Is Snapchat Relevant to Bloggers?

Snapchat is an extremely engaging platform for bloggers and influencers alike. Although Snapchat’s initial focus was on private photo sharing, it is now widely used for sending short videos, live video chatting, and messaging. What distinguishes Snapchat from other social platforms, is the instantaneous nature of the app, with all content sent or received on your mobile phone.

Why Snapchat?

Disappearing Snaps

One of Snapchat’s differentiating features is that stories disappear within 24 hours. There’s little to no commitment involved; if you hate your story, don’t fret! It’ll be gone tomorrow. This allows bloggers to share their content more organically, without worrying about it being permanent. Although Instagram has rolled out the story feature, the two remain slightly different. Snapchat’s platform is much more intimate, as followers have to add each other before viewing content. On Instagram, if your profile is public, anyone can view your story; it might even show up on the explore feed, which decreases the intimacy.

Instagram vs. Snapchat

Welcome to the debate of the century; Instagram, or Snapchat? Content on Instagram is much more curated and is expected to be edited and filtered to perfection. “Is it Insta Worthy?” is a commonly used term among bloggers when referring whether or not to post on Instagram. Snapchat, on the other hand, is much more informal and places an emphasis on the ‘shoot and send’ mentality. Snapchat doesn’t facilitate hyper editing of photos or videos before sending, while on Instagram it is encouraged. Snapchat allows for more authentic use, and encourages spur of the moment posts.

Swipe Up Feature

Snapchat introduced the ‘Swipe Up’ feature, which allows users to link content to their snaps. If you have a new blog post that just went live, talk about it in your Snapchat Story, and direct users to swipe up to read! This makes it really intuitive for the user, as they don’t even have to leave the app to read the post.

Interactivity with Followers

With Snapchat being a more organic platform, bloggers are easily able to interact with their followers. Hosting a Snapchat Q&A where followers can send in questions through the app is a great way to connect with your audience, and provide instant answers to questions your followers might have. Snapchat allows your followers to feel as if they’re having a face-to-face conversation which adds authenticity to your personal brand. Sharing unfiltered responses allows your followers to connect with you in a more meaningful way and enables you to showcase more of your personality.

Track Drop-offs

Snapchat tracks who/how many people view your story, so bloggers can track where users drop-off throughout a multi-story Snapchat video. If it’s noticeable that after 5 stories there is a significant drop-off, this might be an indicator that you should condense your stories to ensure your content is reaching the largest possible audience.

Geofilters

Meetups are becoming increasingly popular among bloggers; followers are invited to a  meet and greet with their favourite blogger in a fun and informal setting. Using Geofilters for events are a great way to promote your brand, and they’re fairly inexpensive for their reach. Geofilters are so successful due followers naturally wanting to share their experience through social media, with millennials being the primary users of the app. If you’re a blogger hosting an event soon, send us an email to info@geofilter.studio and we’ll create a custom Geofilter for you!

How to Build a Following on Snapchat

Frequency

In order to remain relevant on Snapchat, bloggers should ensure that they’re posting frequently so users are aware that they’re active on the platform. There is a very fine line between posting frequently, and spamming your followers. Although some people might be interested in a ten-minute rant about a makeup product you didn’t like (it’s tempting, we know!), the majority of users would prefer to listen to a shorter, more condensed version of the story.

Snapcodes

It’s really easy to create a custom Snapcode, that once scanned, will automatically add you as a friend on Snapchat. Make sure to add your Snapcode to your website or blog so your users can easily add you!

Within the Snapchat app, you can also create a Snapcode that acts as a custom QR code to direct users to your website through the Snapchat app. To create a custom Snapcode, go into your Snapchat settings, click Snapcodes, and then ‘Create Snapcode’ to get started. You can then customize the Snapcode, and add a photo or logo to the Snapchat ghost icon, so it’s recognizably related to your brand.

Cross Promotion

Cross promotion is key in the blogger world, so make sure to add all of your social channels to your blog! Ensure you’re correctly utilizing Snapchat’s unique platform to cross-promote, rather than cross-post. Although Instagram Stories and Snapchat Stories are similar, ensure you’re not posting the same video on both platforms. Switch it up for your viewers, as you likely have a significant crossover between followers on both platforms.

What’s the Difference Between Cross Promotion and Cross Posting?

Cross promoting involves the creation of unique posts for each social platform that is used. Although it does require extra effort, what works best for Instagram, won’t work best for Twitter; therefore, cross promoting is much more effective at resonating with each channel’s audience.

Cross-posting involves posting identical content across all social platforms. Cross posting is a much simpler way to promote your content, however, there are serious drawbacks. Your followers are subscribed to your social platforms because they see value in your content. If you simply copy and paste the same message across all platforms, it gives your followers the perception that you’re lazy and uninspired. According to the Social Savior, cross posting also will result in lower engagement than more curated posts using cross promotion.

Geofilter Studio is looking for brand ambassadors from across the globe that are social media savvy, and who have a loyal and engaged following. Sound like you? Send me an email at julia@geofilter.studio for more info!

– Julia, Manager of Social Media