by 
Are you on Snapchat?
Do you use it for marketing?
To learn how to use Snapchat for your business, I interview Gary Vaynerchuk and Shaun McBride.
More About This Show
The Social Media Marketing podcast is an on-demand talk radio show from Social Media Examiner. It's designed to help busy marketers and business owners discover what works with social media marketing.
In this episode I interview Gary Vaynerchuk, the CEO of VaynerMedia, host of the AskGaryVee Show and author of Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, and Shaun McBride, also known as Shonduras, a celebrity on Snapchat and artist. Shaun is one of Snapchat's power users and has represented brands like Disney and Taco Bell on the platform.
Gary and Shaun will share what marketers need to know about Snapchat.
You'll discover why marketers are using Snapchat and how to use it for your business.
Share your feedback, read the show notes and get the links mentioned in this episode below.
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Here are some of the things you'll discover in this show:
Snapchat Marketing
Why marketers use Snapchat
Gary believes marketers need to be where people are paying attention. As a platform, Snapchat has the attention of 15- to 25-year-olds in America. If that's the demographic you're trying to reach, you need to be on Snapchat. A bonus of Snapchat is that the grounds are very fertile, Gary adds. It's so new, brands haven't “ruined it yet.”
According to Shaun, a lot of people think that since Snapchat content disappears, it's not valuable. He says that's not the case.
On many social media platforms, viewers scroll through content quickly. And even though those posts will be there forever, viewers will never see it again. Marketers are only grasping for 50% of users' attention at a time, and those users never look back.
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GET THE DETAILSSnapchat users can't look back. However, marketers have 100% of their audience's attention for the length of the content's life.
Shaun explains that on Snapchat, you send out pictures or videos for a certain number of seconds (1 to 10). As the consumer, you absorb that content and then it disappears off your screen. Your never see it again, unless you screenshot the frame of a movie or a picture, which gets reposted.
Gary believes the younger generation gravitates toward Snapchat, because parents have infiltrated Facebook and now Instagram. “Snapchat created a haven that parents didn't know about,” Gary explains. “Plus, the content itself just disappeared. The holy grail for teenagers.”
Listen to the show to hear Gary's 80s analogy for Snapchat.
What marketers are doing on Snapchat
Shaun uses Snapchat to involve and engage his fans in projects.
For example, Shaun created a Jurasnap Park, playing off of Jurassic Park, full of all of his friends. He invited them to take a selfie, draw themselves into a dinosaur and send it to him. He then took screenshots and reposted all the dinosaur snaps of his fans for the world to see. They felt involved because it was a group project, rather than a project he just did on his own.
Gary explains that what Shaun did with his Snapchat story is a way your business can interact with everyone who follows you, instead of just engaging one to one.
Creative people think of stories in a linear sense, Gary shares. They put out 7 to 15 collections of images to tell a 150-second story instead of just one 10-second story. Depending on how you want to tell a story, Snapchat offers options. You can share a long narrative, like snapping your entire night at the Super Bowl, or just add one snap at a time. Snapchat has enormous creative potential if you understand context.
Shaun created a platform for himself, Gary adds. Many people engage with Shaun because he gives back. Some enjoy getting acknowledgement from somebody they deem famous. Others are building their own profiles and engaging with Shaun because they hope he creates awareness for them.
Snapchat is great for behind-the-scenes fun, Shaun says. For a Disney campaign, the brand sent him out to Disneyland and Disney World. As he explored the parks with his friends, he interacted on Snapchat by asking people where to go next, posting their responses and going to those places.
This inspired others to go on their own adventures as well.
Listen to the show to discover why planning hinders brands on Snapchat.Â
The culture of Snapchat
Shaun explains that on Snapchat you can only see how many people view your stories and within that, how many people took a screenshot of your story. Although not traditional deep metrics, it's still information you can use.
For example, if Shaun made a story about going to the store to pick up cereal, he would post a snap about going there and then a snap to show he got there. He'd snap another image, asking what cereal to get and then take and post pictures of three boxes of cereal, asking fans to screenshot the cereal he should get. He'd finish up with a Snapchat of him checking out.
With the feedback on these six to seven different Snapchats, Shaun can learn to make better stories in the future. He would see how many people viewed it, and check the fall-out ratio from first to last Snapchat. He would also look at which snaps got the most screenshots, as well as which was more popular: video or an image.
Gary refers to Shaun as a practitioner, not a consultant. Shaun uses the platform on a regular basis, so he doesn't need reporting or big data to guide him. He's creating and adjusting on the fly, just like many early adopters of other platforms have done in the past.
Listen to the show to find out how many users are on Snapchat.
How to get started
Shaun suggests users new to the platform begin by watching their favorite personalities. Pick out similar brands or follow Shonduras on Snapchat. Then see how they engage with their audience. Put it into perspective for your own demographic and goals. Then just go for it!
Curious About How to Use AI?
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It's hosted by Michael Stelzner and explores this exciting new frontier in easy-to-understand terms.
Pull up your favorite podcast app and search for AI Explored. Or click the button below for more information.
“The fun thing about Snapchat is that if you're genuine and just having fun on the platform, it's probably going to be pretty successful,” Shaun says. “You don't get a direct return on investment—it's not X amount of posts means X amount of dollars means X amount of sales. It's you having fun behind the scenes. In return your consumers will be happy and you're creating a better experience.”
Gary believes Snapchat is the closest thing to how we actually communicate in the world. After a phone call or a one-on-one conversation, all the content disappears.
Listen to the show to discover how to create art on Snapchat photos and video.
The evolution of Snapchat
Shaun feels Snapchat is keeping the platform personable, real and stress-free. There's no ability to “like,” no way to know how many friends or followers you have and no way to compare how many people you are following versus how many are following you. All that stress is taken out, so people can enjoy the app.
Snapchat is adding new features that make the platform more fun, but there are no metrics at this point.
One of the new features, Gary explains, is a section called Discover, which is literally media consumption.
This is a very important platform, he adds. He stresses that you should figure out how to tell stories on Snapchat now before it gets overcrowded, so you don't miss out.
Listen to the show to hear more of Gary's thoughts on how Snapchat will evolve.
Discovery of the Week
Do you like taking screenshots on your mobile phone? Ever want to fit in more than what's on the screen?
Try Tailor, a free automatic screenshot stitching app for the iPhone.
Tailor allows you to take multiple screenshots and upload them all into the app. It will then stitch them together into one large image. For example, if you're on a webpage and you can't fit it all into one screen, you take multiple pictures and stitch them together.
It's handy for podcast show notes, blog posts, social media posts and even tall images for Pinterest. Rather than zoom and pinch, you can take pictures at full resolution.
Another app, called TinyScan Pro, allows you to take a photograph of a piece of paper and then turns it into a scan.
It's the perfect solution if you don't have a scanner and you need to sign something that you need to email. TinyScan Pro will allow you to take a picture. Then it figures out all the odd angles, squares it out and makes it look like a scan.
Combine TinyScan Pro with Tailor and you can do some really cool stuff.
Listen to the show to learn more and let us know how Tailor and TinyScan Pro work for you.
Other Show Mentions
Today's show is sponsored by Social Media Marketing World 2015.
We are super-excited about Social Media Marketing World 2015. It's the world's largest social media marketing conference. By attending, you'll make connections with 100+ of the world's top social media pros (plus 2,500 of your fellow marketers) and you'll discover amazing ideas that'll transform your social media marketing.
Hear testimonials from our 2014 conference speakers.
This is just a sample of industry experts talking about their experience at Social Media Marketing World.
In about a month, thousands of marketers from all around the world will descend on San Diego, California for one of the most exciting business experiences of their lives. They're going to be surrounded by other marketers who are trying to figure out their way in the social media jungle.
Social Media Marketing World has more than 100 sessions, and 12 simultaneous tracks. Since you can't possibly be at all of the sessions at once, we'll include recordings for everyone who attends.
If you're unable to travel to San Diego, there is a virtual ticket option. For a significantly reduced price, you can purchase access to recordings of every keynote, session and panel, and watch them for an entire year. You also get access to the exclusive LinkedIn group for attendees of the conference and you can network with those who are going to San Diego, as well as fellow virtual attendees.
Visit here to check out the speakers, the agenda and grab your early bird discount.
Social Media Marketing World 2015 has a lot going for it with the great content, excellent presenters and valuable networking opportunities.
Take your social media marketing to the next level and join us in warm, sunny, beautiful San Diego, California on March 25, 26 and 27, 2015. Hundreds of people have already secured their tickets. Click here to check out all of the speakers and the agenda, watch our video and grab your tickets today.
Listen to the show!
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Key takeaways mentioned in this episode:
- Add Shaun (a.k.a. Shonduras) on Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter.
- Connect with Gary Vaynerchuk on Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter.
- Check out the AskGaryVee Show.
- Read Gary's book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.
- Explore Snapchat.
- Check out Tailor and TinyScan Pro.
- Email [email protected] if you are interested in being a sponsor.
- Learn more about Social Media Marketing World 2015.
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What do you think? What are your thoughts on Snapchat? Please leave your comments below.
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