4 Ways to Leverage Influencer Marketing: Snapchat Edition

Partnering with influencers on Snapchat is a great way to reach younger audiences

With 158 million daily users, Snapchat is currently one of the fasting growing social media networks.1 Since its release in 2011, marketers have been cautious and slow to appreciate the advantages of including the social channel in their marketing strategy, but brands are beginning to realize that there are considerable opportunities on Snapchat for targeting younger audiences and improving brand authenticity. Snapchat is quickly becoming a powerful influencer marketing platform, and if your brand hasn't started marketing on Snapchat yet, now might be the time for you to consider including Snapchat in your marketing strategy.

Why Snapchat?

Younger Consumers Love Using Snapchat2

In an age where 84% of millennials distrust traditional advertising, marketers have been grappling to find a way to reach younger consumers.3 The younger generation makes up the majority of users on Snapchat, and the app may be the key to reaching younger consumers. In fact, Snapchat's popularity with Gen Z's and millennials are in the stats: 6 in 10 people between the age of 13 and 35 in the U.S. use Snapchat.4

Strong Influencer Relationships5

Snapchat provides a platform for influencers to show their followers a behind-the-scene look into their lives via short videos and photos, which produces both a candid and authentic story for their audience. Influencers' intimate interactions and connections with their fans create a loyal follower base, and because snaps disappear after 24 hours, loyal followers will diligently check influencers' snaps for new updates. As a brand, you can leverage the relationship between influencers and their followers to establish a connection between their audience and your brand.

How Do I Use Snapchat in My Influencer Marketing Campaign?

1. Partner With an Influencer to Stage a Snapchat Takeover

Partner with an influencer to take over your brand's Snapchat channel for a set period of time -- typically, a takeover lasts for a couple hours or an entire day. If you find the right influencer, Snapchat Takeovers can be an effective way for your brand to achieve widespread brand exposure and to expand your brand's social media following on Snapchat. During a Takeover, the influencer you partner with can direct their followers to watch, follow, and engage with their 'Takeover Story' on your brand's Snapchat account, which helps increase your account's visibility and generates a social buzz around your marketing campaign.6 During the holidays, Wet Seal, a popular teen clothing store, had a wildly successful Snapchat Takover.7 Wet Seal's Snapchat account was taken over by a popular teen blogger, MsMaghan Makeup, who has over 300,000 followers across her social media network. Meghan was able to showcase Wet Seal in an authentic way, and Wet Seal's Snapchat campaign led to a growth of 9,000 new Snapchat connections in just two weeks. Meghan's Takeover had 6,000 views in 24 hours, and it was the most viewed brand story in Snapchat's history.

2. Send an Influencer to an Exclusive Event

Invite an influencer to snap exclusively from your industry or VIP event. By granting an influencer access to your brand's exclusive event, the influencer will be able to snap, in real-time, an intimate, organic behind-the-scene story to their audience, which is a great way for the influencer's followers to see a different side to your business. The influencer can show their followers an authentic side of your brand, and it can lead to meaningful customer connections and boost brand credibility. At New York Fashion Week, Gigi Hadid, a model and influencer, was enlisted by Tommy Hilfiger to share snippets of the rehearsal for the Tommy Hilfiger fashion show.8 She shared an inside look of models practicing their runway walks and getting their make-up done for the show, and her snaps led to a large spike in audience interest and engagement and created a buzz around the fashion show.

3. Host Contests and Giveaways

To increase your brand's engagement with fans, team up with an influencer to host a contest or giveaway. A contest or giveaway will draw interests from diverse groups of people, and it compels an influencer's followers to interact with branded content in an exciting way. The influencer can snap photos of the products your brand is giving away, bring your brand's contest/giveaway to the attention of their followers, and direct their followers to your brand's account for contest/giveaway information, while encouraging their followers to participate. This creates excitement about your brand, and because snaps are only available for a fixed period of time, fans will feel a sense of urgency to consume your brand's content, thus improving audience engagement. In 2014, Grubhub hosted a scavenger hunt called the 'Snaphunt' for a week.9 Grubhub posted a challenge for their followers every day of the week to earn the chance of winning $50 in free takeout food. Over 30% of Grubhub's Snapchat followers participated, and there was a 20% increase in followers during the 'Snaphunt.'

4. Have a Two-Way Conversation With Your Audience

Another way to improve audience engagement is to have a two-way conversation with your brand's audience. Snapchat is great for two-way dialogues, so try engaging with your followers by asking them to send you a picture of them with your product or a video of them explaining why they love using your product. You can also have your audience reply to a specific video or photo you publish to initiate private conversations and to receive feedback. During the Super Bowl, influencers Jerry Purpdrank and David Lopez drove their followers to add Mountain Dew on Snapchat before taking it over for a period of time.10 On Mountain Dew's Snapchat, Jerry and David asked fans to help them throw a Super Bowl pre-party, and the fans voted their choices of party decorations and themes by screenshotting their party choices and sharing them on Twitter. The experience was interactive for the user and Mountain Dew was able to increase their brand exposure on both Snapchat and Twitter. Influencer marketing on Snapchat may still be in its infancy, but it is a powerful platform for influencer marketing. It offers brands the opportunity to reach their target demographic, while allowing them to share raw, candid stories with their audience. Snapchat is becoming increasingly popular every day, and by utilizing Snapchat and all its advantages, you can create a compelling marketing campaign for your brand.

inzpire.me

inzpire.me is an influencer marketing platform that connects brands with influencers across the globe. Ready to launch a campaign? Schedule a call today! 1 https://nordic.businessinsider.com/how-many-people-use-snapchat-user-numbers-2017-2?r=US&IR=T 2 https://www.ibm.com/think/marketing/how-to-run-awesome-snapchat-influencer-campaigns/ 3 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2016/06/27/7-ways-to-target-millennials-through-content-marketing/#f69e3153e7fa 4 https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-snapchat-over-35-20160113-story.html 5 https://www.ibm.com/think/marketing/how-to-run-awesome-snapchat-influencer-campaigns/ 6 https://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-strategy/launch-a-snapchat-takeover/ 7 https://shortyawards.com/6th/wet-seal 8 https://fashionandmash.com/2016/02/18/snapchat-ruled-social-media-at-nyfw-this-season-heres-a-look-at-the-best-of-it/ 9 https://shortyawards.com/7th/grubhub-on-snapchat 10 https://shortyawards.com/8th/mountain-dew-kickstart-kickstory