Over the past few posts, our team at Spectrio has been covering different social media channels with tips for how to utilize them in your marketing workflow. Our goal is to show how you can use the digital world to bring people into your physical locations using social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
We are finishing this series today by looking at Snapchat. While only 24% of total US social media users are on Snapchat, 73% of users are between the ages of 18-24. This makes Snapchat an essential channel if you are trying to reach younger audiences and bring them to your business.
Follow these steps to start using Snapchat marketing for brick-and-mortar locations.
10 Tips on Snapchat Marketing For Brick-and-Mortar
There are many ways that Snapchat is like other marketing channels. While it may seem like a confusing marketing platform at first, you can quickly adapt to it and start posting unique content that draws people in.
1. Frequently Update Your Story
One of the first questions that people ask when they learn about a social media channel is how often they should post. Posting too often can drive people away, but not posting enough means your brand will never get noticed. With Snapchat, it’s okay to post frequently throughout the day, adding to your story and showcasing your brand. As long as what your fans see is valuable, you can keep posting and sharing updates.
2. Focus on Content Along With Promotions
One of the core tenants of social media is that you can’t promote your business with every post. If every image is a sale announcement or advertisement then your audience will tune your brand out. You need to create interesting content that makes people pay attention to your brand. Test this out on Snapchat. Share funny videos or interesting updates that keep people engaged, even if there’s not an immediate hard sell.
3. Reply to Comments and Questions
Like any social media channel, Snapchat is about discussions. Check back frequently to see if there are any responses, comments, or questions on your posts. Answer these in a timely manner to keep the discussion going.
4. Give Fans a Behind-the-Scenes Peek
If you’re looking for a unique content idea, tell a story sharing a behind-the-scenes look at your business. This could be a restaurant showing how a popular meal is made or a hair salon organizing their shelves. These day-to-day updates create a personal connection between your audience and your brand. Viewers feel closer to your team because you gave them this exclusive look. This boosts brand loyalty and can grow your sales.
5. Share User-Generated Content
If you’re not sure what to post or are running out of Snapchat content ideas, tap into your audience base. Share content from other accounts or ask fans to create content and tag your brand. You can even turn this concept into a contest to get more people to share user-generated content. The more engaged your audience, the more submissions you are likely to receive.
6. Create a Sense of FOMO
If Instagram is for showing off amazing photos and LinkedIn is for looking professional, then Snapchat is the FOMO app. FOMO, which stands for the Fear of Missing Out, is a condition where you wish that you had gone to an event or done an activity because it seems so fun or cool. You can use FOMO marketing to show off the exciting events that you are putting on or the limited sale that you have in your store. When done well, tapping into the FOMO of users will bring them to your location because they want to be where the excitement is – not missing out on it from the other side of the screen.
7. Unbox a New Product or Service
Unboxing is another trend that is particularly popular with younger generations. This is the process of opening a package or product to explore its contents and features. While a tech blogger might unbox the new iPhone, influencers unbox everything from toys to hair products to food items. Unboxing is incredibly popular with Generation Z. You can jump on this trend with your Snapchat efforts. Unbox a new product, and let people see what you have that’s new. Soon, you may have people coming in-store asking for it.
8. Use Snapchat as a Website Traffic Driver
You can add links to posts in Snapchat, so consider linking to a Facebook event or to your website to create a call-to-action for followers. Track what kinds of traffic you get from your Snapchat stories so you can see if this is an effective way to get customers into the sales funnel.
9. Offer Snapchat-Specific Promotions
If you want to see how effective your Snapchat marketing efforts are, offer specific promotions to fans who follow your channel. This could be a unique promo code for Snapchat users or a special gift that customers need to ask about. This will let you track how many people actually visited your store after they saw your Snapchat story.
10. Grow Your Snapchat Account Through Other Channels
It’s okay if your Snapchat account is still growing – every brand has to start somewhere. In the meantime, promote your Snapchat account on other marketing channels to get people to follow you. Post about it on Facebook or Twitter, and create a graphic for it on Instagram. Just make sure the content you share on each social media channel is different. No one wants to see the same posts on every social network.
Go Beyond Snapchat Marketing for Brick-and-Mortar Businesses
Snapchat marketing is just one way that brick-and-mortar businesses can use social media to drive online customers to their physical storefronts. For more tips on how to use other social media channels to connect with customers, check out our previous posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Choose the platform that is ideal for your audience, and start turning digital fans into in-store shoppers and customers.