3 Forms of Social Media You Need To Be On

Lately I have been stepping up my social media game. Part of doing well on social media includes being aware and on new forms of it! Of course, don't get on anything that looks suspicious or like a scam, but here are 3 forms of social media that are not as popular, but amazing for promoting your brand:

1. Snapchat
Just about everyone has this app. In Cnapchat, you can send a 1-10 second picture or video to someone specific, a group of people, or post it on your "Story" for 24 hours. Snapchat has a variety of fun filters, and the app is primarily used for sending funny pictures to friends. So how can it help promote your brand?
I have found that when I post a video on my Story about a new blog post, video, or another social media site I am on, I tend to get way more views than when I don't post on Snapchat!On Snapchat, you can edit your settings so that people can add you, but you don't have to add them back. The benefit of this setting means that you can have a ton of people view your Story, but you aren't cluttered with their Stories. For example, I have about 150 people who have added me on Snapchat, but I only follow about 60 of them back.

 2. Periscope
Let's be real. This app is probably my favorite at the moment. 
Periscope is a live broadcasting app, that allows live viewers to comment as they watch. After you finish broadcasting, the video can be watched for up to 24 hours after uploading. You can also link your periscope live broadcast to Twitter, so your Twitter followers who may not have the app can watch from there. Let's talk about how this app can help you out.
Many bloggers lately have been posting an Instagram, Facebook post, Tweet, etc. that announce when during the week they will be live on Periscope, so their followers can be prepared to view the video live. The blogger will post a title to the broadcast like "How To Build Your Following" or "How To Start A Business" so that the viewers can judge if the video will benefit them to watch or not. Live viewers can comment questions, answers, or other responses to the video so that the broadcaster can respond right then and there. This app requires no editing or long uploading on your part! All you have to do it sit down and start your broadcast. It's easy to get lots of videos out, which will definitely help build following and make your followers feel connected to you and your brand on a deeper level.

3. Crowdfire
So this isn't technically a form of social media, but it's an app that can upload posts to Instagram and Twitter for you! You have the options of posting to either accounts at a scheduled time, right now, or at the best time. The "best times" are usually around 9am or 6pm, depending on how many times you choose to publish per day. With Twitter, a tweet only stays relevant for 18 minutes. That means you would have to tweet 80 times a day to stay on people's feeds! That's insane! I'm guessing that your not going to be on Twitter every 15 minutes, so let Crowdfire help you out! Just type out some tweets or upload some pictures and schedule them over the course of a day, week, or even month! 

 

A Week Without Snapchat

For those who follow me on Snapchat, you know that I am an avid post-er. I love Snapchat! It's a great way to get out information, reach out to friends, and show cool things that you're doing.
So why did I delete my Snapchat app for a week?
Let me tell you.
 
I like to go through Snapchat stories at the end of the day. It's usually the only time I'm not busy and can listen to the videos. It's always interesting to see what people are posting and what they did throughout the day! Especially with friends in other states or family members back at home.
As I mentioned before, Snapchat is a great, casual way of posting pictures and videos of things you have done throughout your day. Some even use it as a way to show off, like look who I'm with or look where I'm at.
Now I'm not saying that I have not "shown off" via Snapchat before. I have defiantly been known to post pictures of sushi or videos of friends just to let my followers know that I'm social, out with people, doing things.
But me, being a sensitive person, began to develop some FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) when checking Snapchat stories at the end of my day.
In one particular instance, I arrived home after a formal event and especially long day. I got to hang out with friends, dress up, and hung out with my boyfriend at the end of the day, which was much needed. But when I got home and looked at other's Snapchat stories, I started to feel awful. Many of my friends who were at the same event with me earlier that day were hanging out in different groups. All I could think of was That looks really fun and Why wasn't I invited?

I woke up the next morning, holding the same feelings as I had the night before, which was so dumb! Why was I letting literally seconds of videos affect my day so much? I had had a wonderful evening with friends that night too, so why was I feeling like I missed out on so much?

That's when I deleted my Snapchat app.

I didn't completely delete my account, though. Like I said before, I love Snapchat, and it has helped me so much with getting the word out for my blog, YouTube, etc.
I just needed a quick detox from the app.
I decided to delete the app for a week, just to see what would happen.

So here's what happened:

On the first day, Monday, it was rough. I'm not kidding when I say that I had the urge to take a video or picture on Snapchat about every 15 minutes. It really bugged me that my mind was so focused on the app! Anytime I did something fun or saw something interesting or had a funny thought, my instant reaction was to post it. Why can't I enjoy the privacy?
That's basically how everyday went until the weekend. I last minute decided to take a road trip home to California with a friend for y brother's birthday and Easter. I struggled with the idea of re-downloading the Snapchat app early so that I could post about being home and with family.
I stuck with my goal and didn't download the app, which turned out being really nice. I started to notice that I could do things, like play with my dog, hang out with my brother, lay outside, etc. without posting about it. It was nice to finally appreciate and enjoy the privacy I had. I started to think less and less about the app, and actually had an inner debate about if I should re-download the app at all.

In the end, I re-downloaded Snapchat. As I said before, I don't hate the app! I am a huge fan of social media and all of the cool things it can do. I think it's just very easy for us to feel inferior, no matter how many times we tell ourselves that we shouldn't compare social media to reality.

So, my friends, take a second to realize that everyone is just having fun. Everyone is just trying to do their best and make the most of the life they are living. Please realize that YOU need to focus on your life and what you're doing to make it your best life possible. Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, all that good stuff, is just people trying to showcase their best. While that sometimes leads to negative feelings, social media itself is not bad. Remember to count your blessings before you complain.

And that's about it.
Have a great week!

Yes, I'm aware I'm gorgeous.