“You should get it together and start snappin’,” remarked one of my friends recently. From the looks of it, he’s not alone in his thinking, either.
People are jumping onto the Snapchat bandwagon in droves. Between celebrities, business leaders, and your kids, Snapchat’s total monthly usage recently surpassed Twitter’s.
These aren't small numbers we’re talking about. Having overcome the stigma as a sexting app for teens, Snapchat now boasts over 150 million users.
From reaching a particular demographic, providing a behind the scenes look into your life and work, to partnering with influencers, there are a ton of reasons why Snapchat may be an ideal social media network for you to use. But regardless of its popularity and the potential benefits you can enjoy, I’m not convinced Snapchat is for everyone.
I know your life is different than mine, but I know you face similar challenges when it comes to connecting with people and sharing your message.
You have demands—in a good way—from significant others, family, and friends. You’re working full-time, part-time, or looking for employment. You may be a full-time or part-time student. And you’re probably hustling on the side to write a book, manage your blog, or start an online business.
Creating the time to pursue your dreams and make a difference is no easy task. You’re pulled in a myriad of directions and you’re presented with a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to connecting with your audience.
You can write blog posts, Facebook updates, tweets, or pins, record podcasts or live Facebook videos, and on and on and on.
And it won't stop there.
You have permission to not be all things to all people
The options you have to connect with others will continue to come and go. What works today didn't necessarily work yesterday, and may not even exist in the future. Take Myspace as an example.
At one time, Myspace was all of the rage. It was the largest social networking site from 2005 to 2008. In 2006, It was the most visited website in the United States of America, surpassing even Google. However, after the introduction of new social networking sites and changes in user behavior, vamoose—Myspace vanished from relevance. As of this blog post, Myspace now ranks as the 1,272nd most visited website in the U.S.
The options available today for you to engage with people and share your message are countless. There are multiple options for you to choose from today, and new choices are created on a regular basis.
Let’s face it. Unless you have a team or the financial resources to outsource your digital marketing work, you don't have the time to share your work everywhere people are online. And besides, your message or products aren't for everyone. So you don't need to be everywhere people are online. You only need to be where your target audience is spending time.
You have permission to not be all things to all people. You have permission to focus. You have permission to create content that meets your objectives and connects with your audience.
Is Snapchat for you? I don't know. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't.
But before you hop on the Snapchat bandwagon, I encourage you to think through your message and your target audience, and answer this question: “Does it make sense for me to spend my time on Snapchat?”
If you think Snapchat is a great fit for your message and target audience, go for it. If not, don't worry about it. It’s best for you to focus your time and resources on tactics that will help you best connect with your target audience.
