The ultimate guide to snapchat marketing

2. The​ ​Ultimate​ ​Guide​ ​to​ ​Snapchat
Marketing
There’s​ ​a​ ​continually​ ​growing​ ​list​ ​of​ ​social​ ​media​ ​platforms​ ​that​ ​businesses
should​ ​be​ ​using,​ ​and​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​marketers​ ​agree​ ​that​ ​Snapchat​ ​is​ ​included​ ​on
that​ ​list.​ ​Though​ ​the​ ​interface​ ​can​ ​be​ ​a​ ​little​ ​clunky​ ​and​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​get​ ​used​ ​to,
some​ ​businesses​ ​who​ ​are​ ​using​ ​Snapchat​ ​are​ ​having​ ​great​ ​results​ ​coming
from​ ​their​ ​campaigns.
Because​ ​Snapchat​ ​is​ ​so​ ​different​ ​from​ ​the​ ​other​ ​major​ ​popular​ ​social​ ​media
sites​ ​most​ ​marketers​ ​are​ ​using,​ ​however,​ ​it​ ​can​ ​feel​ ​intimidating—marketers
are​ ​unsure​ ​how​ ​to​ ​use​ ​the​ ​platform,​ ​how​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​with​ ​their​ ​audience,​ ​and
what​ ​types​ ​of​ ​content​ ​they​ ​should​ ​be​ ​using.
In​ ​this​ ​Snapchat​ ​guide,​ ​we’re​ ​going​ ​to​ ​break​ ​down​ ​everything​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to
know​ ​about​ ​marketing​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​including​ ​why​ ​you​ ​should​ ​market​ ​on​ ​the

3. platform,​ ​great​ ​examples​ ​of​ ​success​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​the​ ​demographics​ ​of​ ​its
users,​ ​recommended​ ​strategies​ ​and​ ​best​ ​practices,​ ​and​ ​an​ ​in-depth​ ​tutorial​ ​for
using​ ​its​ ​features​ ​and​ ​tracking​ ​results.
Did​ ​I​ ​mention​ ​all​ ​the​ ​latest​ ​updates?​ ​Yes​ ​we​ ​have​ ​those​ ​too,​ ​and​ ​with​ ​a
tutorial​ ​to​ ​get​ ​you​ ​started​ ​in​ ​a​ ​blink!
​ ​Ready?​ ​Let’s​ ​get​ ​started.
In​ ​our​ ​March​ ​2017​ ​update,​ ​we’ve​ ​added​ ​sections​ ​on​ ​Snapchat’s​ ​geofilters,
Snapchat​ ​Ads,​ ​and​ ​whether​ ​or​ ​not​ ​Snapchat​ ​will​ ​survive​ ​Instagram​ ​Stories
and​ ​Facebook’s​ ​Messenger​ ​Day.
You​ ​can​ ​click​ ​here​​ ​and​ ​go​ ​straight​ ​to​ ​the​ ​new​ ​content,​ ​or​ ​keep​ ​on​ ​reading​ ​and
learn​ ​how​ ​to​ ​master​ ​the​ ​platform!
Ready?​ ​Let’s​ ​get​ ​started.
Why​ ​Should​ ​Businesses​ ​Market​ ​on
Snapchat?
Snapchat​ ​can​ ​officially​ ​be​ ​considered​ ​yet​ ​another​ ​platform​ ​that​ ​businesses
and​ ​marketers​ ​can​ ​include​ ​in​ ​their​ ​marketing​ ​line-up;​ ​it’s​ ​time,​ ​for​ ​some,​ ​to​ ​cue
the​ ​collective​ ​sigh.​ ​While​ ​this​ ​can​ ​feel​ ​overwhelming​ ​for​ ​some​ ​businesses
(there​ ​are​ ​already​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​sites​ ​and​ ​platforms​ ​that​ ​we​ ​have​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​up​ ​with),
it’s​ ​always​ ​a​ ​good​ ​thing​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a​ ​platform​ ​that​ ​provides​ ​new​ ​opportunities
and​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​with​ ​our​ ​target​ ​audience.
Snapchat​ ​has​ ​shown​ ​that​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​really​ ​valuable​ ​to​ ​businesses​ ​who​ ​have​ ​the
audience​ ​there​ ​and​ ​the​ ​right​ ​strategies​ ​in​ ​place.​ ​Because​ ​numbers​ ​can​ ​speak

4. for​ ​themselves,​ ​here​ ​are​ ​some​ ​statistics​ ​that​ ​show​ ​the​ ​potential​ ​value​ ​of
marketing​ ​on​ ​Snapchat:
● An​ ​estimated​ ​​200​ ​million​ ​monthly​ ​active​ ​users​​ ​send​ ​700​ ​million​ ​photos
or​ ​videos​ ​each​ ​day,​ ​with​ ​approximately​ ​500​ ​million​ ​views​ ​per​ ​day​ ​(this
study​ ​is​ ​different​ ​than​ ​Snapchat’s​ ​which​ ​said​ ​there​ ​are​ ​8+​ ​billion​ ​video
views​ ​a​ ​day).
● Snapchat​ ​has​ ​approximately​ ​​100​ ​million​ ​daily​ ​active​ ​users.
● Snapchat​ ​reaches​ ​​11%​ ​of​ ​the​ ​US’s​ ​entire​ ​digital​ ​population​.​ ​This​ ​might
not​ ​seem​ ​like​ ​much,​ ​but​ ​when​ ​you​ ​consider​ ​how​ ​massive​ ​that
population​ ​is,​ ​that’s​ ​still​ ​a​ ​decent​ ​reach.
● Snapchat​ ​was​ ​always​ ​among​ ​the​ ​top​ ​13​ ​apps​ ​downloaded​ ​overall​ ​(and
sometimes​ ​in​ ​the​ ​top​ ​3​ ​for​ ​photo​ ​and​ ​video​ ​apps)​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​full
year​ ​of​ ​2015.
● Snapchat​ ​was​ ​worth​ ​$16​ ​billion​ ​​as​ ​of​ ​May​ ​2015​.
● Snapchat​ ​has​ ​​more​ ​users​ ​than​ ​Twitter​,​ ​and​ ​grew​ ​as​ ​much​ ​in​ ​one​ ​year
as​ ​Twitter​ ​did​ ​in​ ​four​ ​years​ ​total.
● 76%​ ​of​ ​Snapchat​ ​users​ ​also​ ​online​ ​shoppers.
● Snapchat’s​ ​daily​ ​users​ ​are​ ​spending​ ​an​ ​average​ ​of​ ​​30​ ​minutes​ ​a​ ​day​​ ​in
the​ ​app.
Aside​ ​from​ ​the​ ​statistics,​ ​which​ ​can​ ​speak​ ​for​ ​the​ ​growth​ ​and​ ​engagement​ ​on
the​ ​platform,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​some​ ​strong​ ​benefits​ ​to​ ​marketing​ ​on​ ​Snapchat.​ ​These
include:
● Less​ ​competition.​ ​Every​ ​brand​ ​that’s​ ​ever​ ​existed​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a
social​ ​media​ ​presence​ ​on​ ​Facebook,​ ​Twitter,​ ​and​ ​Instagram​ ​(and,
increasingly,​ ​Pinterest).​ ​As​ ​difficult​ ​as​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​to​ ​even​ ​connect​ ​with
users​ ​on​ ​these​ ​platforms,​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​even​ ​harder​ ​to​ ​get​ ​your​ ​content​ ​to
stand​ ​out​ ​from​ ​the​ ​competition.​ ​Though​ ​Snapchat​ ​is​ ​increasing​ ​in
popularity​ ​amongst​ ​brands​ ​quickly,​ ​there’s​ ​still​ ​less​ ​competition​ ​here​ ​for
businesses​ ​than​ ​on​ ​other​ ​platforms.
● It’s​ ​different.​ ​We’ve​ ​touched​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​on​ ​this​ ​in​ ​the​ ​intro,​ ​and​ ​we’ll​ ​discuss​ ​it
more​ ​later,​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​such​ ​a​ ​major​ ​benefit​ ​I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​mention​ ​it​ ​here,​ ​too.

5. Snapchat​ ​is​ ​different​ ​than​ ​other​ ​platforms.You’ll​ ​be​ ​reaching​ ​a​ ​new
audience​ ​in​ ​a​ ​new​ ​way​ ​with​ ​a​ ​new​ ​type​ ​of​ ​content.​ ​This​ ​can​ ​definitely​ ​be
a​ ​challenge,​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​also​ ​a​ ​big​ ​advantage.
●
● Holy​ ​burrito,​ ​batman–​ ​this​ ​type​ ​of​ ​marketing​ ​is​ ​different​ ​than​ ​what​ ​we’re​ ​used​ ​to.
● It​ ​feels​ ​authentic.​ ​Social​ ​media​ ​sites,​ ​in​ ​general​ ​are​ ​great​ ​for​ ​rapport
building,​ ​and​ ​in​ ​some​ ​cases,​ ​giving​ ​the​ ​“behind​ ​the​ ​scenes”​ ​look​ ​to
users.
● Snapchat​ ​amplifies​ ​this​ ​facet​ ​of​ ​social​ ​media​ ​marketing;​ ​it’s​ ​more​ ​about
what’s​ ​happening​ ​right​ ​now.​ ​Photos​ ​are​ ​edited​ ​with​ ​filters​ ​to​ ​make​ ​them
more​ ​interesting,​ ​not​ ​necessarily​ ​a​ ​higher​ ​quality,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​effects​ ​are
purely​ ​there​ ​for​ ​enhancement​ ​(and​ ​fun).

6. ●
● People’s​ ​snap​ ​isn’t​ ​a​ ​high​ ​quality,​ ​glossy​ ​Instagram​ ​or​ ​magazine​ ​image;​ ​it​ ​looks​ ​more​ ​casual
and​ ​less-edited,​ ​which​ ​can​ ​automatically​ ​be​ ​appealing​ ​to​ ​some​ ​users.
● You​ ​can​ ​show​ ​the​ ​personality​ ​of​ ​your​ ​brand​ ​in​ ​a​ ​new​ ​way​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,
highlighting​ ​the​ ​parts​ ​that​ ​will​ ​be​ ​most​ ​relevant​ ​to​ ​your​ ​audience​ ​there.
● You​ ​can​ ​reach​ ​a​ ​new​ ​audience.​ ​If​ ​your​ ​product​ ​has​ ​use​ ​cases​ ​that​ ​could
appeal​ ​to​ ​a​ ​younger​ ​demographic​ ​but​ ​you​ ​aren’t​ ​really​ ​connecting​ ​to
them​ ​yet​ ​on​ ​other​ ​social​ ​media​ ​platforms,​ ​Snapchat​ ​could​ ​be​ ​your​ ​gold
ticket​ ​in.
● CNN,​ ​for​ ​example,​ ​connected​ ​with​ ​more​ ​Millenials​ ​on​ ​Snapchat​ ​than
they​ ​had​ ​through​ ​their​ ​site;​ ​it​ ​was​ ​an​ ​audience​ ​they’d​ ​previously​ ​had
some​ ​trouble​ ​connecting​ ​with.

7. ●
● CNN​ ​found​ ​that​ ​their​ ​audience​ ​on​ ​Snapchat​ ​was​ ​more​ ​likely​ ​to​ ​read​ ​their​ ​news​ ​stories​ ​there
(with​ ​an​ ​example​ ​pictured​ ​here)​ ​than​ ​they​ ​were​ ​from​ ​the​ ​main​ ​site.
● Even​ ​if​ ​you’re​ ​reaching​ ​the​ ​same​ ​audience,​ ​you’re​ ​doing​ ​so​ ​on​ ​an
additional​ ​platform.
● It’s​ ​free.​ ​This​ ​definitely​ ​isn’t​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​aspect​ ​of​ ​marketing​ ​on
Snapchat,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​doesn’t​ ​hurt​ ​to​ ​note​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is,​ ​indeed,​ ​free.​ ​Some​ ​tools​ ​in
marketing​ ​aren’t,​ ​after​ ​all.
Snapchat​ ​has​ ​seen​ ​increases​ ​in​ ​growth​ ​in​ ​the​ ​past​ ​few​ ​years,​ ​with​ ​user
engagement​ ​and​ ​activity​ ​being​ ​plenty​ ​high​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​business’s
attention.

8. Before​ ​you​ ​jump​ ​onto​ ​the​ ​platform​ ​and​ ​start​ ​running​ ​campaigns,​ ​however,
you’ll​ ​want​ ​to​ ​take​ ​a​ ​look​ ​at​ ​one​ ​thing:​ ​who​ ​is​ ​your​ ​audience​ ​on​ ​Snapchat?
Who’s​ ​on​ ​Snapchat?
It​ ​only​ ​makes​ ​sense​ ​to​ ​understand​ ​what​ ​demographics​ ​are​ ​most​ ​present​ ​on​ ​a
platform​ ​before​ ​you​ ​start​ ​developing​ ​your​ ​marketing​ ​strategies,​ ​and​ ​Snapchat
is​ ​no​ ​exception.
Let’s​ ​put​ ​it​ ​this​ ​way:​ ​if​ ​Millenials​ ​are​ ​included​ ​at​ ​all​ ​in​ ​your​ ​target​ ​audience,​ ​you
should​ ​definitely​ ​be​ ​on​ ​Snapchat.
● More​ ​than​​ ​60%​ ​of​ ​13-34​ ​year​ ​old​ ​​in​ ​the​ ​US​ ​with​ ​smartphones​ ​use
Snapchat
● 37%​ ​of​ ​users​ ​fall​ ​in​ ​the​ ​8-24​ ​year​ ​old​ ​category,​ ​with​ ​71%​ ​of​ ​its​ ​users
being​ ​under​ ​the​ ​age​ ​of​ ​25.
● The​ ​population​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​made​ ​up​ ​of​ ​​70%​ ​women​ ​and​ ​30%​ ​men​.
● 12%​ ​of​ ​35-54​ ​year​ ​old​ ​are​ ​currently​ ​using​ ​Snapchat,​ ​and​ ​only​ ​2%​ ​of
those​ ​55​ ​and​ ​older​ ​are​ ​on​ ​the​ ​platform.
Snapchat​ ​currently​ ​has​ ​a​ ​younger​ ​audience,​ ​though​ ​it’s​ ​important​ ​to​ ​note​ ​that
more​ ​than​ ​half​ ​of​ ​new​ ​users​ ​currently​ ​signing​ ​up​ ​for​ ​Snapchat​ ​​are​ ​over​ ​the
age​ ​of​ ​25​.
If​ ​teens​ ​and​ ​college​ ​students​ ​aren’t​ ​your​ ​target​ ​demographic,​ ​however,​ ​you
could​ ​still​ ​get​ ​some​ ​use​ ​out​ ​of​ ​marketing​ ​on​ ​Snapchat—as​ ​long​ ​as​ ​your
audience​ ​isn’t​ ​purely​ ​in​ ​the​ ​55+​ ​age​ ​group.
Are​ ​there​ ​Any​ ​Businesses​ ​that​ ​Shouldn’t​ ​Use
Snapchat?

9. Since​ ​I’ve​ ​had​ ​some​ ​posts​ ​published​ ​about​ ​Snapchat​ ​(read:​ ​​here​ ​​and​ ​​here​),
there’s​ ​one​ ​question​ ​I’ve​ ​been​ ​asked​ ​a​ ​lot:​ ​are​ ​there​ ​any​ ​businesses​ ​that
shouldn’t​ ​use​ ​Snapchat?
So​ ​far​ ​their​ ​Snapchat​ ​activity​ ​has​ ​been​ ​better​ ​suited​ ​to​ ​the​ ​platform​ ​than​ ​their​ ​hashtag​ ​mishap​ ​was​ ​to
Twitter.
While​ ​I’d​ ​never​ ​say​ ​that​ ​it​ ​would​ ​​hurt​​ ​a​ ​brand​ ​to​ ​use​ ​a​ ​social​ ​media​ ​platform
unless​ ​some​ ​major​ ​marketing​ ​missteps​ ​are​ ​made​ ​(see​ ​my​ ​personal​ ​favorite–
the​ ​McDonald’s​ ​example​),​ ​there​ ​are​ ​probably​ ​a​ ​few​ ​brands​ ​out​ ​there​ ​that
might​ ​not​ ​have​ ​much​ ​success​ ​on​ ​Snapchat​ ​and​ ​could​ ​do​ ​better​ ​to​ ​focus​ ​their
attention​ ​elsewhere.​ ​If​ ​your​ ​target​ ​demographic​ ​is​ ​purely​ ​middle-aged​ ​to​ ​older
adults,​ ​for​ ​example,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​younger​ ​audience​ ​would​ ​have​ ​zero​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​your
product,​ ​Snapchat​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​for​ ​your​ ​business.
That​ ​being​ ​said,​ ​it​ ​never​ ​hurts​ ​to​ ​try;​ ​the​ ​demographics​ ​could​ ​always​ ​change
and​ ​expand,​ ​and​ ​you​ ​might​ ​be​ ​surprised​ ​how​ ​your​ ​content​ ​fits​ ​in​ ​with​ ​the​ ​new
audience,​ ​or​ ​how​ ​engaged​ ​your​ ​audience​ ​is​ ​on​ ​the​ ​platform.

10. Snapchat​ ​Marketing:​ ​The​ ​Tutorial
Now​ ​that​ ​we’ve​ ​established​ ​who​ ​should​ ​market​ ​on​ ​Snapchat​ ​and​ ​why​ ​they
should,​ ​we’ll​ ​focus​ ​in​ ​on​ ​the​ ​​how​ ​​of​ ​Snapchat​ ​marketing.
In​ ​case​ ​you​ ​missed​ ​it,​ ​we​ ​published​ ​an​ ​in-depth​ ​tutorial​ ​that​ ​goes​ ​over​ ​how​ ​to
set​ ​up​ ​your​ ​profile​ ​and​ ​send​ ​snaps​ ​and​ ​stories,​ ​​which​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​here​.
Since​ ​we’ve​ ​already​ ​released​ ​a​ ​guide​ ​going​ ​over​ ​the​ ​basics,​ ​this​ ​tutorial​ ​is
going​ ​to​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​the​ ​more​ ​advanced​ ​features​ ​of​ ​Snapchat​ ​marketing,
including​ ​features​ ​available​ ​to​ ​use,​ ​developing​ ​a​ ​marketing​ ​strategy,
connecting​ ​with​ ​your​ ​audience​ ​and​ ​QR​ ​codes,​ ​and​ ​tracking​ ​the​ ​results​ ​of​ ​your
marketing​ ​efforts.
Features​ ​Available​ ​on​ ​Snapchat
There​ ​are​ ​several​ ​different​ ​features,​ ​types​ ​of​ ​posts,​ ​and​ ​settings​ ​that​ ​can​ ​you
can​ ​use,​ ​all​ ​of​ ​which​ ​can​ ​impact​ ​the​ ​success​ ​of​ ​your​ ​Snapchat​ ​campaigns.
These​ ​include​ ​image​ ​editing​ ​options,​ ​the​ ​settings​ ​you​ ​can​ ​choose​ ​on​ ​your
profile,​ ​and​ ​additional​ ​features​ ​that​ ​can​ ​help​ ​you​ ​interact​ ​and​ ​engage​ ​with
your​ ​audience.
Types​ ​of​ ​content​ ​you​ ​can​ ​share​ ​on​ ​Snapchat​ ​include:
● Images.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​share​ ​images​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​taken​ ​right​ ​then​ ​with​ ​your
camera​ ​phone​ ​and​ ​edited,​ ​or​ ​uploaded​ ​from​ ​your​ ​saved​ ​photos.​ ​Snaps
are​ ​best​ ​in​ ​a​ ​portrait​ ​format,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​the​ ​only​ ​way​ ​to​ ​view​ ​them.
● Videos.​ ​Videos​ ​can​ ​be​ ​shared​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​so​ ​long​ ​as​ ​they’re​ ​kept
under​ ​ten​ ​seconds​ ​long​ ​(though​ ​some​ ​crafty​ ​users​ ​have​ ​apparently
figured​ ​out​ ​hacks​ ​around​ ​that).​ ​They​ ​can​ ​be​ ​edited​ ​like​ ​images.

11. ●
● A​ ​video​ ​of​ ​a​ ​New​ ​York​ ​Senator​ ​was​ ​shared​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​urging​ ​voters​ ​to​ ​head​ ​to​ ​the
primaries.
● Snaps.​ ​Snaps​ ​are​ ​images​ ​or​ ​videos​ ​that​ ​are​ ​sent​ ​privately​ ​and​ ​only​ ​to
specific​ ​users.​ ​After​ ​users​ ​view​ ​them​ ​for​ ​the​ ​allowed​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​time,
they​ ​“expire”​ ​and​ ​disappear.​ ​Snaps​ ​are​ ​found​ ​on​ ​the​ ​left-hand​ ​side​ ​of
the​ ​main​ ​screen.

12. ●
● Snaps​ ​are​ ​images​ ​and​ ​videos​ ​sent​ ​specifically​ ​to​ ​you.
● Stories.​ ​Stories​ ​are​ ​images​ ​or​ ​videos​ ​that​ ​are​ ​shared​ ​with​ ​your​ ​followers
(or​ ​everyone,​ ​if​ ​your​ ​private​ ​setting​ ​allows​ ​for​ ​it).​ ​They’re​ ​good​ ​for​ ​mass
distribution​ ​of​ ​content.​ ​Locate​ ​them​ ​on​ ​the​ ​right-hand​ ​side​ ​of​ ​the​ ​main
screen.

13. ●
Editing​ ​options​ ​for​ ​posts​ ​(both​ ​Snaps​ ​and​ ​Stories​ ​for​ ​images​ ​and​ ​videos)
include:
● Drawing​ ​tools.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​draw​ ​on​ ​your​ ​image,​ ​in​ ​any​ ​color​ ​and​ ​in​ ​any
place.
● Text​ ​Add-ins.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​type​ ​out​ ​text​ ​to​ ​add​ ​to​ ​your​ ​image.​ ​You​ ​can
choose​ ​any​ ​color​ ​for​ ​the​ ​font,​ ​and​ ​place​ ​the​ ​banner​ ​text​ ​wherever​ ​you
choose.

14. ● Emojis.​ ​Because​ ​the​ ​world​ ​can​ ​never​ ​have​ ​enough​ ​emojis,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​add
emojis​ ​to​ ​your​ ​image,​ ​dragging​ ​them​ ​to​ ​any​ ​position​ ​that​ ​you​ ​so​ ​please.
●
● The​ ​trifecta​ ​of​ ​the​ ​image​ ​editing​ ​tools​ ​all​ ​in​ ​one​ ​image.
●
Settings​ ​and​ ​features​ ​that​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​to​ ​enhance​ ​your​ ​success​ ​on​ ​Snapchat
include:

15. ● Change​ ​view​ ​time.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​manually​ ​adjust​ ​the​ ​view​ ​time​ ​on​ ​your
images,​ ​allowing​ ​users​ ​to​ ​view​ ​them​ ​for​ ​longer​ ​or​ ​shorter​ ​periods​ ​of​ ​time
than​ ​the​ ​default​ ​ten​ ​seconds.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​increase​ ​the​ ​length​ ​of​ ​time​ ​it’s
available​ ​for​ ​viewing,​ ​you​ ​could​ ​get​ ​more​ ​engagement.
●
● Having​ ​your​ ​profile​ ​public.​ ​Make​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​your​ ​profile​ ​is​ ​set​ ​to​ ​public,
instead​ ​of​ ​private​ ​(which​ ​is​ ​the​ ​default).​ ​To​ ​do​ ​this,​ ​click​ ​the​ ​ghost​ ​in​ ​the
top​ ​center​ ​of​ ​the​ ​main​ ​screen.From​ ​there,​ ​click​ ​the​ ​red​ ​star​ ​in​ ​the​ ​top
right​ ​corner.

16. ● Change​ ​“who​ ​can​ ​contact
me”​ ​and​ ​“who​ ​can​ ​view​ ​my​ ​stories”​ ​from​ ​“my​ ​friends”​ ​to​ ​“everyone.”

17. ●
Snapchat​ ​released​ ​an​ ​upgraded​ ​messaging​ ​system​ ​(​Snapchat​ ​chat​ ​2.0​),
which​ ​comes​ ​with​ ​additional​ ​features.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​use​ ​the​ ​messaging​ ​system​ ​to
chat​ ​privately​ ​with​ ​specific​ ​users.
To​ ​chat​ ​with​ ​a​ ​user,​ ​swipe​ ​right​ ​to​ ​where​ ​you’ll​ ​see​ ​Snaps.​ ​Click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​text
bubble​ ​in​ ​the​ ​left-hand​ ​corner.

18. From​ ​there​ ​you’ll​ ​be​ ​taken​ ​to​ ​a​ ​screen​ ​where​ ​you​ ​can​ ​choose​ ​who​ ​to​ ​chat
with.

19. Features​ ​(new​ ​and​ ​old)​ ​of​ ​the​ ​chat​ ​system​ ​include:
● Stickers.​ ​More​ ​than​ ​200​ ​stickers​ ​are​ ​now​ ​available​ ​to​ ​use​ ​in​ ​the​ ​private
chat​ ​system.

20. ●
● Video​ ​notes.​ ​Video​ ​notes​ ​are​ ​ten​ ​seconds​ ​of​ ​video​ ​that​ ​will​ ​loop​ ​for
continuous​ ​watching​ ​when​ ​your​ ​friend​ ​views​ ​them,​ ​and​ ​they​ ​can​ ​be​ ​sent
in​ ​the​ ​private​ ​chat​ ​system.​ ​They​ ​don’t​ ​expire​ ​like​ ​normal​ ​snaps​ ​and
stories.
● Audio​ ​notes.​ ​Audio​ ​notes​ ​work​ ​the​ ​same​ ​way​ ​as​ ​video​ ​notes,​ ​allowing
you​ ​to​ ​send​ ​10-second​ ​snippets​ ​of​ ​audio​ ​content​ ​in​ ​a​ ​private​ ​chat.
● Multiple​ ​photo​ ​send.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​now​ ​send​ ​multiple​ ​photos​ ​at​ ​once​ ​in​ ​the
private​ ​chat​ ​system.

21. ● Video​ ​and​ ​audio​ ​calls.​ ​Just​ ​as​ ​Facebook​ ​offers​ ​video​ ​and​ ​audio​ ​calls,
Snapchat​ ​does​ ​as​ ​well,​ ​thanks​ ​to​ ​their​ ​upgraded​ ​chat​ ​system.​ ​You​ ​can
even​ ​send​ ​photos​ ​during​ ​these​ ​calls.
●
● Chat​ ​2.0’s​ ​interface.
Developing​ ​a​ ​Strategy​ ​to​ ​Market​ ​on​ ​Snapchat
(with​ ​real​ ​examples)

22. While​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​social​ ​media​ ​platforms​ ​offer​ ​something​ ​unique​ ​while​ ​still
functioning​ ​in​ ​a​ ​similar​ ​way​ ​(Twitter,​ ​Instagram,​ ​Facebook,​ ​and​ ​even​ ​Pinterest
allow​ ​you​ ​to​ ​share​ ​posts​ ​and​ ​“like”​ ​or​ ​comment​ ​on​ ​the​ ​posts​ ​of​ ​others),
Snapchat​ ​is​ ​one​ ​that—to​ ​me—feels​ ​truly​ ​different;​ ​you​ ​share​ ​videos​ ​and
images​ ​with​ ​specific​ ​people,​ ​and​ ​people​ ​can​ ​send​ ​videos​ ​and​ ​images​ ​to​ ​you.
That’s​ ​it.​ ​The​ ​interaction​ ​between​ ​you​ ​and​ ​your​ ​users​ ​isn’t​ ​public,​ ​and​ ​there’s
no​ ​real​ ​social​ ​proof.​ ​Going​ ​viral​ ​isn’t​ ​the​ ​objective;​ ​getting​ ​your​ ​content​ ​to
those​ ​who​ ​will​ ​engage​ ​with​ ​it​ ​is​ ​the​ ​only​ ​goal​ ​here.
In​ ​order​ ​to​ ​have​ ​success​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​you’ll​ ​need​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a​ ​marketing
strategy​ ​in​ ​place.​ ​And​ ​because​ ​Snapchat​ ​is​ ​such​ ​a​ ​different​ ​platform
compared​ ​to​ ​what​ ​we’re​ ​used​ ​to​ ​as​ ​marketers,​ ​that​ ​marketing​ ​strategy​ ​is
going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​at​ ​least​ ​a​ ​little​ ​different​ ​than​ ​what​ ​you’re​ ​likely​ ​using​ ​on​ ​other
platforms.
Some​ ​tried-and-true​ ​strategies,​ ​tactics,​ ​and​ ​campaigns​ ​that​ ​have​ ​worked​ ​for
other​ ​businesses​ ​who​ ​were​ ​marketing​ ​their​ ​brand​ ​(or​ ​products)​ ​on​ ​Snapchat
include​ ​the​ ​following:
● Offering​ ​coupon​ ​codes.​ ​When​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​Snapchat​ ​marketing,​ ​one​ ​of
the​ ​best​ ​tried-and-true​ ​tactics​ ​is​ ​advertising​ ​coupon​ ​codes​ ​on​ ​the
platform.
● There​ ​are​ ​several​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​do​ ​this.​ ​Sixteen​ ​Handles​ ​made​ ​Snapchat
marketing​ ​history​ ​when​ ​they​ ​offered​ ​a​ ​coupon​ ​code​ ​in​ ​exchange​ ​for
users​ ​sending​ ​them​ ​Snaps​ ​of​ ​themselves​ ​with​ ​the​ ​frozen​ ​yogurt.​ ​The
frozen​ ​yogurt​ ​restaurant​ ​returned​ ​the​ ​snap​ ​with​ ​a​ ​coupon​ ​code,
redeemable​ ​in​ ​store.

23. ●
Grubhub​ ​has​ ​also​ ​been​ ​known​ ​to​ ​offer​ ​coupon​ ​codes​ ​via​ ​Snapchat,
which​ ​makes​ ​use​ ​the​ ​urgent​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​the​ ​platform​ ​and​ ​encourages
users​ ​to​ ​buy​ ​now​ ​with​ ​a​ ​combination​ ​of​ ​urgency​ ​and​ ​the​ ​added​ ​incentive
of​ ​a​ ​discount.

24. ●
In​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​the​ ​coupon​ ​codes​ ​being​ ​great​ ​motivation​ ​for​ ​engagement
and​ ​real,​ ​profitable​ ​sales,​ ​they​ ​also​ ​offer​ ​another​ ​benefit:​ ​they’re
trackable.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​see​ ​how​ ​many​ ​people​ ​are​ ​responding​ ​to​ ​you,​ ​and
then​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​how​ ​many​ ​actually​ ​use​ ​the​ ​coupon​ ​code.​ ​Since​ ​it​ ​can
be​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​track​ ​metrics​ ​at​ ​all​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​that’s​ ​a​ ​valuable​ ​perk.
● Connect​ ​with​ ​influencers.​ ​Connecting​ ​with​ ​influencers​ ​can​ ​make​ ​a​ ​huge
impact​ ​on​ ​your​ ​Snapchat​ ​marketing–​ ​even​ ​if​ ​they’re​ ​more​ ​unlikely
influencers​ ​that​ ​you’d​ ​expect​ ​to​ ​see.

25. ●
● When​ ​wet​ ​seal​ ​partnered​ ​with​ ​a​ ​16​ ​year​ ​old​ ​influencer​ ​and​ ​Snapchat​ ​fashion​ ​star,​ ​it​ ​grew
their​ ​following–​ ​and​ ​their​ ​sales.
● A​ ​great​ ​example​ ​of​ ​a​ ​brand​ ​who​ ​used​ ​influencers​ ​wisely​ ​was​ ​Audi.
Wanting​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​to​ ​young,​ ​female,​ ​Millennial,​ ​first​ ​time​ ​car​ ​buyers,
they​ ​teamed​ ​up​ ​with​ ​ABC’s​ ​show​ ​“Pretty​ ​Little​ ​Liars,”​ ​which​ ​is​ ​an
influencer​ ​for​ ​that​ ​demographic​ ​if​ ​there​ ​ever​ ​was​ ​one.​ ​Audi​ ​would​ ​post
exclusive​ ​content​ ​about​ ​the​ ​show,​ ​giving​ ​the​ ​show​ ​an​ ​additional
platform​ ​and​ ​Audi​ ​access​ ​to​ ​the​ ​show’s​ ​followers.

26. ●
● This​ ​series​ ​of​ ​snaps​ ​shows​ ​how​ ​valuable​ ​the​ ​campaign​ ​(which​ ​went​ ​cross-platform)​ ​was,​ ​all
thanks​ ​to​ ​smart​ ​influencer​ ​partnership.
● Throughout​ ​the​ ​campaign,​ ​Audi​ ​gained​ ​more​ ​than​ ​115,000​ ​followers​ ​on
Snapchat.​ ​Even​ ​unlikely​ ​pairs​ ​can​ ​work.
● Build​ ​anticipation.​ ​Do​ ​you​ ​have​ ​an​ ​event​ ​going​ ​on​ ​now,​ ​or​ ​one​ ​going​ ​on
soon?​ ​Create​ ​hype​ ​as​ ​much​ ​as​ ​you​ ​can​ ​through​ ​anticipation​ ​and
capitalize​ ​on​ ​it.

27. ●
● The​ ​New​ ​York​ ​Primaries​ ​were​ ​big​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​reminding​ ​users​ ​to​ ​go​ ​vote​ ​and​ ​helping
create​ ​hype​ ​through​ ​multiple​ ​stories.
● For​ ​those​ ​who​ ​don’t​ ​know​ ​(or​ ​don’t​ ​live​ ​in​ ​Orlando),​ ​Universal​ ​Studios
opened​ ​up​ ​the​ ​new​ ​King​ ​Kong​ ​ride​ ​Skull​ ​Island​ ​last​ ​summer.​ ​As​ ​part​ ​of
their​ ​marketing​ ​strategy,​ ​they’ve​ ​released​ ​a​ ​series​ ​of​ ​short​ ​videos​ ​on
YouTube,​ ​spaced​ ​a​ ​week​ ​apart​ ​each.​ ​​These​ ​videos​​ ​show​ ​a​ ​fictional​ ​trip

28. to​ ​a​ ​“real”​ ​skull​ ​island,​ ​each​ ​ending​ ​on​ ​a​ ​cliffhanger​ ​to​ ​build​ ​anticipation
both​ ​for​ ​the​ ​next​ ​video,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​ride.​ ​It​ ​worked–​ ​I​ ​got​ ​excited​ ​and
renewed​ ​my​ ​pass.​ ​This​ ​happened​ ​on​ ​YouTube,​ ​but​ ​you​ ​can​ ​do​ ​the
same​ ​via​ ​Snapchat.
●
● Think​ ​of​ ​your​ ​snaps,​ ​one​ ​after​ ​another,​ ​like​ ​a​ ​youtube​ ​playlist.​ ​Tell​ ​a​ ​story​ ​to​ ​build
anticipation.
● If​ ​you​ ​have​ ​an​ ​event​ ​coming​ ​up,​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​share​ ​images​ ​and​ ​videos​ ​of
the​ ​preparation​ ​or​ ​of​ ​exciting​ ​new​ ​developments​ ​and​ ​details​ ​to​ ​come.
TacoBell​ ​(an​ ​icon​ ​of​ ​Snapchat​ ​marketing)​ ​did​ ​this​ ​when​ ​announcing​ ​the
arrival​ ​of​ ​their​ ​breakfast​ ​menu​ ​through​ ​multiple​ ​tweets.
●
Always​ ​keep​ ​people​ ​wanting​ ​more,​ ​adding​ ​phrases​ ​like​ ​“just​ ​wait​ ​until
you​ ​hear​ ​what​ ​we’ve​ ​got​ ​coming!”​ ​and​ ​“we’ve​ ​got​ ​a​ ​great​ ​surprise​ ​in

29. store.”​ ​Use​ ​the​ ​short​ ​but​ ​frequent​ ​snaps​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​your​ ​audience
engaged.Build​ ​anticipation,​ ​both​ ​for​ ​your​ ​next​ ​story​ ​and​ ​the​ ​product,​ ​and
your​ ​campaigns​ ​can​ ​provide​ ​even​ ​more​ ​than​ ​higher​ ​engagement.
● Target​ ​the​ ​audience​ ​that’s​ ​there.​ ​Your​ ​audience​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​even
after​ ​some​ ​impressive​ ​growth,​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​the​ ​same​ ​as​ ​your​ ​target
audience​ ​in​ ​general.​ ​That’s​ ​fine.​ ​As​ ​long​ ​as​ ​they​ ​are​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​your
content​ ​and​ ​relevant​ ​to​ ​your​ ​brand,​ ​they’re​ ​now​ ​your​ ​target​ ​audience​ ​on
Snapchat.
● Let’s​ ​look​ ​at​ ​an​ ​example​ ​of​ ​how​ ​to​ ​repurpose​ ​a​ ​campaign​ ​to​ ​fit​ ​a​ ​new
audience.​ ​Publix​ ​(a​ ​popular​ ​grocery​ ​store​ ​in​ ​Florida)​ ​often​ ​has​ ​really
touching​ ​commercials​ ​near​ ​the​ ​holidays,​ ​where​ ​lonely​ ​grandparents​ ​are
visited​ ​by​ ​family​ ​or​ ​friendly​ ​neighbors.​ ​To​ ​adjust​ ​to​ ​the​ ​millennial
demographic,​ ​they​ ​could​ ​instead​ ​feature​ ​campaigns​ ​around​ ​pizza​ ​and
wings​ ​images​ ​and​ ​videos​ ​for​ ​college​ ​game​ ​night.​ ​Febreeze​ ​has
capitalized​ ​on​ ​this,​ ​changing​ ​their​ ​Snapchat​ ​campaigns​ ​to​ ​market​ ​to
millennials.

30. ●
● Freeze​ ​has​ ​deviated​ ​from​ ​its​ ​normal​ ​marketing​ ​plan​ ​to​ ​appeal​ ​to​ ​Snapchat​ ​users​ ​with​ ​a​ ​car
freshener​ ​product.
● I​ ​think​ ​LACMA​ ​has​ ​done​ ​an​ ​amazing​ ​job​ ​with​ ​this,​ ​adapting​ ​to​ ​the
audience​ ​on​ ​Snapchat​ ​to​ ​showcase​ ​exciting​ ​pieces​ ​and​ ​keep​ ​users
interested,​ ​with​ ​clever​ ​uses​ ​of​ ​text,​ ​editing,​ ​and​ ​visual​ ​add-ins.

31. ●
Connecting​ ​with​ ​Your​ ​Audience​ ​on​ ​Snapchat
We’ve​ ​already​ ​discussed​ ​the​ ​demographics​ ​that​ ​are​ ​currently​ ​on​ ​Snapchat.
Just​ ​because​ ​they’re​ ​there,​ ​however,​ ​doesn’t​ ​mean​ ​you’re​ ​automatically

32. guaranteed​ ​for​ ​them​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​you.​ ​You​ ​have​ ​to​ ​still​ ​find​ ​your​ ​followers​ ​and
encourage​ ​them​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​with​ ​you,​ ​just​ ​as​ ​you​ ​would​ ​on​ ​any​ ​other​ ​platform.
Snapchat​ ​lacks​ ​other​ ​platforms’​ ​“viral”​ ​nature;​ ​if​ ​one​ ​of​ ​your​ ​friends​ ​follows​ ​a
brand​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​it​ ​makes​ ​absolute​ ​no​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​you​ ​whatsoever—you
don’t​ ​see​ ​it​ ​and​ ​you’ll​ ​never​ ​hear​ ​about​ ​it.​ ​Because​ ​of​ ​this,​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​more
difficult​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​with​ ​users​ ​on​ ​Snapchat.
Ben​ ​and​ ​Jerrys​ ​shared​ ​this​ ​post​ ​on​ ​Instagram,​ ​offering​ ​valuable​ ​content​ ​in​ ​exchange​ ​for​ ​new
followers​ ​on​ ​Snapchat.
One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​best​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​do​ ​so​ ​is​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​your​ ​Snapchat​ ​off​ ​the​ ​platform​ ​as
much​ ​as​ ​you​ ​possibly​ ​can.​ ​Share​ ​your​ ​Snapchat​ ​username​ ​on​ ​all​ ​of​ ​your
social​ ​media​ ​sites,​ ​your​ ​site,​ ​and​ ​in​ ​an​ ​email​ ​to​ ​your​ ​email​ ​list,​ ​prompting
users​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​you.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​offer​ ​some​ ​incentive​ ​up​ ​front,​ ​offering​ ​the​ ​chance
to​ ​win​ ​a​ ​prize​ ​or​ ​get​ ​a​ ​shout​ ​out​ ​from​ ​your​ ​brand​ ​if​ ​they​ ​follow​ ​you.​ ​This​ ​can
be​ ​surprisingly​ ​effective.

33. For​ ​a​ ​few​ ​days​ ​Elle​ ​Magazine​ ​had​ ​their​ ​Snapcode​ ​as​ ​their​ ​profile​ ​picture​ ​to​ ​help​ ​get​ ​as​ ​many​ ​eyes
as​ ​possible​ ​on​ ​it.
If​ ​you​ ​can​ ​get​ ​an​ ​influencer​ ​on​ ​board​ ​who​ ​can​ ​encourage​ ​users​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​you,
this​ ​can​ ​also​ ​help.​ ​As​ ​many​ ​people​ ​as​ ​possible​ ​who​ ​can​ ​let​ ​followers​ ​know
about​ ​your​ ​Snapchat​ ​profile,​ ​the​ ​better.
Perhaps​ ​the​ ​most​ ​effective​ ​way​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​with​ ​new​ ​users​ ​is​ ​to​ ​use​ ​the​ ​QR
code.
Snapchat’s​ ​QR​ ​Code:​ ​How​ ​to​ ​Use​ ​It
QR​ ​codes​ ​are​ ​machine-readable​ ​codes​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be​ ​read​ ​by​ ​the​ ​cameras​ ​on
smartphones,​ ​similar​ ​to​ ​the​ ​scanning​ ​of​ ​a​ ​barcode.​ ​Snapchat​ ​has​ ​smartly
made​ ​great​ ​use​ ​of​ ​QR​ ​codes,​ ​which​ ​users​ ​can​ ​now​ ​use​ ​to​ ​quickly​ ​follow
specific​ ​users​ ​or​ ​brands​ ​that​ ​they​ ​want.​ ​Users​ ​are​ ​sharing​ ​their​ ​QR​ ​codes
across​ ​social​ ​media,​ ​in​ ​emails,​ ​and​ ​even​ ​in​ ​print​ ​in​ ​person,​ ​making​ ​it​ ​fast​ ​and
easy​ ​for​ ​other​ ​users​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​them.​ ​The​ ​easier​ ​it​ ​is,​ ​the​ ​more​ ​followers​ ​you’re
likely​ ​to​ ​gain.

34. You​ ​can​ ​access​ ​and​ ​customize​ ​your​ ​Snapchat​ ​QR​ ​code​ ​by​ ​logging​ ​in​ ​​here​.
Each​ ​snap​ ​code​ ​is​ ​unique​ ​even​ ​before​ ​you​ ​customize​ ​it,​ ​so​ ​keep​ ​that​ ​in​ ​mind
before​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​customize​ ​someone​ ​else’s.
The​ ​snapcode​ ​is​ ​made​ ​up​ ​of​ ​3​ ​different​ ​aspects;​ ​the​ ​ghost,​ ​the​ ​code,​ ​and​ ​the
frame.​ ​None​ ​of​ ​these​ ​factors​ ​can​ ​be​ ​interfered​ ​with—you​ ​can’t​ ​invert​ ​the​ ​color
of​ ​the​ ​code,​ ​for​ ​example,​ ​or​ ​disrupt​ ​either​ ​the​ ​ghost​ ​or​ ​the​ ​frame.

35. You​ ​can​ ​change​ ​the​ ​color​ ​of​ ​the​ ​body​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ghost,​ ​though​ ​Snapchat
recommends​ ​you​ ​keep​ ​it​ ​white.​ ​Adding​ ​a​ ​logo​ ​or​ ​image​ ​inside​ ​the​ ​ghost​ ​can
be​ ​a​ ​great​ ​way​ ​to​ ​customize​ ​the​ ​code,​ ​and​ ​you​ ​can​ ​change​ ​the​ ​background
color​ ​(just​ ​not​ ​the​ ​code)​ ​as​ ​part​ ​of​ ​your​ ​branding.

36. Once​ ​you’re​ ​happy​ ​with​ ​your​ ​snapcode,​ ​share​ ​it​ ​everywhere​ ​you​ ​can.​ ​People
just​ ​have​ ​to​ ​take​ ​a​ ​picture​ ​of​ ​your​ ​snapcode​ ​and​ ​click​ ​on​ ​it​ ​within​ ​the​ ​app​ ​from
your​ ​camera​ ​roll​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​you.

37. You​ ​can​ ​put​ ​your​ ​brand​ ​name​ ​or​ ​logo​ ​inside​ ​the​ ​ghost.
How​ ​to​ ​Track​ ​Results​ ​on​ ​Snapchat
Like​ ​Instagram,​ ​Snapchat​ ​doesn’t​ ​have​ ​the​ ​type​ ​of​ ​in-platform​ ​analytics​ ​tool
like​Facebook’s​ ​Insights​​ ​or​ ​​Pinterest’s​ ​Analytics​.​ ​Unlike​ ​Instagram,​ ​Snapchat
also​ ​doesn’t​ ​have​ ​any​ ​third​ ​party​ ​analytics​ ​tools​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used.​ ​At​ ​least​ ​for
now,​ ​Snapchat​ ​is​ ​more​ ​user-friendly​ ​than​ ​it​ ​is​ ​marketer-friendly.
While​ ​this​ ​can​ ​be​ ​inconvenient​ ​for​ ​marketers,​ ​it’s​ ​still​ ​possible​ ​to​ ​track
some​results​ ​of​ ​your​ ​campaigns​ ​on​ ​Snapchat.​ ​The​ ​information​ ​won’t​ ​be
condensed​ ​in​ ​easy-to-read​ ​graphs​ ​and​ ​charts​ ​on​ ​a​ ​marketer-friendly​ ​interface,
but​ ​you​ ​can​ ​still​ ​get​ ​it.
There​ ​are​ ​a​ ​few​ ​metrics​ ​you​ ​can​ ​track​ ​on​ ​Snapchat.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​see:
● Who’s​ ​viewed​ ​a​ ​Snap
● Who​ ​responded​ ​to​ ​a​ ​Snap​ ​or​ ​story
● Who’s​ ​engaged​ ​with​ ​you​ ​via​ ​chat

38. You​ ​can​ ​determine​ ​the​ ​effectiveness​ ​of​ ​your​ ​campaigns​ ​(or​ ​at​ ​least​ ​how​ ​much
the​ ​content​ ​is​ ​being​ ​viewed)​ ​by​ ​dividing​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​snaps​ ​opened​ ​by​ ​the
amount​ ​of​ ​snaps​ ​you​ ​sent​ ​out,​ ​providing​ ​you​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Snap​ ​opening​ ​rate.
If​ ​you’re​ ​running​ ​a​ ​particular​ ​campaign,​ ​like​ ​GrubHub​ ​in​ ​the​ ​example​ ​above,
you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​how​ ​many​ ​users​ ​open​ ​a​ ​private​ ​snap​ ​and/or​ ​interact​ ​with​ ​you​ ​to
receive​ ​the​ ​coupon​ ​code.
Evaluating​ ​your​ ​open​ ​and​ ​engagement​ ​rate​ ​over​ ​time​ ​can​ ​be​ ​tedious​ ​and​ ​take
a​ ​long​ ​time​ ​as​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​manual​ ​process,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​can​ ​give​ ​you​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​how
your​ ​content​ ​is​ ​resonating​ ​with​ ​your​ ​audience,​ ​along​ ​with​ ​what​ ​content​ ​they
were​ ​most​ ​receptive​ ​to.
You​ ​can​ ​also​ ​see​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​views​ ​your​ ​story​ ​as​ ​gotten,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the
amount​ ​of​ ​screen​ ​shots​ ​taken.​ ​When​ ​you​ ​click​ ​on​ ​your​ ​individual​ ​story,​ ​you
can​ ​see​ ​how​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​views​ ​(which​ ​will​ ​be​ ​the​ ​number​ ​by​ ​the​ ​eye)​ ​and
the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​screen​ ​shots​ ​(which​ ​is​ ​the​ ​tiny​ ​supposed-to-be-an-arrow).

39. This​ ​story,​ ​just​ ​shared,​ ​as​ ​0​ ​views​ ​and​ ​0​ ​screen​ ​shots,​ ​as​ ​seen​ ​in​ ​the​ ​bottom​ ​left​ ​hand​ ​corner.

40. Again,​ ​calculating​ ​both​ ​the​ ​views​ ​and​ ​the​ ​screen​ ​shots​ ​can​ ​help​ ​you​ ​evaluate
whether​ ​or​ ​not​ ​your​ ​content​ ​is​ ​relevant—and​ ​is​ ​staying​ ​relevant—to​ ​your
audience.
5​ ​Best​ ​Practices​ ​for​ ​Marketing​ ​on
Snapchat
In​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​developing​ ​a​ ​marketing​ ​strategy​ ​that​ ​works​ ​best​ ​for​ ​your​ ​brand
and​ ​your​ ​particular​ ​audience,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​several​ ​different​ ​tactics​ ​and​ ​best
practices​ ​you​ ​can​ ​employ​ ​with​ ​your​ ​Snapchat​ ​campaigns​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​boost
engagement,​ ​sales,​ ​and​ ​followers.
Here​ ​are​ ​5​ ​of​ ​those​ ​best​ ​practices:
● Create​ ​urgency.​ ​Creating​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​urgency​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great​ ​tactic​ ​when
you’re​ ​looking​ ​to​ ​motivate​ ​users​ ​to​ ​take​ ​any​ ​sort​ ​of​ ​action​ ​on​ ​your
campaigns.​ ​Snapchat​ ​is​ ​no​ ​different,​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​“see​ ​it​ ​before​ ​it’s​ ​gone”
aspect​ ​automatically​ ​gives​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​must-act-now​ ​to​ ​users​ ​viewing
your​ ​content.

41. ●
● Another​ ​great​ ​example​ ​from​ ​GrubHub,​ ​they​ ​use​ ​Snapchat’s​ ​natural​ ​urgency​ ​and​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​call
to​ ​action​ ​to​ ​get​ ​engagement-​ ​with​ ​the​ ​incentive​ ​of​ ​a​ ​giveaway
● Create​ ​posts​ ​that​ ​capitalize​ ​on​ ​this​ ​natural​ ​urgency​ ​to​ ​motivate​ ​users​ ​to
action–​ ​announce​ ​flash​ ​sales,​ ​special​ ​discounts,​ ​or​ ​exclusive​ ​content–
to​ ​get​ ​more​ ​results​ ​and​ ​higher​ ​engagement.
● Test​ ​content​ ​in​ ​private​ ​messages.​ ​Since​ ​Snapchat​ ​is​ ​so​ ​different​ ​from
other​ ​platforms,​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​good​ ​idea​ ​to​ ​test​ ​your​ ​content​ ​and​ ​see​ ​how​ ​it​ ​will
perform​ ​(because​ ​when​ ​is​ ​this​ ​ever​ ​a​ ​bad​ ​idea​ ​for​ ​marketers?).
● To​ ​test​ ​content​ ​on​ ​Snapchat,​ ​send​ ​a​ ​Snap​ ​to​ ​some​ ​of​ ​your​ ​users​ ​in
private​ ​snaps​ ​and​ ​measure​ ​their​ ​engagement.​ ​It​ ​will​ ​be​ ​easier​ ​to
monitor​ ​their​ ​engagement​ ​in​ ​these​ ​smaller​ ​batches,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​lets​ ​you​ ​test
content​ ​before​ ​sharing​ ​it​ ​with​ ​all​ ​of​ ​your​ ​followers​ ​(and​ ​potentially​ ​the
public)​ ​as​ ​stories.

42. ● Fit​ ​your​ ​content​ ​to​ ​the​ ​platform.​ ​If​ ​sites​ ​like​ ​Facebook​ ​and​ ​Instagram​ ​are
all​ ​about​ ​transparency,​ ​Snapchat​ ​has​ ​taken​ ​that​ ​transparency​ ​to​ ​a
whole​ ​new​ ​level.​ ​Images​ ​on​ ​Snapchat​ ​aren’t​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​same
stunning,​ ​glossy,​ ​filtered,​ ​edited​ ​images​ ​adorning​ ​users’​ ​Facebook​ ​and
Instagram​ ​feeds;​ ​they’re​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​taken​ ​with​ ​a​ ​camera​ ​phone​ ​quickly,
edited​ ​in​ ​a​ ​fun​ ​way,​ ​and​ ​shared.
●
● This​ ​content​ ​feels​ ​uniquely​ ​applicable​ ​to​ ​Snapchat​ ​as​ ​a​ ​platform.
● Snapchat​ ​as​ ​a​ ​platform​ ​feels​ ​more​ ​casual,​ ​fun,​ ​and​ ​fleeting​ ​than​ ​some
other​ ​platforms​ ​(which​ ​is​ ​probably​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​reason​ ​it​ ​appeals​ ​to
Millennials​ ​so​ ​much).​ ​Showcase​ ​your​ ​brand​ ​and​ ​its​ ​personality,​ ​and
don’t​ ​worry​ ​about​ ​pictures​ ​that​ ​aren’t​ ​perfectly​ ​photo-shopped.

43. ● Use​ ​both​ ​videos​ ​and​ ​images.​ ​The​ ​more​ ​options​ ​you​ ​have,​ ​the​ ​better–​ ​at
least​ ​in​ ​this​ ​case.​ ​Sharing​ ​a​ ​mix​ ​of​ ​images​ ​and​ ​videos​ ​can​ ​keep​ ​users
interested​ ​and​ ​engaged;​ ​images​ ​are​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​edit​ ​and​ ​quick​ ​to​ ​view,​ ​and
videos​ ​(in​ ​all​ ​their​ ​ten-second​ ​glory)​ ​are​ ​dynamic​ ​and​ ​feel​ ​alive.​ ​With
Snapchat’s​ ​reported​ ​8+​ ​billion​ ​video​ ​views,​ ​using​ ​multiple​ ​types​ ​of
media​ ​never​ ​hurt.
● Tell​ ​a​ ​story.​ ​Snaps​ ​now​ ​automatically​ ​play,​ ​one​ ​after​ ​the​ ​next,​ ​if​ ​there
are​ ​multiple​ ​that​ ​a​ ​user​ ​can​ ​view.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​also​ ​true​ ​for​ ​stories.​ ​You​ ​can
use​ ​these​ ​images​ ​and​ ​videos​ ​to​ ​tell​ ​a​ ​story​ ​across​ ​multiple​ ​posts,​ ​which
can​ ​both​ ​build​ ​engagement​ ​and​ ​interest,​ ​and​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​overcome
the​ ​briefness​ ​of​ ​the​ ​time​ ​limit​ ​for​ ​both​ ​images​ ​and​ ​videos.
●

44. ● This​ ​can​ ​also​ ​help​ ​keep​ ​users​ ​tuned​ ​in​ ​and​ ​invested​ ​in​ ​the​ ​chain​ ​of​ ​your
story,​ ​waiting​ ​for​ ​what’s​ ​next.
Snapchat​ ​Analytics:​ ​2017​ ​Update
We’ve​ ​established​ ​that​ ​Snapchat​ ​can​ ​be​ ​an​ ​extremely​ ​valuable​ ​marketing
platform.​ ​The​ ​difficult​ ​part,​ ​however,​ ​is​ ​actually​ ​measuring​ ​those​ ​marketing
efforts.​ ​Unlike​ ​most​ ​major​ ​platforms,​ ​Snapchat​ ​doesn’t​ ​offer​ ​on-platform
analytics​ ​like​ ​​Facebook’s​ ​Insights​ ​​or​ ​​Pinterest’s​ ​Analytics​.​ ​To​ ​make​ ​things
even​ ​more​ ​challenging,​ ​Snapchat​ ​is​ ​an​ ​extremely​ ​difficult​ ​platform​ ​to​ ​track
data​ ​on.​ ​Similarly,​ ​tracking​ ​trends​ ​on​ ​is​ ​just​ ​as​ ​difficult​ ​since​ ​our​ ​content—and
their​ ​results—disappear.
Fortunately,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​a​ ​few​ ​metrics​ ​we​ ​can​ ​watch​ ​manually.​ ​And,​ ​even​ ​better,
third-party​ ​platform​ ​Snaplytics​ ​released​ ​an​ ​incredible​ ​Snapchat​ ​analytics​ ​tool
that​ ​all​ ​businesses​ ​can​ ​benefit​ ​from.
In​ ​this​ ​2017​ ​update,​ ​we’re​ ​going​ ​to​ ​take​ ​a​ ​look​ ​at​ ​which​ ​metrics​ ​you​ ​should
look​ ​at,​ ​where​ ​to​ ​find​ ​them,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​amazing​ ​Snaplytics​ ​tool.
Which​ ​Snapchat​ ​Metrics​ ​Can​ ​Be​ ​Evaluated
Manually?
When​ ​you’re​ ​using​ ​Snapchat,​ ​not​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​metrics​ ​are​ ​available​ ​to​ ​us.​ ​That’s
ok;​ ​we​ ​can​ ​get​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​information​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​metrics​ ​we​ ​do​ ​have​ ​access​ ​to.
One​ ​of​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​metrics​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​attention​ ​to​ ​is​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​views​ ​and
screenshots​ ​on​ ​our​ ​stories.​ ​This​ ​can​ ​be​ ​found​ ​by​ ​clicking​ ​the​ ​story,​ ​and​ ​then
clicking​ ​the​ ​white​ ​arrow​ ​on​ ​the​ ​bottom​ ​of​ ​the​ ​screen.

46. Number​ ​of​ ​views​ ​(and​ ​names​ ​of​ ​users​ ​who​ ​viewed​ ​the​ ​story)​ ​are​ ​represented
by​ ​the​ ​eye​ ​symbol;​ ​screenshots​ ​are​ ​the​ ​symbol​ ​next​ ​to​ ​it.​ ​Knowing​ ​how​ ​many
views​ ​our​ ​content​ ​is​ ​actually​ ​getting​ ​is​ ​essential.​ ​Number​ ​of​ ​views​ ​should​ ​be
tracked​ ​overtime​ ​and​ ​compared​ ​against​ ​your​ ​total​ ​number​ ​of​ ​followers.​ ​If​ ​your
number​ ​of​ ​followers​ ​has​ ​stayed​ ​the​ ​same​ ​but​ ​increased,​ ​and​ ​your​ ​story​ ​views
have​ ​decreased​ ​over​ ​time,​ ​your​ ​audience​ ​isn’t​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​your​ ​content.

48. Speaking​ ​of​ ​which,​ ​you​ ​should​ ​always​ ​keep​ ​an​ ​eye​ ​on​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​followers
that​ ​you​ ​have.​ ​Just​ ​like​ ​with​ ​all​ ​other​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​marketing,​ ​increasing​ ​your
followers​ ​can​ ​make​ ​your​ ​marketing​ ​efforts​ ​more​ ​powerful.​ ​This​ ​can​ ​be
time-consuming​ ​to​ ​do​ ​manually,​ ​so​ ​either​ ​recruiting​ ​an​ ​intern​ ​to​ ​do​ ​the
counting​ ​once​ ​every​ ​six​ ​months​ ​or​ ​using​ ​Snaplytics​ ​is​ ​a​ ​good​ ​way​ ​to​ ​go.
To​ ​determine​ ​an​ ​estimated​ ​completion​ ​rate,​ ​you’ll​ ​need​ ​a​ ​story​ ​with​ ​more​ ​than
one​ ​picture​ ​or​ ​video.​ ​Divide​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​users​ ​who​ ​saw​ ​the​ ​last​ ​section​ ​of
your​ ​story​ ​by​ ​the​ ​number​ ​of​ ​users​ ​who​ ​saw​ ​the​ ​first​ ​story​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​your
completion​ ​rate.​ ​This​ ​also​ ​helps​ ​you​ ​gauge​ ​audience​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​your​ ​content;
if​ ​you’re​ ​losing​ ​them,​ ​you​ ​may​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​see​ ​where​ ​and​ ​why.

50. You​ ​can​ ​also​ ​manually​ ​evaluate​ ​whether​ ​or​ ​not​ ​users​ ​are​ ​opening​ ​the​ ​private
snaps​ ​you​ ​send​ ​to​ ​them,​ ​and​ ​how​ ​often​ ​they​ ​respond.​ ​Snaps​ ​that​ ​have​ ​been
opened​ ​with​ ​have​ ​blue​ ​arrows,​ ​as​ ​seen​ ​in​ ​the​ ​image​ ​above.​ ​If​ ​you’ve​ ​received
a​ ​message​ ​in​ ​return,​ ​you’ll​ ​have​ ​a​ ​blue​ ​message​ ​box.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​determine​ ​the
engagement​ ​rate​ ​for​ ​private​ ​messages,​ ​and​ ​test​ ​out​ ​content​ ​in​ ​smaller​ ​groups
of​ ​your​ ​audience​ ​via​ ​private​ ​chat.
Snaplytics’s​ ​Snapchat​ ​Analytics
So​ ​considering​ ​all​ ​the​ ​detailed​ ​tracking—and​ ​resulting​ ​excel
spreadsheets—that​ ​Snapchat​ ​marketing​ ​requires​ ​to​ ​track​ ​data,​ ​I​ ​know​ ​I​ ​wasn’t
the​ ​only​ ​one​ ​dying​ ​for​ ​a​ ​third​ ​party​ ​analytics​ ​tool​ ​to​ ​be​ ​released.​ ​​Snaplytics​​ ​is
the​ ​only​ ​Snapchat​ ​analytics​ ​tool​ ​that​ ​I​ ​know​ ​of,​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​an​ ​incredible​ ​resource,
and​ ​it’s​ ​the​ ​only​ ​one​ ​I​ ​think​ ​we​ ​need.
They​ ​automatically​ ​track​ ​and​ ​calculate​ ​the​ ​following​ ​metrics​ ​(so​ ​you​ ​don’t
have​ ​to​ ​do​ ​it​ ​manually​ ​and​ ​before​ ​your​ ​snaps​ ​delete):
● Number​ ​of​ ​stories
● Total​ ​and​ ​average​ ​number​ ​of​ ​story​ ​opens
● Total​ ​and​ ​average​ ​number​ ​of​ ​story​ ​screenshots
● Average​ ​story​ ​completion​ ​rate
● Average​ ​open​ ​rate
● Estimated​ ​total​ ​followers
● Ratio​ ​of​ ​pictures​ ​to​ ​videos​ ​you’re​ ​posting
● Your​ ​top​ ​5​ ​tags

51. These​ ​metrics​ ​are​ ​all​ ​incredibly​ ​important.​ ​Getting​ ​accurate​ ​data​ ​will​ ​give​ ​you
valuable​ ​insight​ ​into​ ​how​ ​users​ ​are​ ​responding​ ​to​ ​your​ ​content.​ ​This​ ​data​ ​is
actionable,​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​necessary​ ​to​ ​have

52. You​ ​can​ ​click​ ​to​ ​individual​ ​live​ ​stories​ ​to​ ​see​ ​information​ ​about​ ​them,​ ​including
views​ ​and​ ​completion​ ​rate;​ ​you​ ​can​ ​even​ ​play​ ​the​ ​story​ ​live​ ​from​ ​the
dashboard​ ​where​ ​you’re​ ​viewing​ ​it.
Audience​ ​Tracking
Snaplytics​ ​also​ ​has​ ​the​ ​only​ ​audience​ ​analytics​ ​platform​ ​available​ ​for
Snapchat.​ ​They’ll​ ​tell​ ​you​ ​your​ ​estimated​ ​number​ ​of​ ​followers​ ​and​ ​your​ ​daily
follower​ ​growth​ ​rate.​ ​They’ll​ ​also​ ​tell​ ​you​ ​what​ ​sources​ ​of​ ​traffic​ ​are​ ​giving​ ​you
the​ ​most​ ​followers.
This​ ​tool​ ​tells​ ​you​ ​if​ ​they’re​ ​searching​ ​for​ ​you​ ​by​ ​user​ ​name,​ ​snapcode,​ ​a​ ​deep
link,​ ​or​ ​add-backs.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​amplify​ ​those​ ​sources​ ​of​ ​traffic​ ​with​ ​additional
effort,​ ​advertising​ ​funds,​ ​and​ ​energy.
Competitor​ ​Tracking
You​ ​can​ ​compare​ ​all​ ​of​ ​this​ ​data​ ​to​ ​information​ ​about​ ​your​ ​competitors.​ ​You
can​ ​see​ ​how​ ​they’re​ ​using​ ​the​ ​platform​ ​and​ ​how​ ​your​ ​content​ ​is​ ​measuring​ ​up.
You’ll​ ​pay​ ​more​ ​for​ ​this​ ​feature,​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​an​ ​extremely​ ​beneficial
one—especially​ ​for​ ​brands​ ​just​ ​getting​ ​started.​ ​Insight​ ​like​ ​how​ ​often

53. competitors​ ​post​ ​and​ ​the​ ​average​ ​duration​ ​of​ ​stories​ ​can​ ​help​ ​you​ ​find​ ​the
Snapchat​ ​sweet​ ​spot.
Bonus:​ ​Snaplytics​ ​is​ ​also​ ​testing​ ​a​ ​feature​ ​that​ ​will​ ​let​ ​businesses​ ​schedule
Snaps​ ​ahead​ ​of​ ​time​ ​through​ ​the​ ​dashboard.​ ​This​ ​isn’t​ ​an​ ​analytics​ ​feature,
but​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​cool​ ​one​ ​worth​ ​mentioning.
Snaplytics​ ​plans​ ​start​ ​at​ ​$179​ ​a​ ​month.
Do​ ​I​ ​Need​ ​to​ ​Measure​ ​Snapchat​ ​Engagement?
Yes-​ ​you​ ​should​ ​carefully​ ​monitor​ ​and​ ​evaluate​ ​all​ ​aspects​ ​of​ ​your​ ​marketing
campaigns.​ ​This​ ​includes​ ​Snapchat.​ ​It​ ​can​ ​be​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​manually​ ​track​ ​all​ ​the
metrics​ ​necessary​ ​to​ ​get​ ​a​ ​clear​ ​picture,​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​possible.​ ​Snaplytics​ ​is​ ​a​ ​great
resource,​ ​and​ ​more​ ​accurate​ ​than​ ​most​ ​of​ ​us​ ​tracking​ ​the​ ​data​ ​on​ ​our​ ​own.
Either​ ​way,​ ​measuring​ ​engagement​ ​(and​ ​audience​ ​information)​ ​lets​ ​you​ ​know
what’s​ ​working​ ​and​ ​what​ ​isn’t.​ ​This​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​deliver​ ​more​ ​relevant​ ​content
to​ ​your​ ​audience,​ ​improving​ ​your​ ​results​ ​long​ ​term.

54. ​ ​Snapchat​ ​Ad​ ​Options:​ ​Are​ ​They
Accessible?
You​ ​might​ ​have​ ​noticed​ ​that​ ​we​ ​haven’t​ ​discussed​ ​Snapchat​ ​Ads​ ​yet​ ​on​ ​this
guide,​ ​and​ ​for​ ​a​ ​blog​ ​that​ ​emphasizes​ ​technical​ ​and​ ​practical​ ​how-tos,​ ​that
might​ ​seem​ ​a​ ​little​ ​odd.​ ​But​ ​there’s​ ​a​ ​reason:​ ​Snapchat​ ​ads​ ​ridiculously
expensive,​ ​with​ ​the​ ​exception​ ​of​ ​one​ ​ad​ ​format.
There​ ​are​ ​several​ ​different​ ​snapchat​ ​ad​ ​options.​ ​These​ ​include​ ​Sponsored
Lenses,​ ​Discover,​ ​User​ ​Story,​ ​Live​ ​Story,​ ​and​ ​Sponsored​ ​Geofilters.​ ​The
Sponsored​ ​Geofilters​ ​are​ ​the​ ​only​ ​ad​ ​type​ ​I​ ​would​ ​say​ ​are​ ​affordable.
Every​ ​single​ ​other​ ​type​ ​of​ ​ad​ ​costs​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​dollars​ ​to​ ​run,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​mean
thousands.​ ​​For​ ​reference:
● User​ ​Stories,​ ​which​ ​places​ ​your​ ​content​ ​after​ ​another​ ​user’s​ ​story,​ ​is
estimated​ ​to​ ​cost​ ​about​ ​$40,000
● Discover,​ ​which​ ​lets​ ​your​ ​content​ ​appear​ ​in​ ​the​ ​discover​ ​section,​ ​costs
$0.02​ ​a​ ​view,​ ​but​ ​this​ ​adds​ ​up​ ​quickly,​ ​and​ ​​minimum​ ​insertion​ ​orders
are​ ​around​ ​$40,000

55. ●
● Sponsored​ ​lenses,​ ​which​ ​all​ ​you​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​custom,​ ​branded​ ​lenses
users​ ​can​ ​use​ ​in​ ​their​ ​images,​ ​are​ ​estimated​ ​to​ ​cost​ ​between
$450,000-750,000,​ ​and​ ​will​ ​only​ ​be​ ​active​ ​for​ ​24​ ​hours.

56. ● A​ ​Live​ ​Story,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​a​ ​curation​ ​of​ ​user-submitted​ ​content,​ ​is​ ​active​ ​for
24​ ​hours​ ​and​ ​costs​ ​between​ ​$50,000-$500,000​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​the​ ​type
of​ ​story,​ ​reach,​ ​and​ ​scope
Snapchat’s​ ​Sponsored​ ​Geofilters​ ​still​ ​don’t​ ​come​ ​cheap,​ ​but​ ​they’re
significantly​ ​more​ ​affordable​ ​(if​ ​you’re​ ​running​ ​them​ ​for​ ​smaller​ ​areas​ ​and​ ​for
short​ ​periods​ ​of​ ​time).​ ​Let’s​ ​take​ ​a​ ​look​ ​at​ ​how​ ​to​ ​create​ ​them.
How​ ​to​ ​Create​ ​Snapchat​ ​Sponsored
Geofilters
Snapchat​ ​Geofilters​ ​are​ ​location-based​ ​filters​ ​that​ ​you​ ​can​ ​use​ ​if​ ​you’re
nearby.​ ​Both​ ​businesses​ ​and​ ​users​ ​can​ ​create​ ​their​ ​own​ ​Geofilters,​ ​and
they’re​ ​fantastic​ ​tools​ ​to​ ​build​ ​brand​ ​awareness​ ​and​ ​user​ ​generated​ ​content
on​ ​the​ ​platform.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​even​ ​use​ ​them​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​events,​ ​like​ ​a​ ​grand
opening​ ​of​ ​your​ ​business​ ​or​ ​a​ ​conference​ ​you’re​ ​hosting.​ ​Capturing​ ​the
interest​ ​of​ ​a​ ​local​ ​audience​ ​is​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​plus.
There​ ​are​ ​two​ ​main​ ​types​ ​of​ ​Geofilters:​ ​community​ ​Geofilters​ ​and​ ​on-demand
Geofilters.​ ​Anyone​ ​can​ ​submit​ ​community​ ​Geofilters​ ​for​ ​free,​ ​but​ ​they​ ​can’t
have​ ​any​ ​branding​ ​on​ ​them,​ ​including​ ​logos.​ ​With​ ​on-demand​ ​Geofilters,​ ​both
businesses​ ​and​ ​individual​ ​people​ ​can​ ​purchase​ ​Geofilters​ ​for​ ​their​ ​location​ ​or
event;​ ​branding​ ​(including​ ​logos​ ​and​ ​trademarks)​ ​are​ ​allowed.

58. Creating​ ​Snapchat​ ​Geofilters​ ​Tutorial
Creating​ ​Geofilters​ ​is​ ​relatively​ ​easy.​ ​Businesses​ ​should​ ​always​ ​use
on-demand​ ​Geofilters​ ​so​ ​that​ ​they​ ​can​ ​include​ ​branding​ ​in​ ​them.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​​get
started​ ​here​​ ​and​ ​click​ ​“Create​ ​Now.”
You’ll​ ​be​ ​asked​ ​to​ ​log​ ​in,​ ​and​ ​then​ ​you’ll​ ​have​ ​the​ ​choice​ ​of​ ​uploading​ ​a
ready-made​ ​Geofilter​ ​that​ ​you’ve​ ​made​ ​through​ ​a​ ​platform​ ​of​ ​your​ ​choice
(they​ ​have​ ​Photoshop​ ​templates​ ​available)​ ​or​ ​you​ ​can​ ​create​ ​one​ ​online.​ ​For
this​ ​example,​ ​we’ll​ ​design​ ​our​ ​Geofilter​ ​online.

59. You’ll​ ​be​ ​asked​ ​to​ ​choose​ ​the​ ​occasion​ ​(or​ ​more​ ​accurately​ ​reason)​ ​for
creating​ ​the​ ​filter.​ ​We’ll​ ​choose​ ​Business.

60. On​ ​the​ ​next​ ​screen,​ ​you’ll​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​choose​ ​a​ ​black​ ​screen​ ​to​ ​start​ ​with,​ ​or​ ​to
work​ ​off​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​templates.​ ​Either​ ​way,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​upload​ ​images​ ​(I​ ​uploaded
my​ ​company​ ​logo),​ ​and​ ​add​ ​&​ ​format​ ​the​ ​text​ ​of​ ​your​ ​choosing.​ ​These​ ​can​ ​be
dragged​ ​to​ ​anywhere​ ​on​ ​the​ ​template.

61. When​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​get​ ​an​ ​idea​ ​how​ ​it​ ​will​ ​look,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​preview​ ​your​ ​Geofilter
with​ ​the​ ​picture​ ​to​ ​the​ ​right​ ​hand​ ​side​ ​under​ ​the​ ​customization​ ​options.

62. Once​ ​you’re​ ​happy​ ​with​ ​your​ ​Geofilter,​ ​click​ ​to​ ​the​ ​next​ ​screen.​ ​Here,​ ​you​ ​can
choose​ ​what​ ​dates​ ​and​ ​times​ ​you​ ​want​ ​your​ ​filter​ ​to​ ​be​ ​active.​ ​Keep​ ​in​ ​mind
that​ ​Geofilters​ ​can​ ​get​ ​expensive​ ​​very​​ ​quickly.​ ​A​ ​really​ ​small​ ​range​ ​(about​ ​the
size​ ​of​ ​a​ ​University​ ​gym)​ ​cost​ ​me​ ​$54​ ​for​ ​one​ ​day.

63. On​ ​the​ ​next​ ​screen,​ ​you’ll​ ​determine​ ​where​ ​you​ ​want​ ​your​ ​Geofilter​ ​to​ ​appear.
You’ll​ ​literally​ ​draw​ ​a​ ​fence​ ​around​ ​this​ ​area.​ ​This​ ​area​ ​​must​​ ​be​ ​under
5,000,000​ ​square​ ​feet.
You​ ​can​ ​drag​ ​and​ ​drop​ ​corners​ ​of​ ​the​ ​fence​ ​as​ ​needed​ ​after​ ​they’re​ ​drawn​ ​on;
as​ ​you​ ​do​ ​so,​ ​you’ll​ ​notice​ ​that​ ​the​ ​price​ ​of​ ​your​ ​Geofilter​ ​will​ ​change
dramatically.

64. Once​ ​you’re​ ​happy​ ​with​ ​the​ ​price,​ ​dates,​ ​and​ ​range,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​submit​ ​your
order​ ​on​ ​the​ ​next​ ​screen.
Snapchat​ ​vs.​ ​The​ ​Facebook​ ​Empire:
Can​ ​it​ ​Last?

65. I​ ​​do​​ ​think​ ​that​ ​Facebook​ ​and​ ​Instagram​ ​will​ ​eventually​ ​take​ ​Snapchat​ ​down;
we’ve​ ​already​ ​seen​ ​decreases​ ​in​ ​engagement​ ​after​ ​Instagram​ ​Stories,​ ​and
now​ ​we’ve​ ​got​ ​Messenger​ ​Day,​ ​Instagram​ ​Story​ ​Ads,​ ​and​ ​soon​ ​(possibly)
Facebook​ ​Stories.​ ​They’ve​ ​tested​ ​the​ ​feature​ ​with​ ​Instagram,​ ​and​ ​these
features​ ​(which​ ​define​ ​Snapchat)​ ​are​ ​now​ ​growing​ ​on​ ​other​ ​platforms.
Facebook​ ​Messenger​ ​Day​ ​even​ ​comes​ ​complete​ ​with​ ​filters,​ ​and​ ​all​ ​Story-like
features​ ​let​ ​you​ ​edit,​ ​add​ ​text,​ ​and​ ​draw​ ​on​ ​an​ ​image​ ​just​ ​like​ ​Snapchat.

66. Facebook’s​ ​Messenger​ ​Day​ ​lets​ ​you​ ​add​ ​filters,​ ​emojis,​ ​text,​ ​and​ ​drawings​ ​just​ ​like​ ​Snapchat.

67. I​ ​also​ ​think​ ​that​ ​because​ ​Instagram​ ​Story​ ​Ads​ ​are​ ​now​ ​not​ ​only​ ​available​ ​but
accessible​​ ​(read:​ ​affordable)​ ​for​ ​more​ ​brands​ ​and​ ​Stories​ ​are​ ​more
measurable,​ ​brands​ ​are​ ​going​ ​to​ ​move​ ​quickly​ ​to​ ​what​ ​I’m​ ​calling​ ​the
Facebook​ ​Empire’s​ ​version​ ​of​ ​disappearing​ ​image​ ​features.
Here’s​ ​the​ ​catch:​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​think​ ​this​ ​will​ ​happen​ ​​immediately​.​ ​For​ ​now,​ ​Snapchat
still​ ​has​ ​a​ ​loyal​ ​fan​ ​base​ ​that​ ​is​ ​using​ ​both​ ​Instagram​ ​stories​ ​​and​​ ​Snapchat,
and​ ​they’re​ ​still​ ​engaging​ ​on​ ​Snapchat​ ​​a​ ​lot​.
So,​ ​if​ ​you’re​ ​getting​ ​results​ ​on​ ​Snapchat​ ​and​ ​your​ ​audience​ ​is​ ​there,​ ​use​ ​it​ ​for
as​ ​long​ ​as​ ​you​ ​can​ ​and​ ​as​ ​much​ ​as​ ​you​ ​can.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​still​ ​use​ ​and​ ​test​ ​the
Facebook​ ​empire​ ​of​ ​features,​ ​but​ ​Snapchat​ ​can​ ​give​ ​you​ ​an​ ​edge​ ​over
competitors​ ​who​ ​have​ ​fled​ ​from​ ​the​ ​platform​ ​in​ ​favor​ ​of​ ​more​ ​accessible​ ​data
and​ ​metrics.​ ​Keep​ ​producing​ ​great​ ​content,​ ​and​ ​as​ ​long​ ​as​ ​it’s​ ​yielding​ ​results,
keep​ ​sharing​ ​it​ ​on​ ​the​ ​platform.
Final​ ​Thoughts
Because​ ​Snapchat​ ​is​ ​different​ ​from​ ​the​ ​platforms​ ​we’re​ ​used​ ​to,​ ​we​ ​must
adapt​ ​our​ ​strategies​ ​and​ ​tactics​ ​to​ ​the​ ​platform​ ​and​ ​its​ ​audience.​ ​The​ ​best
practices​ ​and​ ​strategies​ ​listed​ ​above​ ​being​ ​a​ ​great​ ​place​ ​to​ ​start.
Snapchat​ ​won’t​ ​be​ ​the​ ​ideal​ ​marketing​ ​solution​ ​for​ ​all​ ​businesses.​ ​It​ ​can,
however​ ​can​ ​be​ ​an​ ​extremely​ ​beneficial​ ​tool​ ​for​ ​those​ ​audience​ ​is​ ​on​ ​the
platform.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​can​ ​find​ ​the​ ​right​ ​strategies​ ​to​ ​connect​ ​and​ ​engage​ ​with​ ​this
audience,​ ​you’ll​ ​be​ ​golden.