If you haven’t already added Snapchat to your marketing efforts, you could be missing out on great business opportunities. Its image and video messaging system allows brands to engage with their customers in the moment. And now, with updates like payment processing and Stories, there are new ways to leverage Snapchat for your company.
That’s why we asked 12 experienced entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:
Q: What is one creative way entrepreneurs can use Snapchat?
1. Highlight Community Involvement
We use Snapchat to highlight what community and charity events we are attending. It's a great way to get the word out on what resources are available to people who might need them, and it lets people know what our company dedicates its time to. —Ginger Jones, Jones Therapy Services
2. Have Surprise Deals
You could gamify a few deals with Snapchat using the time constraints. For example, post a photo with a hidden picture or message. On your other social media sites or through an email newsletter, let your followers know to add you on Snapchat and check your messages to find a hidden message and get a special deal. You can even play "Guess the Place," and whoever guesses correctly wins a prize. —Jared Brown, Hubstaff
3. Make a Casual Connection
The great thing about Snapchat is that it allows your customers to get to know you on a more personal, less noisy level. Snapchat Stories can feature behind-the-scenes glimpses into your world, but you can just as easily connect one-on-one through the regular platform. More entrepreneurs need to wake up to the power of Snapchat for businesses. —Andru Edwards, Gear Live
4. Put Influencers to Work for You
Like Twitter and Instagram, Snapchat has a growing group of influencers that your target audience is following and listening to. These influencers could be willing to share information about your product or service, helping you build credibility and new leads for business. —Drew Hendricks, Buttercup
5. Tap Into the Millennial Network
Snapchat is by far the most effective way to stay in touch with millennials, and this trend is not going anywhere. All ends of the millennial spectrum are obsessed with this method of communication, and it's becoming more and more prevalent with every month that goes by. If your business or product targets millennials, you need to establish a Snapchat audience to stay competitive. —Giuseppe Stuto, SmackHigh
6. Network
There is a lot less noise on Snapchat at the moment than any other channel. By reaching out and engaging in fun ways with people who otherwise would ignore my emails, tweets, LinkedIn messages, etc., I've been able to break through via Snapchat. From potential customers, VCs, journalists, and more, Snapchat has been my secret weapon for networking. —Nicholas Haase, Startup Drugz
7. Conduct Market Research
Snapchat is a fun, engaging social media platform where users are really open about their lives and experiences in the moment. This makes it an ideal platform for conducting market research, especially for consumer-facing products or services. When trying to better understand your audience or customer segment, explore and engage on Snapchat for an authentic view of your target market. —Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.
8. Offer a Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse
We're a curator of information and events for moms and just recently joined Snapchat. So far, we've been using it to show our audience behind-the-scenes glimpses into the preparation for our dozens of events and days off in new cities around the country. In the future, we plan to allow for some takeovers as well, especially as we work with and reach many moms—all whom would love some insight into the daily lives of others in their shoes. —Lindsay Pinchuk, Bump Club and Beyond
9. Get Creative With Your Content
We've invested heavily in our Snapchat channel and have seen great results. We’ve hired actors to create two- to three-minute shows, launched a weekly series, and kept people entertained while highlighting our product. We’ve seen a 10 to 15 percent conversion rate from incoming traffic. —Jonathan Shokrian, MeUndies Inc
10. Try Out the Snapchat Stories Feature
A picture is worth a thousand words. Use yours to tell a story about your brand using the Snapchat Stories feature. You can post a few photos in a group to generate excitement for an upcoming event and/or show the outcome of a project you're wrapping up. If your business is in the professional services industry, consider a "day in the life" montage instead. —Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now
11. Use It as a Payment Method
Snapchat now allows payments to be made with other "Snapchatters," so this might be a great way to pay freelancers that are working for you—plus you can include personalized messages that emphasize how much you appreciate their work. This can build rapport and motivate these virtual staff members to work harder, and they'll love that you pay them through their social media account. —Angela Ruth, Due
12. Give a Sneak Peek Before Official Releases
Snapchat should be used differently from other social media. At Mobiado, we use it to release information about our products before official releases. This plays to Snapchat's feature of having the photo and video only last a brief moment, building hype over our products. —Peter Bonac, Bonac Innovation Corp.
