Should Your Company “Ghost” Snapchat?

When does Snapchat fit a company’s marketing strategy and plan?

Facebook has changed the way of digital ads for businesses. Twitter reigns supreme in the realm of customer service. LinkedIn has made networking easier than ever.

What about Snapchat?

The sensationalized app has experienced significant challenges as it tries to expand. While yes, traction has been made, it’s been coupled with a highly anticipated IPO that flopped and dwindling new-user sign-ups.

However, don’t rule out Snapchat just yet—and don’t rush to adopt it as part of your marketing plan, either. Our team is here to tell you that not every company should bother joining forces with the Ghost. (Say what? Yep: The app’s icon is a white ghost surrounded by a yellow field, don’cha know.)

To help you assess Snapchat’s value to your marketing, let’s review a few strengths our team has discovered in the fast-evolving app.

LAUNCHING A NEW PRODUCT OR SERVICE

Is a new product or service launch on your horizon? You might want to consider Snapchat to build buzz: The app was built around the thrills of the moment.

When the app launched, it claimed as its differentiator photo posts that disappeared after a short time. This trick lends itself beautifully to peek-a-boo, now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t, behind-the-scenes peeks that build anticipation for product and services debuts.

Burberry enabled the storytelling tactic with to promote its fall-winter line in 2016. In addition, the London fashion house featured a QR code on tags for its products to allow users to gain instant access to content through scanning the code.

CAPTIVATING A YOUNGER AUDIENCE

If your product or service targets younger audiences, you should not ignore Snapchat.

Snapchat strongly appeals to the 16-24 demographic: Approximately 40 percent of the apps’ members come from this age group, which loves “snackable” content like what they find on the app. Snapchat allows for concise calls to action, 24-hour narratives to keep people’s interest, and quick tips to keep audiences engaged.

To celebrate and educate audiences about its contribution to the 1969 moon landing, General Electric launched a campaign that introduced Buzz Aldrin to its younger fans. The campaign entwined general content about General Electric (pardon our pun) and the company’s machines with attention-grabbing facts and brainteaser-style puzzles.

Because remember: While typical Snapchat users may not be your current customers, they may be your future customers.

RECRUITMENT MARKETING

Speaking of the younger crowd: As younger generations enter the workforce, platforms like Snapchat alter traditional forms of recruitment marketing.

Put your company’s culture on full display via fresh social media channels that help the right new candidates find you. Platforms like Snapchat help job seekers determine whether their goals and standards align with your brand’s goals and standards. (And if you don’t know what your brands’ promises are, call FrogDog STAT.)

From filters to Snapcodes, you have the ability create a compelling story on Snapchat that highlights your company’s culture and inspires engagement with your ideal candidates. Cisco saw an opportunity here and decided to take charge. Employees took over the “wearecisco” employer-branded Snapchat account and gave prospective candidates an insider view of what life at the company looks like.

Snapchat—as with many other social media platforms—is a great way to remind your audience that you’re human, not just a big, faceless entity.

SHOULD YOU JOIN?

Adding a new tactic to your marketing plan requires serious consideration in an ever-evolving landscape. While these platforms may look enticing on the surface, they are not right for every company.

While Snapchat feeds into two popular marketing trends of the moment—video and transparency—it can leave you exhausted and wondering why you invested so much time and so many resources with seemingly no return. Snapchat requires planning, creativity, marketing skills and talent, and dogged determination to succeed. We can safely say that no one has made a $30,000 purchase after viewing one snap on Snapchat.

Yet even still, maybe you should consider the investment. It all depends on your circumstances, your goals, your target audience, and your marketing strategy.

Wonder whether Snapchat is right for your company? FrogDog to the rescue. Give our team a call today.