I’m very bullish on Snapchat. Two big reasons why are:
-The headlines say it’s dead (it’s not, maybe in stock price but it has a large number of users)
-It’s the key to young to middle-aged fans.
I was on Twitter the other day and read a Tweet that kind of blew my mind. In hindsight, it makes total sense but it only fueled how to power the platform is.
Call me old, but freshmen don’t ask for numbers, they ask for Snap Codes. That is INSANE!
But wait…there’s more
Sports fans are on Snap. 50% of Snapchaters in fact not just are fans but actively connect with friends & family through sports. They are using this platform to interact with each other through sports.
If you want to reach young people you have to reach them on the medium that they are comfortable on. The medium that they use on a daily basis.
Most teams use email as the main way to keep fans up to date on the newest ticketing deal. While it still works to a degree, it won’t last as a way to grab fans.
We have to change the way we connect with fans and market to them.
Building your list on Snapchat
Content is the main way to build your list on Snap. Obviously, this is the most authentic way to build a Snap following. Whether that is a pre-game show only available on Snap or coaches corner weekly, you need to start building content to this medium & platform.
Even better here is if you can build the content you can then throw it onto Instagram Stories and cross-pollinate the content.
But if you want to grow users in one shot quickly here’s an idea based on the above tweet.
1. Print your Snapcode on a big sign
Download the image of your Snapcode and print it out on a big sign so people won’t miss it.
Add the words: Snap here for team content, gear giveaways, and even ticketing deals.
2. Take that printed Snapcode sign and place it where most young people can see it.
On game day place outside your stadium. During school days place in the middle of a college campus. During festivals place near the food booths. Go to sponsor bars and places near the dance floors. Anywhere you can place this code in the physical world for fans to snap.
You are essentially fishing for potential customers and bringing them into your list.
Bonus, put it on your scoreboard as the Pelicans do.
Anywhere you think you can grab a follow, put that Snapcode out into the physical world.
3. Send them links to giveaways & ticketing deals directly in Snap
On Snap you can send links directly to your followers as a message in a Snap. Send them content so they don’t feel like they are following just to get sold to.
Send them gear giveaways, ticketing deals to upcoming games, sponsor giveaways, whatever brings you and them value.
You now have a list of fans, new & old, that you can activate before game day with a simple Snap. It doesn’t feel like a sales email to be ignored, it feels personalized and as a reward for following.
But we’re not done
Why stop there when you have access to a Snapchat pixel. If you aren’t sure what a pixel is it tracks who comes to your website so you can re-target them with ads on the platform. You can read more about pixels on Snap HERE.
4. Put a Snap pixel on the links you send out
With a pixel on the link, you send to fans you can build a list of the interested people. The people who actually click on the link. These are your most qualified buyers.
Of course, you want to hit those people as much as possible to build them into return buyers. By showing intrigue enough to click you also know they have an interest, or even need, for your product.
Snap isn’t the best right now at hyper-targeting, this is an easy solution to make sure the money you are spending on SnapAds is reaching people who want to see your messaging.
With the above process, you can make a massive leap into the marketing of tomorrow.
Again as time moves forward fans will consume differently.
This is the way the new fan consumes, on our phones and on platforms like Snapchat. We can’t, as teams, be stuck in the past. Snap messages are the new emails in ticketing. The longer you wait, the more market share you lose to teams & entertainment outlets that jump on this.
If you think you are too small time for this, you aren’t. This is, in fact, how startups and small companies go on to disrupt industries and take down giants. No matter the size of your organization you can take on any competition by understanding where attention is highest & cheapest.
Right now, Snapchat ads and presence are cheap with high attention.
Don’t be that team. Be the team, no matter minor league, niche sport, or majors that understands the market for attention has shifted.
