With 150 billion users, surpassing the number of Twitter users, Snapchat is an epidemic. Whereas Facebook is a place to curate your life, carefully selected selfies and clever status updates that live on forever, the over 9,000 photos and videos “Snapchatted” per second are raw, authentic, and in the moment. Since they are seen and then gone a Snapchat doesn't have to be perfect or the best version of things. With Snapchat, the content may be temporary, but the connections are profound.
Check out the basics of Snapchat and what it brings to the pop-culture table.
Snapchat Social Media Marketing to Millennials - Snapchat 101
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Snapchatters take a photo or video through the Snapchat app using their front-facing or rear-facing camera via smartphone. This photo or video is called a Snap.
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Once they have taken a Snap, users select a view-time from 1 to 10 seconds. If it is a video, the view-time is the duration can be up to a 10-seconds.
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Creators can draw, type a caption, add Emoji stickers, and swipe left or right to get photo filters to change the coloring and style of the Snap.
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Snapchatters can even swipe left or right after taking their photo to add geographic overlays. These “Geo Filters” are graphic images and art submitted by people or businesses, approved by Snapchat, that identify a location that Snap was generated.
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Once the Snap is edited to the user's taste, they click the icon in the bottom right corner which takes them to their contact page.
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They are now on their list of contacts. They select as many people that they desire to receive the Snap, or post it to their “My Story.” A “Story”can be viewed by anyone that follows the Snapchat user on their own Story feed.
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The Snap is sent to the selected people and will appear on the recipient's “Chat” page. The Chat page is a feed of activity history and new unread interactions between the Snapchatter and their followers.
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The Snap plays upon opening for the allotted time and then disappears.
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The Snaps posted to the individual's “My Story” feed can be played by any of the user’s followers. Stories can be viewed an unlimited number of times within a 24-hour span before vanishing.
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Snapchatters can add Snaps to their “Story” as they see fit which then are available for 24 hours themselves, but don't come into the store too late as the early Snaps of the story may have already disappeared.
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All of this creates a need in the user to check their account regularly for fear of missing out. In today's world, finding a place that millennials can be found in mass on a regular basis... what an opportunity for marketers.
Stay tuned for more of the educational features and check back next month for part two of our exploration of Snapchat for marketing. Need some help with your brand’s social media? Contact FiG Advertising today.