5 Ways Small Businesses Can Use Snapchat

Similarly to the likes of Facebook and Twitter in the early days, Snapchat is still new terrain for a number of businesses. Love it or hate it, Snapchat has had significant growth in the last few years and with even Facebook desperately trying to match the success of Snapchat with it’s own apps and technologies, Snapchat is becoming an important social media platform and an even more important marketing device. 

Despite being used commonly by larger brands as a platform to gain huge exposure, Snapchat still hasn’t become a popular platform for smaller business, with advertising costs often out of reach for all but the largest businesses and organisations. However Snapchat doesn’t have to be out of reach for smaller businesses, there are still a number of unique and cost effective ways to create and share engaging content that your customers can enjoy. 

It might be hard to see the appeal of using a photo sharing platform where your photos disappear after a short time period, however there are still several benefits to using Snapchat to promote your brand, your products and even to help you stand out from your competition.  

Real Time Interaction Insights 

Real time interaction is becoming increasingly important within both social media and even website functionality, with Snapchat currently acting as a leader in the field of real time interaction, even beating live streaming apps such as Periscope. Due to Snapchat’s simple interface, it allows users to capture exactly what’s happening in that moment and to share it easily with audiences with the tap of a button. Through Snapchat’s easy to use system you can monitor who has opened your snap or viewed your story without having to spend time clicking around in the same way you would with Facebook or Twitter’s analytics tools.  

Tell Your Story 

One of the biggest ways brands use Snapchat is for it’s Snapchat Story function, which is ideal for brands and individuals looking to tell their own story. Your Snapchat story can be used in a number of great ways, such as building anticipation for an event or product launch or even to simply show off something that is fun for your audience to watch and engage with. By using a mix of videos, photos, drawings and even captions that sum up what is happening you can present a fun narrative to your audience in a linear manner that your customers will enjoy.  

Share Promotions 

Everyone loves a deal or a bargain and while email marketing is one of the most popular ways for brands to show off their discount codes, special offers or even promote flash sales, Snapchat can act as a great platform for also sharing these promotions. By sharing your deals and promotions on Snapchat you can encourage people to follow your brand to find out more and get more great offers that can’t be found elsewhere. Including codes at the end of your Snapchat Story or even encouraging Snapchat scavenger hunts can be an effective way of encouraging people to get involved and yet still giving them a benefit.  

Show Off Behind The Scenes

While it can be an effective way to market your business, Snapchat is supposed to be about having fun and connecting with your audience. So why not use Snapchat to humanise your brand and show off what’s going on behind the scenes? By taking your customers behind the scenes and showcasing the community behind your brand you can not only help create a following but also increase engagement as people are much more likely to engage with a brand they see as human, than they are a faceless brand.  

Demonstrate Your Products 

If you’re looking to give your followers an up close view of your new products or even your existing products then Snapchat is a great way to do so in a way that seems exclusive, creating more anticipation and excitement around your brand and your products. You can use your Snapchat Story to create a series showing off one particular thing, explaining to people your product backstory, your idea or even the inspiration you might have had when you were coming up with a new product range, in an engaging and fun way, which can help increase not only engagement but also sales. 

When it comes to Snapchat you need to be sure that your content is engaging and gets across to your audience in an authentic, organic manner. If you can’t appeal to your audience through Snapchat authentically, then it may not be the best platform for you. 

However if you can make the most of Snapchat, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be utilising the platform, creating new opportunities and expanding your brands presence online.