How businesses can use Snapchat
Contents · 6 sections
When I wrote the first version of this article in 2016, Snapchat was the quiet revolution in social media. The app had 150 million daily active users, and "self-destructing" photos were a novelty every competitor was trying to copy. Back then I wrote that almost no Bulgarian businesses were on Snapchat and that this was an opportunity.
Nine years later, Snapchat did not become the biggest social network, but it did not disappear either, as many predicted. Quite the opposite: today it has almost a billion monthly users. In this updated article we look at what Snapchat looks like in 2025, who uses it, what advertising options it offers and when it makes sense for Bulgarian businesses.
Snapchat in 2025 in numbers
According to Snap's financial results for the second quarter of 2025:
- 469 million people use Snapchat every day, 9% more than a year earlier;
- 932 million people use it every month;
- Europe has around 100 million daily users, more than North America;
- AR Lenses are used around 8 billion times a day;
- the paid Snapchat+ subscription is one of the company's fastest-growing sources of revenue.
And in Bulgaria? According to the figures Snap publishes under the EU Digital Services Act, for the second half of 2024 the app had around 840,000 monthly active users in Bulgaria, up from about 760,000 six months earlier.
Who uses Snapchat?
Snapchat is still the network of young people. Its core audience is between 13 and 34, with the strongest presence among teenagers and students. Unlike Facebook and Instagram, communication here is mostly personal: photos and videos between friends, chat and stories.
That is why Snapchat suits brands that speak to a young audience: fashion, cosmetics, food and drink, entertainment, events, education and technology.
What works for brands in 2025?
AR Lenses and filters
Augmented reality is Snapchat's biggest strength. Brands can create their own Lenses that let users "try on" glasses, make-up or clothes, or just have fun. More than 350 million people use AR in the app every day.
Spotlight
Spotlight is Snapchat's answer to TikTok and Reels: a feed of short vertical videos. Time spent in it is growing 23% year on year and already makes up more than 40% of content viewing time in the app.
Sponsored Snaps
This is a fairly new format in which the ad arrives directly in the user's inbox as a message. According to Snap, adding Sponsored Snaps to campaigns increases conversions by up to 22%.
Classic ad formats
There are also video and image ads between Stories and in Spotlight, product Collection ads for online stores, and so-called Commercials, which cannot be skipped for the first 6 seconds.
When does it make sense for Bulgarian businesses?
To be direct: for most Bulgarian companies, Meta, Google and TikTok will bring more results with less effort. Snapchat makes sense if:
- your main customers are between 13 and 24;
- you sell fashion, cosmetics, accessories or products that people can "try on" with augmented reality;
- you run events, festivals or campaigns for students;
- you also sell in markets such as the UK, France, Scandinavia or the Middle East, where Snapchat is much more popular.
The advantage I wrote about in 2016 partly remains: few Bulgarian brands are on Snapchat, so there is less competition for attention.
How to test it on a small budget
- Create a business profile (Public Profile) and an ad account in Snapchat Ads Manager.
- Install the Snap Pixel on your website to measure conversions.
- Use vertical videos you already have for TikTok or Reels, but adapt them: the first 2 seconds decide everything.
- Run a test campaign with a clear goal and a limited budget for 2-3 weeks, and compare the cost per result with other platforms.
- If the results are good, test your own AR Lens in your next campaign.
The future: Specs AR glasses
Snap has announced that in 2026 it will launch its first consumer AR glasses, called Specs. The company is betting that augmented reality will move off the phone screen and become part of everyday life. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but it is worth following if your business is linked to technology, fashion or retail.
If you want to know more about short-video platforms, see my article on TikTok marketing.
Petar Dyaksov
Entrepreneur, investor and managing partner at SEOMAX, with more than 15 years of experience in e-commerce and digital marketing. He builds businesses in technology and e-commerce, invests in companies and supports entrepreneurs. Speaker, trainer and mentor at dozens of conferences, seminars and entrepreneurship programmes.
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