Why Brands Should Embrace Disappearing Content And Have Fun With It

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In just four years’ time, Snapchat has become the most sought-after social marketing channel, even though it goes completely against conventional wisdom. Why would brands invest time and money to create content, only to see it disappear? Nevertheless, marketers are reportedly shelling out $750,000 a day to run Snapchat ads and hiring specialists to create customized Snapchat content. Admittedly, it’s mostly giant brands with hefty advertising dollars who are trying out new things. Small to medium-sized brands are still on the lookout for the proven ROI of the ephemeral marketing platform. What marketers need to understand is that when calculating the effectiveness of Snapchat, they can’t use the same metrics as they do with Facebook or other traditional social platforms. There is no like, retweet or comment. Most importantly, the limited stats you see will vanish with the snap after 24 hours. However, when your Snapchat friends do see your snaps, it’s 100% engagement. The interaction is one-on-one like text messages and an individual piece of content is full-screen instead of being sandwiched in between different posts. Here are three more reasons why you should embrace disappearing content. You Are Allowed To Make Mistakes The Internet rule of what goes on, stays on does not apply to the world of little ghosts. You don’t need focus groups to test creative concepts or advertising copies before posting on Snapchat – your audience’s response is the best testament.

After all, no one can trace back to your “gaffed snaps.” This form of impromptu marketing allows for much more creative freedom and risk-taking, which gives brands endless opportunities to constantly learn and improve. Timeliness And Sense Of Urgency Are Priceless Snapchat content is inherently more precious than other types of social posts because of its transitory nature. An “exclusive story” on Snapchat is going to entice your followers to frequently check your snaps, but not so much if it’s a Facebook announcement that will stay in the timeline forever. In fact, brands are finding a lot of success with social media promotions by leveraging this feature.

For instance, you can offer promo codes or send coupons exclusively on Snapchat. You can also direct all your social media audience to Snapchat where sweepstakes entry rules will be revealed. With Snapchat, there is no need to say “hurry up, offer ends soon.” Social Media Is All About Instant Gratification The main ethos behind Snapchat is to bring the “fun” back to social media. If people’s Facebook feeds only show their happy and positive sides while their Instagram posts only present their most flattering moments, where do people find authentic connections? People love Snapchat because it is a platform for unedited self-expression. The sillier, the uglier, the weirder, the better. For brands, this means that if your Snapchat content looks carefully-produced and highly-polished, it will throw people off. The key here is to entertain like a standup comedian. In a nutshell, brands need a completely different mindset when it comes to Snapchat.

If Snapchatters are using the ephemeral app only to have fun, why shouldn’t you be? Check out our Snapchat Marketing Guide to learn more about how you can take advantage of the trendiest social platform right now.