Saam Ali explains how Snapchat can draw a new demographic to your pharmacy

Think of social media as a solar system, where each planet revolving around the sun represents a social media channel that is home to their own population.

Facebook, the biggest network, would populate Jupiter; and Instagram would be on Saturn; but do you know which channel would colonise the third biggest planet? With a worldwide user base of over 300 million people, and with 1 in 4 of all UK smartphone owners using it every day, it’s Snapchat that stands tall amongst the giants.

Target a younger demographic

Snapchat isn’t like other social media platforms in the fact that likes, comments and hashtags aren’t important. This is why it stands out from the crowd so well. It works by “snapping” videos or photos and sending them to your friends or network. Snaps only last for a maximum of 10 seconds once viewed, after whch they are deleted forever, unless you create a story where the snap will last for 24 hours.

Snapchat is one of the new generation social media platforms and so hosts a younger demographic than other channels. Around 71% of Snapchat users are under the age of 34, and there are on average 20% more female users than male users. So, how can we utilise this app as a marketing tool for our business?
I’m beginning to test Snapchat with some community pharmacies I’m working with to see how this channel may be of benefit. Building an audience isn’t as easy as with other channels but it is of course possible, and you can build a targeted audience. However, considering the main demographic of this channel, it’s best to create campaigns that appeal more to them.

I believe Snapchat will come in handy for promoting the beauty and cosmetics part of the business. Snapchat may also be beneficial if you’re in a student-populated catchment area or close to a university.
For example, let’s say you’ve acquired 200 Snapchat friends in the locality and you have some Rimmel London cosmetic products reduced to half-price. This would be a perfect opportunity to create some snap campaigns or a story. The fact the snaps are short encourages engagement, and the fact that they also disappear creates more of an urgency for the user to come in and purchase.

Trial and error

As I personally delve into the realms of social media, I’m gathering more and more data which is helping me to make better decisions as to where to focus my digital marketing efforts. I see there’s opportunity for Snapchat in certain aspects of the pharmacy business, but does it warrant the time and effort involved in managing and deploying? If a 10-second Snap can help shift your makeup, then that’s a winner
for sure. And if other small businesses are finding success from its use, then that’s another positive sign.

If you’re interested in using Snapchat for business, then I’m more than happy to talk to you. I also highly recommend reading The Beginners Guide to Snapchat for
Small Businesses, which is great for those wanting to get to grips with it. If you’re using Snapchat for your pharmacy business and finding it useful, then I’d love to talk to you too. Send me a message at support@ pharmacymentor.com.