Snapchat is a social media platform by which users communicate through chat and time-limited media. Many businesses are jumping on board with the app, finding new and creative ways to use Snapchat for marketing. Yet there are still some businesses and marketers who are not quite there—be they skeptical, unclear about, or just not interested in Snapchat. Like any social media platform, Snapchat isn’t for every business. However, there are several benefits to marketing through Snapchat if it is in fact the right fit. This post will cover those benefits so that you can decide whether it’s a tool you want to add to your marketing repertoire.
Why Use Snapchat as a Marketing Tool?
Since the launch of the app, Snapchat has evolved into more than just a way to just send fun pictures to friends. Now users rely on the app to get a real-time view of what their favorite celebrities, shows, and businesses are up to, making Snapchat a great new marketing tool to personally interact with your customers.
Benefits of Marketing Through Snapchat
Gain Exposure
When it comes to usage, Snapchat has some impressive stats. Of the 158 million people who use Snapchat every day, the average user opens and checks the app 18 times per day, totaling about 25-30 minutes spent on the app per day. If you want more exposure for your business, you need to place yourself where your audience is. If your audience uses Snapchat, then it’s time to create an account!
Speaking of creating an account—once you create your account on Snapchat, you can upload the QR code to your other social media accounts and make it easy for your current followers to add you.
Capitalize on Relevancy
As previously mentioned, Snapchat’s purpose has broadened. In addition to checking up on their friends and those they follow, Snapchat users are also using the Discover feature to check for news on nearby locations and accounts they have subscribed to. The Discover feature is mainly reserved for big names like National Geographic and The Food Network, but since users are checking Snapchat constantly for this relevant content, getting on the platform is a way of capitalizing on that traffic.
Of course you can also use Snapchat to post relevant content about your business, particularly by using Stories to publish content that stays up for 24 hours only.
Market in Real Time
Time-limited Stories is one of the key feature of Snapchat that offers real-time benefits to marketing. One of the newest Story features launched by Snapchat allows users viewing a Story to hold down on the screen and send the screen shot to someone else on their friends list.
This feature can be useful for your business with regard to promotions. For example, you could post a promo code or announcement and say “Refer a friend and both of you get 10% off when you show the screenshot in stores.”
Target Locations
Snapchat gives businesses the chance to interact with their followers in a not just a real time context, but also a location based manner as well. If your business is having a special event at your brick and mortar location, consider getting a Geofilter for the event! Encourage those who visit your location to post a picture using the Geofilter on their personal Stories, and let their friends know where they are. This is a great way to gain visibility among the friends of those who visit your location.
Build a Community
Marketing is not about getting customers to buy your product. It’s about creating a relationship with your audience. Snapchat allows you to engage one-on-one with your customers, allowing them to see that you truly value them. Individual chats and behind the scenes posts are helpful in showing people know who you are and what you do, building a positive association with your brand. The more that you post on Snapchat, the more that you show the human side of your company, which will help to reinforce your brand overall.
Enjoy Less Competition (For Now)
Business tend to gravitate towards Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for their social media marketing, making it hard for new or small businesses to stand out among the competition. Businesses are only slowly beginning to realize the benefits of marketing through Snapchat, which is a benefit in and of itself! Getting on Snapchat before your competitors is a great way to set yourself apart.
If you think Snapchat could benefit your business, give it a shot! Start thinking about how you can use the app to strengthen your brand and your customer relationships.
