Lauren Marinigh

The Do’s & Don’ts of Using Snapchat for Business

By Lauren | September 14, 2015 | 0 Comment

Since 2011, Snapchat has taken the world by storm, now having over 100 million daily active users, that are sending a combined total of over 400 million snaps per day. The continuous growth of Snapchat, along with the fact that it hasn’t faded out in popularity over the last 4 years, is making businesses wonder whether or not they should jump on the bandwagon and use Snapchat for their business—and more importantly, if they do, what should and shouldn’t they be doing?

There isn’t as much data out there about using Snapchat for business, mainly because the introduction of the possibility was only introduced not too long ago with the integration of feeds on Snapchat and the “discover” option with brands. Most businesses that have decided to integrate this platform into their business model have taken on developing their own Snapchat account for their audience to follow for behind the scene looks and stories from their favourite brands or businesses.

First things first—consider your target market before joining the Snapchat world. The majority of Snapchatters are female, between the ages of 13 to 25. Second off—make sure you have an idea and plan for what you are going to post. Using Snapchat once in a full moon is not going to drive the results and engagement you want.

Now, if you’ve decided to join the Snapchat movement and are ready to snap away, here are some do’s and don’ts to consider:

Give a behind the scenes look into your business and brand that your target audience is not going to get anywhere else. You want to give them a reason to add you to Snapchat, which is a very personal social media network. What are you going to provide them with that they can’t get elsewhere or on other platforms?
Keep your snap stories and snaps short! There is nothing worse than going to view a Snapchat story and it being 200+ seconds long. Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Promote that you’ve joined Snapchat on other social media platforms. People aren’t just going to know to add your exact username, or stumble upon your Snapchat like people may stumble across your Facebook or Twitter page. Make it easy and well known that you’ve now joined Snapchat, and maybe even provide teasers of what people are missing if they haven’t added you.
Make sure your videos and photos are high quality, show different perspective and are personal. You want your followers to feel as if they are a part of something that’s more personal than what you’d post on your Facebook or Twitter accounts for the whole world to see.
Be aware of too many posts that require sound. This may sound weird, especially for a video, but many people often view their Snapchats on the go or in public places where they may not have their volume turned on. There’s nothing worse than you’re sitting somewhere that you can’t have your volume turned up and you miss something important someone said in their Snap but can’t go back to view it later due to the limited amount of time the snaps appear for.
Get creative and cheeky. Like I said before, Snapchat is made to be a very personal and intimidate app, it’s not a corporate platform, it’s a fun one! Show off your personality and make your snaps more personal to keep the exclusivity going.

Click here for 5 creative ways brands are using Snapchat.

Now that you’re armed with some tips and tricks, snap away!