Snapchat
Snapchat was released in 2011 and has become one of the most popular social media platforms. It has been downloaded and used by millions of people. The app is available for both the Android and the iOS operating systems.
- Create unique photo stories called Snaps
- Add geofilters and effects
- Share videos
- Will integrate with some other social media platforms
- Easy To Use
- Free to download
- Hundreds of filters, captions, and effects
- Snaps are only available for a limited time
- Users have access to a limited audience
- No analytics or reports
- Difficult for business users to reach their target audience
If you haven't joined in the Snapchat craze, you're missing out. The popular photo sharing app is used by more than 187 million individuals every day. It takes the concept of social media and ties it to photos, allowing users to create stories with photos instead of words. "Snaps" are the hallmark of the Snapchat app. These snaps are photos or brief videos that are uploaded by users. The photos and videos can be embellished with a number of filters, effects, captions, and drawings. Users of the app can amass followers just like they can on other social media platforms. Snaps can be shared with a user's followers, or they can be made public to create a story in images and video. The company Square partnered with Snapchat in 2014 to allow payments from user to user within the app. There are also in-app purchases available. Most snaps are only available for a limited period of time specified by the creator. Additional views must be purchased. This has always been one of the chief complaints among the users of the app. Most snaps are only visible for one to ten seconds before they will disappear from the device of the recipient. An update in 2017 made it possible to replay Snaps as often as one likes, but the Snaps still disappear when the recipient exits out of the platform. There is also a "Ghost Mode" in the current update which permits users to see others who are online but remain invisible themselves. The developers of Snapchat rate the app as suitable for anyone over the age of 16. Parents of younger children should monitor the app's usage.