Your business may have a following on Twitter and found success with Facebook promotions. Perhaps your services lend don’t themselves to visual content, and you had difficulty creating a home on Instagram. With the plethora of social media channels available, it can be difficult to decide which are best-suited to your business. All the interns in your office may be using Snapchat, and that has caused you to wonder if it’s the next platform you should explore. Here are some tips that have helped small businesses navigate the world of self-destructing snaps and stories.
Design Content for Micro-Moments
We used to think about a linear path to making a purchase, but Google ushered in the concept of micro-moments – bursts of activity through which consumers make decisions incrementally. Rather than targeting a few periods of time researching a product or service, we know that people are researching constantly – while waiting in line, commuting to work, and anytime they may have a smartphone in hand. With Snapchat naturally aligned with the micro-moment because of its self-destructing posts, it’s a platform that requires marketing messages to be short and attention-grabbing.
Engage with the Millennial Audience
While you may have read about Snapchat’s efforts to reach more users ages 35 and older, the platform skews young, with 86% of users between the ages of 13 and 34. It is the ideal channel for reaching the millennial audience, which tends to respond better to authentic content than traditional advertising. This is the generation that records TV shows to skip the commercials and ignores banner ads.
Even though they are active on social media, a presence on platforms millennials use is not enough. They want to engage with your brand. According to a 2015 Elite Daily millennial consumer study, 62% say that if a brand engages with them on social media, they are more likely to become a loyal customer, and 60% say that they are often or always loyal to brands that they currently purchase.
Create Content Specifically for Snapchat
Snapchat is a platform that doesn’t lend itself to the stylized look of a curated Instagram portfolio. It works well for showing the lifestyle of your company in a more casual, fun way. Photos and videos (known as snaps) will only last for up to 10 seconds unless you put them in a story, which is a string of snaps that lasts for 24 hours. Even though photos and videos you share disappear on Snapchat, keep in mind that users can take screenshots so content may circulate longer. Users who take screenshots are likely to share them with friends, so this can work to your advantage and extend your reach.
- Showcase Good Works: In addition to engagement on social media, millennials are looking to see how much your business gives back to the community or advances causes they support. They are known for their commitment to volunteerism and their active involvement in social issues. Content that communicates your small business is socially responsible, gives back to the local community, or engages in green practices can help to round out your company’s story.
- Give a Glimpse Behind the Scenes: Snapchat is a place where you can energize users about upcoming products and events. Consider giving glimpses behind the scenes at product demonstrations and photo shoots or showing sneak peaks of content that will be released in the future.
- Promote Events: Beyond promoting your upcoming event on Snapchat, create a live story for on-the-scene coverage. In addition to posting your own content, encourage Snapchat users at the same location to post snaps and have them appear in the story, another great way to boost engagement.
Start Building Your Snapchat Strategy Today!
While it can be challenging for small businesses to navigate Snapchat and create content that will resonate with users, it can be a valuable tool in your overall social media marketing plan. If you engage with millennials there or on other channels, you may find loyal customers who appreciate your products and services as well as the company behind them. If you need help creating or managing a snapchat for your small business, contact the experts at Premiere Creative or give us a call at(973) 346-8100.
