Should You Join Snapchat?

Should You Join Snapchat? Social media platforms have really taken off and the variety has left many people unsure whether or not to join every emerging platform. It really depends on what you understand about social media and what you can do on each social media platform. These platforms are all part of what we call Web 2.0 applications. We have evolved from static webpages to rich media including pictures and lately video. Every social media platform is incorporating video as a publishing tool. We have recently seen Facebook and Twitter introducing live video. So what is Snapchat? Snapchat is a social media platform where users can post and share pictures and 10 second videos which last only 24 hrs from the time they're posted. The pictures can be viewed a maximum 10 seconds but can be viewed multiple times during the 24 hours. That means the pictures or videos are deleted automatically from your feed after exactly 24 hours. Snapchat has said it is not storing that information in its servers after it has been deleted from user feed. But it is still a worry for some people who don't believe everything they're told. The good thing about Snapchat is that it keeps the wall clean unlike Facebook and especially Twitter. So why should you join Snapchat? As an individual you can share your life in pictures and short videos with family, friends, and acquaintances, even with strangers in some cases. If you don't want the whole world to see your feed, you can go into the settings and tell Snapchat to share your information with your friends only but the default setting is to expose you to the world. As a business, Snapchat is an opportunity to communicate your products and services or to simply market them. Businesses differ on their approach to marketing but I agree with the Gary Vaynerchuk of #AskGaryVee who promotes documenting the process and communicating your expertise instead of trying to sell everything to everyone without developing a relationship of trust. It's a master stroke. People are sick of being hounded with products and services they don't want or need. Teach about your product or service so that people are convinced they need it. Do it for the long term not just to get a dollar out of me. Documenting the process means talking about the development of the product or service not just the finished product or service. People love stories, it's evolutionary. Snapchat is a great way to tell your story. I have just taken a snapshot of this article which I will post to Snapchat to demonstrate what I mean and I will include it in my blogpost. I'm using Evernote on iPhone to write this article. I think the 10 seconds time limit on Snapchat photos and videos is brilliant in a world where our smartphones have so many applications competing for our attention and time. 10 seconds doesn't seem like a lot per picture or video but 6 of those and a minute is gone! So be wary! Another platform called Instagram is doing 15 second videos as well but they stay for a long time. I would recommend experimenting with Snapchat. You will need those skills as the technology industry prepared for virtual reality applications. Grow your personal or corporate brand on this platform and others I will cover in other articles. Businesses and individuals are making money on Snapchat. That should make you start thinking. Bibliography Comm, J. (2016) Top 3 Live Video Sites to Watch for in 2017 | Inc.Com . Available at: http://ift.tt/2iYAZ65 (Accessed: 31 December 2016). Kim, L. (2016) 5 Things Every Businesses Needs to Know About Snapchat Marketing | Inc.Com. Available at: http://ift.tt/2iCvIVp (Accessed: 31 December 2016). Westenberg, J. (2016) How I Made $3,000 On Snapchat In 24 Hours | Inc.Com. Available at: http://ift.tt/2iYzAN9 (Accessed: 31 December 2016).