The vast majority of businesses we talk to on a daily basis are not embracing the current state of marketing that exists today. We think that is a big mistake. They are leaving customers, opportunities, growth, relevancy and money on the table because of their unwillingness to adapt to where their customers are giving their attention.

If you have an audience under the age of 30 – they are on Snapchat. Our “Why Your Business Needs Facebook Live” article (August 2016) received an enormous amount of traction – Facebook Live targets an older audience. You can apply many of those same concepts, tips and strategies to Snapchat – allowing you to reach a younger more socially active audience.

We hear too often just “how many platforms there are” – and “do I have to be on all of them.” The short answer – yes. You should want to be. These are free ways to engage and interact with your current customers and attract new ones. It has never been cheaper or more cost effective to reach the people that are interested in your services.

Focusing on Snapchat and the growth potential for your business is a wonderful idea. Here are some statistics to help back that claim:

• 110 Million Active Daily Users
• Passed Twitter & Pinterest in Active Users
• 10+ Billion Daily Video Views
• 71% of Users Prefer To Message From The Platform

So what is Snapchat? Snapchat is an app (for iOS & Android) that allows users to share pictures, videos and text for 10 seconds or less. The appeal of Snapchat for businesses is how quickly you can communicate with users, and the ability for a longer narrative via “Stories.”

We encourage you to download the app, take a couple hours and learn how to use it. Some great business ideas for using Snapchat are:

• Send impromptu discount / coupon codes
• Behind the scenes action
• Talk about new merchandise / products
• Review equipment
• Quick golf tips
• Introduce new employees
• Course conditions

What is so wonderful about Snapchat (and all the platforms for that matter) is their ability to connect you with your customers on a much more personal level – to have your customers more invested in your services. The Snapchat Generation demands more transparency and being an early adopter on emerging platforms allows you to act first and garner more attention.

The sense of urgency that Snapchat provides is something we encourage businesses to tap into. Your customers pay closer attention because they don’t want to miss out on any deals, news, updates or information (provided that you produce content they are interested in). The information on Snapchat doesn’t live on forever like other platforms, so the experience feels more real, authentic and rare. Your customers are sharing the experiences with you on a more personal level – making interactions more intimate and long lasting. The overall objective with any marketing strategy is to connect with the customer and build brand loyalty – all in an effort for them to use and recommend your services / business more frequently. We think Snapchat is a wonderful tool for businesses to help them accomplish that.

Here are few ideas to let your customers know that you’re on Snapchat:

• Add your snapchat username to the “about” section of your other social accounts
• Use your other accounts to post / update followers that you’re now on Snapchat
• Use other platforms to “tease” content that is only available via your Snapchat
• Ask customers to do a “Snapchat Takeover” so that you can leverage their followers
• Update your website with the Snapchat icon & information
• Write a blog article / include in newsletter what you’ll be doing with Snapchat