When Snapchat first debuted in 2011, you were most likely skeptical of its long-term viability. A disappearing photo app certainly has its uses, but for marketing and advertising? It was easy to dismiss Snapchat as an app for high schoolers, but certainly not for you.
It should be abundantly clear to you by now that this isn’t the case. For starters, Snapchat is bigger than Twitter, with 150 million daily active users. Beyond this, Snapchat has broadened its scope to highlight brands with its discover platform. Just this make, Snapchat made it easier than ever before to serve ads to its massive user base. And if all of this isn’t enough, they’re getting into wearable tech with their Spectacles. Basically, you should be using Snapchat as part of your marketing strategy.
But that’s not what we’re here today to talk about. Whether or not you’re using Snapchat to connect with your audience, you should be using their on-demand geofilters for your events. If you don’t use Snapchat, you may not be familiar with what this means, but it’s super simple. Users who take photos or videos in certain locations have the option to overlay filters over their photos based on where they are. As a brand, you can pinpoint where you want these to show up.
Everything is in your control Design, timing, and location are all 100% up to you. And depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, geofilters can be extremely cost-effective.
For the sake of example, I started the process of submitting a Geofilter around the area of the Washington Monument. For an area of this size (Approximately 40,000 square feet) for a 12 hour run, a filter here would cost me under $30. This means that for 12 hours, anyone and everyone that’s visiting the monument and snapping away to their friends will have a chance to use your filter. And if you get creative with your design based on the location, people will use it.
The reach potential for these is tremendous. Your scale will likely never rival this, but on the day of the first presidential debate, Donald Trump’s campaign instituted a nationwide Geofilter to the tune of 80 million views. The price tag for that one is a bit higher than the $30 you’re looking at, estimated in the six-figure range, but it’s indicative of the power of a network with the number of obsessed users that Snapchat has. And you’ll be able to see how your filter performed once its run is complete.
A public place is one thing, but the real goldmine for geofilters is events. If you’re running an event, or just running a booth at one, setting up a geofilter in the conference hall is a no-brainer. Again, to reiterate: 150 million daily active users. For $30, this is simply not something you can afford not to experiment with. Snapchat even has a web-based design portal for you to make your geofilters beautiful – no photoshop necessary.
Seriously, quit dismissing Snapchat, and go make your first geofilter today. Then, if you have questions about how to leverage Snapchat as part of your overall content marketing strategy, give us a call. We’d love to help you figure it all out!
