Social Media
More newsrooms are using Snapchat
There’s a slight learning curve, but it’s worth the effort
By Mary Gazze
Your 15-year-old niece loves it, but you can’t seem to crack the mystery that
is Snapchat. You might think it’s for teens to send each other funny faces,
but you can’t ignore a platform that has 100 million active users who
consume eight billion videos daily. With some news orgs reporting
Snapchat, an independent company, is worth $16 billion (USD), business
publications are dissecting its success, even featuring DJ Khaled, one of the
first Snapchat celebrities.
You can’t ignore a juggernaut that’s able to command that kind of cash, just
like you can’t ignore the 18-34 year olds who make up Snapchat’s biggest
user base. No doubt, the app takes some learning to use. Tech reviewers
speculate it’s designed to be difficult to use on purpose, to keep parents out
and stay attractive to younger users. That doesn’t mean you should be afraid
to give this hot-hot-hot social media app a try, so here are some tips to get
you started.
What is it?
Think of it as Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft Paint all in one,
with cartoon smiley faces thrown in. The simple :) has evolved into
.
This is called an emoji, and Snapchat posts feature lots of these.
Unlike other social media platforms, you don’t need to post photos 15
separate times to tell your story and have to worry your viewer will miss one
due to the famous Facebook algorithm restricting it from their feed. On
Snapchat you can post text, still images and videos all in one self-contained
story that’s essentially a chronological video and photo montage.
Snapchat started as a way to send photos that users wanted to have a short
shelf life. But that changed. What finally convinced me to sign up is that
your story no longer has to disappear forever after 24 hours if you don’t
want it to. You can now save your story as a video on your phone, which
gives you the flexibility to reuse the video. I repurpose Snapchat stories into
Facebook or Vine videos later.
In March, Snapchat added video calling that allows stickers and photo
uploads mid-call, allowing it to be a kitchen sink of social media features,
and moving it into direct competition with video apps like Skype, FaceTime,
but also Facebook instant messenger. These combo features may attract the
mom and dad crowd.
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NOTE: Stay objective: don’t use emojis that could be seen as editorializing.
Snaps without decoration can appear drab and boring, so if it’s not in good
taste to use any emojis, maybe Snapchat isn’t the right medium for this
story. Think about it. Is it appropriate to use emojis in a story about a
funeral?
Also remember that posting video from sporting or other live events can get
your org in hot water if you don’t have broadcast rights.
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Why use it?
Snapchat seems more raw and “real” than some other platforms. Anything
you post has to be created when you’re logged in the app — that means you
can’t upload photos or videos into Snapchat after the fact. While you can
delete parts of your story later (useful if it becomes too long), you can’t edit
something that’s already been posted. This all means no processed glamour
shots that Instagram and Facebook are so famous for. There are no visible
public comments, so that means no libellous rants or swearing to moderate.
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NOTE: Is this the right kind of story for Snapchat?
Does this story need multiple clips and photos in chronological order, or
would a single 10 second, continuous video clip sum it all up? If it’s the
video clip, maybe Instagram or Vine are the format for this, not Snapchat.
How to use it?
I won’t lie to you: it will seem confusing at first, but like everything, you get
better with practice. Ask someone you know in real life to be your Snapchat
friend so you can both get the hang of it.
This is a look at the most relevant uses for news, which means we won’t
look at functions you likely won’t use, such as direct messaging or faceswapping (which allows you to slap a friends’ face on your body).
What should I post about?
Some Canadian newsrooms get a producer on camera to promote stories on
their website. Another shares a screenshot of its print paper covers and the
weather forecast. Others have handed over the password keys to reporters in
the field to share from the ground, or interviewed celebrities in their
newsrooms.
When thinking about what makes a good post, think like a viewer and be
honest with yourself. I see a lot of newsroom Snapchats featuring a reporter
at their desk talking about a story. I don’t watch any of them. Would your
viewers rather see clips from what happened on the ground? If you don’t
have good content that people will watch, save the time and effort and don’t
post at all.
Whatever you choose to post, don’t be afraid to play around. Your posts will
expire after 24 hours anyway, and not a soul will know that you’ve even
signed up for Snapchat until you start advertising because it’s impossible for
people to find you unless they know your username.
Here’s an in depth look:
Tap the yellow button in the screenshot above to add friends. You need to
have exact usernames to find anyone, just searching by name won’t help.
Click “Add by username” and type in someone’s username. Once their name
appears, click the “+” button and you’re set. You need friends in this app
because stories you create are only visible to those who follow you. No one
else.
Right now, the number “1” by the blue arrow in the screenshot above
means that one of my friends posted an update.
Click on that number to get a full list of updates that looks like this:
Tap on a friend’s name to watch his or her story. Is one of those segments
boring you? Tap your screen to jump straight to the next one. Once that
friend’s story is over, your stream will automatically show you the next
friend’s posts. Swipe down to make a post go away.
The “Discover” section features slick, highly produced stories from
established media organizations such as CNN, National Geographic and
BuzzFeed.
The “Live” section has news features curated by Snapchat. Users on the
ground can submit their clips to Snapchat for review. In March, Toronto was
the only Canadian city featured in its rundown of clips from international
pillow fight day. The app gathers user-submitted content to create stories
about festivals, touristy walks through cities, award shows and sports
events. These featured Snapchat stories are visible to everyone.
The green button does most of the magic.
Tap it to take a still photo.
Add text:
Click the “T” at the top to add a caption. Type your text. Click “done” on
your keyboard. Swipe your finger to move the caption around. Tap the black
banner and the “T” again to change the colour. Zoom in and out with your
fingers to change the font size.
Add emojis:
The symbol to the left of the “T” at the top of the screen gives you your
choice of emoji. Tap it to insert, then use your finger to move it around to
where you want it.
Draw:
Click the pencil. This allows you to draw on the screen.
Add banners or other filters:
Now, use your finger to swipe left on your phone, and keep swiping. You’ll
get city-specific banners, time or temperature stamps.
When you’re done, click the flashing arrow at the bottom right-hand corner
and post to your story. You’re done! Rinse and repeat.
Take a video:
Press and hold that green button down to take a video up to 10 seconds long.
Once you’re done, swipe left to get to the same banners as the still photo, but
also the ability to fast forward, slow motion, or reverse your video.
That thing you just posted is listed at the top of your stories page as
“My Story.”
Click the three vertical dots on the right-hand side (highlighted by the red
rectangle) and an arrow will appear. That arrow saves your entire story to
your phone where you can use it later like you would any other video. Is
your story too long, or have parts become repetitive? Click on a segment to
start playing it, then swipe your finger up. A trashcan appears, and you can
toss it. You’ll also see the names of those who viewed your Snap.
Tip: Use the snap button (that one labelled in green), to take a photo of
someone’s yellow Snapchat profile picture. You’ll get a pop-up asking if
you want to add them as a friend. Here’s how to make your own yellow
Snapcode https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/ca/snapcode-selfies
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NOTE: Choosing a username:
Try to keep your usernames consistent on all social media platforms. If your
Twitter username is @CXYZ_TV, your Snapchat username should be
CXYZ_TV too.
Always claim your username:
Even if you don’t ever plan on using the latest social media thing, always
grab your preferred username early before someone else does. You don’t
want anybody impersonating you, and getting your name once it’s gone
could be impossible or cost you a lot of money.
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Need help? I’m happy to snap with you. Just take a photo of my snapcode
and add me as your friend.
Additional Reading
Read stats and how Snapchat is marketing itself to
advertisers: https://www.snapchat.com/ads
Find news organizations and a list Snapchat celebrities by category:
http://www.snapchat.codes/.
Mary Gazze is a social media producer at The Canadian Press. Email her
at [email protected] or tweet her at @marygazze