Snapchat: The Next Social Media Sales Generator

There is a myth that Snapchat is for individuals only - not business. Well, it's not true.

And today we'll show you exactly how you can build a following and a brand on Snapchat that brings you new visitors, customers and sales for your business. So let's start at the beginning...

What is Snapchat?

Simply put, Snapchat is a social media platform launched in 2011 for sharing photos and videos that automatically self-destruct within seconds of the receiver opening it. It's easy to use, and young people as well as celebrities love it. It's also regarded as one of the best apps to send and receive pictures. And of course you can also chat and message people with Snapchat as well.

Facebook tried to buy Snapchat and couldn't, so they launched their own app called Slingshot.

What, you never heard of Slingshot? Neither has most anyone else. Sorry Facebook, but Snapchat rules.

So why do people love Snapchat? Besides being fun and immediate, it's also private. You can share photos with anyone without worrying they'll be stored and uploaded to the internet for public viewing. Since all photos and videos self-destruct within a few seconds, it doesn't give the receiver a chance to do anything but view them.

How do you get started on Snapchat?

It's really pretty self-explanatory. Download the app from the app store. It's available on Android, iOS and Windows. Open the app, fill in your details, verify your identity and add your contacts. It will walk you through the process step-by-step, and it'll only take a few minutes.

Then pick your personal preferences and you're ready to go. You can add taglines or short captions to your photos, as well as adding filters. Then you can send your photos and of course receive them as well.

You also have the option of adding stories. A story can be a video or series of pictures that lets followers know what you've been doing, or whatever you want to share. A story lasts for 24 hours and then it self-destructs.

You can also start chat sessions with your followers. It works much like any other chat messenger, with one exception: You won't be able to read the chat once you close the window because it will have self-destructed.

Snapchat Myths

We already mentioned the most prevalent myth - that Snapchat isn't for business or doesn't allow marketing.

Not so. If you look at the storytelling feature of Snapchat, you'll see it's highly effective for promoting campaigns, products and so forth. And because it's done in pictures and videos (with or without captions) it's easier and faster for people to consume than a written work.

Another myth is that it takes too long to establish yourself on Snapchat. This is going to depend on how interesting your campaigns are and how many followers you can initially bring into the platform.

By leveraging followers you already have in Facebook, Twitter, email, your website and so forth, you can begin with a large following in place.

Then there is the myth that Snapchat is overshadowed by other platforms. This is an apples and oranges comparison, since there is no other platform exactly like Snapchat. Facebook and Twitter are message based, Snapchat is image based. Facebook and Twitter appeal to an older crowd, and Snapchat appeals to a younger (under 40) crowd.

Snapchat Terms You Need to Know

Snaps - Individual pictures that are sent and received in Snapchat.

Snapback - A reply given to a particular snap.

Story - A collection of pictures or snaps that can be added one by one to the account. These can be viewed by your followers as many times as they want, but the story is available for only 24 hours.

Scores - Stats provided to an individual based on the number of snaps received, sent, snapbacks and so forth.

Snapcode - An easy way to add new friends to your account by simply scanning and adding.

Snapstreak - The consecutive number of days you have been sharing snaps with your friends on Snapchat.

Friends - Individuals added from your contact list.

Followers - People who are following you, but you aren't following them.

Lenses - Different modifications you can use for your snaps. Lenses are free and change frequently.

Filters - Overlays that can be added to your pictures.

By Nick James  - Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9700533