SNAPCHAT FOR BUSINESS: THE CONSTANT CLIFFHANGER
April 12, 2016
The cliffhanger.
An absolute favorite storytelling tactic that gets our blood rushing, our hearts pounding, our eyes widening, our voices exclaiming "What's next? What's going on? What are they going to do? I can't wait to see! I need to see now! Help! #AUUUGGGHHH"
In a nutshell, that is (the magic of) Snapchat.
What was once a teenager's funny little app for texting private (and often gross or silly) disappearing photos is now a solid and crazy engaging digital media platform with over 100+ million daily active users streaming and watching 5+ billion daily video views.
Billions of daily views.....of what, you may ask, and why?
THE "OF WHAT?"
- Of photos and videos from their fave brands and people.
- Consumers enjoying Snapchat are obsessively and addictively sticking around to see what their fave Snapchatters are sharing to their Stories. They come back for more every second.
- And every second, it seems, people and brands are adding photos and videos to their Stories, updating and evolving their narrative.
THE "WHY?"
- People are watching so constantly because Stories are constantly being updated - meaning their last Snap left you feeling like one does with a cliffhanger - WHAT. IS. NEXT????
- But here's more MAGIC....the content you are watching literally can only be found inside of their Snapchat Story.
- And more MAGIC......the Snaps (i.e. photos and videos) will disappear 24 hours from the time that it is posted. (Read about the 24-HOUR LIFE CYCLE here.)
- This is WHY people are super addictive to Snapchat and keep coming back for the more. They want to see what's next - the ultimate and constant cliffhanger.
4 ASPECTS AS TO WHY SNAPCHAT IS THE CONSTANT MARKETING CLIFFHANGER
(and why every brand and business needs to get up and running)
(and why every brand and business needs to get up and running)
1) One aspect is because of the cool and engaging storytelling live in the idea of micro-moments. Everyone wants to experience bite-sized content - not just the younger set. Snapchat's execution is set up exactly like that, offering only 1 - 10 second moments. But, when strung together, a mini-narrative is created, an engaging (or funny or maybe not so funny) "story" is being told.
2) Paralleling this is the time table - every Snap will disappear 24 hours from when it's posted. Snapchat ramps up the FOMO, for sure. But it's working and people are going back to that "cliffhanger" to see more.
3) Another aspect is the "unique-to-me" experience that every single person experiences. There are no "likes" to see, no Followers count, no comments to read. Nothing. (See #3 to learn more) When watching a person or brand's Snapchat Story, it's just them....and you. There's a real special likability in that as if you are seeing a truly unique story that you may want to tell your friends about.
4) This segues into the exclusive vibe. You can only see the person or brand's content inside their Story, on Snapchat, on your mobile device.
2) Paralleling this is the time table - every Snap will disappear 24 hours from when it's posted. Snapchat ramps up the FOMO, for sure. But it's working and people are going back to that "cliffhanger" to see more.
3) Another aspect is the "unique-to-me" experience that every single person experiences. There are no "likes" to see, no Followers count, no comments to read. Nothing. (See #3 to learn more) When watching a person or brand's Snapchat Story, it's just them....and you. There's a real special likability in that as if you are seeing a truly unique story that you may want to tell your friends about.
4) This segues into the exclusive vibe. You can only see the person or brand's content inside their Story, on Snapchat, on your mobile device.
IMO, Snapchat is emerging as the "stickiest" social platform and it also is redefining how consumers engage with brand messaging which, in turn, influences their shopping decisions. It really is the perfect storm of storytelling micro-moments, ultra exclusive content (#BTS), unique-to-me vibe and time limits that has Millennials and really everyone else jumping in to check it out. Why wouldn't you want to share your "Story" with everyone...and keep them coming back for more with smart storytelling and expression of your brand style and core values.
If you are aren't sure WTF Snapchat is and how to get started, START HERE and take it from there. We got you.
If you are aren't sure WTF Snapchat is and how to get started, START HERE and take it from there. We got you.