How to Use Snapchat to Market Your Business

As a social media strategist, I get asked (a lot) about Snapchat. Not just from clients, but also from my family, friends, friends of friends and complete strangers. Just say “I do social media” and expect to hear “I don’t get Snapchat”.

A social media channel that was once known for sending nudes between teenagers, Snapchat has definitely evolved. According to Snapchat Ads, more than 60% of US 13 to 34 year old smart phone users are Snapchatters and there are over 10 BILLION video views EVERY DAY on Snapchat. 10 BILLION VIEWS. Is your business missing out on this opportunity?!

Is Snapchat right for your business?

Remember, you don’t need to be on every single social media platform. Just because Snapchat is the “hot thing” right now, it doesn’t mean you have to use it for marketing. Think about these questions before launching a Snapchat account:

• Who’s your target audience?
• What are your business goals and objectives for using Snapchat?

And if you have the answers to those above questions, now think about:

• Who’s going to manage the Snapchat account? – Snapchat is LIVE, there’s no scheduling content to go out on its own!
• What platform/landing page/website do we want to drive traffic to by using Snapchat?
• What sort of campaign can we put together to get followers?
• What story do we want to share with our followers?
• What content will people find entertaining?
• What content will people find useful?

Your Snapchat business marketing strategy

So I’m not going to go over how to set up an account because, well, there’s tons of how to’s on the internet. But let’s pretend you’ve set up your business account, you have it open, you’re going to start “snapping away”, but what the heck are you going to post? Think back to your social media strategy document (and if you don’t have one of these, you may be in trouble!) – What content will tie back to the objectives you have already set out? Everything, and I mean everything, always ties back to your strategy.
Let’s take a look at some common social media objectives and what content could look like for them (this is just a high level overview, we can talk more in depth later):

• Attract new hires: This one is easy, showcase your work culture! Interview employees, show fun team building activities, feature employees as individuals instead of just workers… Even if you work in a boring office environment, you can still find ways to showcase your business and why people want to work there.
• More sales: Do you sell a product? Give a behind the scenes look at the creation of the product, whether it be early mockups, interviews with the creators, a factory tour, etc. People love when companies share exclusive Snapchat only previews of new products or services!
• Education: Give your followers something to digest, think about and learn from. This can include a Q&A session, tips and tricks of using your product or service, how to’s, and much more.

I’m not going to spill the beans about how to hit every single goal, that would probably take a zillion years, but you get the point!

How to tell if you’re successful on Snapchat

The best metrics you can use in Snapchat to measure success is looking at unique views, screenshots, story completions and the engagement you’re receiving. Remember to take time to check this data to understand how your content is performing and making sure your ROI is worth it.

If you still don’t understand Snapchat… 

From construction companies to major retail power centres, we’ve done social media consulting and management for all types of businesses! Let’s chat more about social media and how it fits into your company’s marketing strategy.