It’s getting harder and harder to reach your audience on cluttered apps and social media sites like Facebook, especially without big advertising budgets. So what’s a marketer to do? The first step is to know your target customers well. Where are they online? What type of content engages them? Where do your current traffic and conversions come from? Answer these questions to develop the best strategy for investing in a new way to communicate with your customers. We’re sharing the latest (and most promising) channels and tools to consider and offering insight on what brands should jump in on the ground floor.
SnapChat
Snapchat is a messaging application for sharing moments between friends or groups. Users can take a photo or a video, add a caption or graphic, and send it to their contacts. Unless users take a screenshot, snaps can only be viewed for a few seconds before they disappear. If your target audience is 13-34 year olds (especially 18-24), we recommend downloading Snapchat to explore. The app has more than 100 million daily active users, and SnapChat claims that 60% of America’s 13-34 year old smartphone users are also Snapchatters. The app also recently launched a “Discover” feature to showcase content from traditional news and media and brand advertisers. Brands winning on Snapchat include Nissan, GrubHub and Taco Bell. Popular tactics are product launches and previews, exclusive offers and discounts, contests and promotions and branded Snaps users can share with friends.
Periscope
Periscope is a new video streaming, live broadcast platform owned by Twitter. And they’ve racked up 10 million users in just four months. Live posts are shared via a link on Twitter and also featured in users’ feeds. Because Periscope is so new, they’ve yet to release user demographics, but it’s safe to say that if your brand has success on Twitter and/or You Tube, Periscope could be a valuable addition to your social media strategy. Brands currently active on Periscope include Red Bull, Spotify and even General Electric. Celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Ellen DeGeneres are also early adopters. Brand tactics that resonate with Periscope users include expert Q&As, product reviews, how-tos, live streamed events and behind the scenes footage.
Imgur
Imgur is an image-sharing platform that originates many of the photos and memes shared everyday on Reddit, Digg and social media. The site averaged 31 million users a month in early 2015, and is now testing a new native ad product for brands. Despite the huge user base, the site isn’t as well known as Reddit and not in most marketing plans yet. If your target customer is a male teen or millennial and your brand is comfortable with content that is irreverent, humorous and not always family-friendly, you may want to consider getting in on the ground floor. Tactically, Imgur is a great place to inspire user generated content for your brand and visually share your brand story.
Yummly
Yummly is a web site and free smartphone app that provides recipe recommendations and search, storage and sharing for users. They boast more than 10 million monthly unique visitors, with more than 60% coming from mobile. This site is our top recommendation for food, entertaining and kitchen product brands with a prime target of women aged 25-45. Yummly offers great value for brands and advertisers, from custom brand profiles and landing pages to an organized blogger ambassador program. Brands currently publishing on Yummly include Velveeta, Country Crock, Yoplait, Miracle-Gro, Silk Soymilk, Breyers and more. Tactics that resonate on Yummly include programs to inspire user recipes and reviews, influencer content, coupons and promotions.
If you have questions on what new digital and social platforms are perfect for your brand content, We’d love to steer you in the right direction. And if you’ve found early success on one of these channels, please share in the comments below.
