14 Ways Brands can use Snapchat

Snapchat and Brands:
The Guide

This is a collection of thought starters for brands and marketers who
want to use Snapchat to make relevant, interesting conversations.
Please share, and feel free to send me your thoughts – especially all of
the better ideas out there than these ones.
@hankleber

Hank Leber I’m a digital strategist and recovering entrepreneur.
Some past projects:
GonnaBe – Social media of the future (literally – all the things
you're gonna be doing)
Agency Nil – The world's first crowdsourcing-based ad agency
Phone2Food.org – Helping fight famine in East Africa by allowing
you to donate used electronics
In advertising I worked on many brands including Lexus,
Nationwide, Travelocity, Anheuser-Busch, Sherwin-Williams,
Coldwell Banker, Häagen-Dazs, and Wrigley's.
Probably best known for the social media work I did with
Travelocity – putting the Gnome on Chatroulette, earning the
brand 20MM impressions without spending a dime.
I’m currently living in Los Angeles where I wish it would rain more.
About the author
Follow me at:
@hankleber
Instagram: hankleber
hankleber.com

Why:
Not sex.
It’s ephemerality.
The next generation is so
focused on the present, they
don’t care to keep a record
of most communications.
Snapchat is now, and no
more.
About Snapchat
What:
Photo sharing app where the
pictures expire in 1s-10s.
You can also write/draw on
them.
How:
Users set the viewing duration.
The pic disappears
immediately after.
image source: communications.gov.au

Q: What happens
when only the
present matters,
and nothing is
permanent?
A: A lot.
The Opportunity: Nowness
source: cdn.sneakhype.com222
source: lh3.ggpht.com
source: fbcdn-sphotos-
d-a.akamaihd.net
source: imagecdn.bodybuilding.com source: lh3.ggpht.com
source:
cdn.sneakhype.com

1. Be more like
a person
2 Rules of Social:
and less like
a talking logo.
image by StockImages at FreeDigitalPhotos.netimage source: androidcommunity.com

2. Let the medium
be the message.
Twitter, FB, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat, etc,
are different companies because they each have
very different use cases & value props to their users.
Understand the medium, and use it accordingly.
2 Rules of Social:
image source: a.abcnews.com

Snapchat-ers are sharing:
Fleeting
moments
Rare
Finds
Unimportant
@$%^#&!
Humor
Scandalous
Content
Fun
Anythings
Secrets
Braggadocio
Simple
Chats
image sources: winsource.com, 1000funnypictures.com, alewesianinlouisiana.files.wordpress.com,
snapchatted.com, cdn9.staztic.com, www.appannie.com, medias.gifboom.com

If you don’t fit
that category,
you’ll be scorned
(or worse, ignored).
Your brand on Snapchat =
another one of my friends
image source: oneclickroot.com

Go back 2 slides
and review.
So, share like a friend.
image source: thecarillon.org

14 Ways for Brands to use Snapchat
1. Immediate Action/Reaction
2. Fun. Fun. FUN.
3. Games/Contests
4. Secrets
5. Candid Anything
6. Rare Anything
7. Tell a Story
8. Get Creative
9. Use Celebs
10. Combine Channels
11. Be Timely
12. Use the Features
13. Bend the Rules
14. Approach Snapchat
image source: prnewsonline.com

Immediate Action/Reaction
When they open the snap, that’s the only
chance you get.
Manufacture immediacy. You get the
impression, the chance for immediate
engagement, and that’s it.
Think of your snap communication as a
charge, a challenge, or eliciting a single
emotional response.
Selfie Snapback!
Show us your favorite _____.
Who you with?
Get to our store & snap a shot!
1.
image source: www.atomicdc.com

Whatever you do, make it fun.
(Telling people about your brand isn’t fun
for them.)
Figure out exactly how funny or
outlandish you can be. Raise eyebrows,
make them laugh, want to share, and want
to see it again.
Taco Bell does this well.
Fun. Fun. FUN.
2.
image sources: static4.businessinsider.com, rack.3.mshcdn.com, rack.2.mshcdn.com

Games/Contests
Give them something to do.
- “Snapenger Hunt! First one
to find & snap to us all of
these things wins X.”
- Best snap award (and re-
snapped to our followers)
- “Quick, screenshot this
coupon/code/whatever!
3-2-1...”
3.
image source: io.wp.com/allthingsd.com

Secrets
Anything that seems secretive
works well on Snapchat - passwords
- early access
- gossip
4.
image source: cdn0.dailydot.com

5. Candid Anything
A brand being honest about itself
is endearing – and builds trust.
Be surprisingly real in a candid
snap and let it gain you credibility.
The New Orleans Saints are doing
this well.
- Behind the scenes footage of
your brand/products...
- Shots of the CEO or other
employees being goofy
5.
image sources: media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com, socialmediaexaminer.com

6. Rare Anything
Rarity of existence is exciting – i.e.
anything that involves immediacy or
expires very soon (like minutes or
seconds).
You need to get the action now.
Anything later they won’t do.
- coupons
- deals
- limited edition stuff
6.
image source: adweek.com

7. Tell a Story
(using Stories, duh)
The Stories feature allows you to stitch
snaps together to make a longer
experience.
Plan ahead and make them work as
montages.
7.
image source: engadget.com

Get Creative
(esp. with video)
Snapchat has given you
video to use.
So use it.
- Try to do things most users wouldn’t be
able to do with video. Be unique.
- Set up a special studio just for Snapchat
video footage.
- Link videos together in succession to
create Stories that last 30 - 60s, or more.
You could even make a mini-movie...
8.
image source: allthingsd.com

?
Use Celebs
The majority of Snapchat users
are teens & college kids – they
eat up everything celeb.
- If you have endorsements and
partnerships, exhaust them.
- Apply celeb to all other examples in
this guide.
9.
image source: voidlive.com

Combine Channels
Incorporate other channels like
Twitter, SMS, Instagram, etc. into
the game. Snapchat can be the
starting point to something
deeper.
DoSomething.org does this well.
- Txt to vote
- Instagram #
- Tweet # or @
10.
image source: beedesign.org

Be Timely
Snapchat users are constantly tuned
into pop culture and what’s going on
THIS MINUTE.
If you’re even a day late you’re too late.
Hire somebody to be up to the minute
for you.
Oreo is great at in-the-moment
communications
- Use snaps as commentary
on pop culture (bonus if
you can relate it to your
brand, but don’t force it.)
- Jokes
- Memes
- Tabloids
- Major events
- News topics
- Fads
11.

Use the Features
On Snapchat you can:
What can be done that’s extraordinary
with these in relation to your brand?
- athletic brand + speed
- mint/cool-based product +
temperature
- time-based product/service +
time
Draw
Type
Post MPH
Time
Temperature
Add filters
12.

13. Bend the Rules
Use the phone camera in a
photo-shoot session so your
snaps look 10x as good as the
norm
Plan scripts, shoot them.
Execute micro-productions.
How can you use the
constraints to enhance the
message?
- What special power can a 1-second
snap have?
- 2 second video?
- 10-second video?
- 30-second Snap story montage?
- 60-second Story video compilation?
13.

14. Approach Snapchat
You’re the brand. They want you.
They need you. Your creativity
and adventurousness will set the
tone for their $30B IPO.
They will take your call.
Run things by them.
Ask them questions.
Seek special treatment.

Be prepared to measure lift to brand,
awareness, impressions, and light
demographics.
No classic CTRs, CPMs, TRPs.
Snapchat – like most social media – is
relationship building. Measure that most
prominently, until Snapchat allows for
closer metrics of open rate, location, etc.
If you MUST measure something, then
send a snap asking to screenshot and
measure the screenshots.
Re-think ROI

Be Long-Haul
Do creative executions on Snapchat
consistently, creatively, and relentlessly.
Continue to reinvent and push the limits
until you see results.
But realize you won’t get ‘results’ in 1 day,
nor 10, nor 30. Relationships take time. Plan
180 or 365, then measure brand health, lift
to brand, etc.
If you act fast using the ideas in this guide,
you can also measure impressions from the
media coverage you’ll get for being an
innovator.

Thanks for reading.
Share, please.
Feel free to reach out:
@hankleber
hankleber@gmail.com

14 Ways Brands can use Snapchat

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