3 Creative Ways to use Timehop in a Marketing Campaign

What is Timehop?
One of the most up and coming apps at the moment is Timehop - a digital time capsule which digs into your social media posts of the past in order to see what you posted on this day X year/s ago. Timehop links to your Facebook, Twitter, Iphoto, Instagram, Foursquare, Dropbox and Iphone / Android camera. Conjuring up a feed each day to let you know exactly what you posted / captured. You can choose to share your Timehops on social media - or keep them private.

Who uses Timehop?
An app like this is aimed towards anyone and everyone - the main principle here is social media usage. 
No matter what you are marketing, there may well be a clever link here towards Timehop. 

Marketing on Timehop
The main aim here is Timehop's share feature, whereby users re-post what they did on this day with fresh comments almost reflecting on the post. 

1. The Facebook Generation
Most likely this audience have had their social media profiles since the age of 13, therefore their Timehops will cover the embarrassing young adult phases of their youth. From melodramatic fall outs with friends, to their last days of high school.
MARKETING THOUGHT POINT: Use Timehop to enhance this, running social media competitions on the right days in the year, IE last day of high school, in order to increase engagement on your brands social media feed. 

2. Family Orientated Memories
During the course of your social media years, you may well have had a child - or two, or three. By now they are older. Your brand may decided to run a campaign based on family life through the years, asking the audience to share their memories on Timehop. This is also a great way for people who have been through similar family issues, to inform those who are going through it in the present IE - my child is teething. You may also create an active community for your brand, with people engaging with one and other over similar issues. The idea of using the past in order to inform the present. 

3. You and Your Brand
You may go back in time with your brands social media to find out what campaigns you ran a few years back. If you ran something highly successful which generated a lot of buzz you could ask for those people to re-post using Timehop for a fresh idea. Lets say: "on this day 2 years ago it was fathers day! we asked you guys to post your best memory of you and your father, we want you guys to use Timehop to re-post what you wrote for a chance to win a meal for two". 
Simple idea, yet it goes deep as it appears to make your brand more humane with having an active history. 

A Basic Guide to Snapchat

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What is Snapchat?

Snapchat is a mobile app in which you share photos and videos of ‘right here right now’ sort of moments with friends. Snaps are quick and simple with the option to add text and drawings onto your image.

Even my Grandparents use Snapchat – it’s that easy.

10 Second Rule

You only have a maximum choice of up to 10 seconds for each snap. Quick bursts of short, snappy pictures become humorous and exciting after a few seconds. Heavy reading content? You’ll need the full 10.

You can also send videos, which are up to 10 seconds long.

Gone Forever

To view a snap, you need to place your finger on the screen. The countdown will then begin (1-10 seconds) to view the image, once this is over the picture is gone forever. When you remove your finger from the image, you will not be able to view it. This is to stop people from ‘print screening’ snapchats, because lets face it – I bet we have all sent hilarious embarrassing faces to our friends.

Print Screen Warning

When someone ‘print screens’ a snap you are alerted on your dashboard.

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Creating an Account

A normal user can find their friends VIA their Snapchat usernames or mobile number.

As an organisation it it’s important to set up a company username that people can quickly identify with - for example ‘hausofverve’. This is to ensure people accept your request to connect – mainly so they realise you are not spam.

It would be an idea to post this on your Social Media in order to increase the number of people who add you to their friends.

Remember you need to ensure the privacy settings are public! ‘Everyone can view my snaps’.

Additional Features

If you ‘flick’ (for lack of a better verb) the screen left and right, you have access to basic filters and information such as the temperature, time and date. This can make a simple ‘snap’ look professional quickly.

Don’t Misinterpret It

Snapchat isn’t about the finest quality pictures and videos; nobody really cares because they disappear. It’s a personal app, which is quick and easy to use.

It could be the best way to generate word of mouth!

Snapchat has developed their own ‘how to’ guide here

Top 5 Weekly Marketing Posts

Top Marketing Picks of the Week:

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• Dan Zarella - The Science of Social Media Online Conference Video If you have a spare hour, this is a fantastic video of a Dan Zarella conference on the Science of Social Media.

• Hey Shaynee! - 4 Creative Ways To Stand Out A Feel good post offering some amazing tips for standing out!

• Hub Spot - A Glimpse into the Landscape of Social Sharing Which is the best Social Media site to share on? Hub Spot have put together an interesting infographic which may surprise you.

• LinkedIn Tara Hunt - For Pete's Sake, Brands, Stop Focusing on Viral Tara Hunt proposes a different focus to marketing altogether.

• Marketing Week - How Social Media is a Danger to Brands Could Social Media be dangerous for brands?

A Question of Ethics

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A few months ago, when I was traveling in Russia, I met a group of international volunteers. On meeting we exchanged greetings and got onto the subject of careers.

I explained – very proudly – that I was a marketer.

A man from the group drove into a speech about corruption, unhealthy food, persuasion and mind games of the public. Ending with the sentence “you tell people what to buy, what to do and how to feel without letting them think for themselves”.

The thing is he wasn’t too far off the truth.

The ability to Market well truly is a great power as it impacts heavily on people’s lives.

It is a question of how you decide to practice.

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Marketing Ethics

Practicing ethically should be the hub of business; there is no excuse for creating or promoting something, which ultimately exudes ugly consequences.

There really is a lack of literature on the topic of Marketing Ethics. This is shocking considering there are heavy unethical implications to marketing, and danger in contributing towards this directly.

I began to think about my personal boundaries as a Marketeer and came up with some areas I wouldn’t be okay with engaging in:

• Promoting unhealthy food to young children
• Promoting products with addictive side effects
• Services which scam and trap people in terrible financial difficulties
• Promoting products which are formed through supply chains who engage with: child labour, poor working conditions and without fair trade
• Working for organisations who do not uphold corporate social responsibility

What are your views on Marketing? – is ethics something important to you?

Do you think more should be done to enhance the ethical teaching in marketing?

I recommend reading this article from Marketing Week.