Snap!

Until very recently I thought that Snapchat was for teenage girls: pouting selfies and a running commentary of who is snogging who at school.

That was until I met Chris Marr and joined his Content Marketing Academy (CMA) community. This group of like-minded content marketers from across the world use Snapchat as one of their social media channels to share knowledge, build trust and develop relationships.

The value of Snapchat came to life when meeting fellow CMA member, Alasdair McGill, of Ashton McGill, for the first time. We enjoyed a coffee and great conversation and both commented that it felt like meeting an old friend, not a new business contact. Ali and I are connected on a number of social media platforms, each serving their own purpose, with Snapchat allowing a candid insight into his life. From the conferences he presents at, to his protein pancakes for breakfast, I feel there is a level of trust building that will form a valued relationship.

The rise of Snapchat should not be ignored. It was not so long ago that if you were over 25 you could be considered too old to use Facebook. That demographic has dramatically shifted as I’m kept up-to-date with neighbour’s grandkids and an abundance of 40^th birthday shenanigans. As a communications professional it is important for me to understand the ways in which people communicate. The acceptance of Snapchat among my peers is a key trend that I am willing to embrace, and yes, I’m hopping on board the bandwagon with gusto.

The teenage girls I mentioned earlier have grown up with Snapchat. In the same (yet quite different!) way I can still perform a number of Take That dance routines. Teenagers “get it,” but for the rest of us, Snapchat remains the “least intuitive” social media platform for a reason. Do you think I performed those Jason Orange moves without practise? No. I watched that Smash Hits Poll Winners Party on repeat, invited equally committed fans to my living room and we kept going until we got it right. You need to use Snapchat to get it. You need to follow the right people; keep returning for a few days to understand what they’re doing right and at some point it clicks and SNAP! you’re hooked.

It’s been a few years since Snapchat was the secret domain where “intimate pictures” and classroom gossip was shared. It’s now a major entertainment channel, a place where brands and businesses engage directly with customers, and audiences return daily to see the latest uploads from their favorite broadcasters. Snapchat has reached the point where businesses really need to pay attention.

Getting started really isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. This article provides an easy step-by-step process to follow which you might find helpful.

Once you are set up, it’s about adding friends to increase your reach and raise your profile. You can do this by adding their Snapcode, or via their little yellow ghost symbol. I’ve tried to select people with a like-minded approach to content marketing or people who are ‘pros’ on Snapchat so I can see how they do it. It’s a social channel – so be social. Get involved! Comment on snaps and direct chat with the people you follow to ask questions and give suggestions. It will be appreciated, and will in turn, positively impact your own profile.

This blog by Joel Comm provides the Snapcodes of a few key movers and shakers to get you started.

My additions to this list would be:

Chris Marr (hellocma and chrismarr101) for his unyielding knowledge of all things content.
Alasdair McGill (Alimcgill69) who is my new Snapchat bestie for his open approach to his business and lifestyle.
Kevin Mitchell (mitchinator.com) whose Friday play lists I have enjoyed immensely.
Yva Yorston (yvayorston) for being an all round awesome girl and a lip sync master.
Chris Weller (chriswellerpics) for his awesome cocktail suggestions. (he doesn’t deliver – I have asked)
And my new contact Jason Vanderstelt (jvan2go) for warmly welcoming me to his network and suggesting a few of his Snapchat contacts he thought I’d like, including cammysutra6 (a funny Glaswegian who has a fresh take on generating content and being social).

And of course me… kslupinski – little yellow ghost snapcode above.

I look forward to following your story soon.

P.S. I urge you to check out the Take That dance moves link above. It’ll only take a minute 🙂