3 Ways to Use Snapchat as Part of Your Marketing Strategy

Snapchat now has over 100 million monthly active users viewing an average of 5 billion videos per day. It may not seem like a likely social network for brands to include in their social media marketing strategy, but if your target audience includes millennials, Snapchat provides a significant opportunity to connect with this age group with 63% using this platform.

Snapchat’s short-lived images can be tricky for less product-centered businesses to use, and just as ambiguous to measure. Those same challenges, however, can also open up new marketing opportunities not found on other social media channels.

Here are 3 ways to use Snapchat as part of your social media marketing strategy:

Rewards and incentives. According to the Business of Apps, 73% of college students surveyed stated they would be inclined to open snaps from brands they know, and 67% want discounts and promotions snapped to them by brands. These promotions translate into sales as 58% of college students stated they would be likely to buy products or services from a brand that sent them a coupon on Snapchat. Coupons are also a good way to build Snapchat user lists for future promotions.

Storytelling. Snapchat Stories lets users create strings of images and short (1-10 seconds) videos to tell unique stories, with an extended 24-hour life span. Just remember to follow up with a call to action to check out your website, your YouTube channel, or other pages. Short but attention-grabbing, Snapchat visuals are a great way to share behind-the-scenes footage, sneak peeks of new products and upcoming events through these stories.

Games, giveaways and contests, oh my! Snapchat competitions, like treasure hunts or photo contests, help boost engagement with your brand. You can encourage new subscribers with the offer of future rewards through these games. You can even integrate Snapchat with other social media networks by asking participants to respond through those pages. For example, you can give Facebook followers a chance to win concert tickets or some other prize by adding your brand on Snapchat.

With a little creativity, marketers can use Snapchat to reach a younger audience without much expense. With Snapchat’s disappearing messages, the expectation of destruction creates urgency and promotes immediate action. What’s more, though your Snapchat following may be smaller than other platforms, those followers are likely to be more engaged – which means the personal relationships they form with your brand will be stronger.