8 ways Snapchat’s custom stories can improve brand engagement

Snapchat recently started offering custom stories, which lets specific people, or people at a geofenced location, create content to share with the world or specific groups.

While this feature offers a chance for some fun for Snapchat users, it also offers a way for businesses to get their word out to some of their younger customers. To find out what works best, I asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council the following:

Snapchat recently revealed a new feature called custom stories. What is one way brands can utilize this feature in their own marketing strategy?

Their best answers are below:

1. Offer Hyper-Local Promotions 

Brands can run special promotions to users based on their location by using the geo-fencing capabilities of Custom Stories. This allows the content to become hyper-local and much more relevant to users who might want to engage with a brand’s retail presence versus online, as an example. – Warren Jolly, adQuadrant, Inc.

2. Look to Use It During Big Events 

Snapchat’s new custom stories feature presents a great opportunity for businesses and brands to draw in more people to large events. Custom stories were built to invite your friends to “share.” If you’re planning an event, create a custom story to promote it and get busy sharing it with your audience. Add an incentive to share to boost the effectiveness (e.g., a giveaway or free event ticket). – Alex Miller, Upgraded Points

3. Provide Exclusive Content to VIP Customers 

Snapchat’s new custom groups product is the perfect tool for brands to allow their top customers or VIPs to get exclusive access to special offers, events, behind-the-scenes content and more. This will also allow you to get intimate feedback from people who might not feel as comfortable sharing information on a more public platform. – Nicholas Haase, Startup Drugz

4. Illustrate Product or Service Benefits That a Customer Experienced 

It’s a great way to show how a product or service has solved a pain point by having a customer relate their experience. This provides an authentic example of how you can help your audience. – John Rampton, Due

5. Create a Cohesive Brand Image

This is an especially promising feature for companies with multiple locations or branches. Custom stories can be a way for people in different locations to collaborate and strengthen the overall brand. For example, brands in the fitness or hospitality industries can create stories that feature people and scenes from several locations. – Shawn Porat, Scorely

6. Broadcast Launches and Company News 

Turn it into a media channel for product announcements, new hires and other great company news. It’s perfect for broadcasting in a way you can control. – Cynthia Johnson, Ipseity Media

7. Target Your Delivery of Content  This feature enables brands to connect personally with a very targeted group. For example, each group can be targeted depending on where they stand on the brand’s marketing funnel. To the group who hasn’t bought: content to help them buy. To the group who has bought: content to keep them loyal and further connected. To the loyal customers: content to turn them into ambassadors. – Richard Sexton, LDR Investment Group LLC

8. Seek and Promote Testimonials 

A customer personally endorsing your service or product is one of the strongest marketing tools you can leverage to acquire new customers. Snapchat and the custom stories feature can take those testimonials to the next level. – Scott Baxter, PlayYourCourse