Snapchat introduced Snap Stars in 2022 as a new way for creators to earn money and get recognition on the platform. Snap Stars allows Snapchatters to purchase social media stars and influencers’ exclusive content. Fans can subscribe to their favorite Snap Stars for a monthly fee and gain access to exclusive Stories, Lenses, Filters, and more. So how do you become a Snap Star and start earning? Here’s what you need to know.
What are Snap Stars?
Snap Stars are influential, entertaining, and creative Snapchatters who produce exclusive content on Snapchat. They can be anyone from social media influencers, athletes, musicians, artists, celebs, etc. Snapchat handpicks Snap Stars based on their interesting content, loyal following, and engagement on the app. Fans can subscribe to Snap Stars for a monthly fee (usually around $3 – $5 per month). By subscribing, fans gain access to exclusive content from their favorite Snap Stars. This includes exclusive Stories, Lenses, Filters, and more. Snap Stars are denoted on Snapchat with a gold star emoji next to their name.
Benefits of being a Snap Star
There are several benefits that come with being a Snap Star:
- Earn money – Snap Stars can earn revenue from fan subscriptions and get paid directly by Snapchat. The more fans who subscribe, the more money Snap Stars can earn.
- Gain followers – Getting the exclusive Snap Star designation provides increased visibility on Snapchat, helping Snap Stars grow their audience and gain new fans on the platform.
- Creative freedom – Snap Stars are able to produce fun, original content and have full creative freedom over their exclusive content for fans.
- New revenue stream – The subscription feature provides influencers and creators a new way to diversify their revenue by monetizing their content directly on Snapchat.
- Data insights – Snap Stars gain access to data and insights about their subscribers and content performance to inform their content strategies.
Snap Star eligibility and application process
So how do you actually become a Snap Star? First, you must meet some baseline eligibility requirements:
- Have a public Snapchat profile
- Be 18 years or older
- Have an account in good standing with no policy violations
- Consistently post engaging content daily
- Have a strong, sizable audience with high engagement and views
If you meet these requirements, you can apply through Snapchat to become a Snap Star. Here are the steps:
- Tap your profile icon in Snapchat and select “Snap Star”
- Review the eligibility checklist and make sure you meet the requirements
- Tap “Apply” and agree to the terms of service
- Snapchat will review your application and content history on the app. This can take 1-3 weeks.
- If approved, Snapchat will onboard you as a Snap Star!
Snapchat looks for creators who have an established, engaged following on Snapchat when reviewing applications. A strong Snapchat following and high views on Snaps and Stories is key. Plus, they want to see creators who can consistently produce fun, engaging content daily.
Setting Snap Star subscription price
Once approved as a Snap Star, you can set your monthly subscription price. Pricing is at the creator’s discretion, but Snapchat recommends:
- $3-5 USD per month for emerging Snap Stars
- $5-10 USD per month for intermediate Snap Stars
- $10+ USD per month for expert Snap Stars
When setting your price, consider factors like:
- Your current following and engagement
- The exclusivity and quality of content offered
- Benchmarks of other Snap Stars in your content niche
- What your fans are willing to pay
- Production time and costs associated with your exclusive content
You can adjust your pricing at any time as your viewership and content offerings evolve. Snapchat will notify fans before any price changes.
Creating Snap Star exclusive content
The exclusive content you create as a Snap Star is the main draw for your subscribers. Get creative with exclusives like:
- Exclusive Stories – Show behind-the-scenes looks at your life, travels, events, etc.
- Chat sessions – Engage directly with fans via private chat or group chats.
- Custom Memories/Lenses/Filters – Create fun augmented reality Lenses, Filters, and Memories to share.
- Behind-the-scenes – Give fans sneak peeks of your work in progress.
- Discounts/giveaways – Offer subscribers-only deals, discounts, or giveaways.
- Premium DMs – Foster closer connections with subscriber-only DMs.
- Virtual Hangouts – Go live or video chat with fans.
Aim to post exclusive content daily so fans always have something new to engage with. Use Snap Star-exclusive creative tools to develop fun, original content that subscribers can’t get anywhere else. Exclusive content is the main incentive fans have for subscribing, so put effort into keeping it fresh and compelling.
Promoting your Snap Star subscription
Once your Snap Star profile is set up, promote it across your platforms and channels to drive subscriptions. Here are some tips:
- Add Snapcode to your Profile – Make it easy for fans to scan and subscribe right from your Profile.
- Create a promotional Snap Star Story – Share a day-in-the-life, exclusives preview, call to action on your public Story.
- Leverage other platforms – Promote your Snap Star subscription on your other social media accounts like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube etc.
- Run Snap Ads – Use Snap Ads Manager to create ads driving subscriptions.
- Add a Snap Star Profile link – Add your custom Snap Star profile link in your email signature, website, merch, etc.
- Collaborate with other creators – Team up with other Snapchat creators to cross-promote each others’ Snap Star profiles.
- Offer limited time discounts – Offer introductory discounts to incentivize sign-ups from your audience.
Drive demand by giving fans a preview of the exclusive content they’ll gain access to as a subscriber. Share testimonials of existing subscribers enjoying the perks. And make joining frictionless by sharing direct Snapcode scans and Profile links across your channels.
Managing Snap Stars settings and tools
Snapchat provides Snap Stars with exclusive management tools to view subscriber data and customize settings. In Snap Star Settings you can:
- View subscriber numbers – See how many fans have subscribed to your Snap Star profile.
- View subscriber insights – Get data on subscriber demographics like gender, age, location and content preferences.
- Edit subscription price – Adjust your monthly subscription cost.
- Customize access – Limit subscriber access after non-payment.
- Block subscribers – Block specific subscribers if needed.
Use these admin tools to optimize your content strategy and subscription monetization. Analyze metrics on top-performing content among subscribers. Identify subscriber demographic trends. Monitor block rates. Adjust pricing accordingly. Having access to these insights can help improve results as a Snap Star.
Receiving Snap Stars subscription revenue
Snapchat pays Snap Stars their subscription revenue monthly. Earnings will be directly deposited into your linked bank account around the 15th of each month. Your subscriber revenue is calculated as:
Total Snap Star subscription revenue = Number of paying subscribers x Your set monthly subscription price
The more fans that subscribe and renew each month, the more you can earn! Snapchat keeps 49% as a platform fee and pays creators 51%. Know that taxes are not withheld from earnings, so be sure to save accordingly for tax season.
Best practices for Snap Stars
Here are some top tips for succeeding as a Snap Star creator:
- Post daily – Stay engaged by posting fresh, exclusive Stories for fans every day.
- Interactive content – Encourage engagement with polls, Q&As, Challenges, AR Lenses, etc.
- Variety – Mix up content types – Videos, snaps, stories, lenses, chats, etc.
- Respond to comments – Reply to fans and build community.
- Surprise and delight – Send unexpected extras like custom filters or surprise chat sessions.
- Go behind-the-scenes – Give an authentic inside look at your life and work.
- Listen to feedback – Take subscriber requests and suggestions into account.
- Promote consistently – Share Snapcode and profile link regularly across channels.
- Analyze insights – Use Snap Star data to create content fans love.
- Have fun – Put your unique personality and passions into content creation.
By providing a steady stream of engaging, interactive content while leveraging promotions and data, Snap Stars can build an audience of happy subscribers.
Conclusion
Becoming a Snap Star presents a lucrative opportunity for creators to monetize their following and talent directly on Snapchat. With some strategic exclusive content, smart pricing tactics, and promotions across channels, Snapchatters can gain paying subscribers – and earning potential. For top fans, it’s a chance to get closer to their favorite personalities. As Snapchat continues growing its monetization offerings, the Snap Star program provides an exciting new way for influencers to diversify their revenue streams.