People today don’t have time for lengthy marketing pitches or deep, thorough explanations of a brand. They want to know right out the door whether or not something’s worth their time – and if you can’t keep things brief, then they’ll eventually tune out.

This is why Snapchat works so well. A mobile app designed for the sharing of photos and video, Snapchat is unique in that any content shared through it ‘self-destructs’ after one to ten seconds. This feature made Snapchat the perfect engagement platform for event organizers – albeit an untapped one. Its accessibility makes it easy to connect with attendees, while the length limitation on snaps means that even the most distracted user can understand their core message.

So, how can you use Snapchat to keep your attendees talking about your event well after it’s done?

It’s Not for Everyone

The first thing to remember is that, due to its core demographic, Snapchat works best when a large portion of your attendees are millennials – it’s a great tool for concerts and conventions, but might not work so well at an overseas trade show. If your event is primarily geared towards an older audience, you may be better-served using Twitter for engagement, since it’s likely that not many of your users will have it installed.

Know What You’re Getting Into

Athough Snapchat is quite easy to use once you get the hang of it, it’s not exactly user-friendly. Spend a bit of time with the platform and learn its ins and outs before attempting to plan a campaign on it. You’re also going to need to adjust how you design your content.

Keep it Candid

Snapchat isn’t really about the photos and videos you can share through the app. It’s about the emotion behind that content; the glimpse they offer into your brand’s personal story. Consumers on Snapchat use it to share snippets of their life with friends and family; each snap is part of a larger, unfiltered story. Take a lesson from those users.

Did something entertaining happen during setup? Did someone goof with amusing results?  Share that – show your attendees that you’re human. They’ll feel more connected with you as a result, and far likelier to share the details of your event with others.

Exclusivity

There’s nothing people like more than free stuff. It could be anything from a raffle to a giveaway to an exclusive scavenger hunt.

The important thing is that it’s only available for people who use Snapchat.

Create a Story

Last, but not least, make sure you’re utilizing Snapchat’s “Our Story” feature – a unique spin on Snapchat’s Stories designed exclusively for event organizers. Basically, it allows event attendees to share their own content in your event/brand’s story – giving them an active voice in event promotion.

Will you be incorporating Snapchat into your next event? Let us know with a comment below!