Snapchat seems to be the new cool kid on the block, everyone is on there. Michelle Obama’s on there (michelleobama) promoting her recent trip to Liberia, Morocco and Spain to promotion education for girls, and at the other end of the spectrum every Kardashians is on there, every day, letting us know their every move. Snapchat is Here, and it seems to be here to stay. So it’s worth getting your head around it to figure out the opportunities it might give you as a business, and how it’s different from the many other social channels out there. After all it is the new Facebook, right? Or is it the new Instagram? What IS it, and should it be included in our digital marketing strategy?

Snapchat is BIG

Let’s have a look at the stats, and impressive stats they are. Forbes says that Snapchat has passed 60 million daily users in the US and Canada. Bloomberg reckons that makes the messaging app more popular than Twitter Inc. by daily active users. Closer to home, in May 2016 there were approximately 2,000,000 unique active users for the month. In short, there is a bucket load of people on there. People who are your current or potential customers. Snapchat is the place people are moving to who want a more personalised social media user experience, and with such  a massive user base, chances are you’ll find your target audience there. It’s a great opportunity for B2B companies to incorporate the platform into their digital marketing strategy to grow brand affinity and audience engagement.

What B2C brands are using Snapchat?

Snapchat is currently the domain of B2C brands. It’s a low cost way to reach the younger audience that make up the majority of users. McDonalds (mcdonalds) launched their new bacon clubhouse sandwich exclusively on Snapchat (then rolled onto Twitter to drive further follower engagement). They used US basketball star LeBron James to provide a behind-the-scenes, sneak peek into the inner workings of a big McDonalds launch (the faces behind the burgers if you will…). Snapchat is a great way to give consumers a peek into the heart and underbelly of your business.

Amazon (amazon) recently used Snapchat to bring a bit of personality to their female-voiced Echo speaker. Snapchat’s video format is a great, low cost way to demo new products or help users with existing products that may be tying up your customer service lines with questions on how to use. It can simply show your customer base (or potential customers), who should be using it and in what way, in a very simple, clear format.

By the way, if you haven’t heard of the wonders of video advertising, prepare to have your mind blown:

  • after watching video content, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online
  • 50% of executives look for more information after seeing a product/service in video format; and
  • 65% of executives visit a marketer’s website and 39% call a vendor after viewing a video

Statistics taken from http://www.insivia.com/50-must-know-stats-about-video-marketing-2016/

What about B2B then?

Social media is a playground that’s generally easier for B2C brands to use as part of their digital marketing strategy- they can have conversations directly with their customers and showcase their brands the way they want to. But some big tech B2B players have started Snapping, so likely we’ll see more and more of it locally in the very near future.

Some big B2B guys in the Snapping game include:

IBM (ibm) recently used Snapchat to provide a tour of the company’s facilities, and provide a sneak peek into events where the company’s products are being used. They teased the campaign on Twitter to get their followers across to Snapchat- so are working their social media assets together to maximise total reach and drive engagement.

Hubspot (hubspotinc) uses Snapchat predominately as a recruitment channel for their B2B brands- allowing users to get up close and personal with the company. They provide intimate glimpses into their culture, their personality and what makes them great to work for- something you can talk about in interviews, but to see it in Snapchat format gives it a depth that just cant translate into words.

So… does Snapchat make sense for your business?

The answer is, yes. The user base is there, and it’s growing. We’re seeing strong examples of Snapchat marketing overseas, so very shortly we’ll start seeing that in Australia. So if you’d like to get a jump start on your competitors consider incorporating Snapchat into your digital marketing strategy. It’s currently the playground of the young (45% of snapchat users are between 18-24 according to BI Intelligence), but as the user base grows amongst the 35-50 demographic, you’ll start reaching decision makers and those making budget decisions.

But remember…

  • Align your snaps with your marketing objectives. Keep everything consistent and reflective of your brand- nothing works in isolation.
  • Don’t Snap for Snapping’s sake. Make sure you’re providing something of value to your followers, regarding your products, brand or company.
  • Work your social media channels together to amplify your content and user base- drive followers from Twitter or Facebook to Snapchat by creating teasers. Let people know you’re there then keep them engaged with a full, regular calendar of Snaps that support your key activities.
  • You’re still marketing to a consumer. A consumer who is making decisions on what products and services to purchase.

So go get Snapping!