What is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a smartphone app used to share photos, videos, text and drawings. It has become hugely popular, especially with young people. It lets you snap a picture or record a 10-second video, dress it up with funny overlays, type and format a caption, draw on it with your finger if you like, and then send it to specified friends. Another feature in the Snapchat app is the Discover page. Online publications can post their own stuff for you to read: ESPN, Comedy Central, BuzzFeed, People, National Geographic, CNN and others are already on board.
How are businesses using Snapchat?
Many marketers agree that Millennials are a tough demographic to advertise to. Many businesses have found Snapchat to be a direct way into Millennials hands. Advertisers can place 10-second vertical video ads within the app’s Live Stories, which are collections of curated snaps taken by users at events like sports games or award shows. Ads can also be placed in stories on Discover. Marketers also design sponsored geofilters —location-based ads that users can select to overlay a brand’s message on their own pictures and videos.
How does Nex-Tech use Snapchat?
Nex-Tech has its own account that anyone can follow. We regularly post to our story to showcase our unique culture, awesome employees, sneak peaks of Nex-Tech Local One and exciting events happening every day. We also use Snapchat to advertise to the younger demographic with geofilters. This allows us to promote our brand, as well as special offers to specific groups.
How is Nex-Tech helping other businesses use Snapchat?
Throughout the summer of 2016 Nex-Tech partnered with several area businesses to develop campaigns to promote them at fairs, rodeos, and other events. These campaigns were completely digital. Some were simply geofilters with their logo displayed while some were more intricate using Facebook and other social media sites to increase digital traffic to their pages.
One specific example is Professional Family Eye Care. In early July, Phillipsburg hosted “Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo.” This event brought a lot of people to Phillipsburg and Dr. Juenemann wanted to reach the younger crowd. Nex-Tech helped launch Snapchat geofilters for three nights of the rodeo. Snapchatters were then encouraged to upload their images to the Professional Family Eye Care Facebook page for a chance to win a pair of brand new Oakley sunglasses. These geofilters were viewed 14,710 times and sent 342 times. We can also track the success on the Facebook side. This campaign produced 525 page views, 71 new followers and post engagements were increased by 1000%.
Other businesses that have mastered Snapchat advertising:
If you are trying to figure out how Snapchat can help your business, add these businesses to see how they are using it.
BarkBox @barkbox
The Buckle of Hays @bucklehays
GE @generalelectric
City of Hays, KS @hayskansas
Kansas City Power and Light District @kcpldistrict
Nex-Tech @nex-tech
Shark Week on Discovery Channel @sharkweeksnaps
The New York Times @nytimes
Victoria’s Secret Pink @vspink
Warby Parker @warbyparker
8th Street Liquor – Hays @eighthstliq
Look for our personalized geofilters at Game Time on Friday nights. Use our filter and send it to us and you could win an awesome seat cooler!