Why You Want Snapchat Influencers In Your Campaign

Snapchat, the fast-growing network that will outgrow its rivals this year according to eMarketer, has been making it easier for publishers to post to the ghost. The youth-oriented social/chat mashup has not done the same for advertisers, who are struggling to work within the loose limitations on branded content. Brands are finding far more traction working with influencers on the network, who understand the platform and how to appeal to the more than 200 million daily Snapchat users.

While CEO Evan Spiegel continues to build out the ways for Snapchat to work with media and brands, figuring out the specifics of what is allowed and what works is still a challenge for many brands. While paid content is not technically allowed on personal channels, Snapchat influencers have been profiting off their accounts for a while and have been able to get away with it.

For example, Taco Bell augmented their Super Bowl campaigns with key Snapchat influencers like Shonduras alongside more traditional celebrities. The goal there was to drive additional followers for the Taco Bell’s account so he encouraged others to check out the brand’s story. This was in addition to the more traditional advertising on Snapchat’s Live Stories that are integrated directly (and quickly) into the platform’s television-like experience. Working with Snapchat across their existing options might just have helped the platform’s curators turn a blind eye to those branded messages on personal channels. This makes sense – why would Snapchat alienate some of its biggest publishers (influencers)?

While brands have scored a lot of engagement using Snapchat’s built-in tools like branded filters and geolocation items, the larger opportunity is for brands is to tap into the creative power of influencers who know how to produce compelling content for the platform. These influencers are popular because they know what works, what is gets engagement and builds excitement among their followers. Their desire to explore and experiment with the platform and its limits can benefit brands enormously.

While some have grumbled that Snapchat seems to favor certain companies (and verticals) in their approval process, a lot of what gets approved that is borderline branded content could be getting a pass for one simple reason: the content is good. Snapchat editors may be seeing it and thinking the community will embrace it. Remember that Snapchat is still experimenting with what works, too. That’s a key reason why working with influencers is so important. Since these creators have already attracted an audience and built on it with engaging content, they know what works for the Millennial and Gen Z audience who love the Snapchat experience.