ALL IT TAKES IS JUST A SNAP
The basic idea is for users to communicate using images that are explicitly short-lived. Every image we capture remains for 24 hours only before it is removed from the Snapchat database. “Snapchat isn’t about capturing the traditional Kodak moment. It’s not about looking good it is about showing your raw emotions to the world at its best. “Stories” are viewed in chronological order, and each story is available for 24 hours for usage.
WHY SNAPCHAT?
- Snapchat has the ability to send video snaps in addition to photos. By holding down on the photo button while inside the app, a video of up to 10 seconds in length can be captured. As soon as the viewer see the video it automatically disappears. Spiegel explained that this process allows the video data to be compressed into the size of a photo.
- It’s availability in different languages gives it a worldwide approach. It is available in following languages – English, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Romanian, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian (Bokmål), Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Russia makes it easy to use.
- To save a user’s data and to give freedom of viewing “Travel Mode” option was added in August 2015. When activated, the feature prevents the automatic downloading of snaps until they are explicitly requested
TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ON NEXT LEVEL WITH SNAPCHAT
- Snapchat has created opportunity for businesses to communicate with their consumers in innovative ways.
- Businesses are beginning to promote themselves through these small videos.
- The next big challenge is they have to maintain their uniqueness.
- The major challenge for brands, to be successful on this platform is that a brand shall frequently shares its view with others as the message is short lived.
- Create a Sponsored lens as businesses can create a sponsored filter for their brand or product campaign as well. It was done by the Gatorade and it became one of the most successful Snapchat Campaigns on the record.
- Allow Big social influencers to take your account on the next level just you have to deal with them and then allow them to share your ideas, brands, products and thoughts on their account. One of its great examples is iHeartRadio who allowed Hailee Steinfeld to do promotion but the influencer should be related to your industry that is important.
- Using the strategy of featuring user-generated content similarly, used by GrubHub and their campaign was a huge success. You can ask user to send pictures of them with the product or the brand and post it on your account or you can engage user by having contest or similar promotions.
- Providing followers or users with the exclusive access makes them feel more connected with your brand and for this provides snaps of the backstage events, office work or during Covid-19 how brand is managing work or how employees are dedicatedly supporting work.
WHAT MORE CAN SNAPCHAT HAVE?
- Like every other app, Snapchat also has some drawbacks. Snapchat released a new update on March 29, 2016, with a variety of new features. The release has a drawback because of the addition of “auto advancing stories, “feature which takes control away from users who want to select the stories they would like to see, and instead feeds all video sequentially (rather than in an “on-demand” setup of previous versions). Till date, Snapchat has not added the option of switching it off when a user wants.
- Although the snaps are supposed to be for one time thing but it is seen that often users take screenshots of the snaps which is a matter of concern for the FTC.
- One concern is that Snapchat is being used for sexual use by different users.
“SNAP” THE NEW SUCCESS MANTRA
NEW FEATURES OF SNAPCHAT OVER TIME
A feature is known as “Geofilters” was added in July 2014, which allows special graphical overlays to be available if the user is within a certain geographical location such as a city, event, or destination.
The selfie “Lens” feature, introduced in September 2015, allows users to add real-time effects to their snaps by using face detection technology which is activated by long-pressing on a face within the viewfinder.
The next big step Snapchat made was launching Snapkidz for users under the age of 13 years Snapkidz was part of the original Snapchat application and was activated when the user provided a date of birth to verify his/her age. Snapkidz allows children to take snaps and draw on them, but they can not send snaps to other users but can only save on their device.
June 2014, the story feature was expanded to incorporate “Our Stories”, which was then changed to “Live Stories” about a year later. The feature allows users on-location at specific events (such as music festivals or sporting events) to advertise and contribute o other users. As a result, many people can be contributing the same event with different viewpoints. These public “Stories” can also be of a more personal nature involving daily type activities of users.
An “Official Stories” designation was added in November 2015 to confirm the presence of notable figures and celebrities, similar to Twitter’s “Verified account” program.
Now, with some new updates you can share the Snapchat stories outside the application, for this you just have tap on the story option to see it, tap and hold to bring options. Here, you will get the option to share the story on other platforms too.
Analyse your audience with the new feature added by Snapchat, Snapchat Insights for creators which will allow you to see Story Views and View Time Broken down by year, months and weeks. This helps brands or businesses to analyse the engagement rate of the audience. Now it’s the time to grow your business to a great height by analysation of your stories view time and other factors.
The researchers found that users seem to be well aware of how a snap can be recovered (79.4% of respondents) and a majority of users (52.8% of respondents) report that it does not affect them on their usage of Snapchat. Most users (52.8% of respondents) are found using timeout length on snaps regardless type of content or recipient.
According to survey studies conducted in March 2016, people use personal messages more than the publicly offered content available by different sources.
- It is found that majority of its users (71%) use it easy chats, messaging, and imagining service.
- Only a very small percentage of users have agreed that they use it for only following brands and celebrity.
- When surveyed only 24 % were found to be using every feature available in it whereas three-quarters of the users were found aware of the branding and advertising.
Snapchat has now become a platform for individuals and brands — one that allows users to create quick, lighthearted, and even educational video content without using valuable production resources. This is a new opportunity for the brands to promote their business and show their users the culture they have, share their knowledge with their users, and connect with their audience in a new and exciting way.