How 5 Brands are Succeeding with Snapchat Advertising
If you're aiming to get your message in front of a younger demographic, Snapchat may be an essential tool in your digital marketing arsenal. There are over 200 million active Snapchat users in the world, and half of them use the app every day. Altogether, Snapchatters watch over 10 billion videos each day. That is a massive amount of reach, and it's set to grow: According to eMarketer, Snapchat will soon have more users than either Twitter or Pinterest.
For online marketers, the message is pretty clear: Snapchat marketing may soon be an essential part of any brand strategy. However, Snapchat works a bit differently than other social platforms, and the approach you take may need to be more creative in order to reach the ad-savvy users that make up the app's core demographic. Here are five case studies of brands that have totally knocked it out of the park with Snapchat advertising.
1.) Red Bull
Handing control of a branded Snapchat account over to a well-known name is a popular strategy for many big brands. Red Bull tried this with great success in 2015, temporarily relinquishing its account to X Games champion and snowboarder Mark McMorris. McMorris used the branded Snapchat to provide an exclusive "behind the scenes" look of his extreme sports lifestyle, a hobby that would resonate with energy drink consumers.
2.) McDonalds
One of the earliest brands to jump on the Snapchat bandwagon, McDonalds took advantage of the "influencer" strategy as well by offering behind-the-scenes glimpses of an in-production commercial featuring Lebron James. McDonalds was also the first brand to take advantage of the Snapchat geofilter feature, which allows users to apply a fun branded overlay to their photos when taken within a specific area. In this case, anyone who snaps from in or near a McDonalds can use a fun "falling French fries" filter, allowing brand awareness to spread naturally between users.
3.) GrubHub
Food delivery service GrubHub has frequently used its Snapchat account to provide followers with exclusive deals and offers. During the 2015 Super Bowl, the brand decided to kick up its efforts by pairing up the work of Michael Platco, a popular artist, with facts and and trivia about chicken wings. The campaign was a success, and it showed that brands who are willing to be creative can stand out from the pack.
4.) Netflix
When streaming titan Netflix decided to revive the beloved TV show Gilmore Girls, it utilized social media to spread the word. One fun campaign involved Snapchat Sponsored filters, which could be unlocked by fans who scanned a code printed on the side of a paper coffee cup. Netflix distributed 10,000 of these cups across the country, using local coffee shops for the promotion. Eager fans lined up for the opportunity to unlock the filter and eagerly use it, spreading the word to their own followers every time the filter was applied.
5.) Cisco
A hardware manufacturer doesn't seem like the kind of business that would do well on Snapchat, but Cisco proved that any company can be successful on the platform with a good campaign. The company's Snapchat account provides followers with the coveted "behind the scenes" content about the business, making a seemingly boring concept fun and entertaining. People are naturally curious, and seeing what a Cisco account manager does each day puts a human face on the company and creates an engaging way for people to learn more about the brand and gain more awareness of its operations.
What Marketing Strategies Work on Snapchat?
As the examples above show, Snapchat marketing is most successful when it takes a less straightforward approach. The primary users of Snapchat are young, tech-savvy and less affected by traditional advertising methods. Users are, however, very interested in the lives of celebrities and other influencers; they are also interested in behind-the-scenes and "exclusive" content. Snapchat can provide a window into the inner workings of a company, and it can be very effective when used in this fashion.
Snapchat is also interactive. Brands that provide something for the audience to do, whether it's click a link in a video or apply a filter to their own photos, help to build up a rapport and improve their success rates on this uniquely interactive platform.
By understanding the user base of Snapchat and what those users want to see, you can create content that will attract attention and invite engagement. Even if you don't have the budget to attract a brand influencer to take over your account, you can utilize interactive ad campaigns, offer exclusive offers and content or give a "behind the scenes" tour of your business. Your audience will appreciate the intimacy of these efforts, and your brand's message can begin to spread organically as a result.
Phil Ohren is an operations leader with an extensive media background with deep experience in digital strategy. Phil is a 3 time, B&T 30 Under 30 winner who enjoys all aspects of digital strategy and believes advertising should be useful. Join the Global Marketing Leaders Network to read more of Phil's insights about digital marketing and successful campaign management.