Snapchat Style Guide

THE MAGIC OF FACIAL RECOGNITION

August 23, 2016

If you've been paying close attention to Snapchat's evolution over the last year,
you would can probably guess that facial recognition is their emerging tech focus.

A super quick overview -
Snapchat is basically 3 separate experiences toggled together

(1)

CAMERA

Where you take your photos and videos

(See my 101 video about how to use Camera here)

(2)

STORIES

Where people and brands publish their photos and videos to create an ongoing "story". These photos disappear 24 hours from when they are posted but a "story" never really ends. As you publish/post your next photo or video, your story continues.

(See my 101 video about how to use STORIES here)

(3)

CHAT

Where people can privately text to each other. This is what I call old-school Snapchat, or the original way Snapchat launched. This is definitely why anyone over 30 says "I don't get Snapchat" It's basically texting - just through the Snapchat platform.

(See my 101 video about how to use CHAT here)

While a lot of press has been focused on STORIES (Now with the launch of Instagram Stories = essentially the Discover section - where brands pay a lot of dough to share their branded content in a dedicated button at the top of the STORIES screen as well as in the Discover section. Think ad sponsorships), I believe it's the CAMERA section that will be the true heart of Snapchat and it's atmospheric growth in the social world. Two telling signs - their acquistion of Looksery and their research of Visual Search.

ANIMATED LENSES & LOOKSERY.
Although Snapchat has been around since 2011, they only more recently introduced the super popular animated lenses last year (just like Stories - also new last year) Snapchat chat had been basically the CHAT section for years. (aka the texting-style section where photos just disappeared.) As we know now, the platform has completely evolved their consumer opportunities and engagement and have turned into a solid communication platform. Stories and Lenses have helped to tip Snapchat and skyrocket them into the social atmosphere.

Snapchat overhauled their Stories section in May 2016 with a sleeker UX in addition to more native sponsor distribution/placement. While that's all good for brands and ad partners, it's the lenses that hold a bit of the magic sauce.

They change almost daily and you never know when your fave lens will disappear (sadness) or return (delight!) to the mix
It's a massive windfall for brands to sponsor a 1-day lens (exponential exposure to community) as well as Snapchat (exponential cash back in their pocket from said brand purchasing lens)
Their emerging tech of animated lenses are first-waving facial tracking and people are loving it.This is really only the beginning
It's seriously fun to play with the lenses. Seriously.

So how did these whacky lenses come to Snapchat and why should brands and businesses pay attention? They smartly acquired Looksery, a digital company that has created facial tracking and modification technologies. They are the folks behind the "how do they do this?" tech for all of those fun animated lenses you see on Snapchat. Move left and your filter follows your face.

Facial recognition is still in it's infancy as Looksery and MSQRD (the filter-based company that Facebook acquired last year - I predict you will see those filters soon on Instagram Stories) are testing the waters on us with visual experiences. Up next - AR, VR and everything in between.

While this is where we are heading, I still hope that there is consideration into creating IRL experiences that will integrate our need (now) for generating content. More to come on this for sure.

Btw, if you are interested in taking a deep dive into Looksery - click here to check out their patent process. This can give a lot of clues into their structure and style.

SNAPCHAT'S NEW #MEMORIES FEATURE

July 9, 2016

Wow, there is a lot of internet chatter about Snapchat's brand new release of Memories a few days ago. The platform broke the news on Monday but the actual update wasn't released until yesterday (7/7/16). So what is the new Memories section, are there any changes to Snapchat with this addition and why are people so up in arms @ it?!

First, let me start with the middle question - YES! There is a pretty big change to how you now save and download or export your Snaps to your personal photo gallery on your phone. But before I get into that, let's talk Memories.

WHAT IS MEMORIES?

Memories is now where all of your Snaps (photos or videos) that you have added to your Story will be saved, if you download them. Not only can you save your Snaps but you can do a general search to located past experiences such as "beach" or "birthday" etc. as well as add various Stories together.

WHERE CAN I FIND AND HOW TO USE MEMORIES?

You can locate the Memories section via a small circle icon on the bottom middle of your Camera screen, right below the Camera circle. When you open Memories for the 1st time ever, Snapchat will identify all your previously downloaded Snaps in you photo gallery. (Hmmmmm, didn't know that they clearly have embedded code that marks them as Snaps). If you chose to add yours in to the new Memories section (essentially, re-storing them there), then you can access the Search feature.

Another feature that I didn't mention in the video is the ability to UPLOAD ANY SAVED PHOTO FROM YOUR GALLERY to your Snapchat Story. Hmmmmm? Isn't Snapchat about real-time? Here's how you do it.

When you go into your Camera screen (press the large round circle)
Then press the smaller Memories circle right below it
This will launch your saved Snaps AND give you access to your entire photo gallery
Select Photo Gallery at the top
Click on the image you want
Voila! Note that there will be a small frame and a tag that it was uploaded from your photo gallery, allowing people viewing your Story to know it wasn't a true Snap.

One more feature is MY EYES ONLY, a place you can move/forward any images you don't want to live inside your general Memories roll/photo gallery. As the name implies, this is a secret spot inside Snapchat for your, I guess, secret Snaps. Here's how you do it.

Click on the photo in your Memories roll
Click the EDIT & SAVE option and the drop down menu will appear in the upper left
Click on My Eyes Only and there you go

I CAN'T JUST DOWNLOAD MY SNAPS TO MY CAMERA GALLERY NOW

Yep, that's right. The BIG change to saving your Snaps is just that. In April, I had shared with you the 3 Ways to Download and Save Your Snaps. Before Memories, you were able to download your Snap(s) using the gray arrows in various places and it would be saved to your camera gallery. Now, with Memories, you still use the gray download arrows BUT your Snaps get saved only to your Memories section. From there, you have to find the image or video, click on "Edit & Save" and then choose from a dropdown menu of 3 options what you want to do. To save to your camera gallery, you want to Export your Snap. Basically, Snapchat has added a few extra (and annoying) steps for us to save outside of the platform now.

WHY ARE PEOPLE NOT HAPPY @ MEMORIES

From what I have read and IMO, Snapchat's basic core foundation is now nil. The big idea was disappearing photos and videos. While, yes, you could manually save your Snaps, there wasn't any place to actually save them inside the platform and Snapchat never touted this function. For many, this is a "jump the shark" moment, a sell-out, a major tipping point to "what platform is next that I can move on it now?"

WHY ADVERTISERS & WHY SNAPCHAT WILL BE HAPPY @ MEMORIES

I believe that Snapchat introduced this photo-gallery-save-and-search feature (aka Memories) so Snapchat can provide a lot more data and analytics to potential advertisers about who, what, where, when, and why people are using Snapchat. It's that simple. Let's see if their goal for growth alienates their own community.

Overall, I think it's a decent move for them. As a 30+ set person, I haven't been using Snapchat since it launched (and although I am an active user now, many of my friends don't use it at all or barely) That being said, I completely get why loyal users' would express dismay at this significant change to the functionality and, more importantly, the core foundation.

We all talk about and throw the word "authentic" and, perhaps, many people now think Snapchat has lost their gilded "real" edge.

You can read more coverage here.

Looking to even learn how the hell to use Snapchat? Don't worry, we got you. Click here to START HERE or check out these helpful "new to Snapchat" videos on the blog:

How to use the Camera screen

WTF is Snapchat

3 Main Questions about Snapchat

SNAPCHAT FOR BUSINESS: KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SCREENSHOT CTA

June 4, 2016

The clunky Wild Wild West of Snapchat is slowly but surely laying down stakes in the ground. The foundation for business consumption is forming and forming fast. It truly appears that smart and innovative companies and brands are, on their own, forming the lines here and creating new companion tools to extend e-commerce through new streams and capture revenue. In fact, Snapchat seems to be just the base model and we are customizing, shaping and deciding tactics, maneuvers and options for utilizing eyeballs.

Because there are a hell of a lot of eyeballs here...

to the tune of 150 million active users daily.

WHAT IS THE SCREENSHOT CTA?

The latest lightbulb idea for an organic e-commerce function inside Snapchat's platform (separate of the Discover channels and partners that now play targeted ads) is, what we are dubbing, the SCREENSHOT CTA.

This when a brand or company asks you to take a screenshot inside one of their actual Snapchat Stories. (A "screenshot" is when you take a picture of what is on your phone by pressing the Power and Main Circle buttons at the same time. It gets saved to your photo gallery) The brand or company then asks you to upload that screenshot image you just took to an app. (more to come on that below).

The screenshot is typically of one or more of their items that they also are showing inside of that Snapchat Story. Once you do this, you then have to download the companion app (Currently there are 2 apps that link Snaps to products - ShopStyle and the very new, Emoticode. Popsugar owns BOTH apps. They are literally creating and owning this experience with their apps) You then have to upload your screenshots. These 2 apps will scan the screenshot (essentially a picture of the item along with the name) and then provide you a link to that brand's site for you to buy. Wow, that seems like a lot of work.

But.....it's working.

MAKING 150 MILLION PEOPLE HAPPY TO WORK FOR YOU

In the heart of "user-generated" content, people, (we, us, the community, the masses) are creating content. We are adding sponsored filters to our Stories, we are snapping cool events, we are using brand filters when we check into a Marriott and sharing with our friends (and in more places than just Snapchat). Basically, WE are used to working on social. To crafting. To expressing. To curating. To designing our Story to share with our community. So it's not a big step or ask to have a brand ASK us to screenshot. We (the masses) seem to love it.

Here's an example of Sephora's June 2nd Snapchat Story. They are asking their followers to "screenshot" these 4 makeup items and then they give the following directions (all inside their Story) They ask you to download the app, ShopStyle. Then they ask you to upload any of the 4 screenshots your took to this app. The app captures the info and then give you the opp to buy the product. Again, whoa, that seems like a lot of work. But it also feels very personal. Like Sephora has been my own personal shopper, selecting and suggesting some cool items that I may love. Oh, yes!

Another popular and pioneering brand on Snapchat is the cool clothing co, EVERLANE. The press says that they use Snapchat in "non-traditional" ways but I think they are pioneering ways for how to use Snapchat in creatively - they have appointed Snapchat leaders (Red Gaskell and Isadora Sells) who host every Story, they have interactive Q&As w the community, they live and breathe the company's core values of transparency and they look fun and cool. They also are jumping in early on the Screenshot CTA train. Here's a look at their June 2nd Snapchat Story. This one is asking you to go to the new Emoticode to upload your screenshots.

THE WIN-WIN FOR EVERYONE

At this point, it's too early to analyze any metrics but I can bet that this will be very successful and will become a standard in a company's e-commerce strategy. It's a win-win for everyone.

Users win because they not only feel like they are getting "personal shopping experiences from their fave or new-to-them brands" but they are actively engaging with these brands and then getting what they want - the cool product.

Companies win because they are offering fresh content and experiences for their community while pushing their products, capturing valuable metrics and gathering e-comm sales. #YES

As I shared above, Popsugar is literally forming this function inside Snapchat. I am curious to see how other brands will craft their Snapchat e-comm experiences, whether along the same lines or an evolution. Either way, they have a very captive audience who are just waiting to snap snap snap away.

SNAPCHAT 101 - ADDING 3-D STICKERS

May 25, 2016

In mid-April 2016, Snapchat launched 3-D Stickers. We know, we know. You finally are getting this Snapchat thing and then they adds another confusing, clunky option. But don't worry, we not only got you with this 101 video but we promise you will love using them once you learn how to actually do it.

So what are 3-D stickers anyway?
They are emojis - in action.

When you snap a video, you can now add any one (or as many as you want) emojis to that video. But, more importantly, you are adding it to the actual movement, or action, that the content in the video is making. In our above example, we cup our hand and then move it back and forth. We then show you how to add a 3-D sticker (in a this case, a flower and then a heart) and it moves with our hand movement. #Cool

So click above to watch, try it out, practice and have fun!! Fun, we say!! That's what this is all about. There are so many creative ways to use this 3-D option - open your mind. Not sure even how to get going on Snapchat? No worries. Click here to START HERE at the beginning.

SNAPCHAT 101: ZOOM IN & OUT WITH 1 FINGER WHILE SNAPPING A VIDEO (MAY 9, 2016 SOFTWARE UPDATE)

May 10, 2016

Snapchat just released a new software update on May 9, 2016 which allows you to zoom in and out with just one finger while recording a video. Check out our short 101 video that explains exactly how to do it. It's easy and you will love it! Not sure how to even take a video on Snapchat? Click here to learn about the 3 Main Screens and take it from there. We got you.

Slider