How can Snapchat be used to grow your professional network in business development?

Using Snapchat to grow your network as a Business Development professional may seem very unusual technique, but it is definitely out of the box thought. It's unique, why not give it a shot. Here are some of the tips: 1. Make a clear cut Business Development related profile reflecting your personal brand. 2. Provide details about your value proposition in a brief, through an elevated pitch. 3. Portray your personal brand; eye catchy username, profile picture, skills, interests, vision and mission. 4. Use your existing social proof to build instant credibility, by adding link to your personal website or LinkedIn profile. 5. Share regular sensible content related to the domain in order to increase the engagement from your followers.

Snapchat's often overlooked in professional circles, yet it offers unique opportunities for business development. Its real-time, visual nature allows for authentic and engaging content, fostering personal connections. When building your profile, infuse your personal brand with creativity, making it not just professional but also relatable. Engage with your audience through stories and behind-the-scenes glimpses, showcasing your expertise in a less formal, more approachable manner. Remember, Snapchat's strength lies in its ability to humanize professional interactions, breaking down barriers to create genuine, meaningful connections. Use it wisely to stand out in a crowded digital space.

For B2C companies, this can indeed be leveraged in Business Development and marketing products (case in point - Taco Bell employed creative and engaging Snapchat campaigns to reach their younger audience). for B2B, this might be slightly unconventional but at the same time it could be used to creating engaging, industry-specific content with younger (untapped) audience - share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your firm's daily operations, highlight industry updates, or provide quick tips. Bottom-line is leverage it to foster authentic and meaningful connections and treat it as another touchpoint with your target audience. Key word her is "target audience".

When you are building your Business Development specific profile on Snapchat right from the scratch, follow these best practices: 1. Think as if Snapchat will be part of your online presence like all the other existing platforms, but here you are starting bit late. 2. Major advantage what you have is, you can leverage the existing audience and presence on all the other online platforms to reach out to newer audience on Snapchat and grow the network. 3. You can cross promote your content within all the online platforms: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, Email connects, etc 4. Never shy away from making use of all the powerful tools available in the market to grow your online presence, you will see the growth gradually.

Whilst anyone can in theory use Snapchat to grow their professional network in business development, the most successful applications of Snapchat that I know of personally involve established brands. Like advertising on Snapchat Discover. A good example is the collaboration between CNN and BMW. CNN’s Snapchat ads aim to appeal to Snapchat’s millennial demographic by using a brash, almost conversational tone. Dominos and Starling Bank are two more brands that have successfully used Snapchat. Dominos reached 800,000 unique Norwegian "Snapchatters". Starling Bank used Snapchat to reach new 18-34 years old "Snapchatters", and create brand awareness. They saved 61% cost per install on Snapchat compared to other platforms they tried.