snapchat
You can communicate with others Snapchat users in many different ways, most of the profiles are private, but with others you can:
- Add users: If you want to add users you just need to search for their username or scan their QR Code.
- Viewing Stories You can view and reply to other usersâ Snap stories. You and your friend will be notified. This is the only way of communication that is not private, so if you like privacy itâs better to choose another way.
- Sending snaps: You can send and receive photos and video content from other users. If you screenshot a snap, the other person will be notified.
- Instant messaging: You can chat privately with users. When you reply to something that will always be an instant or a direct message. If you take a screenshot the person will be notified.
- Sending Snapcash: To use this you need to activate it in the settings. Then, you need to connect a debit or a credit card and you can send and receive money, see your transactions and set a security code.
Be careful! Snapchat advise you against sending money to users you donât know personally.
Snapchat Stories
If you want to add a story, just take a picture and choose âMy Storyâ.
When the story is posted, youâll be able to see who saw your story and the others can see if you saw their story too.
This is a great way to show your audience your daily operations of the company. You present your costumers everything about your company and business. Also, through Stories you can give an opportunity to your employees to present themselves. Live stories can be posted with the location services turned on to talk to people near you, which is a good way to spread awareness about your company.
If you want to add a post to your story, tap “My Story”
Ways of advertising on Snapchat
There a number of ways to advertise on Snapchat, the main three are: Snap Ads, Sponsored geofilters, and Sponsored lenses.
- SnapAds
Here you have 10 seconds to show your content. Videos are vertical, full-screen and you can include a call to action button that is usuallt the link to your page. In the video, present your offer in way that persuades users to visit your website (Swipe Up).
Present your products to users with SnapAds and guide them to the website
- Sponsored Geofilters
This allows the users to send snaps that include a filter for a specific location. When you take a picture, swipe from left to right and choose for various geofilters. They’re stickers with your location. You can create your own geofilters and locatethem near your company. Many brands use geofilters to promote events because the price is very affordable so even a small business can afford it.
- Sponsored Lens
This one is more interactive than the geofilter. While in geofilter you create a sticker with the location, this has a special facial recognition technology that allows the users to reshape their face or add elements, like dog ears, shining rainbow from the mouth and other funny filters.
A sponsored lens is more interactive than a geofilter – it attracts even more attention
The camera first recognizes the user’s facial features. Then, in accordance with the measurements, places the filter or lensand based on the movement of the face (e.g. opening of the mouth) it triggers a reaction of the user’s expressions on the filter.
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How to promote your Snapchat profile
- Post content in the stories regularly. You need to be active because everything you post will disappear after 24h. If you post everyday you will always stay in the mind of the consumers.
- Promote your Snapchat account on other marketing channels.
To start with your strategy you have to have followers on Snapchat. So, include your Snapchat code into everything that would attract followers (story on Instagram, brochures on events, and similar).
Post your Snapchat code on any content that may attract followers
- Let an influencer take over your account on Snapchat.
Let someone who has a lot of followers take over your account for one day and share it in their social media. After that you will certiantly see the number of your followers increase. Choose someone that has a similar target audience as you.
- Feature user-generated content.
Communicate with your fans. This is one of the best way to engage users. Ask them to send pictures or videos with your products. You can then repost them on your Snapchat story. A great way to encourage user-generated content is by running contests and similar promotions.
- Offer discounts and promo codes. Share your current discounts in your store only with your Snapchat followers. Create special discount codes only for them.
- Provide exclusive access by recording your offices and production facility. With this type of posts you will keep your followers, because will make them fell as if they are getting VIP treatment.
- Reply and communicate with your followers. Even if you are always uploading content in story, you should answer to the users who replied your story.
- Post only relevant content. Stay current, constant and post regularly.
Use Snapchat to show to your consumers that you are aware of the current situations that are happening around the world. In your stories, you can talk about serious matters and try to create awareness of your consumers.
I invite you to read another one of our articles on the topic of digital advertising. And for step-by-step video tutorials, check out our hands-on e-courses.
Find out more about them at https://www.martin-orange.com/e-courses/
