Do you know how to make money on snapchat?
The new Spotlight program of the popular social media platform distributes over $1 million every day. Discover how you can claim a portion of this lucrative opportunity, along with several other ways to monetize the platform.
Nearly everyone dreams of achieving overnight wealth, but only a small fraction of individuals actually accomplish it. While there are numerous opportunities to start a business or earn money online, most of them demand substantial effort and often require patience before significant earnings can be attained.
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However, Snapchat is revolutionizing this notion.
In recent months, young Snapchat users have been swiftly amassing substantial sums of money, thanks to the platform’s popular feature called Spotlight. This newfound opportunity has allowed several individuals, including teenagers, to experience life-altering financial success seemingly out of thin air, as highlighted in a recent article published in the New York Times.
Snapchat Basics
If you’re interested in making money on Snapchat, it’s likely that you have some familiarity with the platform. However, Snapchat may not be as intuitive as other social media apps and comes with its own set of terminology. To help you navigate the platform, here are key terms and phrases you should understand:
- Chat: A messaging feature that enables communication with friends or groups. Chats are automatically deleted by Snapchat once viewed or expired.
- Stories: Collections of photos and/or videos that remain available for 24 hours before being automatically deleted.
- Live Stories: Similar to Stories, but they feature photos or videos of other users at events or specific locations. They are also accessible for only 24 hours.
- Lenses: Augmented reality effects that add fun elements to your selfies. You can send them to friends or post them to Stories. Learn more about lenses here.
- Filters: Static photo overlays, similar to lenses, that enhance your pictures.
- Snap Map: Allows users to share their location. Friends’ Bitmojis appear on a map to indicate their whereabouts.
- Snapchat Spotlight: Currently, the primary method for earning money on Snapchat is through Spotlight. Users can submit their best videos for a chance to earn a share of $1 million per day. Earnings are determined by factors like the number of views. Spotlight, launched in November 2020, is similar to Instagram Reels and TikTok.
Snapchat’s endeavor to become a prominent platform for influencers has gained significant momentum. Users have recognized the earning potential offered by Spotlight, resulting in an increase in content on the platform.
Creating Viral Videos
The aforementioned Snapchat users have found financial success through Spotlight by creating viral videos. The more views your videos, known as “Snaps,” receive, the greater the chance of earning a portion of Snapchat’s daily payout of over $1 million.
Will Stewart, a contributor to the development of the Snapchat management platform Mish Guru, explains, “Snap’s new Spotlight feature operates similarly to TikTok, where a viral video has the potential to reach the feature’s users, beyond just your followers or those browsing a specific location on Snap Map. This means that both influential individuals and aspiring creators have the opportunity to achieve a viral moment and monetize it through a single video.”
How does Snapchat select Spotlight users?
Snapchat provides a dedicated section within the app called Spotlight, where users can submit their Snaps to potentially be seen by others.
Spotlight posts can be viewed by users at any time, and Snapchat employs an algorithm to determine which Snaps are most likely to be appreciated by users, based on their preferences and the topics they follow.
The algorithm takes into account various factors such as the number of times a video has been skipped, watched, shared, or liked. These indicators help determine the popularity and engagement of a video.
As a video gains more traction and captures more attention, it will receive more views and generate more revenue for its creator.
Related: Earn money from listening to music
What Performs Well on Snapchat?
Now that you have a better understanding of Spotlight and its functioning, the next step is to create engaging videos that will resonate with Snapchat’s younger audience.
According to Snapchat expert Will Stewart from the social media marketing platform Mish Guru, successful Spotlight snaps generally fall into one of the following four categories:
- Inspiring: Dancing and skateboarding videos, in particular, are excellent options in this category. Short Snaps that feature people doing remarkable or inspiring things tend to be well received.
- Educational: While educational Snaps can be effective, remember that you only have a maximum of 60 seconds. The educational content that performs well on Snapchat differs from longer videos that might be popular on platforms like YouTube. Focus on delivering quick and actionable tips.
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Entrepreneur Miles Beckler emphasizes the need for energy in your Spotlight Snaps. He says, “You’re not only competing with other influencers and media creators, but also for your audience’s attention. If you’re not producing entertaining, high-energy content, people will quickly scroll or click past.”
- Pranks: Funny prank videos are highly popular and have the potential to go viral. Cam Casey’s videos, such as the one where he conducted a science experiment that resulted in a Coke bottle explosion, fall into this category.
- Memes and trends: Entertainment is key in this type of content. Utilize humor and creativity to create videos that users will love to watch and share.
To stay updated on the latest trends, it’s a good idea to follow the Snapchatter Insights section of the Snapchat blog. Additionally, Insider has an article showcasing the top TikTok memes from 2020, which can provide insights into the type of content that is likely to be popular on Spotlight, despite being a separate platform.
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Creating Snapchat Ads for Businesses
Similar to other social platforms, Snapchat incorporates advertisements into its business model.
With over 249 million people using Snapchat daily, including 75% of Millennials and Gen Z, it’s evident that advertising on this platform presents incredible opportunities for businesses.
However, many business owners and even seasoned marketers may not be familiar with the platform or how to create successful ads on it.
Marketing on Snapchat differs significantly from platforms like Facebook or Pinterest. If you’re an active Snapchat user within the target demographic, you could leverage this knowledge to create ads for businesses as a side hustle or even establish it as a full-time business.
Snapchat offers various ad formats, including:
- Collection ads (featuring a series of products).
- Commercials (up to three minutes in length).
- Filters (artistic overlays).
- Lenses (interactive augmented reality experiences).
- Single image or video ads.
- Story ads (a series of ads).
Ads can serve various purposes, such as driving app installs, facilitating product sales through e-commerce websites, generating clicks to any type of website, or driving foot traffic to local businesses.
Leverage Sponsored Content Or Affiliate Marketing
Over the past few years, Instagram has gained popularity as a platform for sponsored content, and a similar opportunity exists on Snapchat.
Snapchat users who have built substantial audiences can engage in promoting products in exchange for compensation.
As an influencer, you have the ability to create Snaps that highlight a brand or product to your Snapchat followers and receive payment for doing so.
For more options, check out our list of the best sites that pay you to sign up.
When it comes to sponsored content, the process typically involves a flat fee determined by the influencer’s reach and audience. You can either find sponsors independently or collaborate with platforms like Mish Guru that facilitate sponsor connections.
Alternatively, you can utilize Snapchat for affiliate marketing, a business model favored by bloggers and website owners but also applicable to Snapchat.