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5 ways to improve your Snapchat Stories

5 ways to improve your Snapchat Stories
Chris Roper

Chris Roper

  • Updated:

If you use Snapchat, you’re probably familiar with Stories. Although the app started out as a new way to share photos, Stories gives you a new way to interact with your friends and followers.

Rather than sending isolated photos, Stories lets you create a narrative out of the interesting things you’ve done. Better yet, they live for 24 hours, and can be viewed again and again. Once the time limit is up, they’re automatically deleted.

Stories are a particularly good way to interact with a larger number of people. Celebs, brands, and other high-profile users can share their Snapchat name manually or by snapcode so thousands of users can watch their Stories, such as that time DJ Khaled got lost at sea on his jet ski:

So how can you improve the impact of your own stories? While we don’t recommend buying a jet ski and getting lost in the ocean, we can help with some top tips on making the most of your Snapchat posts.

1. Keep It Dynamic

Stories make you the director of your own movie. Remember the last film you watched? Was every shot static and unmoving, or did the camera change location, pan, and zoom in and out? Unless you’re watching something really arty, it was probably the latter, and you should remember these techniques for your Stories.

Change the angle of your shots, have one close up, and another further back. Keeping things moving creates a more interesting visual style, and keeps your audience engaged and excited.

2. Timing… is everything.

It’s a classic statement, but timing really is so important. In an app which focuses on short-lived interactions, anything longer than it needs to be will have your audience clicking away faster than a buttered bullet.

When you’re creating a Story, you have an option to select the time for each snap. Don’t default them all to 10 seconds. Just like the visuals, mix up your timing to keep it fresh. This is particularly useful when you’ve got a big joke reveal at the end of your story, like this post about two friendly coke cans.

3. Get Creative

Snapchat Stories has all of the same filters, text, and lenses that you can use in your direct messages, so go crazy! You can draw all over everything, add messages, change colors – the sky’s the limit. For some inspiration, check out these posts from well-known Snapchatters Christine Mi, CyreneQ, and Chino.

4. Openings and endings

Your opening and closing snaps are the most important of your Story. With your opening snap, try and draw in your audience – tease them with a message that gets them interested, and makes them want to continue reading.

Your last snap is just as important – it’s the thumbnail that others will see as the preview for your story. Although it’s pretty tiny onscreen, this is the first thing that users are going to interact with when they see your story. If your first thumbnail already has them interested, you’ve already won.

If you’re snapping for a business or brand, it’s also good sense to end with a question or encourage some sort of response – it drives engagement with your audience, and makes them feel more involved in your content.

5. It’s all about the plot

They’re called Snapchat Stories for a reason. Just like any good book, TV show, or movie, remember that every story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Bearing this in mind when you’re making your posts will put you miles ahead of anyone posting random headshots and their breakfast for the day. 

Now you know how to make awesome Snapchat Stories, it’s time to get out there and start snapping. Have fun.

Chris Roper

Chris Roper

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