Meet the 40-year-old DJ with his own Snapchat talk show

BY SAM GUTELLE 

As Snapchat becomes more popular and builds the infrastructure it needs to support a creative community, some interesting characters have showed up among the first wave of “Snapchat stars.” One of these stars is Mark Kaye, a 40-year-old radio DJ whose Talkin’ Snap program draws tens of thousands of viewers per episode. Business Insider recently posted a profile of Kaye, and it is an interesting look at the process of a middle-aged man who is succeeding on an app that caters mostly to teens.

Kaye is much older than a typical Snapchat user, but as he explains, his job as a radio DJ allows him to keep in touch with the youth. “I work for a Top 40 radio station and I’ve spent my entire life talking to 18-to-25-year-old women, which sounds creepier than it actually is,” he told Business Insider. “I’ve built a career on that. My job is to watch what they watch, read what they read, and listen to their music. So it’s not odd for me or for anyone I know. My wife totally expects it. Whenever there’s some hot new app I’m there. I think [my age] gives me more insight, especially since I come from a professional media background.”

Kaye’s job has also helped him find compelling guests for Talkin’ Snap, which features his conversations with notable artists. In addition to other Snapchat stars like Shaun McBride, Kaye has sat down with popular musicians like Charli XCX and Flo Rida.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFV0AQdkOWQ

Talkin’ Snap is a fairly new series on a platform where creators are still figuring out what works and what doesn’t, but Kaye’s process is similar to the one thousands of creators have used to get big on YouTube. He tries to keep a regular posting schedule, carefully selects brands to partner with, and regularly collaborates with his fellow Snapchatters. Those strategies have helped Kaye bring significant traffic to Talkin’ Snap, which he says averages about 25,000 views per episode.

For anyone who is interested in creating content on Snapchat, Business Insider’s profile of Kaye is a compelling and informative read. If you’d like to add to your research by watching Talkin’ Snap, Kaye posts full episodes on his blog.

Illustration by Fernando Alfonso III