Snapchat may not be the first social media platform that comes to mind when you think about social media for events, but it certainly should be. With 200 million monthly active users, Snapchat is an extremely popular platform for millennials to share live experiences with their friends virtually. Here’s the lowdown:

First of all, what is Snapchat?

If you haven’t heard, Snapchat is a tool that enables users to share live experiences virtually via text, picture and video messages to a user’s friend group. When these messages are sent to a user’s friend group, the message disappears instantly after being viewed. Users can also post photos and videos to their story, where they can be viewed by the poster’s followers for the next 24 hours.

How can you incorporate Snapchat into your event marketing?

1.Create a Snapchat Geofilter

You can create a geofilter for any event. Geofilters are illustrations or “filters” that users can layer over their snapchat images and that can only be used at certain locations. Anyone physically on the grounds of the location set will have access to this geofilter for a pre-determined timespan, and they don’t need to follow your organization on Snapchat to use it. To create a geofilter, you’ll need to submit an illustration to Snapchat and the illustration will be reviewed within a couple of business days.

Here’s how it works:

  • You choose a location and amount of time your geofilter will be active.
  • You submit an illustration to Snapchat to be approved a minimum of 3-4 days before it needs to be active. Illustrations should have the event name and your organization or event logo, which will help spread awareness of the event beyond the event attendees and your organization’s Snapchat following.
  • The cost varies based on the timespan and size of the geofilter, but starts around $10 per city block per hour.
  • Geofilter submissions need to follow Snapchat’s business guidelines.

2.Create the Event’s Story on Snapchat

Instead of sending Snapchat images and videos directly to specific followers, your organization may consider posting all of its snaps on its story, allowing all followers to see the content for up to 24 hours.

Here are a few ideas of what your organization may want to showcase in its event’s Snapchat story:

  • Give followers a behind-the-scenes look. Show followers the preparation before the event, activities at the event, as well as showcasing sponsors, swag, the venue, etc.
  • Create a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Snap photos and videos of the event festivities for people who couldn’t attend in person. This can also drive up ticket sales and buzz prior to the event and for future events.
  • Add text, emojis, or draw on the images. You can write factoids over the images, hold contests, assign coupon codes, etc.

How can you gain followers?

Snapchat is unlike any other social platform in that it does not have a native search feature, meaning you can’t find other users in the app unless you have their phone number in your address book, you know their specific username or have their Snapcode. Growing a following on Snapchat can be difficult, but your organization can use its other audience-based groups to help promote it.

  • Promote Snapchat on your organization’s newsletter. If your organization has a newsletter, use it as a platform to let your subscribers know you’re on Snapchat. Include the following details: your username, a brief description of why readers should follow your organization on Snapchat and what they can expect from its Snapchat story once they follow.
  • Share your Snapcode on social media. Snapcodes are unique QR codes that Snapchat generates for each user. The code is layered over Snapchat’s yellow ghost logo so users know it’s for Snapchat. When someone scans the QR code using their Snapchat app, it’ll bring up your organization’s Snapchat account.
  • Repurpose your Snapchat content. While your Snapchat story will only live on Snapchat for a day, you can save every image and video to your mobile device. You can then use the saved footage on your company’s other social media channels to further promote your Snapchat presence.

Remember, Snapchat is supposed to be fun – so have fun with it! If you used any of these tips to help market your event on Snapchat, we’d love to hear about it! Let us know in the comments below.