To Snap, or Not To Snap... Snapchat For Business

I must say, Snapchat has come a long ways since its humble beginnings in 2010. What started as just a simple photo sharing application, has now sprung into a mobile revolution. Snapchat has some restrictions, and might not be for everyone due to their younger user base, but getting involved with this platform is a great way to add a new mobile dimension to your marketing mix.

5 Great Reasons Why you should Start Snapping

1)     One Word: MOBILE

The world is going mobile, as in mobile phones. As of last year, Nielson released a plethora of information about consumers. One of the more crucial findings is the increase in using mobile phones for web browsing.

“One of the standout findings in the report is that US adults spent on average 34 hours per month using the mobile internet on smartphones. By comparison, they spend 27 hours on the PC internet.”

Why is this so important? Consumers are browsing, streaming, and buying, from their phones, more than they ever have. Companies need to take note if they plan to stay competitive. Taking content that was designed for a desktop, and expecting it to work just as good on a mobile device, is just downright silly. If you have yet to implement a mobile segment into your Marketing plan, you better start scrambling.

Snapchat is a great way to add a mobile dimension to things. It’s relatively easy to use, and is still free for brands to interact with their loyal guests. Whatever your target market prefers to use, it is important to be easily accessible. With the direction of many consumer trends, it is very likely that your ideal consumer will be using their mobile phone on a very regular basis.

2)     Engage the younger generation

Generation Y are a fickle bunch and targeting them can be tough. Even though my background is in Marketing, I can’t stand being marketed to. In fact, I will sometimes go out of my way to avoid being targeted by advertising. I guess I have a strange love-hate relationship when it comes to this sort of thing.

They are also quite tech savvy, that spends the majority of their time being connected with their hi-tech gadgets and their friends. Snapchat’s user base is mostly Gen Y and Gen Z consumers and consists of mostly female users. If your Target audience is between the ages of 15-25, then Snapchat might be a perfect fit for you.

3)     Urgency

Nothing says urgency like a ten second window to take action. One way you can use Snapchat for, is exclusive deals and quick promotions. We will discuss this in greater detail in future blog posts, but you can use Snapchats time limitations as a call to action for purchases.

4)     Casual Encounters

Brands that are fun, creative and edgy will have no problem with using Snapchat. This platform has more of a casual atmosphere and it can used to your advantage. Your target audience might not have a way to get to know the intimate side of your brand, and this platform has potential to let them get to know you better.  

5)     Ease of use

 As with other Social Media platforms, you have access to a plethora of customization options. This can be great in most cases, it allows you to customize your account to suit your audience, but it can be very tedious to set everything up and maintain. Take Facebook for example, you have to find the perfect cover photo, you need to make sure that your about section reflects the company's tone and culture, you need to make sure that all of your tabs are appropriate and add value to the target audience. It also can be time consuming to manage your wall. 

While working with Target, I know first hand about how time consuming it can be to play the internet police on your Facebook wall. I believe in a "No customer left behind" policy, as in all customer concerns are to be addressed. You also have to be on the lookout for trolls, who might harass your customers or deface your company. With Snapchat, the only thing you have to worry about is producing quality snaps.

    

5 Great Reasons Why You Shouldn't Start Snapping

With all that being said, Snapchat does have its downfalls and isn't for everyone. As with any social media platform, you need to thoroughly investigate it to be sure that it has the potential to achieve your goals and reach your target audience. 

1)     Content Limitations

Snapchat is all about short videos and photos that disappear quickly. If your products or services aren't visual in nature, this platform might not be right for you. The time restrictions can also pose some challenges. With only a handful of seconds to get your message across or to tell a story, it can be difficult to say what needs to be said.

2)     Messy Metrics

Being able to track your project and assess any signs of success is crucial. Snapchat doesn't offer many metrics for business as of yet, the only thing you have to go off of is views. From what I can tell, there is no way to segment views by demographic or age. It might also be difficult to link your activity on the platform to sales or website traffic because it is a standalone application. It is important to measure success of any marketing strategy or plan, Snapchat shouldn't be a exception.

3)     Foggy Numbers

For whatever reason, the company still has not release the amount of users the platform consists of. In May of 2014, the company announced that there was 700 million photos shared on the platform each day. This is quite the figure, but there is a good chance that the company is counting pictures that are shared to multiple users and to the story. With that being said, Snapchat might be much smaller than it is leading everyone to believe. The number of daily photos that are shared each is fine and dandy, but here are some questions that I am still waiting  to get answer too:

  • How many people use Snapchat every day, or every month?

  • How many unique snaps are created each day?

  • How many people have downloaded the Snapchat app on any platform?

  • The rate at which any of these numbers have changed?

I’m not holding my breath on these figures, these secretive practices casts doubt onto what exactly we are dealing with here.

4)     Young User Base

When deciding on using a Social Media platform, it is always good to be mindful of the primary audience. If your brand is targeting men between the age of 40-65, or any other segment that is relatively older than 30 years of age, you might want to look for something else. Snapchat has great potential for reaching out to Gen Y and Gen Z, but it doesn't have much use for older demographics.

5)     Casual Encounters

Snapchat is a very casual atmosphere, which might be perfect for fun and edgy brands, but it’s not for everyone. If your brand has a very business professional, then Snapchat might not be the best match for you. When incorporating new platforms into your Marketing mix, it is always a good idea to have a consist tone across all platforms.

With everything said and done, I think that Snapchat has a lot of business potential and companies need to seriously consider leveraging it in their mobile strategy. Sure Snapchat comes with its fair share of restrictions, but restriction can spawn new growth and creativity.

Now that you have some reasons to use Snapchat, stay tuned to find out some of my favorite ways to use this snappy application for any business.

~Daniel