Snapchat started in 2011 as a traditional photo messaging app with chat access and video creation capabilities. As social media platforms grew, Snap, the company that makes Snapchat, needed to up its game.
They did that in 2020 when the company released Snapchat Spotlight. It is similar to Instagram Reels and TikTok, where users can upload short videos.
But can you make money on Snapchat in Canada, and is it as profitable? Let’s dive into that question and find out how creators make their cash.
Can You Get Paid for Your Snaps?
Spotlight changed a lot of lives for Snapchat users. The company announced that they’d allocate millions per month to users whose videos get featured on the platform.
While it doesn’t matter how many followers you have, what does matter is how many other users see the video and if it goes viral.
How Many Views Do You Need To Make Money On Snapchat?
There isn’t really a set number of views needed to make money. Even under the Snapchat Spotlight guidelines, it states that creators eligible for payment get selected by a “proprietary formula, which takes into account various engagement metrics and other factors during each day.”
While the number of views needed isn’t directly spelled out, Snapchat users talk.
The buzz on Reddit forums is that users went viral and got paid when their videos hit anywhere from 100,000 views on up.
5 Popular Ways To Make Money on Snapchat
So while Spotlight increased the odds of making money, there are still other ways to bring in the cash. Here’s what you should know.
1. Create Business Ads
How much will you make? You won’t make much in the beginning as you start to grow your side hustle. But if you become proficient and work with big-name companies, you can easily make a full-time income.
With over 293 million users and 4 billion snaps a day, posting an advertisement for your business could be lucrative.
Snapchat offers different advertising formats that are a little different than other social media platforms.
Because of this, if you’re familiar with these platforms and an avid Snapchat user, you could easily create business ads and enjoy a nice compensation because of it.
The ad platforms include:
- Commercials that last up to three minutes long.
- Filters with artistic overlays
- Lenses interacted with augmented reality
- Collection ads
- Story ads
- Single image ads
If you feel you have what it takes, you can reach out to local companies. Once you get your foot in the door, you’ll find that companies will begin to seek you out.
2. Promote Products as an Affiliate
How much will you make? It really depends on your audience and how creative your posts are. If you’re working with a larger company, the potential is there for you to make more.
Also, if your content is entertaining, other brands might be more willing to send work your way.
Just like other social media platforms, you can make money by promoting certain products in exchange for a fee.
The fee is usually based on your reach and how large your audience is. It also depends on the size of the company and how much they’re willing to pay.
Affiliate marketing means you promote a product and provide a special link. When someone makes a purchase through that link, you’re entitled to part of the profit.
But it is a fine line working as an affiliate. You do not want to saturate your audience with boring content. Make it fun, original, and entertaining, and you’re more likely to earn more money in the process.
But if you want to stay successful with it, be reasonable with the number of links you promote. If you go overboard, you could lose your audience.
3. Use Geofilters
How much will you make? Depending on how creative you are, you could see a few extra hundred dollars rolling in. Add in a partnership with a business, and you’ll make even more.
Similar to Snapchat lenses, geofilters are filters accessible to users in a specific location. Check out the two different types of filters you can create.
- Community geofilters. These filters that need approval from Snapchat are free to create and are best for cities, towns, and certain landmarks.
- On-demand geofilters. These ads are specifically for businesses. Just like a paid custom ad. Users located near your business will have the opportunity to access the filters created and maybe even make time to stop in and check out your business.
You can make your own geofilters and sell them on online marketplaces or solicit work from a local business. If you do good work, you’re more apt to get noticed by other businesses, increasing your worth.
4. Get Featured on Snapchat Spotlight
How much will you make? If your video on Spotlight, you can expect to earn a big chunk of change, maybe even in the thousands of dollars.
I talked about Spotlight earlier and how some creators make lots of money through the platform. With millions on the line each month, the competition is fierce and not any old video will get approved.
For starters, your video needs to be at least 60 seconds long and vertical – no still images! Make sure it doesn’t include any text and isn’t blurry.
Then it’s time for you to get creative. With so many users submitting their videos, you need to stand out. Do something original and add tools like stickers and music to make it pop.
If you don’t get accepted right away, keep trying. Watch other videos on Spotlight to see what’s popular. Then try again!
5. Use Sponsored Lenses
How much will you make? You could sell your creations on Etsy or another platform. Some sell for $5, while others go for $49 per package.
Snapchat users can visit the Lens Studio and create their own augmented reality filters users can interact with.
Lenses are fun to play around with, but they can also be used for unique advertising campaigns by businesses. Big-name companies like Red Bull and MTV have used them in the past.
If one of those businesses creates a post using your lens, you can easily see an uptick in your own audience, which brings about many more opportunities.
You do not need to make a filter just for businesses either. You can create something unique and sell it yourself. If it catches on, you could earn extra income.
Final Thoughts
With lots of ways to make money on Snapchat, it’s a great side hustle. It’s a unique platform and a bit different from other social media sites.
While you do not get paid per view, with Snapchat Spotlight, the more people that see your video, the better the chances of it going viral.
As with the other social media platforms, you need to be original, creative, and entertaining. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have a little bit of luck on your side.
If you consistently put out good quality videos, you can earn a lot of money, enough for it to work as your full-time career.
If you’re looking for other ways to make money on social media, check out the posts I did on Facebook and Instagram.
