Imagine if you could shadow Elon Musk or Richard Branson each day. Like a professional voyeur you could see what events they were attending, who they were hanging out with, which books they were reading, and they were openly teaching their secrets to success along the way. How great would that be?
Okay, well, Musk and Branson aren’t on Snapchat right now, but there are dozens of highly successful entrepreneurs, marketers, executives and other business experts who are snappin’ up a storm.
If you spend a little time getting the hang of it, you’ll see that Snapchat isn’t just for teens anymore. Below are my favorite entrepreneurs and business professionals you should follow to get daily advice and motivation.I’ll admit: I originally joined Snapchat myself just to spy on my kids. But then I discovered that I could get daily marketing insights, practical sales and negotiating techniques, the do’s and don’ts of raising money for a startup…well, I was hooked. And before you know it, I was actually giving “giving back” by sharing my own mini-video clips: how to build your personal brand, how to double your productivity, how to deliver a great speech, and on and on.
1. Chris “Kubby” Kubbernus (@chriskubby)
Chris Kubbernus, known by all simply as “Kubby”, is the founder & CEO at Kubb&Co. He shares insights from his 20 years as a digital marketer. What makes Kubby one of my favorite Snapchatters is just how practical his advice usually is. Whether it’s “How To Get 1 Million Video Views”, or building your personal brand, or how to excel at content marketing, Kubby delivers unique ideas from real world case studies.
2. Filip Novak (@filip.novak)
Filip is the founder of Novakomms, a marketing communications company, and he was one of the earliest influencers on Snapchat. Novak provides a wealth of free advice on social media marketing and marketing communication success in general. He’s also one of the most accessible guru’s on Snapchat, taking time to respond to numerous questions sent in by his followers.
3. Mark Suster (@msuster)
If you’re interested in the world of startups, venture capital, and raising money in general, Mark Suster is a must-follow. He’s a partner at the venture capital firm Upfront Ventures, and has a large following from his blog Both Sides of The Table. For years, Suster’s email newsletter was one of only two that I let into my primary inbox. Now I get his daily lessons on Snapchat.
4. Justin Kan (@justinkan)
If you want to see what it’s like to be living the dream in Silicon Valley, just follow Justin Kan. Kan was one of the original co-founders of Twitch, which was acquired by Amazon for $970 million. On Snapchat, you can follow Kan as he mentors young entrepreneurs, launches new companies, and makes plenty of time for partying and driving ATVs.
5. Brian Park (@brianbpark)
Brian Park is a 3x entrepreneur who currently runs an incubator in Washington, DC called AOL Fishbowl Labs, and also serves as the director of Startup Grind DC, a community of startups around the world. Not only can you see all of the content from the many events Park participates in, he frequently shares screen shots from the most important tech articles of the day along with his analysis. Don’t you want a successful entrepreneur to curate the day’s most important news?
6. Erica Blair (@theericablair)
Erica Blair is a “digital nomad”, currently running her marketing and coaching company from Thailand. She mixes marketing wisdom with breathtaking stories from her daily adventures exploring Chiang Mai and surrounding areas. Blair is a must-follow if you are interested in learning how you can have a location-independent business of your own.
7. Shawn Thomas (@askamillionaire)
Shawn Thomas’ brand is called “Ask A Millionaire.” After selling his multi-million dollar company and taking some time off, Thomas noticed how many social media channels were filled with “lifestyle success” images but no solid advice—and you could never really tell who was behind those channels anyway. He now spends his time sharing what he knows about entrepreneurship with all of his followers, essentially providing virtual mentorships.
8. Tai Lopez (@tailopez)
Following Tai Lopez on Snapchat is like watching a 24-hour a day reality TV show. A college dropout who became a multimillionaire, Lopez has a massive following among those who are inspired by his everyday lifestyle which always includes high-end sports cars, beautiful women, a personal chef, MMA training and surprise appearances by celebrities and pro athletes. It’s this over-the-top selling of “toys for boys” that turn many off. But if you can get past the materialism, you’ll hear Lopez’s message to read a book a day and on a meta-level you can see how masterful marketers are crafting stories on social media.
9. Grant Cardone (@grantcardone)
If you’re a sales person or just want to “10x” your life, Grant Cardone is the one to follow. He’s a legendary sales trainer, master of overcoming any objection, a multimillionaire real estate investor, and the host of many self-produced shows. His endless energy and optimism are infectious.
10. Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee)
If you want to stay on the bleeding edge of marketing, including the shift to a mobile/video-first world, Gary Vaynerchuk is a must-watch. Vaynerchuk is the founder and CEO of digital agency, VaynerMedia, and you can watch his daily hustle and expletive filled rants as he races around the world.
11. Chris Ducker (@chrisducker)
Chris Ducker is an expert in building a business around your personal brand, and how to scale your business as a “virtual CEO” so you don’t become overwhelmed on the journey. On Snapchat, you can follow along as Ducker practices what he preaches, running a large organization primarily from his home in the Philippines.
12. Benji Bruce (@benjibruce)
Benji Bruce is for anyone who wants to become a professional speaker or just take their public speaking to the next level. Newer to Snapchat, Bruce is bringing a behind-the-scenes look at how he’s branding and selling himself as a highly paid keynote speaker.
13. Lenore Estrada (@Threebabes)
Lenore Estrada and her best friend Anna own a bakery called Three Babes Bakeshop, in San Francisco, California. Starting with virtually no money, but dedicated to using only organic ingredients from local farmers, their pies were hailed as the best in America by Food & Wine magazine only a week after their opening. The Three Babes Snapchat account focuses on entrepreneurial grit and getting things done on a shoestring budget.
14. Noah Kagan (@noahkagan)
Noah Kagan was the #30 employee of Facebook, former head of marketing for Mint, and the founder of AppSumo. His expertise is growth hacking and he mixes in plenty of fun times as well.
15. Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld)
Hillel Fuld is the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of a startup called ZCast, which offers a new type of podcasting platform. He is also a mentor to many other entrepreneurs who are part of incubators in Israel. As a masterful networker, in addition to sharing his own insights into business success, Fuld turns the camera on his many successful friends in the tech community.
16. Jay Baer (@jay.baer)
Jay Baer is the founder of Convince & Convince, a marketing consulting firm that works with many of the Fortune500, and he’s also aNew York Times bestselling author of five books and keynote speaker. Jay is my number one source for staying current on all things related to content marketing.
17. Virginia Salas Kastilio (@ginicanbreathe)
Virginia Kastilio turned being on Snapchat into full time job. With work experience from Apple and Oracle, she initially started using Snapchat as a storytelling tool, posting short snippets of her day for her followers. Her transparency quickly found a large audience. At just 26 years old, she now has cooperated with Nasdaq, Sundance and Good Mag, promoting their content and products. She also shares advice on how to make Snapchat work as a marketing tool for business.
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Kevin Kruse (@KevinAuthor on Snapchat and Instagram) shares advice on becoming an author, speaker and entrepreneur.
