Snapchat-Where It’s at for Millennials

Snapchat may not seem like a likely social network for brands to include in their social media marketing strategy, but if your target audience includes Millennials (18-34) you’re missing a significant opportunity to connect with the consumers you want. Snapchat now has over 100 million monthly active users (Mashable), and ranks as the third most highly used smartphone app, behind Facebook and Instagram. (comScore)

Users share an average of 700 million snaps per day (Snapchat), and according to Bloomberg, Snapchat’s valuation could rise to $19 billion in 2015.

Snapchat’s short-lived images can be tricky for less product-centered businesses to use, and just as ambiguous to measure. Those same challenges, however, can also open up new marketing opportunities not found on other social media channels. 69% of college students surveyed by Sumpto stated they would be inclined to open snaps from brands, and 67% want discounts and promotions snapped to them by brands. (Business Insider)

• Rewards and incentives. 58% of college kids stated they would be likely to buy products or services from a brand that sent them a coupon on Snapchat. (Business Insider)  Coupons are also a good way to build Snapchat user lists for future promotions.
• Giveaways. You can encourage new subscribers with the offer of future rewards – for instance, a chance for Facebook followers to win concert tickets by adding your brand on Snapchat.
• Behind-the-scenes footage.  Snapchat Stories lets users create strings of images and short (5-10 seconds) videos to tell unique stories, with an extended 24-hour life span. Just remember to follow up with a call to action to check out your website, your YouTube channel, or other pages.
• Sneak peeks and teasers. Short but attention-grabbing, Snapchat visuals are a great ways to promote anticipation for new products or upcoming events.
• Games and contests. Snapchat competitions, like treasure hunts or photo contests, help boost engagement with your brand. You can also integrate Snapchat with other social media networks by asking participants to respond through those pages.

With a little creativity, marketers can use Snapchat to reach a hard-to-engage audience without much expense. With Snapchat’s disappearing messages, the expectation of destruction creates urgency and promotes immediate action. What’s more, though your Snapchat following may be smaller than other platforms, those followers are likely to be more engaged – which means the personal relationships they form with your brand will be stronger.