How to include Snapchat in your digital strategy

· 12/04/2017

For some time you have heard about a new social network called Snapchat that has changed the rules of communication that existed until now. Since its creation in 2011 its popularity has been increasing, and today we can say that it has become a worthy rival of other greats such as Twitter or Instagram.

logotipo Snapchat

The interesting thing about this social network is the window of opportunities it has opened for the digital marketing of companies. Once you read this article you are going to change your vision about Snapchat, finally you are going to banish that image of social network focused on the youngest and you are going to see it as a fundamental communication tool for your company.

What is Snapchat and how does it work?

Before tackling the bulk of this article, how to include Snapchat in your digital strategy, it is necessary to know well the characteristics that differentiate it from its competitors and what functions can be useful to us.
Pioneer in a new form of communication based on the fugacity of messages, Snapchat has achieved great success with a simple and dynamic messaging format that allows the sending of videos and photos that can only be viewed for a limited time and that after that time will be eliminated.

There are two channels of communication, a private one through which you can only see your "snaps" (term with which they know the messages that are sent through this social network) those contacts to which you decide to send it with a duration per message of 1 to 10 seconds, and a public one known as "Story" that all your contacts will see and are deleted in 24 hours.
Both channels can be very useful tools for companies, since each one can fulfill a function, one for a direct attention with the client and another one open for a more general communication.

snapcode wildwildweb

In addition to the two main ones already mentioned, Snapchat included a section called "Discover" entirely dedicated to brand advertising. The price of this space is quite high but the scope is enormous, so this option is relegated to companies that can make a large outlay.

As a curious fact Snapchat has launched a sunglasses called "Spectacles" that include cameras to record and upload these videos directly to your story, is a gadget that only works with this social network and is gaining many followers in the United States. Their eccentric and daring design makes them an essential accessory for retro and Snapchat lovers. Can you imagine covering your company's events wearing these glasses? Write it down, because it could become the next object of desire for community managers.

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Snapchat has a wide range of possibilities when it comes to advertising a company. All you need is good planning and some tricks that we'll tell you about below.

How to plan a digital strategy in this social network?

There are three rules to keep in mind when planning your digital strategy in Snapchat:

1.- The advertising consented by users is the most effective when it comes to achieving changes in the consumer's purchasing attitude, as indicated by numerous studies. A company that approaches its product to the public through non-persuasive channels and that this, unconsciously, agrees to consume the advertising content, has guaranteed success.

2.- Advertising storytelling is fashionable. Tell a story to sell your product, you will reach the public by involving them in the story and creating feelings towards the brand. Snapchat bases its communication on storytelling, take advantage of it.

3.- We live in an impatient society, in which immediacy is a characteristic that prevails in all aspects of life. If we want something, we want it now and we go to online channels and express shipments to get it. In Snapchat, immediacy plays a fundamental role, due to the transitory nature of the messages. If you use it in a coherent way you will be able to keep your audience active in the social network, and you will feed their interest in knowing more content.

With these three rules of communication in mind, it's time to get down to work. You can include Snapchat in your digital strategy as long as it suits your target audience, that is, if your product is aimed at a consumer between 15 and 35 years old, this is your social network.
It should always be a complement to your strategy, because what you like best is to find a transmedia content, that is, that each social network adds valueto your brand story and that users of one move to another to learn more.

Snapchat has to fulfill a function within your strategy and given the characteristics that make it different from the rest, this must be to maintain direct and close contact with the public, and the creation of a community faithful to your brand.

How to achieve this?

1.- Creating personalized filters for your brand.
You can use this option on designated days such as Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve, making your brand unconsciously part of people's lives. Also, by sharing this content, you can reach not only your current audience, but future customers.

Geofilters snapchat

2.- Launching offers
Playing with the concept of immediacy you can create promotions, both privately and to all your followers, who will only have a limited time for use, managing to direct them to the point of sale and therefore to the final purchase.

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3.- Creating a customer service channel via Snapchat
Break down the barriers that are often created between consumers and business and humanize your brand with a direct contact. Make your audience aware of how valuable their opinion is and one more participant in the dynamics of your company. Create community.
Snapchat community

4.- Using Snapchatters
As in the rest of social networks, Snapchat has an army of very powerful influencers that will increase your sales with just a recommendation of your product. It is proven that the consumer is more influenced by a purchase recommendation than by an advertisement.

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