Can Snapchat be Valuable for Business Networking?
Snapchat is massive. By the end of 2024, Snapchat ads revenue will reach over $4.12 billion – a 12.3% year-on-year increase. Who’s behind the drive giving Snapchat so much revenue in ads alone? The 265 million daily users. Out of those users, the average person spends 30 minutes sending snaps, looking at old pictures, or stalking people’s stories.
And it doesn’t stop there – they’ve tried to make the platform even more relevant by adding Snapchat AI. But the question is, is Snapchat good for networking? Snapchat doesn’t always have the best reputation, with a growing Snapchat scams trend and the fact it’s simply less relevant to business than other social media platforms. Read on to find out.
Understanding Snapchat’s Unique Features
Primarily, Snapchat is known for taking selfies and sending them to people. For a business, that doesn’t sound like it would be great for networking like LinkedIn. You can’t exactly send a food pic or a pretty sunset to potential clients or business connections.
Still, the platform’s unique features, like Stories, Snap Map, and Discover, could be great for networking. The platform’s transient nature prompts real-time engagement and authenticity, creating opportunities for businesses to talk to their audience in a more close-knit manner. The same is true for the new Instagram Broadcast Channels—these platforms are finding new ways to create communities.
Most Snapchat users are relatively young, with many between 18 and 34 years old. This age group is very social media savvy and likes openness and direct conversations. Snapchat is an ideal platform, making it easy for organizations to target millennials and Gen Z.
Building Brand Awareness
Another thing that makes Snapchat a great business networking tool is its ability to create brand awareness.
It has the potential to capture the attention of younger people and promote their visibility because it makes interesting, engaging pictures that stick in their minds. And if you’re trying to target people older than the Gen Z generation, you can do stories or even pay for Snapchat advertising and appear in the section below stories. The Stories feature is still good – it helps brands share glimpses behind the scenes, product launches, and significant events so that those following can get an idea of how things work within that company.
Businesses can combine in-house stories with influencers or media partners using Snapchat’s Discover feature, widening their scope of connections. By identifying themselves with famous content generators, companies can develop loyalty through association while reaching larger audiences who follow them. Still, influencer payments can be pretty high.
Enhancing Customer Engagement
Snapchat is a platform that can help boost customer interaction because of its endless interactive features.
The AR filters and lenses on the platform can be adjusted to advertise goods, occasions, or campaigns and make them look more interesting. In addition, content could be generated as followers share experiences with tuned-branded filters and lenses, expanding the reach organically. Still, brand filters would be pretty tricky to secure.
Snapchat offers a messaging feature through which businesses can communicate directly with their audience. In addition to replying to messages, dealing with inquiries, and giving personal advice, companies are building stronger bonds with their customers. Consumers are all about feeling closer to the brand they’re buying from.
Networking with Industry Insiders
Snapchat makes networking with industry insiders easy. To facilitate this, creating a business account rather than a personal one is easy. Brands then manage this in the Ads Manager section, also set up for advertising. You can then follow other businesses to make connections.
Snapchat’s informal, down-to-earth nature facilitates more credible interactions, leading to deep connections within the industry.
Businesses can join Snapchat’s industrial events or webinars to grow and share knowledge and ideas. By sharing useful content and insights, companies can position themselves as industry leaders, attracting professionals who share similar views.
Showcasing Products and Services
Snapchat’s multimedia potential makes it ideal for exhibiting products and services. Businesses may show off product features, benefits, and use cases by producing video briefs. These videos are published in business stories, with the potential for tons of people to view them quickly – people only have 24 hours to see them!
Besides product demonstrations, companies can use Snapchat to showcase customer testimonials and success stories. By providing real-life evidence of how their products or services have positively changed customers’ lives, brands can gain credibility and trust. This can also motivate prospects to test out these items, leading them to purchase them and improving conversions and sales.
Measuring Success and ROI
Measure your success and return on investment (ROI) with networking to get maximum value from Snapchat.
Numerous analytics tools on Snapchat provide essential information about audience demographics, content performance, and engagement metrics. By analyzing these numbers, companies can better understand which kind of content really speaks to their audience and then modify their strategies accordingly.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) like views, reach, engagement rates, and click-through rates enable businesses to measure the effectiveness of campaigns. Analyzing user feedback and sentiments may also reveal customer preferences and areas for improvement.
Creating Authentic Connections
Snapchat lets brands build real connections with their customers in a generation that appreciates authenticity.
Unlike other social media platforms, Snapchat’s fleeting nature promotes spontaneity and enables brands to show the human side of their enterprise. These authentic connections can be built by posting unedited moments, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive experiences.
Further engagement will come from live Q&A sessions, polling, and interactive stories. By listening actively to customers’ concerns and likes, companies can prove they have their best interests at heart, developing trust bonds.
Snapchat is an excellent tool for networking. We wouldn’t say it’s one of the best, but brands can still use it to create meaningful connections. The first step is ensuring the account is business, not personal!
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