Snapchat is one of the most loved social media apps in India. The app is the favourite pastime for millions of people, owing to different reasons like regular posting requirements, easy-to-use interface, different entertainment options, and much more. But is Snapchat any good for marketing, especially affiliate marketing? Well, the simple answer is yes. But there are different pros, cons, and techniques that marketers must consider before adding Snapchat to their marketing mix. Today, we will talk about all of it in detail. So, stick around till the end to find the answer to your question. Is Snapchat Affiliate Marketing worth it?
How to start Affiliate Marketing on Snapchat?
On this page:
1. Snaps
Snaps are short snippets of a user’s life that they send to their friends, family, relatives, and colleagues. Since snaps are the most common way to interact with an audience on Snapchat, these are also the best way to bring affiliate sales through the platform.
2. Personal Chats
Snapchat Chats have different durations according to the users’ preferences. According to the option chosen, the app deletes a chat as soon as it is seen, in 1 hour, or 24 hours. Affiliate marketers can send limited-time deals to their network and create a sense of exclusivity through Snapchat’s disappearing messages feature.
3. Stories
Stories are a great way for affiliate marketers to display deals, vouchers, coupons, discount codes, and more for a period of 24 hours on their profile. Marketers’ connections can see different products on their stories and make a purchase depending upon the special discount that the affiliate marketer is providing.
Why should you choose Snapchat for Affiliate Marketing?
1. Good Numbers in India
India is currently the biggest market for Snapchat and the app has more than 140 million active users in the country. This makes Snapchat a fantastic choice for affiliate marketers as they can find their target market from this huge number of users.
2. High Engagement
Since Snapchat is based on regular posting, its engagement numbers are much better than many other social media platforms. According to a recent survey by Snapchat, its users open the app more than 30 times every day, with the average usage time standing at around 30 minutes. More than 5 billion snaps are sent daily on the app.
3. Multiple ways for Promotion
Affiliate marketers can promote products and services on Snapchat in three different ways which include Snaps, Stories, and Personal messages. We will explore more about these avenues later in this article.
4. Supportive Policy
Many social media platforms have a strict policy against affiliate links and posting monetized links, but not Snapchat. The app promotes marketers and users to add links to their content. Affiliate marketers can start sharing deals without worrying about getting banned from the platform.
5. Cheaper Ads
Snapchat ads are much cheaper than many other social media platforms used for affiliate marketing. According to the latest data, a thousand impressions cost less than $3 on the platform. That is incredibly affordable considering the high engagement and high possibility of affiliate conversions that Snapchat offers.
In addition to this just like Snapchat you can also promote your affiliate links on Youtube and that is to without spending a penny. Do check out our blog to find out how.
Things to Consider about Snapchat Affiliate Marketing
1. Smaller User Base
Some social media giants have more than a billion users on their platforms. Snapchat in comparison has less than 400 million users around the world. The app is mostly used by the younger generation which includes millennials and Gen-Z.
2. Younger Audience
As we mentioned above, Snapchat is mainly used by people between the ages of 15 to 35. Affiliate marketers whose products and services are meant to appeal to the older audience might find it difficult to bring conversions through Snapchat.
3. Declining Growth
Snapchat’s growth, even though still on an upward trajectory, has slowed down in the last few years. Affiliate marketers might find it difficult to grow long-term if the user base does not grow at the desired pace.
Best Practices to follow for Snapchat Affiliate Marketing
1. Products that Appeal to Younger Audiences
As we mentioned above, most of Snapchat’s user base lies between the ages of 15 and 35. Affiliate marketers must choose the products and services better suited to the younger audience like gadgets, skill-building courses, gym and entertainment memberships, books, etc.
2. Use Social Media
Affiliate marketers must use other social media platforms to promote their Snapchat presence. They can post their Snap QR Code on other social media platforms which will help people find their profile easily.
3. Leverage Email Marketing
Affiliate marketers with good data on consumers’ emails can use the same to promote their Snapchat campaigns. Affiliate emails can include Snap QR, special Snapchat deals, limited-time Snapchat offers, and much more. All of these can help marketers drive to reach on their Snapchat profiles.
4. Use Snapchat Filters
Let’s be honest. Most users use Snapchat for its unique and trending filters. Affiliate marketers can make use of different Snapchat filters including Augmented Reality (AR), Color Grades, etc. to create more relatable content on the platform. Using other people’s filters also pleases the Snapchat filter to display your stories to more people.
5. Don’t forget CTAs
Like any other social media platform, CTA is the game’s name. Keep your Call-to-Action (CTA) short and precise. You can ask users to connect with you, visit your profile, click on your links, visit your other social media platforms, etc., through short and simple CTAs.
6. Paid Ads
Snapchat ads are significantly cheaper than those on most other social networks. Affiliate marketers who can afford to advertise should invest in Snapchat Ads. As mentioned above, the average cost for thousand impressions is less than $3. Running Snap advertisements will expose your marketing campaigns to a larger pool of prospective clients. Do check out the blog on affiliate marketing with paid ads to know more about running paid ads on Snapchat for affiliate marketing.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s suitability as an affiliate marketing platform largely depends on an affiliate’s brand, product, and audience. If your target audience is young and your products are simple enough to be presented in a bite-sized format, Snapchat can be a wonderful fit with your overall marketing plan. However, if your products call for sophisticated messaging that can’t be briefly explained in 10-second videos, Snapchat might not be your best choice.
Some Other Platforms where you can Promote affiliate links are: