snapchat scrutinized

Snapchat is an image messaging and multimedia mobile application created in 2011. Created by two college students, Snapchat was created as a way to communicate using images that were explicitly short-lived according to Wikipedia. Snapchat has gone over many changes since it's inception allowing users to now share messaging as well as images.

After reviewing a number of articles including The Quick Guide to Using Snapchat for Business in 2016, 5 Ways to Use Snapchat for Business, How To Use Snapchat: A Small Business Guide, there are a number of ways for businesses to use Snapchat. A few ways that businesses can engage with consumers on Snapchat are as follows:

• Go Behind the Scenes. Snapchat allows businesses to film 10 second videos or post images that would not be broadcast otherwise. Many sports networks and teams are posting warm up, locker room, and other behind the scenes images that would not normally be available to the public. For many businesses, this can be a chance to reveal some of the magic that goes into the creation of the product or allow a look into the lives of the people performing the service. 
• Access to Live Events. Not every company is broadcast on tv or the internet, anyone is able to provide a live look at their event via Snapchat for 24 hours.  Maybe your company is hosting a gala event and wants to highlight certain points of the evening, Snapchat can allow you to do so!
• Special Offers.  According to the Social Media Examiner, "you could offer promo codes or discounts to the fans who watch your entire Snapchat story, or ask them to take a snap while holding your product."  The followers of the business could take a screenshot of the promo code and bring it in for a discount helping to get customers in the door. This is a great way to allow for customer engagement with your business and product. 
• For example, I follow BGStudents on Snapchat and recently they posted about free popsicles on campus in their story and then featured people enjoying the popsicles. 
• Tell a Story.  Consumers are more likely to remember a great story then just random photos. Since Snapchat includes video, a business has 10 seconds clips to string together and make a story, whether the story is any of the above ideas or something different.

For businesses it's also important to keep a couple of other ideas in mind.  First, keep the content PG, you never know who is on Snapchat these days and a number of young teens may be following you.  While other social medias may allow for crude humor, as a business try to keep it clean.  Second, it can be difficult to add followers as the consumer needs to know your handle and follow you.  One suggestion on adding followers is to include your Snapchat QR code on your website, flyers, and other distributions so people are aware of your account. An example of the snapchat QR code (my personal account) can be seen to the left.  Feel free to follow, many updates from my travels around France currently.

Personally, I did not begin using Snapchat until just over a year ago as a way to stay in touch with friends all over the world.  I mostly follow friends, a few local news outlets, and campus groups, like BGStudents.  Otherwise I am not actively following any large company or business. However, if I knew that there were special offers I could be accessing by following a certain company I may consider following them.  But, if they are not providing me with interesting videos and pictures I will likely unfollow them as to not waste my time on their story.

UPDATE (6/20/16) Over the weekend I attended the Le Mans 24 Hour race and there were posters (as shown on the right) around the entrance of the track informing attendees to follow the Ford Story Snapchat story. While waiting in line to get to the track you could take a picture of their QR code and beginning interacting with Ford's story. I decided to follow them and enjoyed some behind the scenes looks at the race, but will likely unfollow the account now that the race is over.