These two metrics are the most important (and really the only ones for your account)
Views and completion rate. These are the only two metrics you can track for your company’s organic Snapchat efforts. One way of tracking effectiveness is checking your completion rate–the number of people who begin viewing your story vs. the number of people who watch it through to completion.
Here’s how:
At Wallaroo Media, we’ve jumped on the Snapchat express as early as possible and have helped dozens of brands begin to build their following and establish their share of the Snap-sphere. Below are 6 things we’ve done to help companies become successful on the rapidly growing platform:
1) USE SNAPCODES ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE
Snapchat lacks the robust search functions inherent in other social platforms. This means that you may have to get a tad creative to get your audience to find and connect with you. Snapcodes’s are Snapchat’s easiest function for adding new people to their Snap address books. This is a code, unique to Snapchat, that functions as a QR code for the platform that, when snapped, automatically adds the account to the user’s list. We have companies establish the Snapcode as their temporary profile picture on other social media platforms and even print out physical copies of the code to take to trade shows and storefronts to get customers snapping it and joining their Snap community.
Snapchat’s most recent update even allows you to create a unique Snapcode for any URL. This means people can go to your website/blog/whatever without having to leave the app! Leveraging Snapcodes is a great way to promote your account and begin building your following.
Custom Geofilters are a great way to use Snapchat to promote your brand. With a little design ability and some forward-thinking, you can design a filter and have it live for some length of time inside of a Geofence so that when Snapchat users snap photos to each other, your brand or business’s filter can be used as a frame for their photos–unique to their location. Check out our Snaphacking article for a step-by-step guide, but here’s a quick comparison for the cost of a custom geofilter around our office in Provo, UT and VaynerMedia’s office in NYC.
If you’re interested in having us design and launch filters, we’d love to help! Check out That’s a Snap! (one of subsidiary companies) who have become so good, they were even featured in the USA Today.
3) TAKEOVERS | INFLUENCERS | SNAPCHAT ARTISTS
Influencers are individuals who have built up a following around a specific niche. Simply spend some time searching to find a Snapchat influencer who has a following in your brand’s niche audience, and then reach out! See what they can do to expose their audience to your organization.
But remember, most influencers run their accounts as part of their living. This means that you should expect to discuss a budget with them and compensate them for their time. This cost is variable and depends on the size of the influencer’s following and the number and type of mentions you’d like on their accounts.
Check out Mplatco and Shonduras for a taste of what great influencers can create!
4) GIVEAWAYS & SCAVENGER HUNTS
The visual nature of Snapchat (as well as the disappearing messages format) gives a lot of opportunity for businesses to get a little inventive. We have run more than on giveaway and scavenger hunt through Snapchat that have led to great results. Check out this one by Delta Airlines. Millennials are an audience of adventurers, so feel free to tap into that side of them with a little creative adventure of your own.
5) SHOOT WEEKLY CONTENT “EPISODES”
Picture these as something like really short television shows. Find something that connects with your audience and plan some video content around it each week. Standardize your day and time so viewers know when to “tune in” to catch the next episode of your content. This can be a great way to tell an elongated story or narrative, or even create a fun video series or how-to sessions. Fuse TV does a great job of this, even using custom graphics with built-in advertising that they upload to the beginning and end of their segments.
These sunglasses represent Snapchat’s jump into the retail camera world as the company’s first consumer product. They were released specifically for Snapchat, shoot 110-degree circular video so your community can watch your stories vertically or horizontally and can post directly to your Snap account. Right now the only way to get a pair is from a SnapBot or eBay, but once secured, they can open up your organization’s Snap game. Check out the creative storytelling of Sam Sheffer and Chris Monachino using Spectacles.
Snapchat can be intimidating if you’re not familiar with the platform. We hope this piece has opened your eyes to the possibilities on how you can promote your brand with Snapchat! And, if you need a little help or want to get into the world of paid Snapchat advertising for even greater reach, contact us today for a free consultation!