Should your business be using Snapchat or Instagram Marketing? Or both?

Ultimately, it all depends on where your target audience is hanging out the most.

The cool thing is, you can use both with different objectives, and we’ll outline the details of the best ways to use Instagram or Snapchat marketing to promote your business.

How Instagram Works

Snapchat was bought by Facebook and has even more engagement than Twitter.

Some Instagram traffic stats as of 2015:

• 300 million monthly active users
• 75 million daily users
• An average of 70 million photos posted daily
• The like button gets clicked 2.5 billion times a day
• The average user spends 21 minutes a day on Instagram
• 41% of users are ages 16-24, but 35% of users are 24-34

You can snap a picture or shoot a video with your phone using the app, or import an existing photo or video into the app.

From there, you can edit it and add filters.

These filters and the array of editing options allows you to create some very nice-looking, even artistic-quality photos and videos.

An Instagram video can be as long as 15 seconds.

Your followers can like and comment on your photos and vids.

Instagram’s Downsides

Short-term promotions don’t work very well on Instagram.

This is because once you post to Instagram, it will stay there unless you go in and delete it.

There’s no sense of urgency, and less of a chance that people will take action fast.

You also have a lot more competition in vying for your followers’ attention on Instagram, and the demands for high quality shots are really high.

If you don’t stand out, your followers will scroll right by.

Instagram’s Strengths

Hashtags!

For the obvious reasons, you can’t use hashtags with Snapchat, but as long as you use relevant and popular ones, your Instagram images will bring people around.

Kill more birds with one stone:
You can also easily link your Instagram account to Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts.

The Best Way to Use Instagram

Take high quality images of your products and behind-the-scenes stuff.

Use hashtags for your business, #yourbusinessname.

And hashtags that describe the image, as well as popular buzzwords used in your industry that your fans are likely to search for.

These high quality images will keep you fresh in their minds.

You can also promote your instagram images and videos in the same way you can promote Facebook posts.

How Snapchat Works

Your followers can only view a snap from you for as long as 10 seconds. After 24 hours, it’s gone forever.

That is, unless they were quick enough to take a screenshot!

Some Snapchat traffic stats as of 2015:

• Estimated daily active users: 100 million (though some sources believe it could be closer to 200 million)
• Number of Snaps sent each day: 400 million
• Percentage of users that are women: 70%
• Core users’ ages: 13-24 years old
• 77% of college students use Snapchat
• Only 1% of advertises are using Snapchat for marketing (which means there’s not a lot of competition, and there’s a whole lot of room for you!)

Snapchat’s Downsides

Snapchat’s downside is that you can’t choose a photo from the existing photos on your phone.

Also, Snapchat’s audience is pretty narrow.

If you’re marketing to young adults and teens, however, this is definitely not a downside. You should get an account and start snapping!

There is also currently no option on Snapchat for native advertising.

Snapchat’s Strengths

Unlike Instagram, a snap can only be viewed for a maximum of 10 seconds. You can view it again if you click on it, but only for the next 24 hours.

How could this possibly be a strength?

It creates a sense of urgency and your viewers are more likely to take action quickly on whatever you’ve snapped.

This also makes it more memorable!

The Best Way to Use Snapchat

Use it to send cool coupons to your followers!

First, create a story and let them know that a coupon is coming, so they’ll be ready to screenshot it.

This limited-time offer, quick grab tactic is very effective in getting people to take action.

Now that you know the differences between the two image-based social networks, you can make an educated guess on whether you should do Instagram or Snapchat marketing, or use both in different ways.

Knowing as much about your audience as possible makes all the difference!