Not a millennial? You’re probably wondering, “What’s Snapchat? Is it that provocative messaging app my kids were talking about a few years ago?”

Not anymore! With the introduction of geofilters, My Story, live stories, and advertising opportunities, Snapchat is now a social media marketing platform to be reckoned with, and businesses should be taking advantage of it.

Integrating Snapchat into your business’s marketing plan will help you not only reach out to millennial consumers but also give your brand the personal touch that other social media platforms fail to capture.

How should you use Snapchat for business?

(1) Share Behind-the-Scenes Footage.

Many large brands are taking advantage of Snapchat’s spontaneous personality by sharing behind-the-scenes videos and photos. Buzzfeed consistently shares videos of professional photo shoots, interviews, and events.

Though large companies might have an advantage when it comes to attracting followers, there are myriad ways for small businesses to share unique content with their select audiences. By using Snapchat for business, you can give your audience daily behind-the-scenes footage of your workplace, including any finishing touches you put on a large project or a fun game you and your colleagues played at lunchtime.

(2) Show Off Your Surroundings.

Snapchat’s 100 million users send 400 million pictures and videos every day, but geofilters, or location-based filters, encourage users to engage with that content in real time.

If you decide to use Snapchat for business, take advantage of all the geofilters available in your area. Your audience will learn what city or cities you’re located in based on the geofilter(s) you choose. Your office location is part of your brand, and consumers will want to know about your community.

Is your area lacking in geofilters? Snapchat lets users design their own. Get creative, and design your geofilter using these guidelines.

(3) Offer Promotions.

Using Snapchat for business lets you offer your audience exclusive promotions and contests. Snapchat is ideal for contests because there is a time limit on all the content you post. If you send a photo or video to someone directly, it expires somewhere between one and 10 seconds after opening. If you send a photo or video to your story, each snap will last for 24 hours.

A pizza company called Pie Five has made Snapchat a core part of its marketing strategy by sending its Snapchat friends a code made of pizza toppings. When customers use the code at Pie Five locations, they get a special discount.

Something else Snapchat is great for? Cross-promotion. You can advertise your Snapchat contest on your other social media accounts. Tweet at your followers and tell them to follow your business on Snapchat to view current promotions—and future ones.

(4) Have a Little Fun.

Although building a Snapchat following can be stressful for small businesses, don’t forget that the purpose of Snapchat is to have fun. Using Snapchat for business is different from using Facebook or Twitter. Snapchat is best used to humanize your brand and showcase the personalities of your team members.

Everyone deserves to have a little fun, and having fun while marketing your business is killing two birds with one stone!

For more help with Snapchat, call us at (410) 312-0081. And don’t forget to follow @impactmarketing to see what we’re up to.

Happy snapping!

 – Erin McMahon, Marketing Associate