A Blogger's Guide to SnapchatSnapchat has easily become one of my favorite social media platforms in the past six months or so.

It’s simple, easy to update and keep up with and way too much fun (I mean come on –have you seen the filters?!).

But aside from being a great way to pass time or keep up with your favorite bloggers, friends or brands, Snapchat is also a great way to connect with your audience and further grow your brand. Unlike some of the other social platforms, I’ve found that Snapchat takes a bit less planning and prepping than scheduling tweets or styling the perfect Instagram. It’s very in the moment which users definitely appreciate because of the authentic draw.

With photos, video and fun filters literally at your fingertips, the content types you can create to engage with users on Snapchat a pretty much infinite. Here are some ideas if you’re new to Snap and aren’t sure where to start:

Answer questions in a more personal way

A Q&A post is great for answering those frequently asked questions readers leave behind, but Snapchat let’s you take Q&A to the next level. Have readers send you questions via Snapchat’s chat feature, or videos, and then respond via chat or with a video story. Mention the user who snapped you’s name and/or username to add a personal touch!

Show behind the scenes and previews

When I’m excited about a post, I usually give a sneak peak of the post title and topic the night before it goes live on Snapchat! It gets readers excited about what’s to come and let’s them know what to look forward to. I’ve gotten great response to doing it. This would be a great chance to preview physical or digital products or upcoming events. Exclusive, only-seen-here content is a great draw in.

Reveal other elements of yourself and brand

Regardless of your blog’s niche, it can be hard to cover every topic you’d like in your posts. Maybe in addition to being a style blogger, you love a good spin class or spend time exploring local coffee shops. This may not be content your readers are often exposed to in posts or on other social forms, but are still parts of you they’d like to know. Take your audience through a day in the life and show them things about you that aren’t as obviously stated in your posts.

Connect them to the brands they love

I make a ton of my purchases based on the reviews and opinions of bloggers and influencers I trust. So I love that Snapchat let’s you review and give feedback in real time. From book reviews to makeup and vitamin brands, I like seeing and hearing from someone who has tried it first hand. If you’re into partnering with brands for sponsored content (or even if you aren’t) Snapchat is a great place to rant and rave about brands you love (or don’t love).

Bring them into your world

More importantly than all of the suggestions above, the point of any social media platform is to tell your story, and bring your audience into your inner circle. No matter how you use Snapchat, make sure you are personable, authentic and allow the true you to come through. Everyone will appreciate it!

Snapcode

Are you on Snapchat already? I’m ambersburns, feel free to add me and follow along! You can also open Snapchat with the camera launched and press and hold the screen on the image above until the app picks up the QR code. It will trigger a pop up so you can follow me instantly! You can do this anytime you see someone share their snap code –so be sure to add your favorite brands and bloggers!

// image credit

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7 Comments

  1. Great post, Amber! I’m addicited to Snapchat and know loads of other bloggers who are too. It’s the perfect way to let your audience into your life and show them a bit more of who you are. I’ve not tried a Q&A yet, but that’s something I definitely want to do 🙂

  2. Snapchat has been popping up on my radar as more of my favorite bloggers are over there. I downloaded the app, but I’ll admit – I’m feeling a bit like a granny trying to figure it out! I’ll have to use your tips to see if it’ll help my brand at all!

    1. Haha let me know if I can help convert you to a full on Snapchatter! I promise once you get the hang of it, you’ll be obsessed too!

  3. Lately I went on a social media purge by deactivating Facebook, Pinterest, and having a friend take my Instagram account. I don’t use Twitter that much, so I decided to keep it as I didn’t think it’d be too distracting, and I thought I should have a way for readers to quickly and casually communicate with me if they wanted to. Tumblr… I’m still too attached to that to give it up, but I’m working on it. My favourite social media platform as of late is Snapchat. I love that you don’t get wrapped up in stats, which is something I’m prone to. I see it as a very personal social media platform, so I think it’s really interesting how people have begun to catch on to it and utilize it in their marketing. -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

    1. Yes it’s so nice that Snapchat isn’t another rush to grow numbers, but to just really authentically curate and engage via content. I hope it stays like that for a while.

      Also how nice to have a social media detox – I definitely need one soon!

  4. Really love your post! I’ve only recently started using Snapchat, so I’ve just been trying to get a feel for it and how I can maximize usage on it. Thanks for the tips!