Easy guide to Snapchat
Get into the service that’s changing the way people are messaging.
BY NOW you’ve heard of Snapchat, the social network that has people, many of them young, enamoured with disappearing photos and videos.
But Snapchat is more than that, and there are different ways to use it. A group of close friends might use it to chat and send emoji- covered photos, while a business might use the Snapchat Stories feature to provide a behind- the- scenes view.
Hundreds of millions of snaps are being sent each day, so it’s time to stop watching and start doing.
Here’s the good news: Snapchat is relatively easy to set up, use and master. Here are some tips to get you started. Look for the “pro tips” for a little extra oomph.
You can send a snap – a single photo or video – to a friend or group of friends. It is viewable anywhere from one second to 10, and, depending on settings, it might be able to be replayed.
When you add a snap to your story, you are adding it to a chronological mini feed of your snaps that is viewable for 24 hours.
A colleague initially explained it to me as an updating view of your day separated into a 24- hour cycle. Snapchat represents this as a pie chart, with the slivers of pie getting smaller as the 24- hour clock winds down.
Send a single snap to a friend to get your feet wet and go from there. Mixing and matching the features is recommended. I’m a big fan of the story, but sometimes I send food photos to a specific friend who enjoys that type of photo.
If you run a business and are looking for a cool way to engage with your followers, I would recommend creating a Snapchat- only coupon and inviting your users to screenshot it and show it. It’s exclusive, cool and fun.
It’s easy to see how many people viewed and screenshot your story. Click the
Pro tip:
three lines in the lower right corner of the camera screen to go to your story page. Then, click on the three dots next to My Story. Remember: If you haven’t added anything to your story in more than 24 hours, you won’t see this option.
On the camera screen, press the little ghost icon at the top. Here you can see who added you, add friends and see a list of friends. You’ll also see a white ghost with a yellow background and black dots.
People can scan that ghost with their Snapchat camera to instantly add you.
The white ghost in your icon can contain a photo or logo. If you are a business owner, you can add a logo to the ghost and download it to add to marketing materials, business cards or wherever as a way to spread your Snapchat presence quickly and efficiently.
Pro tip:
Add text and emojis, or use the pencil icon to draw on your masterpiece before sending the snap. Follow people and businesses to see what they are doing.
Pressing the “T” at the top after you snap your photo gives you different text options. The paper icon is for emoji. The arrow- like icon at the bottom lets you save your photo to your camera roll for use on another social network.
We’ve just scratched the surface, but it should be enough for you to step away from the sidelines and into the fun. —
Pro tips: