1.20 BEST TIPS FOR USING SNAPCHAT, WHATSAPP, INSTAGRAM DIRECT & OTHER CHAT APPS IN YOUR CONTENT MARKETING EFFORTSImage by Janitors. Edited.

2. What Are Chat Apps? On a basic level, chat apps are simply messaging services that push content through a mobile devices data connections. However, popular chat apps are quickly evolving into content-rich platforms that are open for brands to explore so much so, that Facebook just spent $16 billion to purchase WhatsApp. Chat App Examples WhatsApp Snapchat Tango Kik Facebook Messenger LINE WeChat Instagram Direct 3. So how can you incorporate chat apps into your 2014 content marketing efforts?Here are the 20 best tips from some of the biggest thinkers in content and social media marketing. 4. #1: Understand the audience youre after. [Snapchat is] the most valuable marketing tool for my personal brand right now Its not how many followers you have, its how many care. Its not width, its depth. Its not how many impressions you get, its how much attention you get. Gary Vaynerchuk via LinkedIn 5. #2: Think outside of direct messaging. What [chat apps] all have in common is that theyre evolving to become more like platforms. Rather than just letting users talk back and forth, they have other functions too, many of which are built around content: portals to find content; games and contests that unlock content and prizes; features and tools to interact, make content, and tell stories. As mobile usage grows, the Internet is increasingly being experienced through apps. This presents a lot of potential marketing opportunities. Sam Petulla via Contently 6. #3: Embrace it as ephemeral. If you want to use Snapchat as a platform for your marketing campaign, you need to think of its time-limit feature as a point for leverage, not a detriment. The reason SnapChat has piqued the interest of so manyis because the time limit captures their attention, holds it, and then leaves them laughing, scratching their heads or speechless. Marketing campaigns on this platform need to do the same thing. It allows companies to create a back-and-forth dialogue with followers in a way no other social media platform can. Ryan Bonnici via BRW 7. #4: Make it easy to share your story. People arent using Instagram for photos, WhatsApp for text, Line for stickers theyre using everything for everything. Instagram to tell people youre running late, WhatsApp to share holiday photos, Snapchat to make plans for the evening and so on. WhatsApp and Instagram are not in different categories theyre direct competitors for time and attention. Instagram, Snapchat, Line and all of the others are all poking away at different social behaviours and different options in the same communication space. Benedict Evans 8. #5: Create a sense of intimacy. Send information only to your most loyal fans. Send leaked images of your latest product or information to create excitement and interest in your brand. Send discounts to specific customers based on their buying habits. Your customers will feel part of an intimate and special club, helping build your brand and reputation. Amy Birch via Social Media Today 9. #6: Make it interactive. One simple idea could be to ask users to snap themselves using or wearing your product and then share it on your Snapchat account in return you could offer competition entries or unique discounts. Michelle Hughes via ExploreB2B 10. #7: Get creative with promotions. If you only have a few seconds to see someones content before its gone, youre really going to pay attention to that content. Lets say youre a clothing brand and you have a Snapchat campaign running in conjunction with a retail chain. With something as simple as a promotional sign in a changeroom, you can solicit potential customers to Snapchat a picture of themselves wearing your product to the brand and perhaps to a few of their trusted Snapchat friends in exchange for an instant discount on the product. - John Ramirez, CEO of digital marketing firm IOKON Media, via Sprout Social 11. #8: Focus on relationship building. [Instagram Direct is] going to be a great tool in terms of deepening relationships with customers. We can now have a visual conversation with them in real-time and help them faster and hopefully with more customer satisfaction. - Rachel Tipograph, global director of digital and social media at Gap, via Mashable 12. #9: Connect with a younger demographic. [The 13 to 25-year-old] demographic can be hard to reach on other, more established platforms like Facebook and Twitter, so Snapchat provides a way for brands to potentially reach that audience in ways they wouldnt be able to otherwise. It can be used as a platform to encourage younger people to influence the purchase decisions of their parents or people outside their age demographic as well. - Stephanie Sciandra, social media strategist at Situation Interactive, via Sprout Social 13. #10: Bring fans behind the scenes. Give customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business events. For example, brands like Lilly Pulitzer give their audience exclusive behind the scenes looks of their latest collection. Project Socialize 14. #11: Give fans what they want. Even sports teams are using Snapchat. Take the New Orleans Saints, which created a Snapchat account in October only use the apps Stories feature.The team said it will release behindthe-scenes footage, photos of new merchandise, a sneak peek of which uniforms the team will be wearing each week, and so on. Jennifer Beese via Sprout Social 15. #12: Offer exclusives to influencers. Exclusivity is highly valued in the media industry. Instagram Direct could be a perfect platform for unique content, because youre able to hand-pick a list of who receives your photos, videos and messages. This will allow brands to segment audiences, particularly when it comes to key influencers. - Cheryl Gale via Examiner 16. #13: Up the FOMO factor. The platform actually taps into FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). You better subscribe to the brand to see it, and once you see it, its gone. For example, if a retailer decided to advertise, they can get a celebrity or a band to blow a kiss to followers on Snapchat, and the instant sentiment/feeling of receiving that video on your phone is something that cant be replicated through Facebook, Twitter, etc. It feels more personal and private at the same time. - Hanna Park, digital strategist at JWT, via Clickz 17. #14: Make it a contest. Contests give brands a level of immediacy that is important in this technological world. Brands can reach out to specific customers (as you need to know the username of the recipient before you send a snap), and get feedback quickly.You could try sending snaps featuring clues or tips that a user must gather to receive a prize, or money off. Use other social media sites, such as Facebook, to promote your contest, or to gather participants. Amy Birch via Social Media Today 18. #15: Provide customer service. In addition to engaging with fans on a positive level, brands could also use Instagram Direct for customer service issues and brand reputation management. Before, if a brand had a jaded customer commenting on your brands Instagram posts, they could just report or block the user. Direct messaging allows brands to take issues out of their comments and directly engage back and forth with users. - Jackie Quintana via Lonely Brand 19. #16: Collect data. Customers can initiate the dialogue as well. Perhaps a user wants to alert a brand about a product error. Now, users can send a photo of the problem and direct message it to the brand via Instagram. Then, the brand can discuss the issue with the user privately to solve the problem. Its important to note that the brand must be following the user in order to initiate the dialogue. - Nicole Rose Dion via Business2Community 20. #17: Provide exclusive, worthwhile deals. New York frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles was one of the first brands to use Snapchat back in January for its Snappy New Year coupon promotion. 16 Handles asked its Facebook fans to send out a Snapchat photo of their frozen yogurt, and in return, customers received a coupon worth either 16%, 50% or 100% off. 16 Handles opted to use Snapchat instead of Twitter since people were unable to share the voucher codes with friends. 16 Handles claims that after the campaign, it received more than 1,400 interactions with friends. Search Engine Journal 21. #18: Create a narrative. The ability [of Snapchat Stories] to build a daylong narrative opens the door for creative uses of Snapchat by brands. Brands can now create a connected and engaging narrative for users, instead of relying on one-off snaps. Much like Vine brought about flipbook-style videos for brands; Snapchat provides a medium for content that tells a connected story that doesnt get disrupted by the content of other accounts. The Strategy Room Blog 22. #19: Think big. We like Snapchat for same reasons we liked Facebook and Twitter when they came onto the scene: theyre cool and possibilities are endless. Snapchat provides marketers and brands a platform for interacting with consumers in humorous and personal way. Imagine if you got a Snapchat from the Burger King King or the Michelin Man? Its funny. Its slightly unsettling. Its a great brand experience. Digital Surgeons 23. #20: Dont brush it off. Chat is very big. Its engrained in our habits ever since the inception of SMS. In fact, chat is taking more than 20% of users mobile-dedicated time, making it an essential pillar in mobile marketing. Technology will allow app owners to get really smart on how they bring brands into the fold and how they target users based on their specific interests. With exponential smartphone growth, this opportunity will continue to grow dramatically. Chat platforms that dont capitalize on this will be left behind, as deeper pockets will eat them alive. Nadim Khouri via Resolution Media 24. What Do You Think?Lets share ideas! Are you considering chat apps for your content strategy, or are you experimenting with them now? Wed love to hear from you! @cursivecontent Read more at: www.cursivecontent.com/blogImage: Unsplash 25. Presented by: Emily Cretella, Owner, Strategist & Copywriter www.cursivecontent.comwww.google.com/+EmilyCretella