Storytelling is the currency for PR and marketing. However, we feel as if we want to control that story; shape it in our image. This is why Snapchat is a hard channel for many in this profession. It means turning your video (and your world) around to play vertically. In-app content creation means unplanned, unscripted moments. Even Snapchat metrics force us to move into unfamiliar territory. “What do you mean, I can’t see follower count? I’ve reported on follower count since Facebook was free! Noooooooo!”
Fear not. What makes Snapchat a challenge makes it an opportunity. Google “trust survey.” You’ll find a lot of sources (including the Edelman Trust Barometer) that say people don’t trust what brands say. This applies to your culture story, your products, your services, your customer experience and especially your PR.
So how do you tell your story in an authentic way? Harness your tribe—of employees, that is.
When the Cisco Talent Brand team was looking at Snapchat as a way to tell its #WeAreCisco culture story, it always came back to the idea of using employee viewpoints, being authentic.
A few caveats. Yes, it was (still is) a scary proposition. Control is hard to hand over. Account security is a concern. But if you have a little trust (OK, a lot of trust) you can find success with employee takeovers of your Snapchat account.
Here’s how to get started.
Identify Brand Ambassadors
A big part of social media that often gets overlooked is what makes it powerful. Social media is a two-way conversation. It’s not a push medium, where you get to say what you want all the time, it’s a pull medium, where you entice people to respond, engage and share. Listening to this conversation is where you’ll find your superstars. Steady listening reveals those talking about the company most often. Further listening reveals that key demographic of employees who are talking about your culture.
Bring Your Employee Ambassadors Together
It’s not enough to give them access to a tool. Or send them emails. Bring them together—in a room, on a video call, on an internal site. Let them get to know each other, meet the people who, like them, are sharing in social. Face time can’t be overemphasized.
Make Them VIPs
Remember, they’re doing this because they’re passionate about your company. They already have day jobs; make them feel special. Cisco ambassadors self-proclaim that they are a secret society, with red-carpet access to the social team. They feel like they are the first to know about events and happenings (they often are, because Cisco’s asking them to Snap them.) It really makes them just want to help more.
Once you’ve initiated them as ambassadors, it’s okay to give them direction and suggestions, but let them be themselves. Don’t ask them to read a script or say something they wouldn’t normally say. You’ll get it back in free PR tenfold. When Cisco employees take over the WeAreCisco account, they post on their social channels about it. They say things like, “Does your company trust you to post on Snapchat with the dog filter? Mine does!” You can’t buy that kind of amplification. Plus, the authenticity sells itself, and your story.
Guard Account Security
The more people who have the password, the more vulnerable you are. Have a plan to change the password and a secure communications platform to share the username and password. Cisco asks its ambassadors to use an honor code and promise never to share the password.
Create a Content Calendar
Like any other channel, Snapchat benefits from organization and planning. Only one person can be signed into Snapchat at a time, so it’s important to be a traffic cop and make sure that people aren’t bumping out each other. Cisco’s calendar features days with content prompts and days for free-form content, which is shared with the team. Members sign up for their days/times.
Create Goals and Guidelines
It’s important that the Snapchatters know what your goal(s) for the channel. In the case of WeAreCisco, the goal is not to sell a product, but show a lifestyle. So Cisco focuses on innovation, teamwork, having fun, etc.
Share in the Success
Make sure to report back to the Snapchatters the effect their efforts are having on the business. Snapchat metrics are a challenge, as you probably know, but it’s important to tell employees that people are watching what they’re doing. Cisco doesn’t share a report every week, but on occasion, in our communications, it will say “We had a high viewership this day” or “the completion rate was stellar that day.”
The authentic voice of your employees will get you more earned PR and reach their networks—extending the message further than you could ever get from an owned channel. If you harness these employee voices, along with the uniqueness of the Snapchat platform, you’ll speak to that demographic in a way that’s engaging and measurable.
CONTACT: @cshirkeycollins