With over 7 billion video views per day and close to 200 million users, Snapchat is becoming the go-to platform for bloggers looking for new ways to increase brand awareness and connect with a younger (at heart 😉 ), creative and engaged audiences. Read my top 10 Snapchat Tips here. For creative bloggers, you are beginning to see an effective new strategy called a Snapchat Takeover.

What is a Snapchat Takeover?

A Snapchat Takeover is when a blogger allows another blogger to “take over” their Snapchat account and create a story from her unique perspective. Takeovers typically happen for a day, and both bloggers start telling their fans across all their social media channels to watch her “take over” story on Snapchat. By leveraging the attention of their audiences, it also helps bloggers gain new audiences with increase exposure.

5 Steps to Takeover a Snapchat Account Effectively

#1. Establish Goals.
Before developing the campaign or approaching a popular snapper, you should determine what you want to accomplish from this Snapchat takeover. Goals and objectives such as “increase Snapchat followers” or “drive awareness for a product launch.”

#2. Find the Right Blogger.
Finding the right snapper to host the Snapchat Takeover is more complex than simply reviewing vanity metrics (e.g. number of followers, impressions), though these baseline metrics are useful in forecasting a campaign’s reach. To determine if a blogger is a good fit, watch their stories and see how they engage with their existing audience across other social channels.

#3. Coordinate and Plan the Date.
Prior to the Snapchat Takeover, the person taking over the account should develop a campaign outline. We think Snapchat Takeovers are best when you have something happening that day, like an exclusive event, product launch or unique experience. Mention it at some point in your story. Remember: authenticity is key to a successful Snapchat Takeover, so overly-scripted material should be avoided whenever possible. Be sure to allow enough time (1-2 weeks) to promote the campaign.

#4. Promote The Takeover.
Both the blogger taking over the account and the Snapchat account owner should promote the Takeover extensively across all social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on their blogs) in the weeks and days leading up to the campaign.#5. Takeover and Document.
Give the snapper access to your Snapchat channel, so they can create their story. Watch the campaign. Record any engagement that occurs. Screenshot “snaps” and download the story within 24 hours of the beginning of the Takeover. Snapchat erases all stories within 24 hours, so don’t forget to document your campaign. Here’s an example of how Jovana Biga also known as atomski_mrav3 took over our account.

Why You Should Participate in a Snapchat Takeover

Snapchat Takeovers offer bloggers a way to authentically connect with audiences and increase brand awareness in a fun, creative way. Because Snapchat doesn’t currently have a way for users to find new channels, Snapchat Takeovers are also an effective way for bloggers to grow their followers and gain exposure. Lastly, Snapchat’s storytelling format lends itself exceptionally well to covering events, etc. As such, many bloggers // snappers are giving their audiences an intimate, authentic experience that would otherwise be impossible to create on other platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.