There was a time when the only way people could create awareness about their brand was through word of mouth. Today, we have the internet and we also have social media platforms with more than 3.69 billion active users worldwide.
If you are not exploiting social media to the benefit of your business, it is an error. Your business needs a social media presence alongside a good social media strategy to achieve your social media goals.
What is Snapchat?
Snapchat is a visual platform and messaging app that lets you send disappearing photos, videos, and text messages. You can set how long each message lasts (24 hours or less) before it disappears. It also has other features, like Stories (a collection of photos or videos that can be replayed for 24 hours), memories (saved photos that you can view or share later), and filters and stickers (to dress up your messages).
Snapchat has been on the scene since 2011, but it is only recently that brands have begun to take notice of its potential. For small businesses and organizations, this social platform is still relatively new territory.
However, it is growing fast, and there is a lot of potential for brands that are willing to explore how to use the social media channel Snapchat to reach their audience and increase engagement rate and conversion rate.
Why Should You Consider Snapchat For Your Business?
At one time, Snapchat was the playful app of teens and young adults who were drawn to disappearing messaging, video content and the candid feel of communication so brands avoided it. This is understandable because they were confused about how to interact on the social platform and why they should invest in creating organic content that was only going to disappear.
However, as Snapchat has evolved, it has become clear that there is a lot of value for brands in creating ephemeral content.
Although you may not have heard of it before, Snapchat is one of the most quickly growing social media networks today. In 2015, it was estimated that there were 200 million active users on Snapchat, who sent 400 million snaps per day. Today, Snapchat has 347 million daily active users worldwide and on average, 5 billion snaps are created every 24 hours. Yet only one per cent of marketers and business owners use Snapchat for business actively.
Snapchat is becoming more and more popular for businesses. If you’re looking for a way to reach your audience faster and spend less time curating content, Snapchat is the place to be. Your target audience may not be using Snapchat right this very moment, but there’s a strong possibility that they will be in the near future so hop on now.
Let us look at some benefits of Snapchat to businesses.
5 Benefits of Snapchat For Business
Reach the youth
There are a lot of different ways to market to millennials, but one of the most effective is Snapchat. If you’re trying to target Gen Z specifically, then Snapchat is a platform you can’t afford to ignore.
Statistics show that:
- Snapchat is especially popular with millennials in the 18-34 age bracket.
- The average user spends 30 minutes on the app each day.
- 60% of active Snapchat users buy things on impulse.
Share Original Content
Snapchat allows you to share original content and this kicks out the hassle of creating content, drawing a content calendar etc. This allows you to post raw and real social content about your business and also build emotional connections with people. One of the most impactful benefits of Snapchat to your business is the increased credibility it can give your brand.
Easy Snapchat Ads
Snapchat offers a variety of ad formats to choose from, so you can say goodbye to those boring old pitches. Whether you want snap ads, story ads, filters, or AR lenses, Snapchat has you covered. It’s always a good idea to introduce products or services with story ads. This gives potential customers a sense of what your business is all about and what they can expect when they visit you. You can also announce giveaways or special promotions with these ads. Don’t forget to use snap ads to give people a sneak peek of all the cool activities associated with your business.
Your ads should be short and attention-grabbing with plenty of exciting elements that will spike curiosity and interest.
Snapchat Insights
If you’re solely relying on the number of views and screenshots taken when building your Snapchat marketing and content strategy, you’re not seeing the whole picture. That’s where Snapchat insights come in to give you a more complete understanding of how your social media marketing plan is performing. Snapchat insights can help you change your Snapchat marketing strategy. You can learn more about your target audience’s location and age range, which can come in handy when you’re trying to figure out the best way to market your product.
The key performance indicators, such as view counts, daily reach, etc., can help you evaluate interest and engagement.
There are hundreds of categories for grouping social media users based on their interests. For example, some people might be interested in music, while others might prefer movies. Similarly, some users might be interested in travelling, while others might be more interested in staying at home.
Pioneer Advantage
While a smaller number of marketers are using Snapchat for business purposes, an increasing number are beginning to see the potential of the social network. You can stay ahead of your competitors by connecting with a new audience through Snapchat. While many people are still getting a handle on Facebook and Instagram, you can start building relationships with potential customers on Snapchat. By being one of the first businesses on the platform, you can establish yourself as a leader in your industry.
Snapchat is a great social media site for brands that are looking to gain a competitive edge. By choosing to focus on Snapchat, brands can avoid the crowded landscape of other social media platforms and become a pioneer in the space.
How To Use Snapchat For Business
1. Set Up a Snapchat Business Account
- Download Snapchat from App Store or Google Play store
- Tap on the Sign-Up
- Tap on the Signup and Accept button after filling in your details in the respective fields.
- Verify your age, enter a username for your business and set a password
- Enter your phone number to get the verification code or sign in with your email address.
- Enter the verification code, tap on the Continue button and you’re in.
- Use the username and password mentioned above to log in to Ads Manager.
- Enter the legal name of your business and tap on the Next button.
- Select the appropriate country and currency then click Next
- Fill in your payment details
- Your Snapchat business account is ready to run your first ad campaign
You can add members from your business to create your first-ever Snapchat ad campaign. The Ads Manager will show you your billing details.
Keep in mind that you can only use Snapchat on your phone- there’s no desktop version. You can technically use it on your computer by downloading an emulator, but it’s not as user-friendly. For the best experience, use Snapchat on your mobile device.
Explore the best places to visit in Ghana
2. Market Your Snapchat Business Account
Snapchat is a social media platform that is distinct from others because of its unique features and design. One thing to keep in mind when using Snapchat is that it is designed to be temporary and fleeting. This means that users shouldn’t expect their content to be available forever.
Before you can start marketing on Snapchat, you need to promote your account. You can do this by mentioning your Snapchat business account username on your website, newsletters, promotional emails, Facebook account, Instagram account, Twitter handle, and LinkedIn profile to other social media followers. This will help get the word out about your Snapchat business and attract users to add your business profile.
You can create Snapcodes by going into the Settings and adding an image to feature in the ghost logo.
Snapcodes are the QR codes of your Snapchat business account. Followers can scan them to quickly and easily access your business account. This is a great way to connect with potential customers, especially if you have a physical store.
3. Feature User Generated Content
As mentioned earlier, content that is generated by you can help to improve the authenticity of your service. This is because it provides a more personal connection between the user and the service. When users feel like they are able to connect with the service on a more personal level, they are more likely to continue using it.
The fact that somebody your followers know and trust has had a positive experience with your business make you seem more trustworthy. Having somebody in their immediate circle vouch for you is a big plus, and their honest feedback is very valuable.
If you want to create content without stress, try reposting your follower’s content and featuring them.
You can now rise above the noise of advertising without spending a lot of money. By investing in a quality product and marketing it well, you can reach your target audience and stand out from the competition.
For example, Starbucks started its first campaign of “Buy one, get one” offer for its US branches. A follower had to take a snap with the “Snap it Forward” filter to redeem this offer. After its epic success, Starbucks rolled out more such campaigns.
4. Take Influencer’s Aid
A viral moment can be a great way to get your business in front of thousands of followers in a very short amount of time. Imagine if your business was featured in a popular video or article that was shared by many people. This could lead to a lot of new customers or clients for your business.
It might sound crazy, but it’s definitely possible to get your product noticed by using social media influencers and content creators. They are the superstars of the social media world, and their endorsements have remarkable reach. All you need to do is identify some influential social media users who would be willing to promote your product.
Take note when working with influencers – just because they have a lot of followers, doesn’t mean they’re the right fit for your brand. Make sure to look into their previous partnerships and recent posts to get an idea of their current activity and if they’re aligned with your values.
Before you invest in influencer collaborations, consider these factors:
– What is your objective? What do you hope to achieve by working with influencers or content creators?
– What is your budget? How much are you willing to spend on influencer partnerships?
– Who is your target audience? Which influencers will reach them most effectively?
– What are the terms of the collaboration?
– What kind of content will the influencer create, and how will they promote it?
– What are your key performance indicators?
5. Promote Exclusive Offers
Even the most diehard fans of a particular product or service can be tempted by a good deal from another brand. You should remember this when designing marketing campaigns for your business and be sure to include some kind of special offer or discount. This is an especially effective tactic for attracting new followers, who are always looking for a good deal.
For example, if you own an eyewear brand, you can ask your followers to take a selfie of themselves wearing your eyewear product and share it with you. You can also put up a voting poll for people to vote on the best selfie and the winner or winners get prizes.
You can use AR lenses and Snapchat filters to virtually try out your products. This will create excitement and hype for your product.
Bonus point
Share Exciting Announcements
If you’re promoting a product, cross-platform support is essential to maintain your customer base. By having a social media presence on multiple platforms, you ensure that everyone can follow and use your product no matter what kind of device they prefer.
- Make your followers curious by giving them enough teasers and behind-the-scenes snaps. Let them see the process that goes into creating something that they’re already interested in, and maybe they’ll appreciate your work even more.
- You can announce flash sales and give away alerts for the winners of creative contests. This is a great way to get people excited about your product and increase sales.
- Geofilters and location-specific trends are a great way to make your content stand out. By using these, you can ensure that your content is seen by people who are most likely to be interested in it.
For example, host a contest for your followers to guess the new flavour you will be introducing in a couple of weeks. The top three winners will get their favourite flavour of ice cream for free.
Conclusion
There’s still plenty of room to grow on Snapchat. This makes it the perfect time to experiment with the platform and try new things to see what sticks. Now that you know how to use Snapchat for business, it’s time to start putting these tips into practice. Get ready to start seeing some real results from your Snapchat social media marketing strategy.
There are a few things that you can do to start influencing your followers on Snapchat. First, try posting a few snaps or a short video (5-15 seconds). You can also explore other features like AR lenses, filters, and stickers to create a foolproof brand engagement strategy.
Having a plan is essential to success, but it’s not enough to have just any plan. Your plan needs to be actionable, which means it should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Once you have a plan that meets those criteria, you’ll be able to achieve your goals more easily.
Here’s to using Snapchat to market your business!
