The smiley emoji (đ) means that they are one of your Best Friends, but not your Bestie. This is someone you send snaps to often, and is considered one of your BFs. What does the grimacing emoji mean on Snapchat? The grimacing emoji (đŹ) is the face of Mutual Besties.
While Snapchat has a varied user base, the platform is and has historically been a favorite of Millennials and Gen Z in the US and beyond. Snap Inc. internal data from Q2 2022 found that more than 75% of 13-34 year olds in more than 20 countries use Snapchat.
Those answers largely come down to three major factors:
Creating high-quality organic content and paid ads that resonate with users
Understanding, and answering for, the goals of the platformâs algorithm
As weâve grown accustomed to across other social platforms, Snapchatâs algorithms and terminology are ever-evolving, and can be confusing if youâre not a frequent user of the app. For consumers, brands and advertisers alike, weâll demystify how Snapchatâs algorithms work, and explore some ways to make them work for you.
Similar to other social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, Snapchatâs algorithms are designed to serve users the content that is most likely to appeal to their individual interests. The goal itself is simple enough, but serving highly relevant content to millions of active users on an ongoing basis requires that some rules and directions be put in place.
While we commonly refer to social media algorithms singularly, there are actually a number of algorithms at play on any given platform. On Snapchat, those algorithms include the Best Friends, Discover page, Spotlight, Face Detection, and Stories algorithms. Letâs dive into more detail about eachâŠ
On Snapchat, your Best Friends are the people you Snap and Chat with most often. Users cannot see each othersâ Best Friends lists, though there are âemoji indicatorsâ that will reveal shared best friends. This is explained in greater detail below, within Snapchat Emoji Meanings.
Users can have up to eight best friends, all of whom will be featured on the âSend Toâ screen when sending a Snap, and in the Chat section of their profile.
Prior to 2018, the algorithm looked at usersâ interactions with each other over the past week, then created an ordered list based on the number of interactions. Now, the algorithm is more complex, factoring in engagement more broadly, including participation in group chats, the number of Snaps sent, and more. In a sense, the algorithm has actually gotten better at understanding what constitutes a friendship.
As its name implies, the Discover section of Snapchat is designed to help you easily find new content that Snapchat expects you might enjoy based on your provided information, and history of using the app. This newsfeed-style section also includes Sponsored content, and Subscriptionsâcontent that you have intentionally opted to see more of.
We can also personalize the Search screen to highlight content you might be interested in, and present you with a personalized overview of your Memories. If we know itâs your birthday, we can give you and your friends a special Lens to help celebrate! We can also personalize ads, Search, Filters, Snap Map, and Lenses to really make your Snapchat experience unique.â
Brands
Creators, Snap Stars, Celebrities, and Influencers
âŠand more!
âWe organize or rank content for Discover and Spotlight based on a combination of your preferences and the content tags. When we combine this, we hope that the algorithm succeeds in showing you the content you like the most. If thatâs not happening, you can help the algorithm by watching content you enjoy for a longer time, subscribing to creators you love, favoriting content, and hiding and skipping the content you donât like.â
The Discover section is particularly relevant to brands who want to advertise through Snap Stories. Story ads are âa series of 3-20 Single Image or Video Adsâ that users can watch by tapping a branded tile in the Discover section. To learn more about the advertising opportunities available on Snapchat, check out our Ultimate Guide to Snapchat Ads.
Snapchat launched Spotlight in late 2020, with the feature widely regarded as Snapchatâs answer toâor visually and functionally similar version ofâTikTok and Instagram Reels. To access the Spotlight section, swipe left on the Stories screen.
Like most content on Snapchat, what you see in the Spotlight section is largely curated for you based on the information Snapchat knows about you, including your past activity. As a whole, all Spotlight content should be original, highly engaging and entertaining.
As reported by TechCrunch, additional factors are considered:
To do so, it will rank the Snaps in the new feed using a combination of factors, like how many other people found a particular Snap interesting, how long people spent watching it, if it was favorited or shared with friends and more. The algorithms will also consider negative factors, like if a viewer skipped watching the Snap quickly, for example. Over time, the feed will become tailored to the individual user based on their own interactions, preferences and favorites. This is a similar system to what TikTok uses for its âFor Youâ feed.â
Spotlight content is unique in that it is entirely comprised of user-generated video content that has been intentionally submitted for a chance in the Spotlight. Creators with a follower count of any size can submit their content for Spotlight consideration by selecting âSpotlightâ at the top of the âSend Toâ screen.
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Snapchat Lenses use the Viola-Jones algorithm to apply Lenses to a face. The algorithm recognizes that most people have similar facial structures and features, called Haar Features.
Next, the algorithm uses the Active Shape Model to fully detect your features. This model has been trained to identify the borders of facial features on an âaverage face.â With that training, the Active Shape Model can use machine learning to create a 3D model that can move and scale with your face.
With Snapchatâs Lens Web Builder, advertisers can leverage Snapchatâs AR technology and create immersive, 3D Lens campaigns. Like Filters, Sponsored Lenses must include a visible logo or brand name.
On the Stories screen, you can find your friendsâ Stories, Stories tailored to your interests, current events and news-related Stories, and more.
Stories are broken into three sections:
The Friends section, which shows your friendsâ Stories at the top of the screen
When users watch a Story they like, they can easily âsubscribeâ to the posting account by pressing and holding on the story. The more engaging your stories, the more likely users are to subscribe!
The double pink hearts emoji (đ) means that you have been each otherâs #1 Best Friend for two months in a row. This person is considered your Snapchat Super BFF.
The single red heart emoji (â€ïž) means that you have been each otherâs #1 Best Friend for two weeks in a row. In Snapchatâs world, this is your BFF.
The single yellow heart emoji (đ) means that you are each otherâs #1 Best Friend â aka Besties! This is the person that you send the most snaps to, who also sends the most snaps to you.
The smiley emoji (đ) means that they are one of your Best Friends, but not your Bestie. This is someone you send snaps to often, and is considered one of your BFs.
The grimacing emoji (đŹ) is the face of Mutual Besties. If you see this emoji alongside a friendâs name, it indicates that your Bestie (#1 Best Friend) is also their Bestie.
The sunglasses emoji (đ) signals Mutual BFs; one of your Best Friends (BFs) is also one of their Best Friends.
The fire emoji (đ„) means that you have a Snapstreak with that person. The number next to the fire emoji tells you how many consecutive days youâve sent Snaps to each other. Once your Snapstreak has reached the 100-day mark, your efforts will be rewarded with the 100 (đŻ) emoji.
The hourglass emoji (âïž) means that your Snapstreak will end soon. You need to send a Snap to each other within 24 hours, or your Snapstreak will expire. Think of the hourglass as a fire (đ„) extinguisher with a ticking clock!
While there will always be some overlap in the audiences that each social platform reaches, the ways they perform and function, and the goals of the algorithms powering it all, itâs also important to consider the merits of each independently.
The Snapchat Generation has â$4.4 Trillion in Spending Power,â and is âwilling to outspend non-Snapchatters on common purchases across every retail and service category.â Additionally, they âconsider big and small brands in equal measure,â with â1 in 2 say[ing] they like to learn the backstory of brands and products they buy.â
Knowing that Snapchatâs unique audience is interested in learning more about the brands they support, consider how you can incorporate more of that information into your content. Remember that the overarching goal of Snapchatâs algorithm is to provide users with ready access to content they are likely to enjoy. By learning as much as you can ahead of time about what Snapchatters find most engaging or useful on the whole, you can pre-answer for that in the content you produce.
Over 6 billion AR Lens plays per day, avg. (Snap Inc. internal data Q2 2022)
AR Lens plays per day, avg. (Snap Inc. internal data Q2 2022) Over 2.5 million community-made Lenses (Snap Inc. internal data as of December 31, 2021)
community-made Lenses (Snap Inc. internal data as of December 31, 2021) Over 250 million DAUs engage with augmented reality every day, avg. (Snap Inc. internal data Q2 2022)
DAUs engage with augmented reality every day, avg. (Snap Inc. internal data Q2 2022) Snapchatters are â3X more likely than non-Snapchatters to say theyâre using AR more than they did last year to try on products.â (2021 Global Cassandra Study commissioned by Snap Inc.)
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Simply put, Snapchat users enjoy using lenses and filters, which translates to increased engagement. And increased engagement is exactly what the algorithm is designed to reward.
Snapchat shows no signs of slowing down on continuing to expand their AR capabilities and efforts. They have recently scooped up three companies to help them grow in the AR spaceâWaveOptics, Compound Photonics, and NextMind.
Snapchat Filters are design overlays that users can add after they take a Snap. Filters can add color effects, show location or weather information, highlight a special event, and more.
Advertisers can create sponsored Filters to promote an event, brand, location, and more. Sponsored Filters must have a visible brand logo or brand name.
Snapchat Lenses, on the other hand, use augmented reality (AR) to transform usersâ appearance or surroundings while they create a Snap, using a face detection algorithm to apply features and effects onto usersâ faces before they take a photo. Lenses can add 3D effects, characters, objects, and transformations.
According to a 2022 Global Crowd DNA Study commissioned by Snap Inc., 90% of US âSnapchatters are interested in using AR to try on makeup or clothes.â But AR has also shown to be incredibly useful in other spaces, including eyeglasses.
Learn more about how brands are using AR to keep users engaged:
Jump on Relevant #Trends with Content of Varying Types
While itâs important to consider your brand style and standards in your Snapchat content, there is plenty of room to experiment with different types of content to capitalize on industry trends, while staying on-brand (ex. how-to/informative, styling ideas and tips, humorous angles, recipes, etc.).
To see whatâs trending on Snapchat, visit the Spotlight section, and click on the upward-trending arrow in the top right of any video. Here, youâll find trending topics, sounds, and lenses. Luckily for spuds-fans like me, a trending topic today is #potato!
Some creators and businesses this trending topic would be a solid fit for include:
Potato chip companies
Recipe vloggers
Artists
Potato Head Toys
Donât try to force a round peg into a square hole; not every trend is going to be a natural fit for your brand. Whatâs more important is deciding how you will react to relevant trends when they do present themselves, because trends come and go quickly!
Also, keep in mind that Snapchatters are happy folksââ75% of those surveyed reported their main reason for using Snapchat was to connect with close family and friends.â Design fun, informative, creative and unique content that theyâll want to share with those family members and friendsâwho theyâre likely already engaged in a chat with on the platform.
Snapchat automatically deletes chats and Snaps once theyâve been viewed or have expired. Stories are deleted after 24 hours. You can also set your Stories to automatically save to your Memories folder.
How often you chat with someone will only affect your potential status as Best Friends where those chats include Snapped pictures or videos. Traditional conversational messages (sending text-based messages or non-Snapped, stored photos or videos) does not âcountâ toward a Best Friends status.
Your follower count is only visible on Snapchat if you choose for it to be; by default, your follower count is not shown. Snapchat first gave users the option to show how many followers they have in late 2020; this has been a largely welcomed update by high profile creators, influencers, and brands with sizable followings.
Editorâs Note: This post was originally published by Shannon Mullery in April 2021 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.
Soulmate Gem
Photo: Dino Uniyal
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