Snapchat now offers campaigns one of the cheapest mobile branding options available. The company’s custom, on-demand temporary geofilters — along with its recent Chat 2.0 update — could make Snapchat a serious force this cycle. And that influence will continue to grow along with it’s already huge audience of some 100 million daily users.
Now, Snapchat’s messages dissolve within seconds. But before they do, the recipient has a chance to see the sender’s geofilter, which is a digital graphic overlaying the picture or video. In some cases, the service can start at $5 a day.
The filters can be used to promote issues, create excitement around a campaign and, most importantly, win you votes on Election Day. That’s why I believe every consultant should include geofilters in their campaign plan. Here are 10 places where they work:
10. Campaign headquarters
This is your home base and you should brand it as such. As long as there are volunteers in the chairs making phone calls on your behalf give them a tool to share branded snaps with your custom campaign HQ geofilter. The customized geofilter makes it easy for them to spread the word.
9. Campaign events
Your campaign events — all of them should have a branded geofilter.
8. State party conventions
These are huge events where a veritable army of bona fide grassroots activists are almost guaranteed to be in attendance, making it a prime target to hijack the mic and spread some buzz around your campaign.
7.Local sporting events
Geaux Tigers! Hook ‘em! Go Blue! College and high school football or any other large local sporting event can be a great place to use creative custom geofilters.
6. Door to Door walk weekends
If your campaign is planning a large door-to-door blitz, purchase a local geofiler to coincide with your planned walk areas. Encourage volunteers and staff to use the geo tag or their walk. Your campaign can even encourage them to ask voters to send a snap while they are at their door using the custom geotag.
5. Parades, festivals, fairs
It’s almost the season. Parades, local food festivals, county fairs or rodeos are all perfect events to incorporate geotags. This is a perfect opportunity to ride the wave of a popular event and let people know that you’re out there in the community.
4. Candidate debates
This goes almost without writing.
3. Bus tours
This is where planning ahead becomes critical, but in the digital age there’s really no excuse not to add Snapchat’s custom geofilters as part of your bus tour.
2. Supporting issues or causes
This example is more public affairs and issue focused, but important none the less to bring up here. Imagine the impact you can have using a custom geofilter at a state Capitol or the U.S. Capitol to support an issue you care about.
1. Early voting locations
Early voting has really taken off in recent years as a convenient option for busy people who live by tight schedules. As such, early voting themed geofilters targeted at early voting locations can accomplish two things.
First it will help remind people about early voting and second, the geofilter will help your supporters spread the word about early voting for you in their pre and post early voting snaps.
Brent Barksdale is President of Creative Strategies at Go Big Media, Inc, an award winning digital media and web development firm.