Disney uses Snapchat, Rhianna uses Snapchat…but chances are, you are still a little skeptical.
Rightly so.
The list of social channels that marketing experts will tell you are a “must” for your business just keeps growing, and if you’re a small business, it’s just too much.
However, nearly 20% of social media users in the U.S. are using Snapchat, and if your audience is there, you will want to go there, too.
John Rogers, Digital Marketer for Disney Parks, says, “There is no better storytelling app.” Telling stories is a pivotal part of your marketing plan. The extent to which you are able to turn your brand story into something relatable directly correlates to interest in your product or services.
Snaps can connect you to fans in a way that virtually makes them feel like insiders. By sharing casually on a personal level, you effectively humanize your brand.
Here are four practical ways that you can take Snapchat and turn it into a very useful tool for building brand loyalty.
Promotions & Coupons
The sky is the limit when it comes to using promotions and coupons via Snapchat. Get creative and read this example!
16 Candles, a yogurt shop in New York City, used Snapchat to run a fun promotion for their customers.
First, the person would send a Snap of himself tasting yogurt on-site to the company’s account. Immediately 16 Handles would reply with a coupon.
What made this social promotion really fun is that the customer couldn’t open the Snap until she was at the register, because it would automatically be deleted within ten seconds!
The coupon could be anything from 16% to 100% off on the purchase, so the savings was kept a surprise until checkout!
Photo courtesy of 16 Handles
The same principles can be used for contests, giveaways and more. Have fun and figure out ways to stand out from the crowd!
Q&A
When you host a Q&A on your account, you’re inviting your followers to join in and engage with you!
This is a great way to incentivize followers from other social channels to follow you on Snapchat.
What kind of questions might your audience have? Be it technical or personal, Q&A’s are a great way to encourage two-way social interactions.
Photo courtesy of girlmeetslife.com
Backstage Peeks
The ability to take your fans “backstage” is by far the most valuable tool that Snapchat offers you when it comes to making your audience feel like VIPs.
Big name actors and performers do this on a regular basis, and it’s relevant for businesses, too!
Are you planning an event or launching a new product? How can you send out snaps and stories that let your followers be the first to know or see?
Photo courtesy of Victoria’s Secret. Behati Prinsloo backstage snapchat Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2014 London VSFS VS VSfashionshow
Ace the Effort Test!
There you go with three ways to use Snapchat for business – and what might be the fourth?! It’s time for my social common sense speech. (I can’t write a blog about social media without it!!).
If you want Snapchat (or ANY social channel) to yield rewards, you absolutely MUST give it the attention it deserves. Either be hot or cold – lukewarm is the enemy!
To test whether Snapchat is effective, you’ll need to pick a team member who is good at social and give her dedicated time to running this channel right.
Your “Snapmaster” will be responsible for procuring talent (if applicable), performing/posting snaps and managing Snapchat promotions. She should have regular hours built into her schedule to complete these tasks.
Do this for at least 6 months to see if momentum starts to pick up.
Note: This is NOT a tiny tack on – it deserves to be done right. Otherwise, you will end up with an empty channel and/or little to no views. When it comes to social, it’s always about putting in real effort rather than scheduling posts and expecting engagement to fall upon you magically.
Even the big guys who would get engagement from little effort understand the importance of involving dedicated team members into each aspect of social marketing. Trust me…do it right!
Conclusion:
It’s okay to be picky about the channels you focus on. In fact, I recommend making 2 channels your primaries that you put a LOT of effort into and get returns from.
Whether Snapchat will be one of your primaries or not, it is another one of those places where you should at least have a presence.
What’s your opinion on using Snapchat for business? Is it working for you? Let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to keep in touch on Facebookand Twitter!
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