How To Get More Followers On Snapchat: Beginner’s Guide
Do you want to learn how to get more Snapchat followers?
Who can blame you? Even with the rise of other social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat still has millions of daily active users.
And as an influencer, a marketer, or a business owner, you can’t afford to dismiss these people. You’ll have to engage them if you want to achieve your goals.
But given the nature of Snapchat where posts disappear after some time, is it possible to grow a following on the platform?
Spoiler alert: It’s totally possible with the right strategy. And I’ll show you how in this post.
Let’s get started:
Get more Snapchat followers using these methods
Here are some actionable tips on how you can gain more Snapchat followers and friends.
1. Be discoverable
Let’s start with something simple. You want to set yourself up for success by making sure that your Snapchat account is not only accessible but well-promoted as well.
What does that mean?
You have to make it known to everyone who’d listen that you have a Snapchat account. Have a link to your Snapchat profile on your website. Mention it in a blog post. Create a post on your other social media sites telling everyone to follow you on Snapchat.
Do you have printed marketing materials? If you do, make sure you mention your Snapchat account there too.
2. Use Snapcodes
Using Snapcodes to encourage users to follow you is a good idea. For the unfamiliar, Snapcodes work just like QR codes. When people scan them using the Snapchat app, they’ll get redirected to a landing page that you specify or trigger actions relating to the platform.
However, Snapcodes are often used to have others add you as a friend. That means anyone who wants to add you can either do so manually or scan your Snapcode. Not only does this simplify the process but it also makes it fun and interactive.
You can share your Snapcode digitally or post it somewhere in the real world for people to find. If you’re a business owner with a physical store, you can place your Snapcode in an area where people could easily see and scan it. You can also add it to your marketing materials like flyers and business cards.
Some even set it as their profile picture on their other social media accounts.
3. Do giveaways
Incentivizing people to follow you is not a bad option at all. By running a giveaway or contest, you’d be encouraging people to not only follow you but also interact with your Snapchat account.
It really is a great way to make new Snapchat friends.
The best way to launch your giveaway is by using a third-party tool like SweepWidget. Using a giveaway app is super easy. It should only take you a couple of minutes to set up once you’re registered.
Your goal would be to make following you on Snapchat a requirement for entry. By clicking a call-to-action like Follow on Snapchat, users get the chance to win a prize.
But what prize should you give away using SweepWidget?
That will depend on you. The reality is that people are more likely to participate if the prize has a ton of value. Just make sure it’s something they’d actually want. The prize should fit the audience, after all.
But for smaller creators or businesses, starting with prizes like discounts can still work. Don’t pressure yourself to go all out if you can’t afford it. Or you can try working with a brand that would be willing to sponsor your contest.
4. Publish fun videos
If you want to succeed on Snapchat, you’ll need to do more than just publish content regularly. You see, Snapchat is all about fun. The only way you’ll get Snapchat followers is by posting fun and exciting content.
This is something you’ll have to convey in a matter of seconds. How do you do that?
It starts with a great headline. Titles need to be catchy. And they need to describe what the post is all about in just a couple of words. Or you can try leaving titles a little vague to pique the interest of curious minds.
What else can you do to make an average video more exciting? Adding music—one of the main features of Snapchat, by the way—will take any video from boring to must-watch content.
But remember:
Snapchat’s audience wants short-form content. So try to keep your videos as brief as possible. Keep it too long and you risk having users swipe away to see videos from other users.
5. Create valuable content
It’s one thing to publish fun videos. But that’s only enough to get the attention of other Snapchat users. If you want to sustain your following, you’ll need to create valuable content.
What is valuable content?
That will depend on your target audience. For businesses, that could mean announcing new products and events. Influencers can publish exclusive content — ones that their followers won’t see on any other social media channels.
You can also use Snapchat for posting a specific type of content. For example, some might look at Snapchat as their dedicated social media platform for live streaming. Or you can use it to give other users a unique view of what’s happening behind the scenes if you’re running a retail store.
6. Collaborate with influencers
Part of being visible on Snapchat involves getting exposure from some of the bigger names on the platform. This means you’ll have to collaborate with Snapchat influencers.
Fortunately, there’s no shortage of influencers who are willing to work with brands or fellow creators. All you need to do is find them and reach out.
But there are some things you’ll have to take note of. First, you’ll only want to work with people who attract your target audience.
And you’ll have to vet each person you want to collaborate with. Controversial figures tend to grab the wrong type of attention. You want to steer clear of people who could bring you down.
More importantly, you should only work with people who share the same ideals as you or your company. Being aligned morally is a huge plus. Sometimes, partnerships are more than just about promoting and selling a product or brand.
7. Have Snapchat takeovers
Snapchat takeovers are events where an influencer posts content on a brand’s account instead of their own. Of course, influencers can’t post on another user’s Snapchat account. That is why brands are the ones responsible for setting it all up.
For their part, influencers would usually get compensated in some way. The goal is for the brand to get Snapchat followers from all the attention delivered by the influencer. It’s also a great way to drive people’s attention to a new product you’re launching or get fresh eyes on your brand.
How do you find the right person to work with on a Snapchat takeover?
You use the same standards you set when collaborating with any other influencer. Find someone that has the same ideals as you do. Think about what kind of audience they’re bringing with them. If their audience doesn’t align with yours, you might want to consider other candidates.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure that they do have the numbers to pull off a takeover. To be honest, you’ll probably end up paying for their help in some fashion. So you want to make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth.
Check if the influencer gets good engagement. See if their style and tone won’t conflict with your brand’s. Consider talking to an influencer marketing agency if you’re having a hard time finding the right Snapchat users to do takeovers with.
Businesses don’t have to work with influencers if they don’t want to though. Other takeover options include featuring a customer, a client, or an employee. A Snapchat takeover is merely a concept. How you use it is entirely up to you.
After setting up your Snapchat takeover, don’t let your guest do all the heavy lifting. You’ll have to do your part and promote it.
8. Apply filters
As you use the Snapchat app, you’ll slowly discover some of its many features. You’ll see how Snapchat Stories work and everything you can do with them. And you’ll get accustomed to using Snapchat filters.
Filters help make your Snapchat content more entertaining. And if you use it right, it can help you provide additional information or give context to your post. You can even apply more than one filter to a post so you don’t have to pick just one.
For instance, users can include information like speed, temperature, altitude, and time.
You’ll get more Snapchat friends if you use interesting filters they may not have seen before. If you use filters often enough, they might start following you to see what other filters you end up using on future posts.
If you’re looking for inspiration, look at what filters the biggest creators on the platform are using. Even better, why not create your own Snapchat filter? If you have a big event, for example, then having a Snapchat filter built specifically for that day would be a huge publicity tool.
9. Utilize Snap AR
Admittedly, this strategy probably isn’t for everyone. But if you’re totally committed to Snapchat and really want to make the most of the platform, you’ll want to learn what Snap AR can do for you.
Snap AR uses augmented reality to create effects that people can use as lenses in their content. Using this tech, people can have special filters laid on top of their faces to create visually stunning effects.
In simpler terms, you can use special effects when you do selfie videos that change the way you look like having puppy ears or vampire fangs.
As a Snapchat user, you’ll have no problem finding AR filters to use in your content. That’s not the problem. You should use AR filters whenever it’s appropriate to make your posts fun for your followers.
The real challenge is in creating your own effect. Snapchat is open to third-party developers using Snap AR to bring their ideas to life. There’s even a desktop application called Lens Studio that Snapchat lets developers download and play with for free.
The average person may have neither the skills nor the patience to create their own lens. But brands and influencers who have the means to do custom ones can make their Snapchat content far more entertaining.
Is it worth investing in Snap AR?
It could be. AR can help drive more engagement which translates to more Snapchat followers. But it will take some time to set up. And if you’re too busy running your business, time might be a resource you can’t afford. Not to mention you’ll probably end up hiring a developer to help with the project.
So it’s up to you to decide if you should use Snap AR.
10. Start a content calendar
If you don’t have one just yet, you should create a content calendar before the start of your Snapchat campaign. In fact, you should have a content calendar for all your social media platforms.
Having a content calendar is a good way of scheduling all posts. It gives you an overview of everything you have lined up for the next couple of days, weeks, or months. That way, you’ll be able to post more consistently.
One of the secrets to gaining and keeping followers on any social media platform is consistency. You want to post on a regular schedule. But if you’re too busy, you might accidentally forget to create content for the day. You can avoid that by always referring to your content calendar.
You can also use a content calendar to work on Snapchat story ideas.
11. Explore Snapchat Trends
Snapchat has a feature called Snapchat Trends that—as the name suggests—gives users a glimpse of the latest trends on the platform. It’s a powerful tool that businesses and influencers can use to gauge how people feel about a certain topic at a given time.
You can use the data provided by Snapchat Trends to come up with content ideas or join in on conversations happening among your Snapchat followers.
Users can also do research on any top by entering a keyword or product. What was trending a couple of days ago might not be trending today. Snapchat Trends is able to tell which topics are still hot and which ones you can ignore for now.
If you’re familiar with Google Trends, it’s similar to that in a way.
How will this help you?
It’s hard to keep track of what’s going on in the Snapchat community at any given time. This is especially true for those that are busy building their companies or growing their audience on other channels. Snapchat Trends gives you an opportunity to see what’s popular with your Snapchat friends recently.
Joining in on the top trends can help you go viral too. People are more likely to talk about your content if it’s relevant to the times.
12. Advertise on Snapchat
Those that have the budget for it can consider advertising on Snapchat to get more followers. Because Snapchat ads appear in between organic posts, you increase your chance of getting discovered by people who otherwise would have never come across your content.
You have the option of doing a still image or video, meaning there is flexibility on how you can engage users.
Businesses also have the option of doing collection ads. These ads are similar to regular ads. However, it gives people the ability to click on product tiles just below the image or video. If users do click on a product tile, they’ll get redirected to a product page that you specify. It’s a handy feature, especially for ecommerce businesses.
Advertisements on Snapchat can take many other forms. You can post a full-blown commercial if that’s the approach you want to take. Or you can do story ads that mimic other content on the platform. Some even use camera filters in their advertising.
13. Promote UGC
UGC or user-generated content are posts that Snapchat users create in support of an influencer or a brand. The more UGC there is out there about you, the more exposure you’ll get on the platform.
If you find that your Snapchat followers are creating posts that talk about you or your products, you should go out of your way to recognize their efforts. This is the way you develop a strong community on Snapchat. Promote all the UGC you see.
You can also encourage your Snapchat friends to share their feelings toward you or your brand. And when they do, you can promote the ones you like on your own account. Loyal fans wouldn’t find sharing their stories. But if you find that people aren’t as receptive to the idea, you can incentivize them by offering something in return like coupon codes.
And if people end up sharing negative stories about you, don’t ignore them. Instead, tell them what you’re going to do to make things right. Make them feel heard.
Snapchat users who’d see all the interaction you have with fans are more likely to join your community.
Is Snapchat still relevant?
One of the biggest questions that marketers, business owners, and influencers ask themselves is whether to include Snapchat in their social media strategy or not. There’s a case to be made that with other players like Meta and TikTok in the market, Snapchat may no longer be as relevant as it once was.
But that’s not true at all. There are plenty of reasons why you’ll want to create content for Snapchat.
For starters, the number of Snapchat users is still in the millions. In fact, the platform’s experienced consistent growth since Q1 of 2014. And as of Q3 of 2022, Snapchat has an average of 363 million daily active users.
You wouldn’t think it but Snapchat actually has more monthly active users than Twitter. Snapchat has 557 million monthly active users versus Twitter’s 436 million as of January 2022 according to Statista.
Snapchat is also better for brands and influencers that are after a younger market. Most Snapchat users are young. Snapchat claims that it reaches 75% of millennials and Gen Z.
This means that brands that are on Snapchat get cool points for just being on the platform. You can’t say the same for a social media site like Facebook.
Snapchat for Business
Not only is the platform still relevant, but it has a long list of tools built especially for businesses. The platform really wants to work with potential advertisers. So it’s no surprise that it’s continuously upgrading its features to make brands feel right at home.
You should take advantage of all these features since these can help you get some exposure.
Brands can create public profiles. These are designed to help you connect with potential customers and followers by highlighting your most useful and engaging content. You can use your public profile to show off your AR Lens if you have one.
Even better, you can use it to sell products right from the app.
Snapchat says that brands who post organic content to Snapchat Spotlight grow their audience 1.5 times faster than those who don’t post on Spotlight.
To get a public profile, you’ll first need to set up your business account. You don’t need to pay for a Snapchat business account. Even non-advertisers can have one. Once you have your business account, creating a public profile is as easy as updating your profile.
Conclusion
If your target audience is active on Snapchat, it makes sense to have a presence on the platform too. It all comes down to whether the platform aligns with your goals.
Getting Snapchat followers is easy as long as you have a good understanding of the platform’s strengths, especially its unique features.
But what’s most important is for you to remain genuine. It won’t matter how many followers you end up getting if they won’t stick around because you seem fake. Don’t put on an act when you add friends. Show them who you really are.
Also, don’t overestimate the power of a good profile picture. See if any of your existing contacts would like to add you. Promote your Snapchat to new followers on other social channels. And make sure you have a Snapchat username that can easily stand out from the pack.
Want to learn more about Snapchat? Check out these stats.
Alternatively, if you’d like to build a following on other platforms, check out these posts:
- How To Get More Instagram Followers
- How To Get More Twitch Followers
- How To Get More TikTok Followers
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