SnapChat For Dummies:
A brief description for the everyday citizen on how Snapchat operates:
Snapchat is a social media platform where people are able to make ten second Vlog styled videos. To make a video, you just have to press on the large circle at the bottom center of the screen; press the button for however long you want your video to be. In order to take a picture, you will just tap the same button you will use to make videos. Images and videos can be taken using the rear or front-facing camera just by tapping the tool at the top right of the screen. Once an image is taken, you are then able to caption it by tapping the screen, or draw on it using the drawing tool. The bottom left icon is used for sending and receiving messages while the bottom right is used to view the stories of you followers.
How to see your followers:
If you want to see who follows you, you click the ghost icon at the top center of your screen. Clicking "Added Me" allows you to see who has recently followed you and will give you the option of following them, back. Clicking "Add Friends" will allow you to add people by their usernames, Snapcodes, location, or simply from your contact list. Lastly, "My Friends" will allow you to view who you follow and will give you the option of blocking people, unfollowing, or just editing their names.
Anyone can learn how to use Snapchat in a matter of just fiddling with it for 5 uninterrupted minutes, but many people have yet to discover the proper use for Snapchat. Here is how you Properly use Snapchat:
First off, I think congratulations are in order! At the 8th annual Shorty Awards, DJ Khaled was presented with the award for "Snapchatter of The Year". Now, Khaled was nominated among the best of the best: Kylie Jenner, Dr. Miami, Cakes1ToDough1, Harris Markowitz, and Sara Hopkins...so what separated him from the rest?
Here are the four keys to successfully mastering the art that is "SnapChat", inspired by one of the best, DJ Khaled:
1) Develop a Brand
If you want to be a successful SnapChatter, you have to develop a recognizable brand. DJ Khaled has been developing a brand for a little over 8 years now. "We The Best". Though politically incorrect, it's one of the most prominent brands in the United States. It is so prominent that he is able to sell a pair of slides that would otherwise retail for $20.00 at your local Nike store, for a whopping $65.00. Developing a brand will help you to draw in an audience.
2) Drawing in an Audience
The best way to draw in an audience is through celebrity endorsements and cameos. This is a lesson we could learn from both Kim Kardashian and Khaled. Kim K. is famous for being famous. The Kardashians have managed to become a household name. Kim's niche audience is 18-35-year-olds, and is able to generate close to 3 million views per episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
DJ Khaled, on the other hand, receives an overwhelming amount of attention from the millennial population. So overwhelming, that according to Bloomberg, Khaled has a larger millennial audience than The Big Bang Theory, TV's #1 show.
These two together, can generate an audience of over 3 million people...the ultimate millennial force.
3) Maintaining an Audience
You have to be inspirational, concise, and entertaining. You have to offer your audience an experience they cannot get anywhere else. How many of us have gone jet skiing and gotten lost at sea? How many of us can convince a whole generation that mouthwash, Cocoa Butter, and Apple Ciroc are major keys to success? How many of us can take some of the most obvious life lessons and make them sound way more inspirational than when our parents tried teaching them to us?
4) Don't Ever Play Yourself
No one wants to sit here and watch 5-minute long SnapChat stories...of anybody! If your stories are long and dragged out, you WILL lose your audience. That is not good for your brand, and completely defeats the purpose of SnapChat!
You get 10 seconds to show your followers what you're up to at this very moment. People need short, attention-grabbing clips that will leave them wanting more! Spending five minutes watching you go snowboarding for the fifth time, this week, will force me to lose interest in your personal life. If you want me to want to see your every waking move, then leave a little to the imagination. In laymen's terms, always switch it up. We never know what Khaled is going to do next.
BONUS- Inspirational video of the week
The most inspirational video since Shia Labeouf...
How are you going to be your best?
