Background

Snapchat has the potential to tell a community’s story. Capturing different perspectives on this relatively new platform takes a strategy, and during my time with Seattle University, I developed a protocol for student Snapchat takeovers from the ground-up.

Snapchat Takeover Guidelines

 

With this protocol in place, I was able to supervise a team of undergraduate student volunteers that contributed to the Snapchat account on a regular basis. Additionally, I was approached by student organizations interested in taking over the account to promote their stories. For example, I worked with a student group, Seattle University Dance Marathon, to develop strategies for marketing their story on official university social media channels. Dance Marathon aimed to raise $25,000 in one day using the hashtag #1Day25k to align with the university’s year-long 125th anniversary marketing campaign. With a strong social media strategy as a component of their success, Seattle University Dance Marathon raised $62,000+ in 24 hours for Seattle Children’s Hospital.

In the process, we used Snapchat as one vehicle to capture the story and drive student engagement throughout the giving day. After an in-person training with students, I facilitated a temporary “Snapchat Takeover” by the students in the Dance Marathon group. The university’s Snapchat story at the time averaged 500+ views in a 24-hour period by an audience largely comprised of prospective and current Seattle University students.

#1Day25k Snapchat Story