Snapchat is a relatively new messaging app that allows you to privately message someone with an image or video that permanently deletes after 10 seconds. “Brands that have realized the potential that this platform carries are already capitalizing on it,” said Issa Asad, who is a social media expert and the CEO of Q Link Wireless, LLC, and Quadrant Holdings, LLC, both located in Dania, Florida.
Brands are using it to run offers, contests and sweepstakes that will help drive brand awareness and increase sales. If you would also like to capitalize on this photo messaging platform, here are ideas from Asad to help you get started.
Running a Coupon Campaign
Using Snapchat, you can ask your customers to Snapchat photos of the things they are purchasing for an immediate Snapchat coupon that they can show the cashier and use for what they are purchasing. You can also ask your customers to follow your brand and run a coupon offer, for instance on a weekly basis. Do not make the coupon too complicated. It should be something simple such as a keyword or secret phrase that they can tell the cashier.
Sharing of Content
Another Snapchat promotion idea that Issa Asad suggested is surprising and delighting your customers or followers by encouraging them to share content. You can send out pictures to your followers, but you have to make sure that it has a call to action. The followers will in turn follow you or share photos that feature your brand on their posts. You can reward the person that has many of your photos on their Stories posts.
Running a Scavenger Hunt
You can use clues posted on a website to guide your followers to send back photo answers. A person will accumulate more points toward a certain reward as they continue to answer more clues. An example in this case will be asking your users to post photos of a new product. After doing that, you can also ask them to post a photo that has a nametag of their salesperson. You can ask them to try on the product after doing that. If they manage to get to the ultimate goal, you can reward them by giving them a free item. You can use this strategy to promote new products.
Hosting Photo Contests
You can also host quick themed photo contests using Snapchat. Be sure to make the contest something near as well as dear to your brand. For instance, if you are a doggie daycare, you can call it something like Pets in Ugly Sweaters Contest. You will also need to set the criteria for how you expect the photos to be judged. When people post entries, take screen shots of them and then post the appropriate ones to the Stories feed of your brand for the world to see before you finally announce the winner.
Asking for Followers
Another Snapchat promotion strategy that Issa Asad suggested is asking people to follow your brand on this platform for a chance to win. Facebook promotions started this way—one like at a time. Your followers will increase as the Snapchat platform expands. And as a result, you can run even more promotions to your loyal followers or fans.
