A Snapchat business account provides companies and brands with additional features to help them connect with customers and promote their products or services on Snapchat. Some of the key things a Snapchat business account can do include:
Reach a Wider Audience
By having a business profile, brands can make their account public and gain followers outside of their contacts. This allows them to get their content and Snapchat lenses in front of a larger audience of Snapchat users. Businesses can also pay to promote their account or specific Snaps to reach new demographics.
Analytics and Insights
Snapchat business accounts come with access to analytics and insights about their content performance. This includes data on impressions, reach, engagement and more. The metrics can help brands understand what types of content resonate best with their audience on Snapchat.
Customized Profile and Content
Business accounts can create a customized profile with branded imagery and info about their company. They also gain access to professional creative tools to make branded AR lenses, filters and stickers to share. This provides a more polished, branded experience.
Shoppable Experiences
Snapchat now enables businesses to add shoppable tags to their content using Shopify and other ecommerce platforms. This allows viewers to tap on products within Snaps and Stories to display a “view in AR” button. From there, they can try on products or make purchases directly within the Snapchat app.
Chat Support
Snapchat business accounts unlock access to Snapchat Support, which lets brands communicate directly with Snapchat staff to get help with account issues or questions. This provides additional support capabilities.
Snapcodes and Links
Business accounts can generate a custom Snapcode that makes it easy for users to find and add their account. Accounts also get a personalized swipe-up link that can be added to Stories to drive traffic to external websites.
Collaborate with Creators
Brands can partner with influencers and creators on Snapchat to produce sponsored content. They can work with popular Snapchat creators to promote products in organic and entertaining ways through Snap ads and original content.
Ads Manager
The Ads Manager provides self-service advertising options targeted to reach specific demographics. Businesses can run Snap ads to drive app installs, website traffic, online purchases and more. Advanced targeting and budgeting options are available.
Build Loyalty and Connection
By sharing behind-the-scenes content, deals, new products and interacting with followers, brands can cultivate an emotional connection and loyal community on Snapchat. The platform’s fun, ephemeral content can help forge strong relationships.
Drive Business Objectives
Ultimately, Snapchat business accounts provide the tools brands need to drive real business results from Snapchat. From awareness to consideration to conversion, Snapchat capabilities support brands through the entire customer journey.
Who Can Create a Snapchat Business Account?
Here are the requirements to be eligible for a Snapchat business account:
- The account must represent a real business, brand or organization
- Accounts for individual influencers or creators don’t qualify
- The business must have a website and contact info it can link to from its Snapchat profile
- Accounts must follow Snapchat’s Terms of Service and Commercial Terms
Snapchat reviews all applications for business accounts and reserves the right to deny applicants that don’t meet these requirements.
How Much Does a Snapchat Business Account Cost?
The good news is creating and maintaining a Snapchat business account is free. Any Snapchat user can convert to a business profile for free to access the core business features.
However, businesses will need to pay for:
- Snapchat ads to promote their account and content
- Sponsored lenses, filters or geofilters
- Paid collaborations with influencers or creators
But simply having a business presence and posting content on Snapchat comes at no cost.
What’s the Difference Between Personal and Business Accounts?
Here is a comparison of personal Snapchat accounts vs. business accounts:
| Feature | Personal Account | Business Account |
|---|---|---|
| Make account public | ✖️ | ✔️ |
| Analytics | ✖️ | ✔️ |
| Custom profile | ✖️ | ✔️ |
| Shoppable content | ✖️ | ✔️ |
| Snapchat Support | ✖️ | ✔️ |
| Snapcodes | ✖️ | ✔️ |
| Swipe-up links | ✖️ | ✔️ |
| Snap Ads | ✖️ | ✔️ |
| Sponsored AR | ✖️ | ✔️ |
Top 5 Benefits of a Snapchat Business Account
Here are some of the top benefits for brands using a Snapchat business account:
- Reach a younger audience. 70% of Snapchat’s daily active users are under 35, making it a prime platform to engage Gen Z and Millennials.
- Showcase personality and culture. Snapchat lets brands express creativity and humanize their company through fun, raw behind-the-scenes content.
- Drive web traffic. Snapchat business accounts allow brands to add links to Stories that followers can swipe up to visit external sites.
- Grow engagement. Interactive lenses, filters and stickers make it easy for followers to engage with and share branded content.
- Analyze performance. Business accounts provide data and insights that can be used to improve marketing and content strategy on Snapchat.
5 Things to Post to Snapchat for Business
Wondering what type of content works well on Snapchat for brands? Here are 5 effective things businesses can post:
- User-generated content like customer Snaps and Stories
- Fun announcements like new products, sales or promotions
- Backstage glimpses at events, shoots, and work culture
- Exclusive discounts and special deals just for Snapchat followers
- Industry news, tips and education relevant to your brand
3 Keys to Snapchat Success for Business
What does it take to build an engaged following and succeed with Snapchat as a business? Here are 3 proven tips:
- Post daily content to keep followers engaged and coming back.
- Interact with followers by responding to messages and comments.
- Leverage trends and memes – Snapchat is about fun!
Pros and Cons of Marketing on Snapchat
Should your brand be on Snapchat? Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros:
- Reach younger demographics
- Showcase creativity and culture
- Drive engagement with interactive content
- Build relationships and loyalty with followers
- Monitor performance with analytics
Cons:
- Ephemeral content can mean lower reach and impressions
- Requires consistent effort to build engaged following
- Limited options for driving conversions directly within app
- Less mainstream reach than other platforms like Instagram
5 Snapchat Campaign Ideas for Business
Need ideas for your brand’s first Snapchat campaigns? Here are 5 fun concepts to try:
- Product launch campaign – Give sneak peeks, discounts and exclusive access to new products.
- Influencer takeovers – Let influencers post Stories and content from your account for a day.
- Follower contests/giveaways – Offer prizes to followers who engage with certain content.
- Events coverage – Share live Stories and Snaps from conferences, activations, or experiences.
- AR try-on campaign – Let followers virtually try on products with branded lenses.
Top 5 Snapchat Tools for Business
Making the most of Snapchat requires having the right business tools. Here are 5 essential ones to use:
- Snapchat Ads Manager – Create targeted ad campaigns to reach new customers.
- Snapchat Analytics – Review performance data and metrics for optimization.
- Snapchat lenses – Develop custom AR lenses for branding, engagement, and ecommerce.
- Influencer marketing platforms – Discover and manage influencer partnerships.
- Snapchat Support – Get help from Snapchat’s support team to resolve issues.
10 Best Practices for Snapchat for Business
Want to maximize your brand’s Snapchat presence? Follow these top 10 best practices:
- Post consistently, at least 1x daily
- Create episodic Stories to keep followers hooked
- Invest in professionally designed custom creative
- Respond to followers and ask engaging questions
- Use polls, questionnaires, and stickers to make Snaps interactive
- Partner with relevant influencers to expand reach
- Promote Snapchat across other marketing channels
- Make Snaps shoppable by tagging products
- Use analytics to refine content strategy and targeting
- Have fun with it! Snapchat is for entertainment.
Conclusion
All in all, Snapchat offers major opportunities for businesses to engage audiences in a casual, fun environment. By leveraging exclusive Story features, branded lenses and influencer marketing on the platform, brands can connect authentically with current and potential customers.
With the right content strategy, execution and consistency, Snapchat business accounts provide immense value in bolstering awareness, building relationships, and driving growth.