10 Tips For Businesses On How To Use Snapchat

While our attention span is constantly decreasing (a recent study by Microsoft concluded that the human attention span has dropped to eight seconds – shrinking nearly 25% in just a few years), social media apps like Snapchat with it’s its short, seconds long video and image format look to be ideally poised to grow and allow brands to share unique and engaging content from individual customers to large audiences.

1. Target your audience

Snapchat followers are an audience that has specifically opted to receive content from you, which gives you the opportunity to customise and target the information, images, offers and any content you share on Snapchat. It’s an effective tool in reaching your target audience individually, as opposed to mass marketing across other forms of media. It also means that engagement levels are high, putting the pressure to deliver content that will be interesting and captivating, but also effective in positively communicating your brand and business.

2. Encourage fans and customers to interact with your brand

This comes down to utilising Snapchat as a method of customer retention strategy. Snapchat can allow you to maintain and manage communications with consumers. It is a platform for your consumers to ask questions about your business, services, new products, make comments and provide feedback. It will also allows businesses to interact with consumers so they can assist with future improvements and brand strategy.

3. Integrate across the wide world of social media

Snapchat allows the opportunity to enhance your branding and image in the market as well as share content that is different to that of other social media, but will compliment your overall social media strategy. This content can encourage increasing word of mouth amongst consumers across other social media platforms, which in turn will increase branded communications and overall reach.

4. Aid in new product launches

Snapchat can be an effective method of generating interest in consumers about a new product prior to its release. Sending snaps and sharing stories with your followers can help to generate excitement and heighten brand engagement.

5. Teach your consumers

While other media platforms struggle to effectively educate the audience regarding the use and function of a business, product or service, the ability to share ‘stories’ on Snapchat can help overcome this. ‘Stories’ can be utilised to create mini video clips and series of images that can describe business and product functions, benefits, uses and provide tips and ideas. This can increase a brand’s reputation, familiarity of the product or service and aim to strengthen your competitive position. Snapchat can give businesses the opportunity to encourage customers to link you to certain situations and occasions.

6. Send reminders – don’t let your customers forget about you

Snapchat gives businesses the ability to reach out and present your brand to new consumers as well as existing customers and followers. You can remind them to consume a product at a certain time of day to trigger their desire and purchase propensity, consider you for their up-coming event, or even dinner … and don’t let them forget to take advantage of an offer you’re providing – the possibilities are endless.

7. Personalise your brand

Snapchat gives you the opportunity to enhance your branded interactions through use of a celebrity, influential person or simply a consistent spokesperson or character. This will allow for increased personalisation of your brand which builds connection with the audience and aids recognition of your brand. This content can then be supported by other social media platforms.

8. Provide promotions and coupons

The days of receiving free samples in the mail are fast diminishing. Snapchat can be employed to send offers and rewards to customers for using or buying your brand, product or service. For example a brand or business can promote the offer and encourage customers to send a Snapchat of themselves with the product, at a specific place, using a service, to the brand or business’ username, to in turn receive a voucher that can be opened to redeem in a buying occasion. This can therefore work effectively to capture the consumer immediately and encourage purchases.

With this strategy Snapchat can also be used to encourage and drive online sales through providing followers with unique discount codes to enter when they ‘check out’.

9. Give your customers a chance to win

There can be countless ways to use Snapchat as a platform for competitions. These competitions can be utilised to encourage interaction, build follower numbers and increase word of mouth and social media presence. For example, followers could be encouraged to take a screenshot of specific images sent by the brand or business, and post and share these in other social media accounts in order to be entered into a draw. This allows the brand or business to gain higher reach and frequency of their content.

10. It’s all about exclusivity and behind the scenes action

Giving consumers the power to choose to add you can evoke exclusivity when you send them snaps. Snapchat can be used to provide consumers with a ‘backstage pass’ to your operations, activity and actions. By allowing consumers a preview and insight into special events, products or services, you can create unique and engaging content. This is also able to promote transparency, which is becoming increasingly valued in today’s society.

If you would like more information or help with your social media channels, please contact us. We’d be happy to chat with you over coffee!