9 Ways to Make Money on Snapchat

Whether you’re an influencer, an affiliate marketer or looking to grow your business, there are lots of different ways you can make money on Snapchat. This popular social media and messaging platform provides several options for monetizing your content—including a few methods you may not have thought of before.

So if you want to know how to make money on Snapchat, here are 9 ways to go about it.

1. Join the Snapchat Monetization Program

How much you can earn: According to the Snap Monetization Terms, a proprietary payment formula is used to calculate payouts for creators. It is based on several factors, which may include how often and when you post, how many ads are distributed in your content, whether you use Snapchat Creative Tools, and user engagement levels.

How it works: Eligible content creators (Snap Stars) can earn money from ads in Public Stories and Spotlights. You receive a share of the ad revenue generated, and once you start earning, you can cash out a minimum of $100 daily. But you’ll need to meet minimum follower, view and regular posting requirements to qualify for the program, so you’ll need to take time building your profile before you can become eligible to earn.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Earn a share of ad revenue
  • Turn your social media following into income
  • Easy to cash out

  Cons

  • Must have at least 50,000 followers to be eligible
  • Other eligibility criteria apply
  • Unclear payout amounts

• Tips to succeed

  • Post consistently. You’ll need to post regularly to engage with your audience and develop a loyal following, so be sure to put out consistent content that entertains.
  • Authenticity is key. Snapchat is all about raw and unfiltered content rather than carefully scripted and curated posts, so focus on letting your true personality shine through.
  • Use Snapchat’s creative tools. From sounds and doodles to lenses and the video customization options of Director Mode, there are lots of creative tools you can use to help make your content more memorable.

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2. Promote your business

How much you can earn: Varies

How it works: Create a public profile for your business to engage directly with your target market. You can then post content that entertains and informs, tells your story, and builds relationships with potential customers. Snap Promote also lets you promote content from your public profile on Snapchat, helping to grow your following and direct visitors to your own website.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Target younger audiences
  • Plenty of scope for creativity with your content
  • Showcase your brand’s authenticity

  Cons

  • Other social media platforms have a wider reach
  • Younger demographic may not suit your brand
  • Time restrictions on content

• Tips to succeed

  • Make it interactive. From fun polls to immersive augmented reality lenses, focus on creating interactive content that encourages user engagement.
  • Authenticity matters. Rather than slick corporate marketing content with high-end production values, make your brand more relatable with content like behind-the-scenes footage and demos of your products in real-world settings.
  • Partner with creators. Partner with popular content creators who match your brand image, providing authentic user-generated content that users can connect with.

3. Partner with brands

How much you can earn: Varies depending on how many followers you have, their level of engagement with your content, and the deal you negotiate with the brand.

How it works: If you’ve developed a large and loyal Snapchat following, brands can seek you out for paid partnerships. Businesses are willing to pay you to create sponsored content, using the authenticity of user-generated content to help grow their brand.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Turn your social media following into income
  • Lots of options for creative content
  • Easy to make yourself available for brand partnerships

  Cons

  • You might need to pitch your services to brands
  • You might have to surrender some creative control to the brand
  • Plenty of competition

• Tips to succeed

  • Become a Snap Star. If you have enough of a following to get verified as a Snap Star—based on your high-quality content, public presence or popularity—you’ll be increasingly visible and sought-after by brands.
  • Turn on Brand Partnerships. Turn on the Brand Partnerships toggle in your Snapchat profile settings to share your profile analytics and make sure you’re easily discoverable to third-party providers that help brands find creators to partner with.

4. Advertise your business

How much you can earn: Varies

How it works: It’s easy to create an ad campaign for your business in Snapchat Ads Manager. There is a wide range of ad formats to choose from, including Sponsored Snaps that let you send Snaps directly to your target market, single image or video ads, story ads and branded AR lenses.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Range of unique ad formats to choose from
  • Access a large potential audience
  • Easy to target different customer segments

  Cons

  • The platform’s younger demographic may not suit your business
  • Not as much reach as some other platforms
  • Plenty of competition

• Tips to succeed

  • Use split testing. This Ads Manager feature offers a simple way to compare how five variables—Creative, Audience, Placement, Goal and Dynamic Ads—affect performance. Use it to help decide on the most effective ad strategy.
  • Target your audience. Use Snapchat Ads Manager to target different audiences, from customers who have interacted with your business in the past to “lookalike” customers and a wide range of custom audiences.

5. Snapchat takeovers

How much you can earn: Varies depending on the terms you negotiate.

How it works: A Snapchat takeover is when a brand temporarily gives an influencer or celebrity “control” of its Snapchat account for a day or two. That user then posts their own unique content or story, providing the brand with exposure to their Snapchat audience. As a creator, you’ll make money from your paid partnership with the brand. Businesses can run special sales or limited-time offers as part of the takeover and potentially make money from increased sales.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Generate excitement around a brand
  • Target a younger audience
  • Reach a new audience (for both the creator and the brand)

  Cons

  • Smaller audience than some other social media platforms
  • This type of content isn’t a good fit for all brands
  • Only leading creators attract this type of offer

• Tips to succeed

  • Choose the right partner. Both the creator and the brand need to be very careful about choosing who they partner with. Get it wrong, and you could alienate or annoy your audience.
  • Run limited-time offers. Brands can generate buzz around their product with time-sensitive sales offers and promo codes, maximizing the attention a takeover attracts to drive sales.

6. Affiliate marketing

How much you can earn: As a rough guide, you can generally expect to earn a commission of between 5% and 20% per sale.

How it works: You can make money on Snapchat by promoting and reviewing products and services. Include affiliate links in your Snaps and Stories, and when viewers click on those links and make a purchase, you will earn a commission.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Potential to earn passive income
  • Great platform for targeting Gen Z and millennials
  • Quick and easy to get started

  Cons

  • Not ideal for targeting an older audience
  • No guarantee of making money
  • Can be difficult to make your content stand out

• Tips to succeed

  • Keep it short. Use short, snappy and engaging content to capture your audience’s attention straight away.
  • Don’t push it. Avoid high-pressure sales tactics or content that feels too much like blatant advertising. Provide clear and concise information about why you recommend specific products to help build trust with your audience.
  • Use AR filters. Augmented reality filters offer a host of unique and creative ways to make your Snapchat content more engaging and interactive. Use them to help your Snaps and Stories stand out in a crowded marketplace.

7. Join the Snapchat Affiliate Program

How much you can earn: 20% revenue share on qualifying ad spend for the first 30 days after the advertiser signs up, with higher earning tiers available.

How it works: The Snapchat Affiliate Program allows you to earn money by referring advertisers to the platform. Sign up as a publisher, content creator or marketer, and then promote Snapchat Ads to new customers. When they sign up with one of your affiliate links and start advertising, you earn a commission.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Sign up online in minutes
  • Can provide a passive source of income
  • Get paid via PayPal, Stripe or direct deposit

  Cons

  • Fewer users than the biggest social media platforms
  • You’ll only get paid when the businesses you refer run ad campaigns (not just sign up)
  • You will need to have an established audience

• Tips to succeed

  • Share success stories. Show your audience how advertising on Snapchat has helped other businesses grow; real-world success stories will help make your content more relatable.
  • Promote special offers. New advertisers on Snapchat can receive bonus ad credit based on how much they spend on their first campaign. Promote these deals along with the other benefits of advertising on Snapchat (such as reaching a young audience) to encourage new sign-ups.

8. Earn Lens Creator Rewards

How much you can earn: Up to US$7,200 for top-performing lenses. Lens+ payouts are determined based on factors such as performance, engagement and your geographic location.

How it works: Snapchat Lens Creator Rewards allow you to earn money by creating popular Snapchat lenses using the Lens Studio tool. If your lens accumulates at least 15,000 Qualified Posters in the first 90 days, you will qualify for a Top Performer Payout. You can also apply for Lens+ Payouts and create exclusive lenses, and you’ll then be rewarded with revenue-share payouts based on engagement with your creations from Lens+ and Snapchat Platinum subscribers. Payments are made in Crystals, which you can then cash out for real money.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Turn your creativity into income
  • Accessible to a wide range of creators
  • Advanced design features of Lens Studio

  Cons

  • Plenty of competition
  • No guarantee of getting paid
  • High level of performance required to start earning

• Tips to succeed

  • See what’s popular. Check the Trending category in the Lens Explorer section of the Snapchat app to see which Lenses are currently the most popular and find inspiration.
  • Focus on video. Video content is much more popular on the platform than photo content, so focus on creating Lenses for video.
  • Promote your work. Use Snapchat, your website and your other social media channels to showcase your creations and drive more engagement.

9. Join Creator Marketplace

How much you can earn: Varies depending on the deal, but you can choose the fee structure that suits you.

How it works: Snapchat Lens creators can further boost their earning potential by applying to join the platform’s Creator Marketplace. This platform allows you to list your services for brands and companies that are looking to partner with Lens creators for branded content deals and campaigns.

• Pros and cons

  Pros

  • Get discovered by brands
  • Higher earning potential

  Cons

  • Competitive marketplace
  • Can be hard to stand out from the crowd
  • Earning potential varies from one deal to the next

• Tips to succeed

  • Build a portfolio. Develop a portfolio of Lenses to showcase a host of different designs across a variety of categories for potential clients.
  • Use analytics. Check the analytics data in the My Lenses section to gauge which of your Lenses are the most successful and attract maximum engagement. This will help you create Lenses that stand out from the crowd and draw more attention from brands.

What are the best ways to make money on Snapchat?

As a creator, the best way to make money on Snapchat is to join the Monetization Program. This allows you to make money from ad revenue sharing, though you will need at least 50,000 followers and be able to meet a range of eligibility requirements to qualify for the program. But if you do have a large enough following, you can also make money by partnering with brands and creating sponsored content on Snapchat.

Alternatively, Lens creators can monetize the platform through the Lens Creator Rewards program and Creator Marketplace. Or if you’re looking to earn passive income, you can sign up for the Snapchat Affiliate program and refer advertisers to Snapchat, or use the platform to share affiliate links and earn commissions on sales.

What are the quickest ways to make money on Snapchat?

As a general rule, you’ll generally need to put in plenty of time and effort before you can start making money on Snapchat. If you want to partner with brands or join the Monetization Program, you will first need to have put in the hard work to develop a large social media following.

The same goes for affiliate marketing or making money as a Lens creator—you need to build an audience first. So if you’re searching for overnight success and a way to get rich quick, chances are it’s not going to happen.

Snapchat ads success story: RoseSkinCo

When Canadian beauty brand RoseSkinCo wanted to reach younger buyers, it turned to Snapchat. In an effort to target Gen Z and millennial shoppers, it ran a Snap Ad campaign focused on fast, engaging and authentic content.

Over a three-month period, RoseSkinCo achieved a 46% higher return on ad spend compared to advertising on Meta, and a 19% lower cost per acquisition. This demonstrates how Snapchat offers a unique way to promote your brand and target a younger audience.

Snapchat scams to watch out for

If you’re searching for ways to make money on Snapchat, there are a few common scams you need to watch out for:

• Fake accounts. Scammers create fake accounts to impersonate real people (like celebrities or your friends) and ask you for help. They might claim they’re stranded overseas and need money, or that they need your help cashing a cheque, but their true goal is to take your money.
• Fake contests. Keep an eye out for fake contests on Snapchat that sound too good to be true or just don’t seem quite right. Scammers may try to get you to pay a fee to enter or attempt to trick you into providing sensitive information.
• Phishing scams. Scammers impersonate legitimate businesses or even Snapchat support. They try to obtain your login details or other sensitive information by asking you to click a suspicious link. Be wary of any unsolicited or unexpected contact.
• Financial scams. One common scam involves fake ads that promise to teach you how to make a fortune online working from home, but only once you sign up for a course and pay an enrollment fee. Investment opportunities that claim to offer lucrative returns are another scam to keep an eye out for.

Bottom line

There are lots of ways you can make money on Snapchat. The platform doesn’t necessarily provide a guaranteed source of income, but if you’re an influencer or running your own business, there are plenty of ways you can use Snapchat to earn some extra cash. Create a Snapchat profile today and compare the different ways that you can start earning.

Frequently asked questions

• Can you make money on Snapchat in Canada?

  Yes, there are several ways to make money on Snapchat in Canada. For example, eligible content creators can earn a share of ad revenue from their Public Stories and Spotlights as part of the Snapchat Monetization Program. Influencers can also earn money by partnering with brands directly to create sponsored content, while developers can also get paid for creating popular Snapchat lenses. Businesses have the option to use Snapchat to build their profile and run ad campaigns, boosting brand awareness, attracting new customers and generating sales.

• How many followers do you need to make money on Snapchat?

  If you want to make money on Snapchat from ad revenue as part of the platform’s Monetization Program, you will need to have at least 50,000 followers. You will also need to have either 10 million Snap views, 1 million Spotlight views or 12,000 hours of view time in the past 28 days. Finally, you must also be a Snap Star, post to Saved Stories or Spotlight a minimum of 25 times per month, and have posted to either Spotlight or Public Stories on a minimum of 10 of the last 28 days.

• How much does Snapchat pay for 1,000 views?

  Snapchat doesn’t list any exact details of its payment rates online. However, its terms and conditions reveal that it uses a proprietary formula to calculate payments for creators, so the amount you earn will be based on factors such as how often you post, how many ads are included in your Stories, and the level of user engagement your Stories receive.

• Is the Spotlight Rewards Program available in Canada?

  No. The Spotlight Rewards Program ended on January 31, 2025. It has been replaced by Snapchat’s Monetization Program.

Written by

Tim Falk

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Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder. Over the course of his 20-year writing career, he has reported on a wide range of personal finance topics. Whether you're investing in stocks and ETFs, comparing savings accounts or choosing a credit card, Tim wants to make it easier for you to understand. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors. See full bio

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