Did you know that every day, across the United States alone, more than 150 million people (and counting) are using Snapchat? That’s according to Snapchat’s own internal data of their photo and video messaging app. No longer reserved for teenagers, the social media platform has been embraced by corporate giants across multiple marketplaces and counts enterprises Verizon, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, and JP Morgan Chase amongst its most successful users.

With massive user numbers, validation by well-known corporations, and the fact that there are more than a billion videos watched via Snapchat every single day, any business not Snapping to that audience is way behind their competition.

 5 Ways to Use Snapchat as a Marketing Tool

1. The most obvious – Sponsored Geofilters, Snap Ads, and Sponsored Lenses: The average Snapchatter spends roughly a half hour each day using the app. That means a business has the same amount of time to get their message in front of that captive audience of 18 to 34-year-olds in the U.S. who can’t seem to put their phones down. Comparatively, traditional television advertising typically only reaches 4% of that same age bracket. It seems like a no-brainer that marketing to an already existing viewing audience is the way to go.

2. Partnering with Influencers: Partnerships with social media influencers, or those who have already established massive followings, can provide business entities with built-in audiences within specifically targeted demographics. These demographics might otherwise prove difficult to access via more traditional advertising measures, so having an influencer endorse your brand often gains you the support and benefaction of that influencer’s audience. Also, because Snapchat influencers are so highly skilled on the platform, they can generate and proliferate relevant content of their own related to your brand, furthering your message.

3. Product Previews, Unveilings, and Launches: Giving your business’s followers sneak peeks and early access to new products helps to create hype and often leads to accelerated sales. By strategically utilizing other social media platforms to announce product previews and then directing followers to Snapchat for the actual product unveiling or launch, businesses significantly increase the demand for new products.

4. Live Broadcasting: Snapchat is loved by the masses because the content shared between users disappears within 10 seconds of being viewed, leaving no trail. Like the social media giant Facebook, Snapchat offers users the ability to broadcast live, the difference being that once video content is viewed on Snapchat, it disappears. The NBA highlighted the use of live broadcasting in 2014 when it shared live broadcasts of that season’s draft. The fact that no other social media outlet was live broadcasting the event created a higher demand for something that would have otherwise been unavailable to NBA fans, regardless of the content disappearing shortly after its release.

5. The Story Feature: Much like live broadcasting, access to content with limited availability creates demand. Snapchat’s Story Feature allows businesses to play to that demand by using the tool to give users the backstories of different products. A narrative, or Story, can be composed by combining photos and videos linked together in chronological order. Using this concept to showcase how a product is transformed from a simple idea into a tangible item gives consumers a unique insight into your brand. Story content can be viewed for a solid 24 hours, but after that, it disappears just like every other snap.

Is There More to Snapchat for a Business?

There sure is. The five Snapchat uses listed above are merely the foundational building blocks for businesses to grow their social media presence. While the app can prove a bit daunting for new users, once mastered, it provides unlimited opportunities for commercial entities to get their brand’s message in front of a broad audience.