5 Ways To Use Snapchat For Brands On A Budget

If you’re totally new to Snapchat (aka, a first timer), you’ll want to check out our cheeky post about getting started.

If you’re starting to make your way around Snapchat with a bit more confidence, you might be wondering what the next step is for your organisation and how to use it to develop your audience with younger people.

In the United States, for example, a whopping 77-percent of university-aged people use the app daily – you don’t want to miss out on developing your relationship with this key age bracket by not using the platform.

The approach for using Snapchat in your social media strategy should strongly depend on your resources available. It’s not as easy to “pay-to-play” like Facebook advertising, for example, and for smaller organisations or non-profits, the platform can be limiting.

Without the budget to create sophisticated content to show up in Snapchat Discovery, how can a small business or organisation on a budget compete?

Not to mention, how do you measure results on a platform where content has such a short shelf life and then disappears?

Luckily, there are ways to incorporate this playful, ephemeral platform into your digital communications strategy and see real relationship and engagement growth as a result.

1. Build buzz for an event, engage during the live event and do follow up

Before your next major event, encourage your younger audience to follow you on Snapchat, by sharing your Snapchat name and profile photo on other platforms.

Using Snapchat to create a buzz around & during an event or conference is a great way to offer sneak peeks, promotions and better engage attendees during the event.

For example, try creating a location specific filter for the area or event.

Also, rather than just putting all of the great quotes on Twitter, or great video clips on Facebook or YouTube, try using Snapchat before, during and after an event to help to build those young audience relationships that are built on spontaneity and authenticity.

2. Let your team show your audience behind the scenes

Behind-the-scenes moments on Snapchat don’t have to be from any specific organised event, but they can offer up special moments of importance from inside your organisation (i.e. an important team meeting, a VIP guest, a major day for the organisation, an announcement). This is a great way to engage with your Snapchat followers and offer them a sneak peek of a later, larger announcement that would usually live on another platform like your blog or newsletter.

A great way of getting this done is by rotating your Snapchat control amongst different employees:

“Take them behind the scenes to show off your company. Have fun, and use the caption and drawing tools within Snapchat to show off your personality and corporate culture. This is a great opportunity to show your fans how different your brand is from your competitors’.

If you want to mix it up behind the scenes, rotate control of your Snapchat account among trusted employees. Give them each control of it for a day or so. This adds a great deal of variety and flavor that your fans will enjoy. Just be sure to set some guidelines to keep “bad stuff” from popping up.”

3. Personal, candid moments

This section speaks for itself. “The Psychology of Snapchat Creates Authenticity”, and being genuine is the currency on this fast-growing platform.

“Facebook is where you go for updates on family and friends.

Instagram is where you go for beautiful photo content.

Twitter is where you go for the conversation.”

Snapchat is where young people can go to share and consume content that feels more true to their day-to-lives, without the pressure of making sure their ideas are thought out or their photos well-styled. If your audience is following you on Snapchat, they’ll expect the same human touch. If it seems too complex to be shared Snapchat, it’s definitely too complex to be shared on Snapchat. Stick to the basics.

4. Exclusive news and content

One way to actually get people to follow your Snapchat account in the first place, that is, to give them motivation to follow your brand on yet another platform – is the promise of exclusivity. Share things you don’t share anywhere else – like a contest or another call-to-action.

For example, this Comic-Con event is giving away event passes specifically on Snapchat – see how the strategy starts to become well-rounded?

5. Do your homework

Need a little inspiration at how major brands and tiny brands are using Snapchat? Go and do your homework. Some great example of Snapchat campaigns can be found here, here and here for a start.

Just because you don’t have a team of creatives or tons of resources doesn’t mean you can’t make something interesting happen for your brand on a budget.

Empower regularly works with clients on creative content production, including campaign strategy for Snapchat, Facebook Live, YouTube and other social video platforms.

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