Snapchat, invented by Stanford University students and launched in 2011, has already become wildly popular with mobile phone users, especially the young generation.

Snapchat allows you to send photos and videos that automatically self-delete. The idea is the immediacy of the moment, not creating the perfect image. Called “snaps,” these messages can contain photos, video, text captions and other filters and effects.

There are now more than 110 million active users of Snapchat, according to TechCrunch, more than double the 50 million in 2014. The number is expected to grow as the company continues to expand its reach.

Snapchat also offers a great way to promote your business.

Much of what you read below you will recognize. However, in the past such communications were often sent via email or – and this now seems like ancient history – through the snail mail. The value with Snapchat is immediacy, the ability to reach customers very quickly

Snapchat Marketing: Coupons

Snapchat, by its very nature, emphasizes the “right now.” It’s a great medium by which to send out special offers or coupons. Think along the lines of “10 percent off today on special items” or having the customer take a screenshot of the snap and use it for a coupon. It’s a fast method to drive extra customer traffic when you want to present special offers, and people who use Snapchat are the kind who will react immediately.

Contests

The same theory applies here. If you are driving traffic to your brick-and-mortar business or your website, a good method is to sponsor a contest that relates to your business. Run a pet store? Have customers send in their cutest pet pictures and pick the 10 best. Running a bakery? Have customers send in their favorite recipes. The prize can be a discount for your products

Using Video

This is the future of marketing. People are reading less and becoming more visual, and videos are a great way to reach them.

For example, if you have a new product, then make a video demonstrating how great it is, using yourself or employees in the video. Keep it short and snappy. People are more likely to watch a short video than a long one – or read a long explanation of your product.

You can also videos for promotion of new products outside just a demo video. Behind-the-scenes videos to promote products – showing how it is made and how it can be used – are popular because it helps customers connect with businesses, and the more connected a person feels to a company, the more likely they are to continue being a customer.

List Build

If the sales mantra is ABC (always be closing) than in marketing it could very well be ABLB (always be list building). Snapchat provides yet another opportunity to get your followers to sign up for your emails, which in turn can lead to them becoming customers down the road. As your number of followers increase, Snapchat is a great way to ask them to sign up for your email without seeming pushy.

So should you run out and do all of this at once? No. Take your time learning how to best use Snapchat, and realize that, much like Twitter, it will take time before you build up a big number of followers. But by putting some of these ideas into play, you can make the most of Snapchat to build your business.