Managing social media effectively is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. It is not enough to simply post on Snapchat. Content must be high-quality, engaging, and regular. If you want to gain active followers, create a strategy and follow the tips for using the app correctly.
Why Businesses Should Consider Snapchat
Snapchat is a social network where people share photos and videos. It lets you watch live stories and stay in touch. There is a young and active audience here that values innovation and creativity. If your company is ready to develop a marketing strategy and attract traffic, it is worth joining this platform.
Do Businesses Use Snapchat Today?
Snapchat has over 100 million active users worldwide. Businesses test it and then fully embrace it, recognizing its advantages. Observe how your competitors or other brands do it to get inspired and create your own effective promotion plan.
Snapchat for Brands vs. Other Social Media Platforms
To promote on social media, you need to understand its main features. Let’s compare Snapchat with other popular platforms.
| Criterion | Snapchat | TikTok | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audience | Gen Z, millennials | Broad, visually oriented | Gen Z, viral content | All age groups |
| Content format | Disappearing photos/videos, AR lenses | Stories, reels, posts | Short videos, challenges | Posts, videos, groups |
| Engagement | High among young people | Average, depends on visuals | Very high, virality | Decreasing due to competition |
| Advertising cost | Lower than Instagram/TikTok, but limited reach | Average, high competition | Average, depends on trends | High at scale |
| Unique tools | AR filters, lenses, geo-targeting | Visual campaigns, influencers | Viral challenges, creativity | Precise targeting, groups |
As you can see, each social network is unique, and businesses can use several at once.
Benefits of Snapchat for Business
Snapchat for brands offers unique opportunities to drive brand awareness and sales. Among its interesting features are live streaming. In addition, users note the following advantages:
- Interactive content. It’s easier to create thanks to stickers, filters, and lenses.
- Exclusivity. Content can be viewed for 24 hours, after which it disappears. This encourages users to regularly view new posts.
- Targeting. There are tools for customizing ads for specific audiences.
You can improve your audience interaction in many ways. For example, you can hold competitions or provide VIP access.
6 Steps to Using Snapchat for Business
Those who have not used this resource before may wonder: how to use Snapchat for business? Start by defining your target audience. Determine the location, age, gender, income, and other characteristics of your potential customers. After that, move on to the next steps.
Set Up a Business Account
To unlock access to paid advertising tools, you need to create a business account. Unlike a regular account, it includes more features and functions. You will be able to use analytics and manage your page professionally.
Create Content Aligned with Brand Identity
Content should reflect the brand’s values and style. Short videos, behind-the-scenes stories, and creative visual effects that enhance recognition work particularly well on Snapchat. It is important to do this regularly and provide value to the audience.
Use Snapchat Ads (Snap Ads, Story Ads, Collection Ads)
Snapchat offers various advertising formats that can be used in turn. These are:
- Snap Ads – vertical videos up to 10 seconds long;
- Story Ads – placement in Discover to reach a wide audience;
- Collection Ads – a format with a product catalog for direct sales.
Tease your followers with new products and offers. This will keep them engaged and stimulate organic audience growth.
Leverage Geofilters and Lenses for Local Marketing
Geofilters and AR lenses allow brands to promote themselves locally, for example, during events or at specific points of sale. Set up your filters and focus on the states where your services or products are relevant.
Unique lenses allow you to add fun to your positioning. These can be different characters that you can transform into with a single click. Thanks to this feature, you can come up with many creative scenarios.
Collaborate with Influencers on Snapchat
In addition to your regular subscribers, you need to pay attention to the influencers they follow. Collaborate with them to get more reach. Their reposts will allow more people to learn about you. To do this, write to several influencers whom you mention in your posts. Tell them that you like their work and would be happy to see a repost. You can also write a full-fledged letter about cooperation on various terms, considering the conditions of the popular person.
Track Performance with Snapchat Insights
Snapchat Insights provides metrics such as views, clicks, and engagement. The effectiveness of your campaigns depends on tracking results. Don’t expect success on the first try, so be patient and adjust your strategy to find the best approach.
Snapchat Strategies for Brands
“Do businesses use Snapchat?” is a common question for those looking to promote themselves online. There are many successful examples that begin their journey with a clearly defined strategy. It is important, regardless of the goals, whether they are increasing conversions or recognition.
Posting Frequency and Best Times to Post
It is crucial to save regularly and remember the engaging step-by-step nature of any storytelling. Here are a few recommendations to follow:
- Alternate between new and old content. To increase traffic, publish not only fresh posts, but also strong material from your archive.
- Maintain a balance between promotional and valuable posts.
- Don’t repeat the same post in a row. Avoid three identical posts in a row, as this reduces interest and engagement.
- Plan your posts in a calendar. Post at reasonable intervals so that your audience perceives them as new.
- Rephrase descriptions. Don’t use the same text. Formulate the call to action differently: start with a different benefit, add a quote, or a fresh idea.
The best days for posting are Tuesday and Thursday. To determine the ideal time to post, try different times and track your reach.
Balancing Organic and Paid Content
Content should be diverse to remain interesting. There should not be more paid (advertising) posts. Provide value to users and offer benefits for subscribing to your page. At the same time, paid formats, including Snap Ads, Story Ads, and Collection Ads, are essential for scaling a brand.
Integrating Snapchat with Other Social Media Campaigns
Choose the most effective social networks based on your audience. Determine their demographics and psychographics to decide on the most effective platforms. Don’t register on all social networks at once. Choose 2-3, but delve into them as deeply as possible, using all their features and creating high-quality content.
Using User-Generated Content (UGC) to Build Trust
UGC (user-generated content) is a powerful tool for increasing brand trust. Encourage not only influencers but also ordinary users to repost and interact with your page. To do this, you can run contests or challenges. To engage your followers, you can offer promo codes for an activity.
Common Mistakes to Avoid on Snapchat
Use different Snapchat features to evaluate the effectiveness of all possibilities. Don’t ignore Story Highlights to create long-term storytelling that is engaging to watch. Give your subscribers a tour of your company, tell interesting stories, and don’t forget to check your page regularly. Lack of variety is one of the main mistakes that can cause you to lose your subscribers.
