By: Kelly Smith; Photos by Brooke Dennis and Justin Hackworth for Alt Summit
Yesterday we went over the four most important things you need to know about Periscope and today we are digging into Snapchat. I know that I am not the only one who spent way too much time trying to figure out how to work it like a pro. Am I right? It is a little confusing!
Until I realized that maybe that is the point. We overthink everything that affects our image, our brand, and our online businesses. And although that may appear to be the smart thing to do, our audiences still want that unedited glimpse into our reality. For that, there is Snapchat – the unique social media space that requires little thought, lots of reality, and hopefully an abundance of laughter. It is a place where we can let our guard down for a moment and be ourselves with the relief of knowing that the images or videos will happily disappear.
Here is what you need to know about the benefits of Snapchat.
- Snaps and stories can only be seen for a 24-hour period and then they disappear along with any data of views acquired during that timeframe.
- Authenticity is key, and your audience gets to engage with you directly by choosing to tap on the screen to view.
- Statistics for views and number of followers can’t be seen, so the comparison trap is easily avoided.
- Photos can’t be uploaded so this is the best place to share those dim-lit behind-the-scenes photos that aren’t gorgeous enough for Instagram.
Basically, this is the platform for blogs or businesses to showcase a more personal side, have fun, and stop overthinking. If you are still completely confused about the ins and outs of Snapchat, you should start by checking out this blog post and video from Alt alum Alison of The Alison Show. After that, the Snapchat blog is a fantastic source.
