Snapchat for Business: Ways to Use Snapchat for Lead Generation
Snapchat has originally launched in 2011 under the name of Picaboo as an iOS-only app that focused on a person to person photo sharing. One of the defining features of Snapchat was that content could only be viewed for a matter of seconds after which recipients would no longer be able to view it. They re-incorporated in early 2012 as Snapchat and by October 29th of the same year, users were sharing around 20 million images a day which translates to about 231 images per second.
October 29th is also the date on which Snapchat launched their Android app. Video sharing became available in December of 2012 and by February of the following year, users were sending 700 “snaps” a second or some 60 million snaps a day. That same year Snapchat declined a reported $3 billion acquisition offer from Facebook. Since then Snapchat has grown by leaps and bounds, adding additional features and swelling to over 229 million users.
There are over 14 billion video views on Snapchat every day. They are particularly popular with the younger crowd. In the United States, 73% of Snapchat users are 18-24 years old and 90% of all 13 – 24-year-olds use Snapchat. Forty percent of Snapchat users say they have discovered a new brand through posts and Snapchat has a far higher swipe-up rate than other social media click-through rates making it an excellent addition to your marketing toolbox.
As a marketer, you will want to find coders with Snapchat business development experience to take full advantage of the opportunities integrating Snapchat to your own app offers.
Snapchat App Development
Since its inception, Snapchat has added numerous features that have added to its popularity. The main feature of course is the ability to take and send videos and images that self-destruct after being viewed. Other features include:
- – Lenses: Snapchat lenses are basically a way to enhance snaps by adding objects, characters, and various transformations and effects.
- – Geofilters: Snapchat geofilters are overlays that can be used to enhance snaps. The thing about geofilters is the can only be accessed from certain locations. The geofilters you access in Miami will be different from those you access in Seattle.
- – Chat: Snapchat has its own version of instant messaging that includes over 200 stickers you can send in messages.
- – Story: Snapchat stories are a collection of Snaps captured in the past 24 hours. Snaps in stories can be viewed multiple times over a 24 hour period.
- – Video and Audio Calls: Users can now make both video and audio calls on Snapchat. You can even be on a call and send pictures at the same time.
- – Add Friends: Friends can be added on Snapchat by scanning a personalized QR code known as a Snapcode with your camera.
- – Discover: The Discover feature on Snapchat helps you to find stories from news publishers as well as content from influencers and others.
It is now possible to integrate many of the Snapchat features into your own app by using Snap Kit. While Snap Kit does allow you to integrate Snapchat features into your app it isn’t something a novice would want to undertake. Using an experienced Snapchat developer will produce the best results and ensure seamless integration. Snapchat uses both the iOS and Android operating systems so find mobile coders for both.
Developing Leads with Snapchat
Snapchat has a large user base and provides businesses with the ability to more accurately target their audience than other social media platforms. AR technology plays a significant role in Snapchat lead generation and the use of ephemeral content marketing creates a sense of urgency as videos and pictures are only available for a limited time. Some of the different ways to generate leads in Snapchat include:
- – Sponsored Lenses: Lenses are one of Snapchat’s most popular features. You can employ sponsored lenses that let users play around with an interactive ad you have created to increase brand awareness
- – Sponsored Geofilters: Businesses can promote their store or an event by location using Snapchat geofilters. Geofilters will be offered to all users within a certain area for a certain period of time. Every time the filter is used it promotes your business.
- – Use Stories to Promote Your Product: Whether you are offering a product or a service, businesses can use Snapchat Stories to provide tips, answer questions, and show your product/service in action.
- – Snapchat Video Ads: Video ads on Snapchat provide almost double the purchase intent than other ad formats. Also, about 60% of Snapchat ads are played with audio which is about 4 times more than Facebook.
- – Add Clickable Links: You can add links to your Snaps and Stories that will open in a new window when users swipe up. This feature can be used to drive users to your business website or anyplace else you like.
Snapchat can be an excellent platform to promote your business when used correctly. They are innovative and one of the leaders in using AR development for marketing. With a rapidly growing user base and the ability to accurately target and interact with your audience adding Snapchat to your marketing strategy makes very good sense.