Snapchat stars’ top tips on perfecting brand partnerships

Creating an authentic relationship with influencers on social media is top of many marketers’ agenda, particularly on newer platforms like Snapchat, as brands look to find a credible voice to sell their products.

Speaking to Marketing Week at the inaugural Snaphappen event last month, Snapchat stars Geeohsnap, Shonduras, CailinONeil, GiniCanBreathe and Flawlessfox81 – who between them have worked with Disney, Starbucks, Red Bull and McDonald’s – share their advice for brands looking to enlist the help of an influencer and how to get the most from any partnership.

When it comes to tracking the success of activity on Snapchat and ensuring brands achieve real engagement, Shonduras, also known as Shaun McBride, advises brands to be very specific with their needs.

“A lot of the time [brands] just say ‘we need this piece of content and a tweet to go with it’. What they should really do is in the contract put ‘engagement’. They should say ‘we want you to retweet five times, we want you to comment back to 10-15 people’. That kind of engagement and real back and forth helps the brand deal feel very natural,” he explains.

READ MORE: Unilever says Snapchat has ‘come of age’ as it links activity with sales boost

Geeosnap believes brands show a “harder” side on Facebook and Instagram but suggests on Snapchat they “can afford to be a little bit more loose and have fun”.

He singles out a Norwegian bank that is doing a good job of taking a potentially dry topic and making it entertaining. “They are telling these amazing stories and reaching out to younger people about how important it is to save money and they are doing it in a creative and engaging and funny way. That’s the key,” he says.

GiniCanBreathe advises brands to not overproduce content. She says: “Don’t take TV [content] and put it onto this mobile platform that was made to be more unfiltered and real.” She believes behind-the-scenes content works particularly well as marketers “can bring people into the air of an event”.

Like everything, consistency is key, according to travel blogger and Snapchat star CailinONeil. But if brands aren’t going to post on a regular basis she advises them to single out specific days or times so consumers know what to expect.

She also suggests brands should be “open and engaged” with people who want to interact with them via the channel. “Some [brands] will be flooded by messages, but just having that ability for people to reach out that way is important,” she adds.

READ MORE: What’s next for influencer marketing?

FlawlessFox81, also known as Craig Fox who created the Snaphappen event, warns brands to remember that Snapchat is an “incredibly personal” community. “Don’t sell to people on Snapchat; treat them as your ambassadors and they will do the selling for you,” he says.