Snapchat Stories might have started as a way to perserve once ephemeral snaps for future consumption, but as users have acclimated more to this now standard Snapchat function, they’ve found some new and more interesting ways to express themselves.
After all, what would your friend rather see – a run-of-the-mill account of everything you’ve had to eat today or something far more lively, creative, and entertaining? Now’s your chance to take your Snapchat Story game to the next level with a little effort and a lot of spark.
A Day In The Life
Ok. I know we just said you should branch out from detailing your day, but bear with us for a moment.
You don’t have to tell them about your actual day, unless you did something particularly exciting. Make up a “day-in-the-life” with the help of quirky captions. Maybe your series of pictures depicts you as a superhero at your job or an explorer braving the wilds of downtown. This isn’t your autobiography and nobody is testing you. Have fun with it!
How To…
You can take this one in a couple of different directions: serious or silly.
Do you have a unique or interesting skill that you’d like to share? Then take this opportunity to show your friends and followers how to do something new.
- Cake sculpting
- Woodworking
- Knitting
- Playing an instrument
- Sword-fighting
- Insert your special talent here
Don’t just use one long video to detail what you’re doing. Use short silent videos or still snaps, both with text, to illustrate the steps. Include drawings to jazz up the images.
Also, make sure you don’t get too technical with it. Nobody is going to sit through a 15 minute series of snaps. Chances are that they aren’t watching so they can actual emulate your process. They just want to see someone knowledgable do something cool. Show them in a quick series that captures the highlights and shows the finished product (if applicable).
How to Write a Novel
Worried you don’t have a talent worth snapping about? Maybe your special skill isn’t quite so visually compelling. That’s OK. Make a silly how-to series that’s more focused on entertainment and jokes than it is on teaching.
- How to entertain a 2-year-old.
- How to teach a cat to roll over.
- How to make spaghetti (and then proceed to make it incorrectly).
The sky’s the limit.
Throw Back Photos
Sure, Snapchat is all about the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a quick pic of that old polaroid of you and your bestie sporting stirrup pants and slap-on bracelets in the summer of ’92. Or you could embrace your cringe years and show the world your sophomore goth phase or your frosted tips. Take your followers on a trip down memory lane, no matter the cost to your ego.
Toy Soldiers
Really, this could be toy anything. Do you have a Furby collecting dust in your closet? How about an old Buzz Lightyear action figure, troll doll, or Raggedy Anne? Go nuts.
Once you’ve chosen your item, take them with you on outings. Going on a hike in the mountains? Bring them along and capture them enjoying the view, climbing a tree, or arguing with a frog. Taking a trip downtown? Don’t forget to snap your new friend enjoying a margarita, reading bizarre literature at the bookstore, or flagging down a cab.
Basically, you could make a day-in-the-life, but not your life. You could also just use it as a calling card, letting people know that you really took that trip to Rome when they see your trademark action figure trying to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Tell a Silly Story
This might sound like the day-in-the-life idea we mentioned above, but it takes it to the next level in that it’s completely fictional. Use stuffed animals, friends, drawings, clay, etc. Tell a short story to make your friends smile. Keep it brief and silly. Nobody comes to Snapchat for full-on drama. That’s what Facebook is for.
Filter Bloopers
Whether real or staged, sometimes Snapchat filters don’t line up the way we mean them to, and sometimes they line up just a little too perfectly. Pull up some Snapchat filters and start snapping. Create a short collection of goofy (and maybe a little inappropriate) filter faux-pas to share with friends.
Can’t seem to capture the right blooper? Just filter your pets. Everybody loves pets.
Snapchat Story Don’ts
Whether you’re choosing an idea from this list or coming up with one of your own, there are a few Snapchat Story no-nos that too many people ignore. Watch out for all of the following:
- Using all your snaps. – Don’t add every snap you take to your story. This is tempting, because you’d hate for people to miss out on the perfect picture, but it will only make people less likely to look at your story at all. Who wants to scroll through dozens of snaps a day – none of which are connected?
- Stories are too long. – We already mentioned this above, but it bears repeating. If you’re doing a themed story (and you should), don’t go overboard with how long you make it. Even silly stories and how-tos should be capped.
- Stories are too short. – On the other hand, if you don’t include enough snaps, people won’t get your point. Try to keep your story length between 3 and 6 snaps, depending on the theme.
- Too much repetition. – If you take your Furby out every single day, then it’s going to get old. Don’t feel the need to make a story every day, and don’t keep recycling the same story schtick.
- Sound required. – Sure, some videos are enhanced by sound, but not everyone is going to be able to turn their volume up when they’re on the go. They are far more likely to view and enjoy your story if they don’t have to listen to it.
Have an idea for creative Snapchat storytelling that we didn’t include? Share it in the comments!
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Original publication by Sydney: Source article