The Realities of Snapchat

How many of us click on Snapchat when we’re bored and aimlessly scroll through people’s stories?! I know I do this all the time.

I like to think of Snapchat as SnapCHAT – a platform to actually chat rather than somewhere to do everything from liking pictures, commenting on posts, to making purchases right there on the spot.

So, let’s talk about the realities of Snapchat:

#1: It’s not a standard platform for growth.

Because you can’t see followers, likes, and other metrics, it’s difficult to know how you’re growing. Unless of course, you’re one of the top people on the platform, in which case you probably don’t need to worry about it!

Stories are a terrific way to share day to day operations, BTS, events, etc. (which we’ll talk about later in the post).

Although Snapchat isn’t the best place to grow, there are ways to improve your reach. Some influencers have made up to 100K per WEEK by using Snapchat, so it’s possible to see great results if you use it the right way.

#2: Chat Away

Do you want to interact on a more personal level with your audience? If so, Snapchat is a great option. Since Snapchat isn’t public, having a more intimate relationship with your followers is key.

Digital marketing agencies are using Snapchat as a direct response vehicle with huge success, getting viewers to install their clients’ apps.

On Snapchat, you have one-on-one interactions, making it feel much more personal. USE this to your advantage to connect with your viewers!

Make sure you’re AUTHENTIC + REAL with your audience. Since the camera is so close to you, identifying true authenticity is much easier on this platform. That means your audience will know if you’re being fake.

3. It’s hard to get discovered

“Gee, thanks for letting me know! So what do I do now?” Did I just read your mind?

When searching for an interest on Snapchat, only the top 10 suggestions are shown, which clearly isn’t enough! This makes it challenging for people with a smaller audience to grow.

Below is the results when I searched ‘animals’. As you can see, it only shows the top pages for me to subscribe to.

So how do you get seen on Snapchat? Try teaming up with other users/influencers to help you both grow. A few collaboration ideas are:

• Shoutouts with fellow influencers
• Show up on each other’s stories
• Share snapcodes
• Follow each other

#4: People are leaving Snapchat

The reason people are leaving is that they’re simply not seeing the results they want. Influencers aren’t able to view the kind of insights that Instagram shows. And that’s bad for business.

Below is a brief snapshot of what the insights look like on Instagram. I mean, it’s easy to see how tempting all those free insights are for influencers and online businesses. The same can be said for the insights offered on Facebook.

Some days, even the number of views will drop on Snapchat. Say hello to influencer vanity! This causes them to

leave Snapchat and head to other platforms that give them what they actually want.

But don’t give up on using Snapchat for growth just yet. And remember as a platform to personally connect with your audience it’s still powerful. According to Snapchat, an average user will be on the platform for 30 minutes per day. (Source: https://forbusiness.snapchat.com/)

However, Instagram says, “Those under the age of 25 spend more than 32 minutes a day on Instagram… while those age 25… spend more than 24 minutes a day.” The average time spent is only a few more minutes higher on Instagram. So, take these realities with a grain of salt, and continue to use Snapchat to build relationships with your audience.

The ultimate Snapchat tips:

• Create something different that no one else has done. If there are people who think you’re growing, they will want to collab with you!
• We all love Bitmojis – use them on Snapchat. They make personalized chatting more entertaining and fun. I mean how cute is this snap map full of Bitmojis!

• Create weekly interactive stories to motivate your audience to engage and participate. This will help grow your reach.
• When your brand has an event – feature it heavily on your Snapchat! They can see your success at live events, and it will create a want for your viewers to be part of it.
• Shoot some behind the scenes shots on Snapchat. Your followers will love the more intimate feel of BTS!
• Take most of your videos vertically ( holding your phone as you usually do). These videos have the best response because they seem so close and personal. Vertical video comedy skits and vertical video narratives are the future of social media.

• Finally: Don’t forget to save your Snapchat videos. You can use them for anything from Instagram stories to future advertisements for your brand!

david asarnow