Chapter 7: Marketing with Snapchat

In chapter 7 we moved on to talking about another popular social media app mainly catered to young adults, Snapchat. With its unique features and a user base of over 300 million daily active users Snapchat stands out as a powerful tool for brands to connect with potential customers in creative ways. Here’s how you can leverage Snapchat’s unique tools to boost your brand’s presence and engage effectively with your audience.

One of Snapchat’s most powerful features is its geofilters. These location-based filters allow businesses to create branded content that users can apply when they are in a specific geographic area. Whether you’re hosting an event, opening a new store, or running a local promotion, geofilters are a fun and creative way to increase brand visibility and engage with people in real-time. Users will share their snaps with your branded filter, creating organic exposure for your business and encouraging others to discover your brand.

Snapchat’s sponsored lenses provide a unique opportunity for brands to create interactive, AR (augmented reality) experiences for users. These lenses can be used to create playful, shareable content that resonates with Snapchat’s fun-loving, younger audience. Brands like Taco Bell and Gatorade have successfully used sponsored lenses to create viral marketing campaigns that encourage user participation and increase brand awareness. By using these lenses, you can let users experience your brand in a more immersive and engaging way, driving interaction and emotional connection.

Snapchat’s Story Ads are full-screen, vertical ads that appear between users’ stories. These ads are designed to look and feel native to the platform, making them more engaging and less intrusive than traditional display ads. By creating compelling Story Ads, brands can showcase their products, share promotions, or tell their brand’s story in a visually appealing format. Interactive features such as swipe-ups allow users to easily take action, whether it’s visiting your website or making a purchase. Story Ads are a great way to drive traffic and encourage conversions directly from the platform.

Snapchat Discover is a content hub where users can explore stories from top publishers, celebrities, and brands. As a marketer, this platform allows you to share exclusive, high-quality content with a larger audience. You can create long-form videos, behind-the-scenes looks, or branded mini-series to build a deeper connection with your audience. With Discover, your brand can tap into Snapchat’s vast network, making it easier to expand your reach and increase brand visibility.

If you have a mobile app, Snapchat can help you drive more downloads through its Snap Ads with App Install feature. By creating engaging, vertical video ads, brands can encourage users to swipe up and download the app directly from the ad. This is a great tool for app developers and businesses with an app offering additional services or exclusive products.

In conclusion, Snapchat offers a wide array of tools that allow businesses to market their brand in innovative, interactive, and highly engaging ways. By using features like geofilters, sponsored lenses, story ads, and Snap Ads with App Install, brands can connect with a younger, mobile-first audience and create memorable experiences that drive both engagement and conversions.