15 Clever Ways to Get More Snapchat Friends

Author: hootsuite / Source: Hootsuite Social Media Management

Snapchat followers can be tricky to find, but they’re not hard to come by. More than 186 million people on average use Snapchat everyday.

Without suggested user lists or the more robust discovery features you find on sites like Instagram or Twitter, Snapchat friends have to connect in different ways.

While that means you won’t be able to completely replicate your Instagram follower tactics, all is not lost. With a little Insta-inspiration, a few old-fashioned tricks, and mastery of Snapchat’s special features, there’s plenty you can do to increase your Snapchat following.

From cracking Snapcodes to creating snappy content, these 15 strategies will show you how to get more Snapchat followers in a snap.

Bonus: Download a free guide that reveals the steps to create custom Snapchat geofilters and lenses, plus tips on how to use them to promote your business.

How to get more Snapchat Friends: 15 tips that really work

1. Have a clear Snapchat strategy

Efforts to grow your Snapchat following may fall short if they’re not supported by a comprehensive social media marketing strategy.

Your Snapchat marketing strategy should include:

• Marketing objectives. Discovering how to get more Snapchat followers will be one of your marketing objectives. But maybe you have other goals, like web conversions, sales, or video views. A good strategy will encompass all of these goals with simple solutions.
• Target audience. It’s important to know who your prospective Snapchat friends are and what they’re interested in.
• Brand story. What branded story do you want to share? Any given campaign should have a cohesive concept or storyline for Snappers to follow.
• Brand look. Along the same lines, your marketing campaign should be unified aesthetically. Choose appropriate themes, imagery, typefaces, and colors to complement your brand story.

2. Make your Snapchat account more discoverable

Since it’s harder to be discovered in the Snapchat app, it’s important to share your Snapchat presence in other places.

You can promote your Snapchat presence with your handle and Snapchat icons that link back to: snapchat.com/add/yourusername. Or, be even more direct by using your unique, scannable Snapcode.

Where to promote your Snapchat presence:

• Website. Typically icons are used on a website’s header, sidebar, or footer to promote their brand’s social media accounts. If you have a contact page, you could add it there, too.
• Blog post sign offs. Chances are, if someone’s reading your blog post, they’d also be interested in your Snapchat content. Use an applicable CTA, like: Follow me on Snapchat for a behind-the-scenes look at this story…
• Email signature. It’s pretty standard to share links to your social profiles in your email footer. Make sure Snapchat is one of them. And if it makes sense, put the icon or link first in order.
• Newsletter. If your brand has a newsletter it should definitely include call-outs to for Snapchat follows. Announce your presence on Snapchat or preview special content. For a more subtle approach, add an icon or Snapcode in the email’s header or footer.
• Business cards. This may seem old-fashioned, but if you hand out business cards then it’s worth considering. Snapcodes
• Merchandise. Include Snapcodes anywhere you think prospective followers will come into contact with them, from receipts, to packaging, to price tags.
• Advertisements. Print ads, posters, flyers—even jumbotron screens—are all fair game for a Snapcode. Find more inspiration here.
• Events. If your brand attends trade shows or conferences, make sure your Snapcode is somewhere visitors can scan it. See if you can have it added to the program, your lanyard, or displayed on your booth.
• Be creative. Snapcodes can be placed and scanned on pretty much anything.

3. Promote your Snapchat profile on other social media platforms

There’s a good chance your followers on other social sites will want to follow you on Snapchat, too. If your brand is on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, or any other site, add you Snapchat handle to your profile page of the about section.

To reach new social followers, you may even consider using mobile Facebook ads to send traffic to your to Snapchat profile.

4. Tell great stories

Good content travels fast. Make sure your stories are compelling so that they’ll end up in the “For You” tab or be shared by your followers.

Brands like the WWE have even launched shows to boost their followings. After launching the WWE Show last year, WWE Snapchat followership increased by 232.1K followers (34 percent growth).

Consider these formats and ideas crafting your next story:

• Have a hook. Grab attention with a good headline.
• Storyboard. Your story should payoff on what the hook promises.
• Keep it brief. Attention spans are short, especially among Snapchat’s main demo.
• Geofilters. Geo-tags should be used sparingly, but can be useful in a high-traffic area.
• Music. Add music or sounds to build your narrative and add interest.
• Caption videos. Make your stories accessible for all users, including those watching with sound off.
• Lingo. Stay up-to-date to the slang and phrases your audience uses, so you can talk their language, as appropriate.
• Quiz…

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