“Where’s your will to be weird?”- Jim Morrison

Evan Speigel and Bobby Murphy took this quite literally while coming up with an idea for their final project at college!

And, just like that Snapchat was ideated when one of them thought that an app that doesn’t let you save photos was a great way of communication, especially between couples.

All it takes is 10 seconds for this app to have you transfixed to the platform. Ironic, isn’t it? But, when you come to think of it, this 10-second feature makes sense to our present world with the ever decreasing attention span. It’s fascinating how 10 seconds have transformed to 10 million snap-video views per day.

So, this is where we stand today- all we have are 10 seconds to make an impact!

Well, I fumbled through the nuances of the app and realized that there is much more to it than just sending ten-second snaps. For those who think, “Urgh, I still can’t get my head around Snapchat”, worry not! Let me walk you through two of the podiums’ most captivating features.

• Explore. Dream. Discover

Discover- This is that part of the app where popular TV networks and publishing houses have managed to incorporate snippets of their daily schedule into the app. Brief jests, articles, and short videos are embedded onto the platform to further interact with their viewers and followers

• Live it!

Live– Interesting and important events across the globe are zipped to these square gateways listed under the “Live” section. You transcend miles digitally and get to experience stories around the world! Popular events like Day In The Space, Cinco de Mayo, First Day Of College, Everest The Summit etc have seen a spot in this section.

Now that we have consumed all the yellow we can, you’re probably wondering “What has this got to do with my brand?!”

Everything [Almost]! Unless your brand has been living under a rock, it is evident that a huge percentage of influencers are active users of Snapchat. There are 26 million active users in the U.S at the moment and 58% of them would likely buy a product if a customized or personalized coupon is sent to them through Snapchat.  If this is not convincing enough, here are 5 convincing strategies to adapt to your Snapchat marketing–

• #WIP Live it

Let your followers and consumers have a peek at your upcoming product or give them a behind-the-scenes tour for an event through the live feature. The Met Gala and Lakme Fashion Week have had successful behind-the-scene viewership through snapchat.

• Influencer engagement

Identify your set of influencers and engage with them through snapchat. Send them exclusive product review invites or even better, let your most followed influencer take over your channel for a day. This will not only create the right kind of buzz, but will also help in generating a lot of user generated content as your influencer will most likely actively engage with their followers throughout the campaign.

• Be as realistic as you can

Be as realistic as you can while going through this platform. There are more chances that your audience would want to relate to your brand through your realistic portrayal than those cheesy TV commercials. Provide casual Snaps of your business or brand that your followers may not normally see on a more formal platform. This can include business meetings, birthday celebrations, and day to day operations.

• Snap it, Snapstory it!

Have a handle and share your snap details on your other social media platforms. Establish a healthy following and keep them engaged with quick, daily insights. It could either be snippets with your team, something hilarious, something witty, or it could promote an upcoming event or product launch.

• Now is the ripe time for marketers

If the above hasn’t convinced you enough to start your snap handle, this should. Snapchat for marketers is quite new and marketers are still exploring creative ways to present their brand through this yellow app. This means there is very little or no cost at all involved in marketing your brand. Tools are still being built to showcase SnapAds, but in the meanwhile creating a handle and snapstories, generating a following and engaging with your audience call all be done for free!

All in all, Snapchat is a great platform to influence reach and engage with millennials, who remain to be your biggest influencers of today. There’s definitely nothing to lose to try it out, is there?! Discover, Live and Snapstory it and tell us your story! 🙂