In one of our previous blogs we discussed the benefits of tapping into social media platforms that aren’t as obvious to use such as Twitter or Facebook, such as Pinterest. Following from this, we will be talking about Snapchat and how it can be a great tool for marketing.

What is Snapchat?

In its most basic form, Snapchat is a mobile app that lets users send short 10 second or less videos or pictures (snaps) that then disappear after they are viewed.

When it first came out in 2011, snapchat was an app that was mostly used to share the odd funny thing or a rude selfie, but it has since evolved massively with over 150 million users and many updates that has made it into a channel that is growing more popular than Twitter.

Below are a few of the features that are now present within snapchat:

• The option to replay snaps after you have viewed them once
• Snapchat in real time with one of your contacts - this includes instant and video messaging
• The ability to create a story - pictures or videos can be added to bigger video. These videos are available for all contacts and last 24 hours before they disappear. They can be replayed as many times within that 24 hour time frame.
• Fun filters - this allows users to take fun selfies, including dog filter, animated filters and face swap
• Geotagging which allows users to show where they are with a filter

How can Snapchat benefit a business?

Well, first let us look at the stats:

• Snapchat has more users than Twitter or Pinterest, meaning you have the opportunity of reaching a wider audience
• Almost 3/4s of snapchat users are under 35, so if that is one of your main target audiences snapchat is perfect
• Businesses who market on Snapchat is just 1% - so you have less competition
• Over half of the users on Snapchat use it daily, while a third use it 2-5 times a week - great for those who use stories, you know most won’t miss a beat.

These stats are great and as Snapchat is evolving more, taking advantage of it now would be better than waiting til it has become saturated.

As with most social media, being part of it as a business helps humanise your brand. With Snapchat you can create a more personal feel as users can catch a glimpse behind the scene, whether it is during manufacturing, behind the scenes of a photoshoot, or food testing, users will feel part of the process and see you outside of the carefully constructed image you may present on other parts of the web.

If you already present an informal feel on other social media, then Snapchat can enhance this. You can build a trusting image with your customers online, which could result in brand loyalty leading to stronger business.

Get started with Snapchat

Setting up Snapchat is pretty easy, all you have to do is follow the steps below:

1. Download the Snapchat app for Apple or Android
2. Once installed, open the app and click “Sign Up”
3. Create an account - make sure your username is the same as your other social media profiles, if it is already taken then make sure it is as close as possible
4. Add a picture - we would recommend your brand logo
5. Ensure everyone can view your story - click the ghost icon at the top then click the little cog icon to go to Settings and you can change this option in there
6. Add people! - click on the ghost icon at the top and when the menu pops up click “Add friends” - you will have different options to add people, from username to contacts.
7. Share your Snapchat - to let more people know about your Snapchat, be sure to share it on social media, a lot of people include it in their social media bios as well.

Now that you are all set up, you can now start posting! It is very easy to post to Snapchat, here's how…

1. Opening the app will take you straight to the camera
2. To take a photo, click the circular button at the bottom of the screen, to film a video, just hold the button to record.
3. The icon on the top right of the screen will allow you to change your camera to either front-facing or back-facing
4. To add filters while taking a photo, press and hold on the screen and the filters will appear along the bottom by the capture button.
5. Once the image or video has been captured, you have the option to add filters or geotags - all you need to do is swipe left or right, or add stickers or doodle on the image - click the icons top right.
6. Clicking the clock icon on the bottom left corner will allow you to set the time of the image
7. Once this is completed you can either click the blue arrow on the bottom right to send to friends, or just click square icon with the plus symbol to add to your story
8. When your story has been uploaded you can then check who has seen it by clicking on the three little dots next to your story

So those are the basic steps to Snapchat. Once you have got to grips how to snap and post to stories, it is good to plan the type of content you want to post.
As mentioned earlier, Snapchat allows you to humanise your brand and gives users the opportunity to see behind the scene. If you are a clothing brand you can show behind the scene footage of photoshoots, or if you are brand that produces furniture you can show how the furniture is made.

These types of videos are great as it gives users an insight to your process and brand, and makes them feel apart of it. This can help build brand loyalty and trust.

As well as behind the scene footage, other content can include quick reviews of your products, showcasing or launching brand new products, a platform to showcase discounts, or step-by-step videos.

Just be sure to be yourself when you are filming or posting photos, and post regularly. As stories disappear every 24 hours you will want to make sure you post something so there is always something for your users to watch.

Happy Snapping!