Snapchat’s credibility as a marketing tool is on the rise, and the number of users has surpassed Twitter in only four years.

Snapchat provides valuable opportunities for businesses to interact with their fan base, and If you're audience demographic is focused on millennials, then you are almost certainly missing out on a great engagement opportunity by not being on the platform.

Here are five easy ways you can embrace Snapchat and include it in your social strategy today.

Sale announcement

Snapchat is a great place to announce an exclusive sale. You can announce a unique to Snapchat discount code and this can then be tracked to see how much engagement you received on the platform.

Document your events

The great thing about Snapchat is that you can also post a higher volume of content then you can on Instagram or Facebook without it being perceived as too much. Reports show that brands on average post 26 times per week on Snapchat and nine times per week on Instagram. This means that it is great for showcasing your events. You can do brief interviews with people, show all the different areas of the event and, more importantly, show its progression throughout the day as a Story. You have the option to download your Snap Story after which they can then be posted on other platforms.

Behind the scenes

Snapchat can be used as a parallel to a private viewing, almost like a backstage pass or a unique experience you wouldn't find on the other social or offline channels. You can use your brand's Snapchat account as a fly on the wall to the daily activities that go into making up your business that customers wouldn’t usually get to see. It makes them feel special and can give them a better insight into your brand’s personality.

Feedback

Snapchat is also a great place to gather feedback. One great way is to ask customers to screenshot their favourite out of a possible choice. The item that has been screenshotted the most acts as a poll to show which is the most popular. It is also a great place to gather feedback as comments are direct rather than in public, meaning people are more likely to be honest and criticism of your product is not forever in the public eye. 

Product demos

Snapchat has an air of authenticity about it in comparison to the other platforms. This means that if you have a product that requires a quite complicated demo, Snapchat may be a great platform to demonstrate this to your audience. Kylie Jenner, the queen of Snapchat, often announces new products on the platform and then will replicate this post on Instagram to reach a larger proportion of her total audience.

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