Brands Use Snapchat as an Innovative Marketing Tool

It seems Snapchat is no longer for funny selfies sent between friends. Snapchat, the popular photo and video sharing app for mobile, has become a phenomenon among teenagers and adults alike. Why all the hype? It is faster than sending multi-media messages via text and you can choose how many friends you send it to and for how long. The best part of the app? After the time is up, the picture disappears, unless the receiver screenshots it, in which Snapchat will notify you.

So with over 350 million snaps sent every day between users, it was only a short amount of time before brands jumped on the bandwagon. I first heard of brands using Snapchat in a Vocus blog post discussing a frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles, a clothing e-tailer Karmaloop, and Taco Bell all taking part in using Snapchat for marketing purposes. With a majority of brands using Twitter and Facebook to reach consumers, Snapchat may be the way for brands to stand out in the crowded market place.

Another brand using Snapchat, which I discovered on my own Instagram timeline, is the makeup brand NARS. The brand posted an image with the caption “Follow @NARSissist on Snapchat to peep the upcoming NARS Guy Bourdin collection at 12PM EST today!” Over 1,500 Instagram users liked the photo, and went to Snapchat to add the brand. The brand showed a 3-second video of the new collection, generating buzz on other social media sites. There has been no further Snapchats from the brand, but with such success, I’m sure users will be getting another Snap soon.

For brands looking to use Snapchat as a marketing tool, sending out coupons, introducing new products and posting images to generate buzz are all smart tactics. You’ve only got up to 10 seconds to make an impression, so use it wisely.

With brands showing interest in the photo and video sharing app, will Snapchat begin selling advertisements? Or will brands want to stick to the more personal use of Snapchat? With the announcement that Instagram will begin ads, who knows what is next for Snapchat.