I’m more enthusiastic about Snapchat than about Instagram. I like the speed and conciseness of snap picture messages. The disadvantage is the loose video talk that bores people in the same way as in vlogs. Snaps are, however, shorter and less tedious.
I’ve been following snaps to see what workplaces can do with them. Few organizations currently use Snapchat; those who do, don’t post often. The most enthusiastic snappers are TV and radio celebrities such as Arman Alizad who market their own shows. But who wants to follow a stream of ads?
The public sector offers some good examples: the Finnish Tax Administration uses Snapchat togive concise instructions and to translate tax terms into plain language. The European Parliament, for its part, uses its trainees from all over the world to describe its work in a light but factual way.
However, the most interesting of all have been snaps created by Lööppi, an association of journalism students at the University of Jyväskylä. Students from around the world take turns sharing their snaps. You get reports from Melbourne, Spokane, Groningen and other corners of the world. The snaps combine worthwhile content with personal viewpoints.
I’ve given thought to the merits of open versus private sharing of snaps. Private messages work well in this medium; success with open content requires additional work for the person snapping, and the actual benefits can be minimal. As with other social media, it’s not enough just to be on Snapchat; you need to have a purpose, and you need to plan your approach.