Snapchat is an innovative social media channel of the times. This video messaging application was created by Bobby Murphy, Evan Spiegel, and Reggie Brown Poster while they were studying at Stanford University, and was officially launched in September 2011. Unlike the big three of social media (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn), snaps (image or video posts) in your Snapchat account are only good for viewing within 24 hours of posting. Direct snaps to your followers last shorter, as they are automatically deleted after your recipient has viewed them.
Statistics reveal how influential Snapchat is to the younger generation, and how great its impact is on social media marketing. Its users are among those aged 13-34 years old, viewing more than 7 billion videos daily. There are a hundred million (and growing) daily active users, where 65% of the 18% using the said application in the United States contribute to uploading content. Though these may not be your target market, you may want to consider checking the statistics to make your business a more successful one.
We would now want to give you several tips and good reasons for Snapchat’s use for your business. Whether you are just a neophyte in the industry or are looking for ways to improve your business, knowing more about this social media tool will be of great advantage. You may be able to tap a bigger market for your product/service, hence a wider scope for what you have to offer.
#1 Building Brand Awareness with Snapchat
Sharing a story rather than direct selling is the most effective marketing approach you can use on your Snapchat account. Snapchat Stories is a feature of the channel which allows you to compile pictures and short videos with a 24-hour lifespan, which serves as a narration of a day in your business or the story itself. The young user base is attracted to sharing the best stories, putting your business on the social media and in your target market’s map.
Snaps in your Snapchat stories are like puzzle pieces. You can build up the curiosity and intrigue by introducing interesting content, and teasing a bit for your next snap. Make the snap as creative and as fun as possible to keep your audience anticipating for your next post.
#2 Sharing Product/Service Tips and Advice
Snapchat is also great for sharing tips, advice, or even hacks in using your product or service. These improve the user-friendliness of your product/service, letting your customers feel that you are concerned about their welfare. Your customers will be able to see better and more innovative ways in making your product/service work for them. For those who are still learning about your business, it will give them better knowledge of what to expect when availing what you have to offer.
Sharing tips, advice, and hacks on Snapchat is also a way of marketing your product outside your current pool of consumers. What you have shared is from a reliable source on the product/service, so they trust that it is effective. Making their product/service experience better gives them a positive experience, hence positive feedback. You may not be able to know their feedback directly, but word of mouth is certainly a way of making your product more popular especially among those who have something good to say about it.
#3 Sharing Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Content
Snapchat is the perfect platform for posting product/service teasers. Among these are exclusive videos and pictures that you wouldn’t post on your official website and other social media platforms. Getting the inside scoop of your event makes your followers feel that they are part of it. This personal feel you give to your followers makes them feel special.
Snaps during production get a lot of attention in Snapchat. Unfiltered content from your business’ advertisement production is also a fun way to use Snapchat. Your followers are able to know even parts which are cut from the final product. Bloopers and outtakes are also enjoyable to watch repeatedly and even shared as well.
#4 Real-time Marketing
You can also broadcast your business’ live events through Snapchat. Your participation in trade shows, product launches, and even coverage of live interviews will spark the interest of your followers. Since you are posting short clips of what is going on, make sure you let them know where to go for the total experience or watch the full footage.
NBA is among the many big brands who have attested to the effectivity of using Snapchat in social media marketing. In 2014, they used the application in different ways during their Draft, All-Star Game, and Finals. NBA Senior Vice President of Digital Media Melissa Rosenthal Brenner said that NBA was able to garner “hundreds of views” on Snapchat during the Finals.
#5 Featuring Your Personnel and Activities with Them
Introducing your business personnel to your Snapchat followers is also an effective way to use the social media channel. It makes your followers know who made your business to how it is now. This indirect promotion of your personnel also reaches out to those who know them, and to those who admire the work that they do for you.
Posting your company’s events and several employee milestones in Snapchat is also a good use of the social media platform. You are able to share the kind of culture your business has to make the people understand how it is working for your business. You are also increasing the value you give to your personnel, especially when you recognize their achievements and significant contributions.
#6 Recruiting Personnel
Another creative way to use Snapchat for your business is personnel recruitment. You will be attracting numerous young, social media smart interns and/or employees. This is the best way to get public relations, marketing, and social media staff you need to cope with the latest trends in advertising and promotions for your business.
Your followers on Snapchat are among the younger generation, and these are the ones who gladly grab on to opportunities for their enjoyment and development. They are excited to showcase what they can do, and promoting themselves in creative ways in Snapchat will entice their own followers as well. Your direct call to the younger demographic also shows how flexible you are as a business when it comes to accepting creative and innovative input.
#7 Partnering with Influential Personalities
Look out for influential personalities in your niche, especially Snapchat personalities, to partner with you for your business promotion. They know their way around maximizing Snapchat’s features to create posts which can increase your brand’s personality and voice. Given their influence, you can safely assume that they have a substantial amount of followers which you can also benefit from.
Sour Patch Kids recognized the power of Snapchat in social media promotions by teaming up with Logan Paul. This social media star took over the company’s Snapchat account for a week to help with the promotions. On his Twitter account with 500,000 followers, he asked them to follow the Sour Patch Kids Snapchat account to get access to its content.
#8 Offering Incentives, Discounts, Perks, and Prizes
You could take advantage of Snapchat’s 24-hour posting period by offering incentives, discounts, perks, and prizes exclusive to the said timeframe. Social media users enjoy being online and even get hooked on networks or platform that reward them for their online activity they normally do with or without your business marketing strategy. You can ask your followers to share or comment on your posts, in exchange for an opportunity to win. You can also conduct scavenger hunts of your products or stores, in exchange for snaps of coupons your followers can use in purchasing your product or availing your service.
Snapchat is maximized by GrubHub for their promotions through various deals and contests. They popularized the Snapchat scavenger hunt by asking their followers to post a snap daily for 5 days. These could be food doodles, food selfies, or a creative combination of both. They were able to garner the loyalty of their existing customers, and the interest of the potential ones.
#9 Advertising Quickly
Short, direct to the point and very creative 10-second advertisements are your business’ way to go in Snapchat. This is the most efficient manner in demonstrating or describing your new product or service. Remember that these short snaps can be used independently or as teasers to more detailed information which you can redirect your followers to your other social media accounts or your official website.
16 Handles, a popular frozen yogurt chain, used Snapchat for marketing and promotions. They asked their followers to send snaps of themselves at one of its locations for a promotional coupon ranging from 16 to even a hundred percent off. It directs social media traffic in Snapchat, and foot traffic at its branches.
#10 Utilizing Snapchat’s Advertising Options
Snapchat now offers various advertising options for the convenience of businesses. Compared with having a third party operate and managing your business Snapchat account, being hands-on is better. However, the people behind Snapchat recognize that not all businesses may be able to do this on their own due to various reasons. Seeing Snapchat as an advertising channel is more accessible to businesses who do not have time to build a following.
Snapchat knows how to market your content to work best for your business. For example, they know that vertical video advertisements designed for mobile usage earn 9 times as many video completions than horizontal ones. Critical information like that may take you a while to know, but Snapchat’s expert team may execute that move by heart.
Wrapping it up
Ultimately, you can use Snapchat for your business to spark intrigue and curiosity to market and promote your brand. You can also use this to create a more personal approach to relating with your followers. Having the limited posting time for your snaps to be seen is a perfect venue to showcase creatively the content you want to communicate with your target market or expand it to the youth who is its greatest users.
Thank you for sharing these very relevant, useful tips and benefits. All businesses will benefit by being seen and heard in the places where their customers are having conversations. If we are not part of the conversation, we are missing out.
You are right Jonathan, although sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all the newcomers, one should definitely try and make use of every opportunity.