One of the most common questions communicators have upon getting into Snapchat is "How do I measure?" The lack of a native analytics platform or a web presence means that there simply isn't a lot of data available, and what data there is has to be recorded manually. But there are still metrics that are worth keeping track of that can inform the growth of your Snapchat strategy, as well as how effectively you're engaging your audience with the content you post.
In a recent PR News webinar on Snapchat, Leslie Douglas, social media manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, encouraged the audience to take the basics on offer and get more out of them by keeping track of the following numbers:
- Total Unique Views: The number of people who have opened up the first frame in your Snapchat story for at least a second.
- Total Story Completions: The number of people who have viewed your entire story. To measure, look at the number of people who have viewed the last snap in your story.
- Story Completion Rate: To get this, divide total views in the last snap from the total views in first snap. For example, 957/ 1,100 = 87% completion rate. Think of it as a kind of makeshift bounce rate to determine how engaging your entire story is.
- Screenshots: How many people have taken a screenshot of your content. This could mean a few things: perhaps your viewer wants to share it with friends, for instance, meaning your Snapchat content is traveling beyond the limits of your follower numbers.
Don't expect numbers to be huge compared to your other social media stats. Take them in context and use them to measure your progress; Snapchat is a great ground for experimenting with brand voice, and these metrics are enough to get started.
For further guidance on Snapchat, join us at the PR News Digital PR & Marketing Conference in Miami, June 6-8, where speakers from Trend Micro and Georgetown University will lead a breakout session on Snapchat.
Follow Leslie Douglas: @lwadouglas
Follow Ian: @ianwright0101