Table Of Contents
- Why should you use Snapchat to promote your business?
- What do the Snapchat terminologies mean?
- What are the 8 ways businesses use Snapchat to their advantage?
- Why should you consistently upload content on Snapchat?
- Why should businesses post behind-the-scenes footage?
- Why should businesses use user-generated content?
Snapchat is a kind of app that you’re never sure what it’s meant to be used for, but you can’t resist checking your friends’ updates just in case they posted a funny video or selfie.
If you’re trying to find new ways to promote a business, brand, or yourself on social media, the question isn’t whether Snapchat will be relevant in 3 years' time. It's whether you're making use of it now.
Snapchat is a fun way for users to share ephemeral, visual content. From selfies and food pics to exotic locations — the social media platform has broadened the range of content it can display, becoming one of the most versatile apps on the market. Businesses can leverage this fun technology to build brand awareness, improve customer relationships and increase sales.
Snapchat can actually be fantastic in helping your business grow. With the right Social media marketing strategy, you’ll be able to use Snapchat to better your business thanks to the attention it receives from the younger generation.
Common terminologies used by Snapchat users
Snap
Snaps are short videos that can be watched for up to 10 seconds, depending on the amount of time the Snap chatter chooses, and once viewed, the snap will vanish.
Stories
Stories are the Snaps from the last 24 hours compiled in one place. When you view the snaps in chronological order, they form a story.
Discover
The Discover screen displays content from notable users as well as Snapchat Stories from friends. Users can watch Live Stories from events and browse local or curated Stories to see what interests them.
Snapcode
A unique QR code generated by Snapchat.
Memories
Snapchat backs up your personal saved collection of former Snaps and Stories and this comes under memories.
10 ways businesses can use Snapchat to their advantage.
1. Stay Consistent
It is important to stay consistent with content. Posting on social media consistently is a sure shot way to stay on top of your potential customer’s minds but when it comes to Snapchat, it’s not just better it’s critical.
The reason why it’s critical is that snaps disappear after 24 hours. More importantly, the newer the content is, the earlier it will show up on the discover tab. That means it will have a better chance of being seen.
2. Build Engaging Followers
It is easier said than done. Snapchat is not the same as other social media platforms and it is indeed more difficult to build a following on Snapchat than other social media channels.
The reason is that Snapchat feed is much more curated with an aim to show users only what they want to show. This is because users have to put in extra effort to find and follow others.
You’ll have to make it easy for people to follow you on Snapchat. Besides telling them that you’re on Snapchat, you can also create your Snapcode. It will allow users to scan your code using their phones easily to follow you.
What you can do is, you can promote your Snapchat account on other social media platforms. You can either post your Snapcode or Snaplink and create some mysterious content showing people what kind of creative content you’re publishing on Snapchat and give them reasons why they should follow you.
The idea is to make them believe that there is something that they’re missing out on. That FOMO will drive them towards your Snapchat account.
3. Post Behind the Scenes Videos. Publish Exclusive Content
When you share some exclusive behind-the-scenes content about your business, you open a door for subscribers to get to know your team, as well as your business, even better! This can also help you gain authority in your industry, further establishing you as a leader within your niche.
Tours, FAQs, and Walkthroughs are the bits of content that give your users an insight into the world behind your business. They provide you with a great opportunity to present content in a fun, interactive, and engaging way to your users. You’ll be surprised at how much people like to peek behind the curtain.
Snapchat Marketing Agencies in Dubai and around the world suggest brands and businesses share some behind-the-scenes footage with their customers just to give them a sneak peek and build that relationship of trust and this goes a long way in making and retaining customers and clients.
4. Wisely Use User-Generated Content
Whether it’s a comment, a forum post, or a review – the Internet is built on user-generated content (UGC) and it is high time you start using it for your business’s advantage. UGC isn’t unique to Snapchat but the extra audiences and engagement possibilities on Snapchat make it a potent tool for businesses to use.
What it does is that it makes your customers feel involved, aware, and engaged. It also helps build the authority of your business. This is why it works best when it’s raw and not made up.
5. Host Takeovers
A takeover is when someone other than you or your team uses your business’s social media handle. This will help you reach the influencer’s followers and approach a wider audience. However, you should only use the vetted ones because you will be handing your account over to someone and a lot of things can go wrong.
6. Sneak Peek of Product Launches
Showing sneak peeks of upcoming launches lets customers or potential customers feel involved and be a part of an exclusive group. This builds excitement and anticipation for the upcoming product and gets them hyped up about it. This eventually increases brand awareness as well.
7. Exclusive Deals and Coupons
You can use the 24 hours feature of Snapchat and add exclusive and razor-sharp deals that take your followers off-guard. This short timespan makes them anxious about missing out on something important. Your followers will act upon it and that will lead to better engagement, better sales, and more business.
8. Make use of Snap Ads
Snap ads use full-screen portrait images or videos. These ads use a swipe-up feature to drive traffic to your video, landing page, or website. The ads manager for Snapchat is quite similar to the Facebook ads manager. The targeting is not that in-depth as for Facebook so you can target broader audiences based on their long-term interests.
The user base on Snapchat is not as big as other social media platforms but you can still get success. Peak, a UK-based company managed to get 1.7 Million downloads in just two months of advertising on Snapchat, that too with a 50% lower cost per install. However, the best way is to start with Snapchat ads by utilizing a small budget before diving into full swing.
This is it for today’s blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it and that you’ve learned a thing or two about using Snapchat for Business. Do share your feedback with me and message me if you have any questions.
If you’re a business owner and you want to leverage Snapchat and use it to increase your business’s visibility, contact Prism Digital, the best Snapchat Marketing Agency in Dubai and our experts will help you develop and manage tailored strategies to reach the top using Snapchat. See you on the other side. Thank you.
About The Author: Lovetto Nazareth
Lovetto Nazareth is a digital marketing consultant and agency owner of Prism Digital. He has been in the advertising and digital marketing business for the last 2 decades and has managed thousands of campaigns and generated millions of dollars of new leads. He is an avid adventure sports enthusiast and a singer-songwriter. Follow him on social media on @Lovetto Nazareth
