What is Snapchat, and do I need it in my life?

I recently went on holiday with a family who had a 15 year old daughter, and I took the opportunity to ask her to explain Snapchat to me. Both my teenage children are constantly communicating with their friends through it but I really couldn't get my head round it.

What I learnt BLEW. MY. MIND.

Really - I was stunned.

Snapchat is unbelievable, and like nothing I have ever used before. I just presumed it was simply a different version of Facebook and Instagram mixed in with a bit of Whatsap.

Totally wrong.

It's a completely new way of communicating, and for the kids aged 12-24, its the only way to do it.

If, like me, you regularly use Facebook and consider yourself to be au fait with current technologies and social media platforms because you know how to navigate Pinterest, but you don't know what Snapchat does, then you are waaaay out of touch.

And in this fast moving world of social media, I believe that this is one ap that is going to change the way we ALL communicate.

What is Snapchat?

Snapchat is a photo messaging and multi-media ap that was launched in 2011.

So what does that mean?

Think of it this way - it's basically a camera/video ap that you take a photo/video with and then you can easily edit the photos/videos and make them super cool with overlays and filters, before sending them on to your friends, or posting them on your 'Story'. It really is fun and easy to use. I love it.

The main difference between Snapchat and other social media platforms is that the photos or videos you have sent to your friends disappear within seconds.

And because the images/videos disappear, they don't need to be polished. This isn't your Instagram gallery where everything has to be perfect and filtered. It's rough and ready and real and fun.

What is a 'Story'?

A Snapchat Story is a chronological documentation of the past 24 hours of your day. You can take a photo or a short video and upload it to your 'Story' and it will stay there for 24 hours before disappearing.

It's great for your friends to see what you are up to, but you can also follow famous people/brands and so it's a fantastic way for celebrities and businesses to connect with a young market.

Here are some clever brands that are harnessing the power of the Snapchat story:

@thebodycoach

@birchbox

@DOMINOS_UK

What is the 'Discover' section?

This is an area of Snapchat containing channels of snappy content from big advertisers, and has given big businesses a chance to access this huge body of Snapchat users.

Who is using Snapchat?

Snapchat users are YOUNG.

This is a young man's game. 60 percent of users are under 25.

Only 2% of users are over 55.

However, 50% of all new signups are over 25 - so the olds seem to be catching on.

Teenagers and millennials are not interested in Facebook - this is where their parents and grandparents hang out so it is obviously totally uncool. And as soon as their parents start using Snapchat they'll move on to the next thing. But for the moment, Snapchat is where it's at.

How many people use Snapchat?

100 million people around the world use it every day, spending an average of 30 minutes inside the ap.

I'll say that again - 100 million people. Every day.

And it's growing.

How to get your head round Snapchat.

Imagine you are a teenager walking down the school hall to your next lesson. Loads of your friends pass you and you register fleeting images of them smiling at you, pulling silly faces and throwing a few words at you as they go.

This is what communicating in Snapchat is like.

It's not a 'messaging' service. It's a documentation of your day which you throw out to your friends in real time, and your messages disappear into the ether.

It's fast and it's fun and it's for people who cannot stand one second of boredom.

Snapchat is a whole new way of communicating. It's the most real and authentic way of communicating out there. And I believe it's the way we will all be communicating soon.

Facebook has realised this and has recently introduced Stories to their platform. Once the olds get the hang of it, then it won't be such a huge leap for them all to get on the Snapchat bandwagon. And that means more and more of your clients will be using this social media platform as part of their everyday life.

It's a whole new language - and if you can't speak the language, you're going to be left behind.

In my next article I'll discuss how you can use Snapchat to benefit your business, including the use of Geofilters.

Let me know if you use Snapchat, and if so, please add me @ellatvglobal and check out my Story!