One of the fascinating things about social media is that, from a marketing standpoint, each social media platform offers its own unique set of features and opportunities; as a result, a marketing strategy that proves successful on one platform is likely to be a flop when applied to another platform. Each platform requires a marketing strategy tailored to the particular strengths of that platform.
(By the way, the same is true with respect to legal risks associated with social media platforms – each platform presents unique risk issues – but that’s a topic for another blog post.)
So this brings us to Snapchat, a red-hot, innovative social media platform that seeks to join Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter as one of the giants in the industry. With 100 million monthly active users, a valuation that could rise as high as $19 billion, and a user base that primarily consists of 13-to-25-year-olds, the “disappearing messaging” platform Snapchat is on the radar of nearly every B2C company anxious to grow its brand on social media.
But, for most businesses, advertising on Snapchat is likely to be cost-prohibitive; the company is reportedly charging $750,000-a-day for regular ads that appear in everyone’s feeds.
According to marketing experts, however, businesses can nevertheless capitalize on Snapchat’s reach by launching promotions that capitalize on the sense of urgency that the platform’s disappearing messages create. That is, by embracing a strategy that takes into account the unique features of the Snapchat platform.
Case in point: AdAge suggests that retailers offer potential consumers in-store only coupons with a surprise offer that they’ll learn the value of – 10% off or 30% off, for example – only upon reaching the check-out counter (the Snapchat user wouldn’t be able to open the snap containing the coupon before reaching the register because the coupon would disappear before he could redeem it).
Other ways for companies to leverage Snapchat’s unique characteristics can be found in this Marketing Land article.
When it comes to social media marketing, one size does not fit all.