Let’s talk tactics.

We’ve identified two tactics to trial for your business that is a guaranteed way to grow your following and sales conversion.

The challenge; The challenge that you first must understand is that in the app, no one can actually find you unless they search your exact username with zero spelling errors.

Here’s tip one:
Share your Snapchat QR code or handle outside the main network and on other social channels and webpages. You can use your Snapchat code as your profile photo, too, to draw more attention to the fact you have a Snap account. Be cautious not to go too hard with the Snapchat promotion on other networks though in case you annoy the portion of your audience who doesn’t have a Snapchat account. (Remember Snapchat has incredible depth in ages 34 and below.)

Tip two:
Whenever a customer receives a confirmation of purchase email, try adding your Snapchat Code or handle to the body copy. Receipt emails have a huge 71% open-rate compared to regular emails (seen as spam) which only get around a 22% open-rate. It’s an effective way to increase your following. Another idea is to incentivise it for the consumer, by simply stating that they will receive an exclusive promotional code if they choose to follow your Snapchat account. (Promotional offers, exclusive to your Snapchat users, is a fantastic way to measure your return more purposefully.)

Snapchat Tactical advice for 2020 – Build your social media platform around this marketing strategy.

Download and share your snaps on other channels.
This can also be very powerful and is a way to keep your content circulating for life, because as mentioned in part one, Snaps disappear within 24hrs of going public.

Try compiling a video compilation of your Snaps and segment them into categories, then publish on other channels like YouTube. This allows followers who don’t have Snapchat,theopportunity to see what you’re doing.And, it’s a permanent place to hold your content that can embody your SEO and VEO tactics in the description areas provided.

Be content cautious and don’t overdue the self-promo. 45% of users will unfollow you if the self righteousness becomes too much to handle. Keep it raw and honest, nonchalantly adding your product and services into the mix.

Using links from bitly is the more favoured way to add text links to your Snap Stories. Bitly demonstrates its measuring services by tracking the clicks, so, this will add depth to your key metrics to look out for.

Here are some Snapchat tips to grow your brand and business by 2020.

Tip one:
Post ‘’a day in the life content’’as often as possible. This should be the majority of your content, and, a great explanation of what this looks like, is to observe the examples of DJ Khaled, previously mentioned in part one.

Khaled would Snapchat running on the treadmill, talking to his chef or colleagues in music, jet-skiing across Miami, and even showering. We’re not suggesting you take these extremes, but one commonality each of these wacky posts shared, were his catchphrases and in some form his product placement, or information to an upcoming release.

Tiptwo:
Product teases. Teases a new release via Snapchat builds hype and allows organic marketing to enter the realm with word of mouth. Again, Snapchat is supposed to be exclusively personal content that your followers will want to be excited about.

Tip three:
Product placement. For example, if you’re coming out with new season shoes at your clothing label, ensure that these are present in all videos leading up to the release. You won’t even have to mention anything about them if they are well-placed.

Tip four:
Product codes.Create product codes exclusive to your Snapchatfamily. This is a sure fire way to expand your reach.

Tip five:
Reach out to influencers. Find and network with relevant social media influencers withinyour niche market, and allow them the opportunity to promote an exclusive discount code to share with their audience. This is a simple tactic to benefit both parties.

Tip six:
Invite an influencer to takeover your account for the day.

The cross pollination of accounts is extremely worth your while. Be sure to cross promote across all your channels in the lead up to the big day so that you will maximise the engagement.

Speaking of engagement.

Snapchat only has 3 metrics that can identify where your missing impressions are. They are; views, screenshots, and replays. This is a really straight forward way to see if your content is resonating with your audience.

Another metric to remember is that bitly link you may or may not post in the copy from time to time. These links are measured accurately and can be a great addition to those promo codes mentioned when compiling a thorough analysis of your campaigns.

Snapchat has certainly come a long way, and with the loyal following is still boasts, it’s no wonder why global companies are investing heavily into it. Don’t forget, the most you’re spending on Snapchat is time, after all, it’s free!

If you’d like a Snapchat strategy package, tailored to meet your needs, reach out to the team at GYA for a complimentary Snapchat guideline for 2020 to maximise your reach. We can also price your content production as a quarterly, half-yearly or annual package, as well as plan timeline campaigns that meet your goals and coincide with our content partnership program.

Snapchat was created in September 2011 and has steadily grown an impressive following since then.

Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app used globally, created by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown, former students at Stanford University, and developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc.

At one stage, it is believed that Snapchat had the opportunity to be bigger than instagram, had it not been for instagram adding a not too dissimilar feature called ‘’Story’’ in August of 2016. This move was to compete with Snap inc. and subsequently converted over 400 million users to instagram.
Snapchat were the originators of the ‘’My Story’’ concept, a feature that allows users to upload ‘a day in the life’ real-time content that can be shared with anyone who uses the app.

Snapchat took a knock from the Facebook-owned company, but still remains a pivotal force in brand awareness, particularly targeting meaningful messages to its users.

Snapchat has over 147million active users everyday, 71% of them are under the ages of 34, so, if a portion of your audience fits this description, Snapchat can be extremely worth your while.

On average,Snapchat is opened 25 times a day by its users that spend around 30 minutes of their time flicking through new &subscribed content on a daily basis. This is great retention for such a deep market.

How does Snapchat work?

Firstly, Snapchat marketing is different from other social network advertising platforms such as, Facebook and Instagram.

Snapchat is not a full-blown messaging network,and content is lost forever, or within 24hrs, once it’s viewed.
Also, you don’t have a public facing profile like Instagram and Facebook, but the the fact that content disappears once it’s consumed, can actually be beneficial for your brand, creating excitement, impulse and urgency. This, is what makes Snapchat a force to be reckoned with.

Probably one of the most overlooked factors in Snapchat marketing is that it’s free. If you’re an experienced marketer, you’d be aware that most marketing tools are costly, albeit your time is the only real expenditure on the table here.

Snapchat isn’t like facebook. It’s not money in, money out, it’s all about branding. If you’re wanting to maximise this opportunity, you have to look at it as an all-out strategy that accompanies your business’s main goals.
Snapchat is a strategy, not a tactic.

It’s a long-term goal that can help you build deep and meaningful relationships with the people inside your target market. This is a long-term investment, that may appear irrelevant early on, but most social media strategies are, and will be, a labour of love that can dividends.

Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) explains, it’s not how many followers you have, it’s how many you have that care.

Snapchat is deep not wide, and you are creating fulfilling relationships with consumers that will loyally drive your brand to new heights.

Let’s Be Real

Snapchat isn’t necessarily the platform for polished content, although don’t be surprised to see your favourite entertainment and news channels deliver a full production, but how does the audience feel about this?

People want transparent, exclusive information that they know cannot be found unless following your Snapchat account.
94% of Snapchatters are said to be far more loyal to a brand that is transparent with them. Rather than observing a full production and editing masterpiece.
You can still upload your polished content to support a campaign, but don’t forget to keep it real and add those unedited Snaps into the mix. So, undo the top button on your shirt, loosen-up your top collar, and, relax. You look great.

The Power of Snapchat.

DJ Khaled, the larger than life music mogul, began his career back in the late 90’s, and has become synonymous with releasing ‘urban anthems’ that feature some of the world’s biggest names in music. Importantly, it wasn’t until Khaled started publicly sharing candid, unedited moments into his life via Snapchat, that his career received the accolades he had been striving towards for almost two decades.

In 2015, Khaled began posting short videos of himself on Snapchat, talking to his fans, informing the world, about what his was doing at that very moment. His naturally energetic character, strange habits, and quirky catchphrases made him great real-time viewing for his audience. By early 2016, Khaled had over 2 million people tuning in to watch his content weekly. This notoriety, penultimately led to his healthy major deal signing to Roc Nation, a label famously headed by non other than Jay Z, one of Khaled’s idols, and the most successful hip-hop artist of all time.

That same year, DJ Khaled released his ninth studio album entitled ‘’Major Key’’, one of his catchphrases, and it became his first ever number one album, debuting atop the billboard 200 charts.

Khaled’s marketing strategy had worked.

Khaled used Snapchat to product place his clothing line and would amass over $24million dollars in the coming months.

He received endorsement deals from liquor and food companies, became Snapchat’s first celebrity ambassador, he brokered a shoe deal with Air Jordan, and, more recently, he was named as the new face of Weight Watchers.
Khaled would frequently Snap himself on the treadmill in the gym trying to lose a few pounds, so this move was a brilliant one at that by both parties involved.

Snapchat is tangible, and it can be extremely lucrative. What we’ve mentioned above is some quick insight into the power of Snapchat and why it shouldn’t be overlooked when incorporating into your strategy.

Speaking of strategy, let us offer some tips to get you started.

Read our, SNAPCHAT: Free Marketing Advice for 2020 Part two, now.

Social Media is this generation’s television

Over the last few years large corporations have been going under because they failed to measure the ROI in social media. They put all their eggs in television commercials (TVC) and they all lost billions. Yes, billions.
It is the one of the key reasons why Disney had the opportunity to buy ESPN.

Overly Connected

Social media transitioned into a credible source of news, entertainment and media over the last 5 years. Facebook live, IGTV (Instagram), Snapchat Discovery, plus many more, all evolved from YouTube, respectively. These platforms are utilised by huge television networks that work around the clock to deliver engaging content targeted at audiences in the masses.

In 2020, we will see larger corporations use this approach at micro level but you should start now.
Running great content is free. If you’re in business and you’re not posting great video content at least twice a week you’re already losing the race.

IF YOU’RE NOT OBSESSED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN 2019 YOU WILL LOSE BIG in 2020.
Instagram and Facebook has developed rapidly over the last 5 years. Once a network to connect the lives of family, friends, the interesting & influential, has now become one of the most compelling ways to talk to your audience and market your product & services.

How do I start?

Think about your social media as thoughtfully as you would any marketing strategy. Social media is a great way to reiterate what your new & existing campaign messages are.

#TIP

Having a community building strategy is a great place to start.
A simple, yet effective, way to build your brand on social media is to observe your local competitors. Take a look at what their key messages are and challenge yourself to look at it from a different angle. Be creative. Look at how they engage with the audience and also how their audience responds to specific messages.

PERFORMANCE & POWER

There are tons of different opportunities to advertise in social media, and it’s relatively cheap for now. These days, ads are costing around $4-$80, depending on what network it is, and how much you put behind it to boost it, though it’s predicted by 2022 these ad prices will rise to 10 times the current amount for your social advertisement. This will seriously effect smaller-mid size businesses if you don’t start building your network now. McDonald’s, BMW, Mercedes Benz will not let you compete in their advertising space when it matters most, and you won’t have the resources like they do to even attempt a serious challenge.

Performance based marketing is important. That’s essentially measuring your clicks, followers, engagement, site visits etc. This is fairly straight forward and should be monitored regularly to adjust your content accordingly with what is resonating better with your audience. 60% of your time and resources for smaller businesses should focus on this strategy and getting it right.

The other 40% of you’re time should be invested in the creative aspect. This is the brand building portion of your business and serves the purpose to create, control and refresh campaign content as often as needed.

#TIP: Break your campaign content into 3 month quarters. 4 campaigns a year, that are different, and encompassing one another, will be a sure fire winner.

SHOW Me The Money! Don’t TELL Me About It.

According to online marketing expert Marcus Sheridan, 80% of what we consume online is video content. Even YouTube continues to grow as a platform, giving more and more YouTubers a chance to create original video content for their audiences.

Build video content around your campaigns. It is imperative if you want to capture the target market, so consider employing a few creatives in your team that can think outside the box. It’s competitive out there and generally you’ve only got 3 seconds to win someone over on social media. Think purposefully.

A great example of this is Uber. Uber’s current campaign has extended commercials, yes, although the ad’s that you’re most likely seeing are 10 second snippets of the longer commercial. This is specifically targeted at your localised demographic, whether thats your town, city or country. It’s personalised and eye-catching.

BE INFLUENTIAL.

Don’t be afraid to stand for something and stand behind a public figure. Influencers with a large following can be your best friend at times. Don’t ever discredit a good freebie for publicity.

Perhaps offering an influencer some of your merchandise will pay dividends in the future if you reach an agreement for them to repost your product and tag your channel.

#TIP

Carefully pick & choose the right influencer or celebrity for your brand. Do your research on what they stand for and see if it aligns with your own company values. The last you will want to do is work with someone who turns out to be a morally horrible person. This will damage your brand and make you look just as bad as the person you stood behind.

One thing to remember it’s only a win-win if you collaborate with the right people.

If you’re looking to build your brand across social media talk to us at GYA, and we’ll tailor your social content to fit the needs of your business.