Snapchat may not be the first social network that comes to your mind when you think of marketing strategies for your ecommerce business. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter tend to be the frontrunners when it comes to promoting online stores.
Nevertheless, Snapchat definitely warrants a second look—especially if you’re trying to target a younger demographic!
In fact, according to Statista, 39% of Snapchat’s users are aged 18 to 24, and approximately 62% of people on the app are under 35. Furthermore, Statista also noted that Snapchat had 363 million daily active users around the world as of Q3 2022. If you’re particularly hoping to reach millennials and Generation Z, this app could be really beneficial for your business.
Of course, once you decide that Snapchat is worth a try, you’ll need to come up with different kinds of content to launch your brand on the network and then grow your presence. To help you get started, here are 11 ideas for Snapchat posts that can aid in increasing your engagement and getting the most out of your efforts on the app!
1. Product showcases
Because of the visual nature of Snapchat, it offers a fabulous opportunity to highlight your products and show them off to prospective buyers. Whether you want to feature a new release to increase awareness of the item or an older product that could benefit from a little extra attention to boost sales, the key is to emphasize the product’s visual appeal.
High-quality close-up images that showcase an item’s features are ideal and can help you sell on Snapchat, quickly turning curious shoppers into loyal customers!
You can also make use of AR to create experiences that are even more personalized for users, as exemplified by Under Armour below. In this example, the company created a lens that allows potential buyers to try on a newly released pair of shoes.
2. Demos
Have you recently received quite a few questions about a particular feature of one of your products? Or perhaps you’ve just released a new product feature that you know might require a bit of an explanation in order for customers to optimize its use?
Think about providing your Snapchat audience with a quick video that demonstrates how your product functions or how the new feature will benefit users. Demos can often help people understand how something works more effectively than written instructions.
Keep in mind that while this probably won’t work as well for features or processes that require more extensive explanation, it’s wonderful for ideas that can be described in a short clip or two.
3. Behind the scenes
No matter what your online store sells, don’t hesitate to show off your personality on Snapchat by taking your followers behind the scenes. Your audience is likely to appreciate seeing the more human side of your brand, and this can help current and potential customers alike feel a stronger connection to your business.
This in turn can lead to a boost in loyalty, positive word of mouth, and sales for your online store…all very good things for any ecommerce business!
What’s more, you’ll have lots of flexibility. Bring viewers on the road with you as you scout out materials or inspiration for a new product, show them your workspace or office, interview your team members, provide a brief message thanking your customers for their support—it’s completely up to you!
In this example from clothing retailer Everlane, viewers get a brief behind-the-scenes look into the inner workings of a photo/video shoot with the creative team.
4. Contests
It’s no secret that people love getting stuff for free. Companies often use this to their advantage to build brand awareness and loyalty. When this strategy is well executed, it can reap a host of additional benefits, including an increase in site traffic and sales.
If you’d like to delight your Snapchat followers and expand your reach on the network, hosting a contest or giveaway is a great way to do so!
The world is your oyster regarding how you want to go about this type of Snapchat content. You might have users post their own photos of themselves using your products, for instance, or request that they share what they’d like your next product to be in the form of a doodle created via Snapchat’s drawing feature.
You can then choose the best entry yourself or have your followers vote for their favorite, rewarding the winner with a free product or gift card to your online store.
5. Influencer takeovers
Influencer marketing is an effective technique that businesses of all kinds use to expand their reach on social media and beyond. After you locate influencers who are a good fit for your brand and you develop a partnership with them, you can ask them to promote your products on their favorite platforms, often in exchange for either free goods from your store or financial compensation.
Another strategy for working with influencers on social networks like Snapchat is to have them “take over” your account for a few hours or even the entire day. Throughout this period, the influencer can find creative ways to promote your products or business, perhaps by going behind the scenes for a special event, testing different products, etc.
For instance, several years ago, Gucci had well-known influencer Alexa Chung take over the company’s Snapchat account, not only highlighting Gucci products but also sharing the news that singer Florence Welch was set to become the brand’s new ambassador!
6. Q&A
Just like with most other social platforms you choose to promote your store, one of the keys to achieving success on Snapchat is to engage with your audience. An excellent way to do this is by posting Q&A.
Invite your audience to ask questions beforehand, either involving a certain topic that you specify or anything they’re curious about. Whether you or members of your team respond to the queries in your Stories, this kind of content offers the opportunity to show your personality and help users feel more connected to your brand.
7. Sales
If you have a special promotion coming up that you’d like to advertise, you can boost awareness about the sale by posting about it on Snapchat and letting your followers know all about it. This might be a promotion that you’re advertising across all your networks, or you might opt to make it more exclusive to Snapchat and supply your audience with a discount code that they can use when making a future purchase on your site.
Either way, remember to include all the pertinent details of the sale so that your viewers don’t feel misinformed and they have all the information needed to take advantage of your offer. In addition, be sure to know your unique best time to post on Snapchat to ensure that as many users see your promotion as possible…you don’t want anybody feeling left out!
Take this prime example from food delivery company GrubHub, for instance. In a series of teaser images, the business gradually revealed a special discount code that customers could use for 15% off their next order.
8. Newsletter sign-up CTAs
When it comes to the marketing for your ecommerce business, don’t forget that you can combine various methods for promoting your online store. This will help you to optimize your efforts and allow for an overall more efficient marketing strategy!
If you have an amazing newsletter, for instance, and are looking to get more subscribers, platforms like Snapchat are really good ways to build your email list.
As your number of followers increases on Snapchat, your number of potential newsletter subscribers increases as well. These app users may just need to be made aware that your email list exists.
Help draw attention to your email campaigns by promoting them in your Snapchat Story. To further encourage sign-ups, give your audience a preview of what they can look forward to in your emails. You might include, for example, a screenshot of your most recent newsletter or a graphic with a few helpful tips you shared in that particular email.
Finally, remember to add a CTA link to your Story, directing viewers to a landing page on your website that allows them to easily sign up and start receiving your emails.
9. Sneak peeks of new products
As you prepare to launch a new product on your online store, it’s beneficial to get some buzz going beforehand on networks like Snapchat to help build anticipation for the upcoming release. This extra awareness can do wonders for getting shoppers excited about purchasing the new item and encouraging them to purchase as soon as the product is available.
In your Stories, share a teaser photo of the new product or another type of visual that supplies a few clues as to what the item may be. You can even make a game of it and have viewers guess what they think your upcoming release will be!
In the Ben & Jerry’s example below, the company began by sharing a few teaser images of new ice cream flavors, revealing the products later.
10. Fun content
Regardless of the products that you sell, it can be a good idea to throw some light-hearted content into the mix every once in a while when it comes to social media, whether you’re looking for TikTok video ideas, Instagram post ideas, etc.—always staying professional, of course!
This type of content is an easy way to boost user engagement for your on Snapchat. After sharing a series of images in your Stories, for instance, you can ask your followers to take a screenshot of their favorite option and share it in their own Stories, encouraging them to interact with your brand. You could alternatively create a poll and reveal the results to your audience.
This content can also give you valuable insights about your business, highlighting the areas in which you excel and where you could improve. For example, you can opt to survey your followers on their favorite product of yours, vote on what they’d like you to offer next, or how you could provide a more enjoyable shopping experience on your ecommerce site.
Keep in mind that your poll doesn’t even necessarily have to be directly related to the products that you sell. The key is knowing your audience and understanding what kind of content is most likely to resonate with them.
11. Event promotions
Getting ready to hold a pop-up store to meet current and potential customers in person while promoting your business? About to launch a podcast related to the products your online store sells? Heading to a fun conference to learn all about the latest happenings in your market so as to improve your products and/or services?
Social media marketing is perfect for spreading the word about special events of all kinds!
Whether it’s a series of events or a one-time thing, an online or offline event, sharing the news with your followers on Snapchat is an easy and free way to reach consumers who may not hear about it otherwise. Create videos in which you discuss the upcoming event and why it’s important for your business and/or your audience. If it’s something that others can attend, be sure to share all the essential details, like the date, time, and location of the event.
Keep the momentum going by sharing related posts in the days leading up to the event as well as during and just after the event. This helps to draw your audience into your world, allowing them to feel like they’re part of the action.
One company that’s made good use of Snapchat to promote events is Burberry, which advertised their London fashion show back in 2016. Burberry started by hyping the event a few days before, showing how the event was organized. The day of the show, followers got to view glimpses of the action via the brand’s Stories.
Which of these Snapchat ideas are you most looking forward to trying for your own business? Already have a well-established presence on the network? What types of posts have you found work best for you to connect with your audience?
We'd love to hear all about them in the comment section below!
