Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would have used or at least heard of Snapchat – the social media app that lets you share messages, videos, or funny photos. Whether you’re an individual user or a brand, if you’re planning to get on Snapchat, now’s the best time to do it!
But before you do, there are a few basic ways this technology differs from anything you may have used before.
Let’s dive in:
Decoding The Lingo
Remember the hashtag, RT, and 140 from Twitter? Didn’t we all take our sweet time and several tutorials to understand how these things work? Similarly, the Snapchat universe has its own set of codes. Allow us to break them down for you:
- Snap: A snap is a picture or video that you can click and send to your friends. However, the USP of Snapchat lies in its disappearing act – a snap vanishes after a maximum of 10 seconds once viewed.
- Story: A series of photos or videos make up a Story. This allows you to showcase a sequence of events to your friends list.
- Filter: Filters are overlays that can jazz up your photos. These can change basis the time of the day, your location, or a special event.
- Lenses: Lenses help you make those funny faces (think: the bunny rabbit or the angel-styled halo of flowers). They allow you to add animated effects while taking photos.
- Geofilters: These are fun, pre-designed overlays used to display your current location.
- Snapcode: A seemingly random collection of black dots makes up your QR code, which enables discoverability. This is what appears when someone clicks on your profile image.
- Snapchat Score: Your Snapchat Score is a special equation based on the number of snaps sent and received, Stories you’ve posted, and other activity.
- Memories: A new feature that automatically backs up your snaps and arranges them in categories. Use this searchable archive to keep Memories private or share them with your network.
Let The Action Begin
- Create Snaps: This is where the fun begins. Tapping the circle at the bottom takes a photo and by holding it, you can take a video. The icons on the interface let you add a funky filter, text, or a sticker. You can then doodle on your images, download them to your gallery, set time, and send to a friend. Remember, your friends can take a screenshot of your snap. The moment they do it, you get notified.
- Create Stories: Add the snaps you have created to make up a Story. Unlike Snaps, Stories have a time frame of 24 hours, during which they can be repeatedly viewed.
- Chat: As the name suggests, Snapchat is a messaging app at its heart. However, upon exiting a chat, the app immediately clears your messages.
Snapchat for Business: 5 Hacks To Build Your Brand On The Network
A relatively young, shy kid on the block, Snapchat is a growing network that promises to provide brands new opportunities to broadcast their stories. Many brands have mastered other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but are still finding their feet on Snapchat. Here are a few ways your company can mark its presence on the network that has 150 million daily active users!
- Be Personal: It’s important not to seem like you’re advertising your wares on Snapchat, so we’d recommend not posting banner ad-like updates. Tailor your snaps to appear personal and spontaneous.
- Measure As You Go Along: The most basic stats that you can get from Snapchat are the number of views and screenshots. Other performance indicators include views for every frame and drop-offs at every Snap. Choose any parameter to judge your brand’s performance.
- Be Creative: Snapchat is a great network to show off the culture of your brand through creative ideas. Showcase your brand essence by posting behind-the-scenes videos, team events, or special occasions at the office.
- Mix It Up For Variety: The filters, lenses, doodling, and text features are out there for a reason. Don’t restrict your Snaps to just photos. Show variety by including short videos, pictures with emojis, doodles and so on.
- Build A Community: The best way to succeed on Snapchat is by creating a community around your brand. Grow your audience and turn them into brand loyalists by creating great content. Here’s how:
- Create weekly calendars and themes: #blowawaymondayblues etc.
- Get influencers on board: Are you a sports brand? How about making a story with a local athlete?
- Be heard: Make stories or snaps that portray your opinions about current affairs.
Snapchat, if used correctly, can prove to be a very powerful tool in your social media strategy. With these tips and tricks, all you need is a few days of fiddling around with the app, and you’re on your way to creating a splash among your followers!
