Snapchat video has quickly evolved from a simple way for teenagers to send video messages to one another into a global phenomenon and a revenue stream for businesses when used properly.

As Snapchat's audience has grown, brands have taken full advantage and are now utilizing the platform's video marketing capabilities.

A Snapchat video is referred to as "Snap," and believe it or not, 5 billion Snaps are created daily on average. This results in a significant increase in the amount of user-generated content created, watched, and shared on a single social media channel.

While all its users are there for video content, Snapchat's younger audience is especially receptive to brand-sponsored video content. Even more so if businesses share video Snaps that are relevant to their audience and adhere to popular Snapchat video content styles.

By developing a Snapchat marketing strategy, your business can expand its audience and connect directly with customers. This guide will cover everything you need to know to get started using Snapchat to market your brand.

Benefits of Snapchat Video Marketing

Having a Snapchat marketing strategy integrated into an overall video marketing strategy has significant benefits for brands looking to connect with Millenials and Gen Zers.

Since Snapchat's inception, it has prioritized user-generated content. They have since expanded to include businesses on the platform, allowing them to market their products and services via Snapchat video. However, that sense of personal connection remains, which presents an excellent opportunity for brands seeking direct communication with fans and customers.

For businesses, there are three primary benefits of sharing videos on Snapchat.

Reach a Wider Audience

Users of Snapchat are devoted to the app and prolific with their posting: Worldwide, Snapchat has 293 million active users daily.

The ephemeral sharing app's user base remains younger than most social networks: 65% of users are under 30, and 71% are under 34. This means that with an effective approach, you can use Snapchat videos to reach a wide audience.

Attract Engaged Audience

Snapchat users are an extremely active group. Over half of Gen Z users check Snapchat 11 times daily. And, on average, its users spend about 30 minutes every day on the network. With such a devoted audience that visits the app daily, you can distribute many video content on your business account without exhausting your followers.

Connect With Users That Engage With Brands

Snapchat users are more receptive to brand engagement than other social media users, even if they are unfamiliar with the brand.

According to a survey of Snapchat users, nearly three-quarters would view a Snap sent by a business, and nearly half would read a Snap from an unknown brand.

That's wonderful news for smaller or newer businesses, as it means you'll reach an audience on Snapchat willing to listen to your pitch even if they're unfamiliar with your services or products.

Using Snapchat Video for Your Business

Now that you have a deeper understanding of how your business may profit from using Snapchat videos, let's explore the different ways you can leverage video on the platform and the most effective approach to interact with consumers through video content.

Snapchat Video Ads

In order to make Snapchat videos work on a mobile device, you should ensure all your videos are vertically oriented.

Snapchat videos should have the following specs:

• Video Length: 3 to 10 seconds long
• Maximum File Size: 32 MB
• File Type: .mp4 or .mov
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Aspect Ratio: 9:16

Snapchat Video Stories

The Snapchat Stories feature allows you to upload Snaps on an ongoing basis. Your Snaps from your story will be available for 24 hours before they disappear from your account.

Building a Snapchat Marketing Strategy

When it comes to using Snapchat for business, it's critical to have a Snapchat marketing strategy in order to maximize engagement and make the effort worthwhile.

1. Identify Your Tone, Voice, and Direction

Probably the most crucial step in a Snapchat marketing strategy occurs even before you launch your account. Collaborate with your team's creative minds to determine the account's voice and tone. Once it is established, document it thoroughly in a style guide to ensure that everyone contributing to the account does so in the appropriate brand voice.

2. Get the Word Out

What better way to pique people's interest than to create a noise.  If you want people to watch your Snapchat video, you should include exclusive content on your account to attract them to the platform and your page. Contests and freebies are usually popular and can be an excellent way to increase your following.

By involving other businesses in a giveaway or campaign, you can potentially increase the size of your audience.

3. Collaborate with Influencers to Attract Followers

Influencers have perfected the skill of social media marketing during the previous decade. Influencers are individuals who have amassed a sizable following on social media, usually as a result of their expertise in a particular sector. Whatever they touch and demonstrate on their personal accounts gains traction.

Influencers may be compensated to advertise on their channels or take over your social media account for a predetermined time. Given that social media is becoming the most popular distribution route for B2B video, it's unsurprising that collaborating with influencers in your own business would be an excellent strategy to grow your audience.

4. Use Cross-Promotion to Your Advantage

Although Snapchat is a unique social media channel with content that is different from your other channels, you should constantly cross-promote content. Nowadays, it's difficult to find someone who isn't signed up for many social media accounts across multiple platforms.

That means that if you have an Instagram follower, they are almost certain to follow you on Snapchat as well. So if you're conducting a Snapchat contest, you should also promote it on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. This will increase traffic to your account and broaden your audience reach.

5. Make Filters Fun by Getting Creative

Users of Snapchat expect to see the filters for which the app is famous. When creating a Snapchat video, don't hesitate to be creative and utilize all of the tools available on the platform to enhance your content. Additionally, you may build and sell a filter that includes your business logo for people to enjoy.

Following these Snapchat marketing strategies will help you reach a wider audience. Need help making an excellent marketing video? Try Everpost’s unlimited premium video production service — call us and let us know what you need!