Why Snapchat for Business Works

By: Lindsay Higgins

We’ve mentioned and discussed multiple times in class about how Snapchat can possibly be used for your business.  As of yesterday, I was a skeptic.  Today, well that’s a different story.

Snapchat can be used to promote your business in a plethora of ways.  The public actually responds well to Snapchat, and even seems to enjoy this new medium for advertising and marketing.  The reason being is that Snapchat offers a unique, behind the scenes view into an organization’s structure.  It (usually) isn’t edited or staged (too much), and it feels more natural.

Which is a win for us public relations professionals because Snapchat can be a cheap and effective way to reach our audiences.  There are no fancy cameraman costs, or editing for that matter, which saves a ton of money for a business.  On top of that, the most effective Snapchat campaigns usually rely on creativity.

Quick Guide to Using Snapchat

The general public seems to really dig the funny, unusual and clever Snapchats.  A great example of this is the yogurt brand, 16 Handles.  When they snapped a picture of themselves at the yogurt store, 16 Handles official Snapchat account snapped a picture of a coupon and shot it right back to the customer.  The customer then had only 10 seconds to use the coupon at the cashier. 

Sure, it might have only been 15% off or a free topping, but the engagement was what mattered most.  It won the public over and made them feel important and valued.  This was a brilliant tactic. 

Snapchat is essential for businesses.  All it takes is a little creativity, some customer feedback and some “fine tuning”.  Just remember to be engaging and clever when it comes to promoting your organization.  If done correctly, Snapchat can make a world of a difference.

Citation:

Patel, S. (2016, February 22). The Quick Guide to Using Snapchat for Business in 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/270663

@. (n.d.). 5 Ways to Use Snapchat for Business : Social Media Examiner. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5-ways-to-use-snapchat-for-business/

@. (2016). Snapchat for Business: The Ultimate Marketing Guide. Retrieved October 28, 2016, from https://blog.hootsuite.com/snapchat-for-business-guide/

Tweets: The Ultimate Customer Service

By Lindsay Higgins

We’ve all heard the stories about a company’s awesome response on Twitter that exudes wonderful customer service to a disgruntled customer.    This sort of productivity and attention to social media can have a profound effect on both your company’s image and on your revenue. 

In fact, a recent study conducted by Applied Marketing Science (AMS) showed that company’s that respond to customers effectively and timely on Twitter, increased their revenues and brand loyalty.  The study took 3,000 Twitter users and used airlines, telecommunications and fast food companies. 

For example, when a pizza company responded quickly to an unhappy Tweet, it increased consumers’ future purchases with that same company.  In fact, it increased the potential revenue transaction by 20 percent.  The results also showed that the faster the response, the higher the return.  Data on the telecommunications customers’ showed that with a delay of just 17 minutes, consumer potential spending decreased by 80 percent. 

New Research Study

Another big takeaway from the survey was that responding to unhappy customer Tweets results in higher brand loyalty.  It’s easy to understand that positive customer service experiences are often shared, either on Facebook or by mainstream media.  If you feel like you’re valued, you’re most likely going to come back. 

Twitter is an essential tool for any business.  It is our jobs as public relations professionals to understand and use Twitter to it’s fullest potential.  Quickly and effectively responding to a negative Tweet is incredibly important and it’s obvious now that it has a positive impact on your revenue and brand loyalty. 

Citations:

Applied Marketing Science. "Applied Marketing Science Conjoint Research Shows Value of Twitter for Customer Service." Conjoint Studies. AMS, 2016. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

"10 of the Most Brilliant Customer Service Exchanges Ever ..." N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

"New Research: Consumers Willing to Spend More after a ..." N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

"4 Examples of Excellent Twitter Customer Service : Social ..." N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

Best New Apps Around

By: Lindsay Higgins (Scott)

Social media is an every changing, growing beast.  Every month it feels like there is a new app or medium to reach people on, and each one seems to explode into the social media atmosphere.  So what are the new apps and social platforms?

Let’s start with SlideShare.  This is a professional app for those of you who are avid LinkedIn users.  Professionals or users create a presentations and videos, and share with others.  It has a sleek and modern appeal, and is perfect for the businessman or woman.  We can expect to see SlideShare partner with LinkedIn in the near future. Check out more details Here.

Next, the new social medium called Shots.  Shots’s is incredibly simple and user friendly, which makes it a current success.  It is used to document only “selfies” (pictures of the user’s self).  It operates much like Snapchat, with users being able to chat with one another, but Shots is less concerned with privacy.   Check out more of Shots’s features Here.

This Week's Top Shots

Hyper is a combination of several social mediums.  It takes Instagram’s photo sharing abilities with a rating system that allows up votes and down votes of every photo.  Therefore the most up voted photos are the most prominently seen.  It also utilizes a geo tag for users to discover current and relevant things going on in their area.  If you’re interested in learning more about Hyper, visit their website Here.

Finally, another app growing in popularity is one called This.  This is a very specific and clean social media platform.  One of the main complaints of social media these days is the fact that there is just so much of it, to the point of being overwhelmed.  This only allows one link or article shared per day, which will cut down on most pointless content and hopefully elevate the more impactful links or articles shared.  Read more about the app This here.

Social media is here to stay.  In our line of work, or actually in most professions, social media is essential to furthering your business.  It’s extremely important to stay up to date and with the current platforms in order to fully reach each of your audiences.  Take your pick. 

Bibliography:

@watchhyper. "Hyper | One Hand-Picked Video Every Hour." Hyper | One Hand-Picked Video Every Hour. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

Nield, David. "This App Is Way Better Than Pocket or Instapaper." Field Guide. N.p., 2016. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

"Shots." Studios. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

"SlideShare.net." Www.slideshare.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.

Stories: Snapchat Vs. Instagram

By: Lindsay Higgins

If you’re going to be in public relations, you’re going to have to get used to all the social media and mediums that come with it.  Yes that means Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter.  Since day one at University of North Texas, social media has been thrust upon us students. 

So let us embrace the trend.  One of my newest topics I want to discuss is what in the world Snapchat and Instagram stories and what on earth the difference is between the two.  Snapchat and Instagram seem to be here to stay and are widely embraced by society.  As of June 2016, 150 million people are using Snapchat every single day, according to a recent Bloomberg Technology study. 

Instagram Vs. Snapchat

Snapchat stories last for 24 hours, and once those 24 hours are up the content disappears.  Snapchat relies on timely engagement, often having users check back in repeatedly through a day.  But Instagram stories offer more viewership by posting a feed to your story as well as a feed.  You Instagram feed is permanent while your stories are only for 24 hours. 

Businesses tend to reach towards Instagram stories for the main aspect that their content will reach a wider array of people that are already there.  It appears that more brands and publishers are embracing Instagram stories than Snapchat stories.  Not to mention that most people find that Instagram is an easier platform to use and that will widely increase user participation as well.

With Instagram’s clear labels, and links directing to other social platforms, it is definitely easier for the older generation to use.  Not to mention that Instagram stories is less goofy and juvenile with their lack of ridiculous filters.  It’s pretty obvious to see what the public tends to prefer. 

In conclusion, it’s interesting to see the difference between the two.  The question isn’t whether you will use some type of social media story, but which one you will prefer.  I urge each of you to do your research when picking which medium you will use for your future companies, and use it to your full abilities. 

Works Cited

D. (2016). Can Instagram Stories really compete with Snapchat? Retrieved October 05, 2016, from http://www.dailydot.com/debug/instagram-stories-versus-snapchat-stories/

Snapchat Passes Twitter in Daily Usage. (n.d.). Retrieved October 05, 2016, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-02/snapchat-passes-twitter-in-daily-usage

Wright, B. J. (2016). How 4 Brands Are Using Instagram Stories Today. Retrieved October 05, 2016, from http://www.prnewsonline.com/instagram-stories-today