Since their introduction in 2016, Snapchat streaks have become a cultural phenomenon, amassing over 5 billion collective streaks worldwide. But what exactly are these mysterious flame emojis, and how could leveraging them provide value for your small business?
As a snap-savvy entrepreneur, let me walk you through everything you need to know about Snapchat streaks and how to use them to boost your brand.
A Quick Primer: What Are Snapchat Streaks?
For the uninitiated, here‘s a quick overview of how Snapchat streaks work:
- A streak begins when you and a friend send snaps back and forth within 24 hours for 3 consecutive days
- Once started, you must continue snapping each other daily to increase your streak count
- Each day your streak continues, the flame emoji increases by 1
- If 24 hours lapse between snaps, your streak will end
This creates an addictive, game-like environment that encourages daily engagement. For Gen Z especially, high snap streaks signify closer friendships.
Why Do Streaks Matter for Business?
With over 90% of 13-24 year olds active on Snapchat in 2024, leveraging trends like streaks simply makes sense for brands wanting to engage younger demographics.
Beyond the numbers, let‘s explore some of the key opportunities streaks present:
Driving Repeat Engagement
The reciprocal, time-sensitive nature of streaks lends itself perfectly to driving repeat visits and daily engagement with your brand.
Facilitating Personal Connections
Streaks help brands make personal connections and inside jokes with fans, fostering a tighter community.
Creating Brand Ambassadors
Loyal customers who streak with your brand daily become powerful ambassadors who happily promote you to friends.
Providing Customer Insights
Frequent two-way communication via streaks provides valuable customer feedback and insights not found elsewhere.
Enhancing FOMO
Streaks instill a fear of missing out, making fans eager to check your account daily for the latest content.
Tracking Loyalty
Higher streak counts indicate your most loyal brand evangelists who will stick with you through thick and thin.
Actionable Tips for Leveraging Streaks
Convinced streaks could work for your small business? Here are 7 tips to get started:
1. Identify Your Goals
First, get clear on your objectives – do you want to drive sales? Engagement? Brand awareness? Different goals may call for different streak strategies.
2. Start Organically
Don‘t force it! Start streaks naturally with fans who actively engage with your brand.
3. Provide Value
Offer exclusive deals, discounts, or content to fans who streak with your brand.
4. Remind Fans
Send occasional reminder snaps to fans to keep your streaks going strong.
5. Do Promos
Offer prizes, giveaways, or shoutouts to top streak holders and new streak starters.
6. Use Other Features
Incorporate lenses, geofilters, etc. to keep your streak content fresh.
7. Track Analytics
Leverage Snapchat‘s analytics to identify your top streakers and most effective streak content.
Success Stories
Still unsure? Here are just a few real-world examples of brands finding success with Snapchat streaks:
Chapstick
Chapstick drove awareness and sales by starting streaks with fans and offering exclusive chapstick flavors to committed streakers.
GrubHub
GrubHub uses geofilters and discounts on food orders to engage fans via streaks. Top fans get rewards like free delivery.
Hollywood Records
The label keeps artist streaks going with fans to share exclusive behind-the-scenes content and rally support for new releases.
Quiznos
Quiznos streaks with fans to offer deals on subs and drives visits by making their specials available for 24 hours only.
Final Tips
While any brand can leverage Snapchat streaks, the key is bringing creativity and value to stand out. Concentrate on building authentic relationships with true fans, not inflating vanity metrics.
Done thoughtfully, streaks present an exciting opportunity to engage the next generation of consumers and turn them into lifelong brand advocates. Just don‘t forget to snap back!
