Moving Targets’ Jenna Gross explores how to maximize one of the most underused social media marketing tools—Snapchat.
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hen we talk to each other, pass one another by on the street or simply live our lives, those moments eventually disappear and become distant memories. Time is fleeting, and that’s exactly the sentiment Snapchat emulates. The concept is straightforward: Look now, or lose your chance. Its allure is reflected in the data; users open the app 25 times, spending 30 minutes on the platform daily.
But, where would Snapchat be without sexting?
Although that’s just part of seduction, no use was more critical to Snapchat’s early success than the ability to send sexual images that vanished in seconds. This alone makes the app innately intimate. For marketers, our instinctual desire paired with accessibility of Snapchat, creates an unprecedented formula for customer engagement.
Yet, club owners are seemingly hesitant to expand their social presence to the app. One reason is because of cell-phone-use policies. However, Snapchat has the ability, just like other marketing platforms, to generate business without the guest using their phone inside.
Another reason that club owners are reluctant to use Snapchat is because the app does not save history of previous posts and the business information is nonexistent. This can be off-putting for those who want their content creation efforts to get extended mileage. There is something to be said for having a bank of content to get a feel for a place and what to expect. On the upside, it affords marketers the option to run ads without taking on content marketing.
Since becoming a public company in the spring of 2017, affordable advertising formats have been released. A few years ago, the cost to run a Snapchat campaign started at $100,000; today ads start at a few dollars per day. Marketers who have harnessed the power of the app—with ads, content or both—are finding it’s well worth the effort. Here are a few ways to leverage Snapchat’s magnetism to promote your club.
First, attract followers
To grow your Snapchat followers, share your Snapcode (the yellow square with random dots and “ghost”) and your direct URL (snapchat.com/add/YourUsernameHere). In your venue, post flyers, table tents, and give guests business cards with your Snapchat info. Add the icon and link your websites homepage and anywhere else you display social media icons. Quickly gain traction by offering an incentive to follow such as a free cover or run a contest for one follower to win VIP treatment, promoting it on your existing channels and email newsletter.
Create experiences, not just “stories”
Snapchat “stories” are collections of images and videos, viewable for 24 hours. Use the order of your snaps to build anticipation throughout the day, while guests are bored at work. Think nobody’s paying attention? In a mind-blowing survey by Time Out New York, 39% of office workers said that they have masturbated at their work. Showcase your entertainers during the day, getting ready to perform, etc., and encourage your fans to submit questions for your entertainers, having them respond in a video story. In using provocative images, stay mindful of the boundaries of good taste. This will keep you from potential issues with the platform, and entice guests to come in for a better view, not just watch the night unfold from their phone.
Focus on creating impact in the shortest possible time, only giving an ephemeral glimpse. Tap into FOMO (that’s “Fear of Missing Out”) by featuring wide-angle shots of your club when you’re busy, on slower nights use up-close shots of your entertainers. When taking candid, behind-the-scenes videos, consider the background; a less than sultry dressing room takes away from the enticement. Keep in mind, 80% of stories should captivate, tantalize and entertain, while 20% should directly promote.
Track your Snapchat marketing
Perhaps the most intriguing and differentiating feature is Snap to Store. This tool measures how many Snapchat Users entered your club after seeing your Snap Ads, Filters, or Lenses, and also which friends saw that photo and subsequently visited.
Depending on your cell phone policy, this method of tracking could present challenges. If the app wasn’t opened during their visit, it can’t be tracked. Reach arounds include signage outside and in your entryway, give followers an offer such as, “Show us you follow us on Snapchat for a free drink.” While not ideal, this feature still can be a very powerful way to answer the question “How is online marketing bringing customers to my club?”
Snap Ads are designed with the objective of driving traffic to your website, generating app installs, growing awareness and increasing video views. They generate five times more than the average clickthrough rate of other social media ads using still images, GIFs, videos, cinemagraphs or video. There is a $50 per-day minimum ad spend, but you can create the campaign for as many, or as few, days as you’d like.
Include a call to action: come in, purchase VIP membership or book a party and include the website link. To encourage patrons to subscribe to your email list, create a simple landing page and use the “Auto-Fill for Web View Forms,” making it easier for Snapchatters to provide their info.
Geofilters are available to users when they are in a geographic area you designate. Your staff can use your filters to contextualize snaps, letting followers on your account, and their own, know what’s going on that they’d be interested in. Pricing depends on a few factors including the size of the area you’d like your filter to be visible and how long you want it to be available; as an estimate about $5 per 20,000 square feet per day.
It’s important to define your audience; you can use targeted ads that utilize geographic/demographic and advanced screening such as hobbies, places they shop, what they watch and where they’ve been. If you have current client data, you can direct ads to them, or use a “Lookalike Audience” to find people similar to your current guests.
In the end, Snapchat is still an up-and-coming marketing platform. However, early adopters typically see the biggest return on their investment. As marketing channels become more established, costs rise due to competition among other advertisers for same users’ attention. Marketers who take the gamble will likely see significantly better engagement than those who wait months—or years—to act. As with any marketing, don’t go all in and forget about your current channels. One of the golden rules of marketing is to experiment, analyze the results, and continually optimize.
For more information on Moving Targets, email jenna@movingtargets.com, visit Movingtargets.com or call (800) 926-2451.
