18 Creative Snapchat Ideas for Business & Personal Use (2025)

The same things that make Snapchat fun can also make it challenging to learn. It’s ultimately up to you to discover Snapchat’s features—in fact, the platform encourages you to find them through exploration and experimentation. But if you stick with it, you’ll be engaging with a platform that boasts 460 million daily active users—even more than X.

Whether you’re marketing your business or just having fun, whether you’re new to Snapchat or looking to take it to the next level with Snapchat ads, these 18 creative ideas will help you maximize your presence on the platform.

18 creative Snapchat ideas

• Ideas using basic Snapchat features
• Ideas for creating engaging content
• Ideas for strategic content planning
• Ideas for driving business results with Snapchat
• Creative design tools and tricks

Ideas using basic Snapchat features

1. Add multiple filters to a single Snap

Once you’ve snapped a picture or video, you can swipe through several filters to apply over your snap—including standard image filters, temperature, speed, and location-based filters. 

What many people don’t know is that you can apply multiple filters at once. Simply hold down on your screen with one finger to keep your current filter, while swiping with another finger to add more.

2. Download and repurpose your Snaps across platforms

One of Snapchat’s limitations is that only your followers see your content. Get around this by downloading your snaps and repurposing them on other channels like Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. Doing this will help promote your Snapchat presence, while also saving you time on cross-channel content creation.

Download your snaps by taking a screenshot or tapping the download arrow at the bottom of your screen when viewing a snap. You can even download your entire Snapchat Story by tapping the three vertical dots when looking at your Stories list.

Growing your following requires consistently raising awareness of your Snapchat presence across platforms.

3. Grow your following with Snapcodes and username URLs

There are three main ways people can add you on Snapchat: They can manually enter your username, scan your Snapcode, or tap your Snapchat user URL on mobile (which redirects to the app).

Access your Snapchat profile by tapping your profile photo in the upper left corner, then tap on your yellow Snapcode for more options. At the top, you’ll see an enlarged version of your Snapcode that you can screenshot and share. People can easily add you by taking a photo of your Snapcode in their Snapchat app, or by saving and uploading your Snapcode in the app. 

Ideas for creating engaging content

4. Add trending music to your video snaps

Tap the music note symbol in your Snapchat menu to access music clips that you can add to the background of your snaps. Simply search for your favorite song or a relevant tune that you can add on top of your snaps. This lets you easily add another layer of creativity to your Snapchat ideas.

Possibilities for your snaps set to music could include:

• Lip-syncing
• Telling a story
• Staged performances
• Freestyle dancing
• Freestyle rap
• Whatever other videos or images would be enhanced by music

5. Create layered designs with stickers, filters, text, and emojis

When you create a snap, you can tap, drag, and drop different elements over one another to experiment with unique content that fits your brand or personal vibe. For example, turn your captions into larger text, layer different filters, and choose or create your own stickers. You can adjust the size of stickers by pinching them, and you can even use your finger to doodle or write on your snaps.

6. Use custom font backgrounds for standout text

Similar to Instagram Stories, Snapchat offers a feature that changes your font background. This is useful when you want your text to stand out against a snap’s busy background.

You can also use the color picker to change the color of your text. If you hold down your finger inside the color selection bar and drag it anywhere on the screen, you can access a much broader range of colors.

7. Explore new lenses and AR features regularly

The Lenses feature uses Snapchat’s face recognition technology to apply a mask over your face. Simply hold your finger down over your face, or someone else’s, until the app’s augmented reality (AR) tech recognizes it. Then select from a variety of facial overlays—from a panda to the famous unicorn that vomits rainbows.

Many lenses make regular appearances, but you’ll also see sponsored and limited-time lenses, so check the library frequently. Your selection of lenses will also change depending on where you are, so keep an eye on them whenever you travel.

8. Organize Snapchat Stories with title cards

Snapchat Stories can get long and hard to follow, especially if you have multiple “segments” in a single day. That’s why it’s good to upload shorter snaps (roughly three seconds each) to keep your audience invested.

This is where title cards come in handy. Snapping a wall or some other background gives you a canvas to create a message or a piece of “Snap art” that signals the next part of your Story.

Since the default white font can be hard to read, consider coloring over it using the drawing tool to make your words pop. Or, cover up your phone camera to get a plain black screen for your title card.

Ideas for strategic content planning

9. Diversify your content mix for maximum engagement

Your Snapchat presence will get stale if you share the same things every day. Diversify your snaps to maximize interest and engagement. People are less inclined to seek out your Snapchat Stories if they know exactly what to expect.

Luckily there’s no shortage of types of content you can push out:

• “How it’s made” videos
• “A day in the life” videos
• Quotes presented using Snapchat art
• DIY tutorials
• Interviews
• Takeovers by partners/celebrities

10. Track analytics to improve your Snapchat strategy

Because of Snapchat’s temporary nature, it’s harder to analyze the performance of your snaps over time. Instead, track the performance of each snap and the growth of your following. Look for patterns to learn what gets the most engagement.

Here are the key analytics to track in Snapchat:

• Views, which tell you how many times your snap has been viewed. Slide your finger up on a snap to see which followers have viewed it.
• Screenshots, which indicate the number of people who saved your snap for later or to take a closer look.
• New followers you get per day and any promotion you’ve run to attract them. You can also see your total follower count in your Snapchat account’s Insights tab. 
• Timing of your snaps, which gives insight into when your snaps get the most views and on what days.

11. Collaborate with influencers through Snapchat takeovers

Takeovers are an effective way to grow your following and increase engagement on any social platform; Snapchat is no exception. To host a takeover, you give account access to a celebrity or influencer for a set period of time—usually a day or week—to post to your account in their own style. Partnering with someone popular like this can help boost engagement with your current followers, while also expanding your reach to attract new followers. It also injects variety into your content. Your snaps can start in Toronto and easily migrate to Hong Kong by simply giving someone else your login info.

💡Just remember to agree on best practices and ideal outcomes beforehand. You’ll also want to change your password afterward, or create a temporary password during the takeover.

Ideas for driving business results with Snapchat

12. Leverage Snapcodes and QR codes to grow your business

Much like you can grow your following by sharing your scannable Snapcode, you can also use the power of Snapcodes or QR codes to grow your business and boost sales. Use your Snapcode (or generated QR code) to drive followers to your ecommerce website, blog posts, landing pages, or even exclusive content. With Snapchat’s internal scanning technology, your Snapcode or QR code will direct users wherever you want to take them—all with a single tap. This is particularly useful for increasing conversions, since it’s easy to link users directly to a specific product page or promotion. 

Both Snapcodes and QR codes are also great ways to bridge the physical and digital worlds. Incorporate your codes into any physical ads, business cards, product packaging, or other types of signage in the world. When someone scans your code, they’ll be easily directed to whichever link you’ve associated with that code. 

💡Create your own QR codes for free using Shopify’s QR Code Generator. 

13. Run targeted Snapchat ads for your audience

Snapchat ads appear between organic Stories as users scroll through them. These brief, full-screen videos allow you to showcase your products or services while building awareness of your brand and Snapchat profile.

Snapchat also offers ecommerce shoppable ads that online stores can use to increase sales. Create a video showing off your product and include a Shop Now call-to-action button at the bottom that immediately leads viewers to your product options.

14. Host contests and giveaways to boost engagement

Hosting a contest or giveaway campaign is an effective way to grow your audience and get them more engaged with you on the app. The more you tailor your campaign to the unique interests of your niche market, the more likely you’ll attract followers who are genuinely interested in your brand and product offerings.

First, decide what you’re going to give away. Choose something that’s uniquely of interest to your target audience. If you give away generic prizes like cash or an iPad, you could get entries from people who would never buy your product—defeating the purpose of your campaign.

Next, promote your Snapchat giveaway across your other social profiles to expand your reach. Always include a photo of your Snapcode to make it easy for more people to easily follow you and join the fun.

Gymshark’s campaign on Snapchat achieved impressive results, including 2.5-times lower cost of sale versus its forecast and 100% more purchases than forecasted. The fitness apparel brand used Snapchat’s unique targeting capabilities to reach new customers and drive conversions with compelling video content showcasing their products.

15. Create immersive experiences for your audience with AR Lenses and Filters

Snapchat Filters and Lenses help create one of the more immersive augmented reality experiences across all social networks. One approach is creating filters that augment users’ faces in selfies, which provides a simple but fun experience for your audience.

You can go even further with Snapchat Lenses. For example, Honda’s Snapchat account has created Lenses that lets users see the exterior of a new vehicle, tap areas to learn more about the car, or view the interior for additional information. This creates an immersive experience for someone interested in a Honda car—without requiring them to visit a dealership.

Creative design tools and tricks

16. Explore different color palettes in the drawing tool

At first glance, Snapchat might seem limited in color options, but when you tap the icon below the color slider, you get access to entirely new color palettes. Those include dark, bright, and grayscale palettes. These additional color options help you design even more creative Snapchat Stories to share with your audience. If you’re trying to maintain consistency in your visual brand identity, this feature can also help you achieve that by using colors that are more aligned with your brand.

17. Create unique content by drawing with emojis

You can find another drawing option by tapping the emoji icon below the color slider. This gives you multiple emoji options to choose from. Once you select an emoji, you can effectively draw shapes with it by dragging your finger on the screen. With this feature, instead of drawing lines like a typical paintbrush tool, you’ll draw shapes made out of your chosen emoji. Use emoji-drawing to creatively add more visual interest to your content, or simply create a funny snap that your audience will enjoy.

18. Design and reuse custom Snapchat stickers

Creating your own Snapchat stickers allows you to duplicate items in your photos or save elements to reuse later. This is particularly useful for adding products into different photos.

It’s quick and easy to create these stickers. Take a photo with the Snapchat camera, then tap the scissors icon in the sidebar. As instructed on screen, make a sticker by outlining an object in your photo with your finger. Once you’ve finished outlining, your new sticker will be saved in your stickers tab. Tap the sticky note icon, then the scissors tab to see your homemade stickers. When you want to add any of your new stickers to a snap, simply tap the one you want and place it anywhere on your snap.

It may take a few tries to get it exactly right, but creating your own stickers adds a fun element to your snaps. If you’re a business owner, they can also help you more easily promote your products. 

Integrating Snapchat with Your Overall Marketing Strategy

Snapchat should complement your broader marketing efforts rather than existing as an isolated channel. Create a cross-platform marketing strategy where your Snapchat content reinforces messaging from your email campaigns, website, and other social platforms—while still offering unique value that can only be found on Snapchat.

Use Snapchat to drive engagement with campaigns running on other platforms. For example, if you’re running an Instagram contest, use Snapchat to provide exclusive hints or bonus entry opportunities. This cultivates a more interconnected experience for your audience.

Implement tracking mechanisms to measure how Snapchat contributes to your overall marketing goals. While direct attribution can be challenging due to the platform’s ephemeral nature, using dedicated landing pages or unique promo codes, or simply asking customers where they heard about you can help quantify Snapchat’s impact on your business.