This article originally appeared in the March/2017 issue of the Academy of General Dentistry’s AGD Impact magazine.
Using social networking to market your practice is no big secret. You’ve probably been utilizing Facebook, and maybe Twitter, for years now. One of the “newer” social networking sites that seems to have staying power is SnapChat, and just like your old favorites, SnapChat can bring a whole new level of awareness to your patients.
What is SnapChat?
SnapChat started as a way for users to communicate their story in a quick snapshot. Once viewed, the “snap” went away. It has since evolved to include a “story” in which users can use multiple snaps to tell a story – like a photographic timeline. SnapChat has added features that allow users to draw, type, and apply stickers to their snaps for the ultimate in personalization. But best of all, SnapChat includes filters. These aren’t just any filters, though; they are impressive enough to send SnapChat fans to the app every day just to see what’s new.
The Appeal of Snapchat Filters
SnapChat filters include animated, voice changing, and face-morphing layers to put over your own photos or videos. They are timely, too, and include holiday filters (adding Santa’s hat and beard to your face) and pop culture filters (alerting friends that you plan to watch the season premiere of a popular show – such as AMC’s The Walking Dead). There are filters that show the time, the date, the temperature, or even your travel speed, and there are Geofilters that show people where you were when you took your snap.
Using Snapchat Geofilters for Special Occasions
SnapChat Geofilters are marketing gold and the secret to sharing your brand with a new demographic. When a patient visits your office for a treatment, other social networking sites simply allow them to “check in.” SnapChat, however, allows you to layer your brand over the patient’s photo. When the photo is posted, friends will see a picture of your smiling patient with a cute graphic or logo in the corner. You can also use Geofilters for special occasions, allowing patients to share much more with their friends than the simple fact that you’re their dentist. Some examples include:
- Special events at your office – Your Geofilter can include both your logo and a “Welcome Dr. Smith” or “Happy 5th Anniversary to Our Practice” graphic.
- Community events – Does your practice sponsor or participate in community events such as a Cancer Awareness Walk? You can use a filter that is branded for the event plus includes your practice’s logo. Are there events near your practice that are well-attended? Parades, college or professional sporting events, and similar functions are often photographed and posted on social networking sites. These are prime opportunities for you to share your brand with community members.
The Benefits
In the world of social networking, SnapChat – particularly the On-Demand Geofilters – are relatively new, which gives you and your practice a marketing advantage. In addition to increased branding and exposure to your patients and potential patients, the benefits are numerous:
- You will reach multiple demographics. Thirty percent of users are 35 and older, plus, millennials spend 40% of their time on SnapChat.
- You’re in control. You get to establish your time frame and the geofence perimeter (more on this in a minute) to maximize the effectiveness of your SnapChat marketing campaign. Are you running a holiday whitening special? Use a “White Christmas at Dynamic Dentistry” filter from December 1 – 31. Celebrating the addition of a second dentist? Use a “Welcome” filter for one or two weeks. If there is an event in proximity of your practice like a College Bowl Game, use your filter for just that day.
- It’s a great way to connect with the future. Your pediatric patients, orthodontic patients, and future hires who are in dental school are already using SnapChat and their myriad filters. Parents posting snaps of their child in your chair, teens snapping before and after pics, or even adults who are selfie-savvy taking pics – all are opportunities to appeal to your potential patients by ensuring that they are aware of your brand.
How To Use Geofilters
Snapchat has made Geofilters available for personal or business use, so the platform is very user-friendly. Once your practice has set up an account, utilizing Geofilters is a cinch, even if you don’t actively use SnapChat to promote your practice.
- SnapChat offers two types of On-Demand Geofilters: personal and business. Since your intention is to promote your brand, you want to select the business option.
- Design your filter. SnapChat has specific guidelines, but the ultimate goal is to get your logo or practice name out there. Whether you design your own or use the SnapChat templates, you cannot include: photos, phone numbers, URLs, or email addresses. You are advised to create a design that takes up no more than 25% of the screen, as your users ultimately want their photo to be the primary focus. You also want to make sure that your filters are fun; the less eye-catching your filter, the less likely people are to use it when they post.
- Map it out by establishing your timeframe and geofence. How long do you want your filter to be available and how close to your office do you want patients to be before they can access it? While it’s a good idea to be generous with your timeframe and perimeter, SnapChat has a limit of 30-days and five million square feet. That footage may be more than you need, but you can also be as specific as the outline of your office or area of the event location that you choose to promote.
- Submit to SnapChat for approval. Best practices suggest that you submit four to five days in advance if you’re a first-time user; once you’ve established your brand with SnapChat, you may get approval within 24 hours.
- Promote your filter and wait. Use your website, Facebook, and emails to promote your On-Demand Geofilter. Once users are aware that it exists, all you have to do is sit back and wait for the metrics to appear. After two or three days, SnapChat will let you know not only how many times your filter was used, but how many times it was viewed, as well. This data can then be used to refine your next SnapChat On-Demand Geofilter campaign.
If you’re looking to breathe new life into your marketing campaign – or even if you’re not – consider using SnapChat Geofilters. SnapChat is on the cutting edge of social networking and have their fingers on the pulse of what users want to see.
