A Guide to Engaging Customers on Snapchat
Snapchat is one of the top 15 most used social media platforms in the world, with an advertising reach of 433 million users in Q4 (October 2020), up 9.1% since the last quarter. Despite being very much part of the social media landscape, particularly for Millennial and Gen Z users, many brands are still unsure on how to market to and engage with customers on Snapchat. We’ve put together this guide to introduce you to the platform, provide top tips on engaging with its users, and how getting on Snapchat can benefit your brand.
Snapchat 101
Snapchat is a global social media messaging platform which has contributed to revolutionising the way young people communicate online. It is available as an app on iPhone and Android and is centred around a camera tab where Snapchatters can play around with the infamous AR filters. The app underwent a redesign in its latest update in order to streamline the navigation of the different features Snapchat offers: all of these can now be found via a simple navigation bar (‘Action bar’) at the bottom of the screen which features five tabs:
Snap Map (left)
The platform’s Snap Map is a personal map which shows where you are, where your friends are, as well as highlights from Snapchat communities across the world.
Chat (centre-left)
Snapchat’s chat tab is different from other social media platforms in multiple ways, most famously in its users’ ability to send snaps that disappear as soon as they have been opened by the recipient. The unique messaging feature also allows users to use personalised bitmojis, view your own best friends list (the users you exchange snaps with most often), as well as personalised friend ‘charms’, including your star sign compatibility, snapstreak (the number of days in a row you have exchanged snaps), and friendship status (i.e. super BFF).
Camera (centre)
The Snapchat camera is the literal and metaphorical centre of the platform, with its signature AR lenses, animated bitmoji features, and locally-designed location-based filters.
Stories (centre-right)
Snapchat’s Stories have been a key feature of the platform since 2013 when they first launched the initiative. Soon after, platforms like Instagram launched their own versions of Stories, and Stories are now a central feature of many popular social media platforms including Facebook and even LinkedIn.
Discover (right)
The discover tab includes stories from brands and publications that users are subscribed to, as well as a curated ‘for you’ feed which includes stories, image-based content, articles, and video content.
Of course, like most social media platforms, Snapchat isn’t necessarily suitable for the aims of your brand, for example if you’re wanting to appeal to users in the older age brackets. However, if you’re looking to achieve any of the following, then Snapchat is certainly worth exploring:
Connect with younger demographics
Have users interact and engage actively with your brand
Stand out from other brands in your industry
Explore new mediums of communication and push the boundaries of your brand’s creativity and capabilities
Which brands are already utilising Snapchat?
There are many brands already working with Snapchat to produce unique, attention-grabbing content for its users. In Snapchat’s recent keynote, the platform showcased brands including Channel 4, Barcroft Studios, and LADbible, all of which have leveraged Snapchat’s unique format to create memorable AR and powerful short-form videos. Other brands smashing Snapchat, as identified by Gen Z marketing agency Fanbytes, include up-and-coming online fashion store SHEIN, women-focused dating site Bumble, and American fast food chain Taco Bell. So, there really is a range of brands utilising Snapchat in their marketing strategies and seeing amazing results from doing so.
Top tips for brands on Snapchat
One of the main reasons that many brands are reluctant to embrace Snapchat in their marketing strategies is that the platform is so different from others they may be more familiar with. And it’s true; the layout is different, the audience is different, and the style and substance of the content its users demand is different. However, once you know how to utilise Snapchat and make the necessary adaptations to your content, you’ll more than likely start to reap the benefits. Here are three of our top tips for brands to succeed on Snapchat:
1. Speak the language of your audience
Snapchat users are generally younger (Gen Z or Millennial) and have a different style of content consumption than on other social media platforms. While these audiences are generally more fearless and outspoken than older, more traditional audiences, they are a key demographic for any business looking to grow and move forward into a more inclusive and responsible digital world. Brand loyalty forms at a young age, so it’s worth investing in how your brand is received by younger demographics and consider how you can meet their needs.
Here are some key points to review that will help your brand ensure that you’re speaking the language of your audience:
Show that you empathise with young people and the needs and interests they have. Although there is certainly a demand for fun, interactive content on Snapchat, there is an ever-increasing demand for more poignant, factual content too, so it’s worth considering where your brand will fit into the Snapchat landscape.
Make authentic content which showcases your brand’s originality and creativity. Gen Z are, more than ever before, rejecting the idea of perfection and corporate identity, so it’s vital that your brand is truly genuine and thinks outside of the box.
Ensure that your brand’s presence demonstrates inclusivity and diversity. Snapchat as a platform is very present when it comes to platforming and celebrating diversity, so it’s important that your business has stringent diversity and inclusivity measures in place to ensure that you represent your audience and give a voice to everyone.
Prove that your brand is trustworthy, transparent, and responsible. This includes being adept at recognising popular movements (e.g. encouraging people to vote), understanding these movements, and ensuring that you use appropriate messaging and language in your brand activity.
2. Be creative and interactive
According to Snapchat’s recent keynote, 180 million snapchatters are engaging with AR on a daily basis on the platform. Branded AR filters are therefore a unique opportunity to access huge reach, engage with the younger demographic, and be a part of the AR revolution happening across social media platforms and entire industries alike. They also allow you to showcase your relevance and awareness, something which is key to winning the trust and loyalty of younger audiences, by engaging with special dates, key events, and important movements.
More generally, pushing the limits of your brand to be creative in new and different ways is key to succeeding on Snapchat. It’s not enough to simply recycle content from other platforms and use it on Snapchat without really considering its style, message, and position on the app.
3. Tailor your content to the platform
It’s often thought that Gen Z audiences are impossible to market to; for traditional brands, their attention spans are too short and they see through the corporate façade. While both of these preconceptions are somewhat true, Snapchat’s keynote showcased some fascinating findings about their young users. Gen Z audiences, despite spending 35% less time watching ads than older generations, were more likely to be able to recall the ads at a later date. In addition, while Gen Z typically engage in shorter content sessions (watch times), they actually consume 24% more content in total. So, Gen Z are consuming content in shorter sessions, but they’re retaining it just as well, if not better than older audiences.
With that being said, it’s no surprise that to succeed on Snapchat, your brand must tailor its content to the platform’s unique audience. This means condensing your videos, refining your messaging, and providing content which users can enjoy on a second-to-second basis. It’s also worth noting that Snapchat’s engagement figures are very different; the platform doesn’t have popular features such as likes or external sharing capabilities. The choice not to include features like this was an intentional one by Snapchat, who insist on ensuring users have a positive experience on the platform: one where no extreme points of view can gain momentum and where users and brands can explore and communicate in a healthy, constructive way.
It’s time to get started on Snapchat!
Snapchat has made it easy for your business to launch, advertise, and get inspired on the platform with their Snapchat for Business site. In its latest Keynote, Snapchat also announced the launch of Snap Focus: a new hub to help businesses navigate advertising on the platform.
