Snapchat — More Than Just Stupid Pics and Videos
Snapchat has long been though of as a place for sexting and inappropriate behavior. Many marketers have wondered how they might use it for their business and their clients.
Recently, Snapchat has been picked up by the likes of Gary Vaynerchuk, Amy Schmittauer of Savvy Sexy Social, Bartunde Thurston, Ted Rubin, and many other well known Internet and marketing personalities.
Not wanting to put myself among the giants, I too am on Snapchat (phillycodehound) and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. It’s nice to be able to be real, share a piece of your life and know that it only, usually lasts for 24 hours.
The Selling Feature
The big selling feature of Snapchat is the Stories feature. It allows users to not only share individually with eachother, but to whomever follows them. This is where the power of the platform comes into play. On Snapchat people can share with their “audience” a piece of their lives — unedited and real.
Brands can capitalize on this experience as well and share exclusive content that people have to login to see on the platform.
Downsides
Some might think the temporary nature of Snapchat is a disadvantage. I believe this is what sets it apart and makes it interesting.
There is a big downside though. The learning curve. I’m still figuring out all the features. It is the perfect example of mystery-meat navigation. It’s not, at least to me, intuitive.
Business Insider has a great primer on how to get started on Snapchat. Be sure to check that, out at some point.
The Positives
There are may positives to Snapchat. Here are some of them:
- While in the app, the users are captive and their attention is yours… for 10 or so seconds.
- It’s a younger audience, so if you’re trying to reach that demographic, this is a great place.
- It’s quick and can be unpolished and real.
- Did I mention it’s quick? That is a great thing. You can give quick snips of tips and what not and not have to be sucked into a script.
- SHORT FORM CONTENT!
- It’s a great way for your clients, friends, fans to follow you or your brand and feel special.
- You can export your clips and repurpose them on other platforms.
These are just some of the great things about Snapchat.
What Are You Waiting For?
So concluding a post is often the hardest part. But this one is going to be easy and fun. I have a homework assignment for all of you. Go download Snapchat from whatever app store you use. Follow me (phillycodehound) and follow some of the people I mentioned at the beginning and start snapping.
As always, I want to hear from you. If you have questions about Snapchat or want ideas on what you can use it for, send me a message. We’ll chat.
See you on Snapchat!
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