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What Is Snapchat Discover and How Does it Work?

TJ Kiely

Apr 16, 2025

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Instagram has Stories and Reels. TikTok has Reels, For You page, and original sounds. YouTube has Shorts. And Snapchat has — Snapchat Discover?

It’s not enough to be active on social media channels. To get the most out of your social media management strategy, you need to know all of the features available to you and how they help you reach your audience. 

For Snapchat, you have more options than just posting content (and then watching it vanish in 24 hours). Snapchat’s Discover feature is a prime example of how social media platforms are evolving to help users find and engage with content they care about.

Here’s what the Snapchat Discover feature is and how you can use it to grow your social presence.

Contents:

What Is Snapchat Discover?

woman handling a phone

Snapchat Discover is a section of the Snapchat app that features content from big brands and publishers. It’s kind of like its own feed, but instead of seeing a mix of single posts from various creators, you see “collections” in story format. 

Think about going to a newsstand filled with magazines. Each magazine comes from a certain publisher with a specific theme. Open it and you’ll find loads of content fitting that theme. 

This is the idea behind Snapchat Discover. It’s a collection of stories from top creators ready for you to explore.

Types of Content that Perform Well on Snapchat Discover

On the Snapchat Discover page, you’ll find a few different types of creators and their content: your friends’ Snapchat stories, Our Stories, Publisher Stories, and Shows. 

These creators share similarities in terms of the type of content they create. Whether from a major publisher like Vogue or ESPN or a rising influencer, you might notice several key themes across their Snaps.

Interactive polls

Snapchat’s emphasis on interactive content turns passive viewers into active participants. Engagement can help fuel the algorithm and potentially improve visibility on the Discover page. 

an interactive poll on snapchat

Source: HubSpot

Mashable uses interactive polls and other visuals to engage its audience in different ways. In the above example, it discussed the Pixel Buds across a series of snaps, then asked users whether they’d make the switch from AirPods. It also added a fun maze at the end to keep things fresh.

Highlight reels

News stories, round-ups, and other detailed content can be repurposed into a series snaps for a “highlights” reel. This gives users the gist of an idea without having to read full articles or watch entire videos. The snaps each contain a specific fact or point, which form a complete narrative when combined.

Quick facts

If you have a lot to say about a topic, break it into a rundown of factoids. These are quick, punchy, and easy to read, helping to hold the viewer’s attention to the end.

quick facts on snapchat discover by national geographic

Source: HubSpot

National Geographic is a prime example. The publication used fun, vibrant imagery to share quick facts on goldfish across a series of snaps, then ended with a call to action to swipe up to learn more.

TIP: AI can be extremely useful when breaking longer content into short, bite-sized pieces for social media. Check out our Ultimate Guide to AI for Social Media Management to learn more!

How-to snaps

Learning how to do something is easier when you break it down, step by step. Snapchat is a prime candidate for this type of content, where you can show each step in its own snap and create a full series for the Discover page.

Behind the scenes snaps

Similar to how-tos and quick facts, you can highlight various behind-the-scenes aspects across multiple snaps to share with your audience. This could be event highlights, how something is made, or even a peek at your content creation process.

Before and after content

Capturing before and after photos inspire users and show them what could be. People are drawn to transformation photos, especially if they think they can get similar results for themselves. Brands in beauty, hair, home goods, DIY, fashion, or similar industries are optimal candidates for before and after photos.

Testimonials and trials

Testimonials are gold for showcasing the potential of a product or service. Typically thought of as quotes, case studies, or video reviews, Snapchat gives you another way to share testimonials – a series of photos or videos each focused on a specific piece of the story. 

testimonial on Snapchat for Ritual.jpg

Source: HubSpot

In this example from Ritual Vitamins, the reviewer shares her progress using the vitamins and specific things she loves about them. Each snap is well-branded and walks the viewer through the experience.

TIP: Don't miss our Social Media Management Toolkit, full of resources to make busy social media managers' lives a little bit easier!

Snapchat Discover vs. Instagram Stories & TikTok

There’s a bit of overlap between Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, as they each focus on short-form experiences. The key differences lie in how they serve the content, who sees it, and the types of content that perform the best. 

Let’s break it down:

Leaning into the nuances of the Snapchat Discover feed can help you create more impactful content for this channel.

Best Practices for Creating Engaging Content on Snapchat Discover

If you have access to the Discover page on Snapchat, you’ll be creating content for a younger, mobile-first audience who appreciates visually rich and interactive content. To succeed, you’ll need to do more than just repurpose content you’re using on other social media channels.

Design for vertical viewing

Snapchat is a mobile-first social media platform, so getting your content to look good means designing for vertical screens (a 9:16 aspect ratio). Make it mobile-friendly with large fonts, bold colors, and minimal text. 

Keeping visual interest high is a must. Use transitions, zooms, and animations when possible to keep your audience’s attention. 

Go for a strong hook

Snapchat users tend to swipe fast, so you’ll need to grab their attention immediately. If you don’t, they’ll move on. 

Put your most essential information up front, like a bold headline, a provocative question, or a compelling visual. Let them know what’s to come, then make sure the other snaps in the series deliver on that promise. 

Tell stories in bite-sized segments

Long-winded narratives don’t work on the Snapchat Discover feature. Instead, break your content into punchy story beats. Aim for 5-10 second segments and use cliffhangers or calls to action to move them to the next snap.

Think of it as creating content in micro chapters. Pacing is key here. You don’t want them to quickly tap through each snap, but rather consume it eagerly and thoroughly so they get the full context.

Tie your stories into what’s trending now, also known as "trendjacking". This might be popular TV shows or characters, viral moments, memes, or TikTok trends, for example. Even if you have a niche like wellness or education, framing your content through the lens of “what’s hot right now” can help you engage more viewers.

This doesn’t mean you need to chase every meme or trend. But at least be aware of what your audience is talking about right now and find a way to enter the conversation with them.

TIP: Download our free Ultimate Guide to Trendjacking for tips and tricks to help you capture the cultural zeitgeist and grow your brand's reach!

Use consistent branding that sets the right expectations

Snapchat Discover content thrives on good branding. Your brand sets the tone for what your audience can expect, and they can subscribe to your Discover content if they like what they see.

Beyond adding your business name, logo, and social media handles, the style of your snaps should feel familiar. This might be a recognizable opening scene, logo placement, or a recurring host or character, for example.

Not just any user can show up on Discover Snapchat. To earn a spot here, you’ll likely need to be a well-known publisher or creator, most of whom are handpicked by Snapchat. 

brands featured on snapchat discover on a mobile phone

Source: Firework

There are a few alternatives, of course.

Become a Discover Snapchat official publisher

You can request to become a Discover publisher by reaching out to Snapchat and expressing your interest. They’re a bit hush-hush about the requirements, but Discover partners typically have large, established followings and consistently produce high-quality content.

Submit content to Snapchat’s “Our Stories”

You can share your content with Snapchat’s “Our Stories” for a chance to be featured on the company’s own Discover page. To do this, create your story as you usually would, then tap “Our Story” to request Snapchat to consider featuring it. 

Work with existing Discover Snapchat publishers

If you can’t gain access to the Discover page on Snapchat yourself, consider sponsoring content with a publisher who’s already there. Many Discover publishers work with sponsors to create relevant content to share with their audience. 

The key is choosing a publisher who shares your audience and for whom you can create engaging content that fits their brand.

Measuring Success: Key Snapchat Discover Metrics

If you’re successful in posting content to the Snapchat Discover page, your work isn’t quite done yet. 

Pay attention to:

  • Views (a top-level indicator of reach and exposure on the Discover page)
  • Unique viewers (number of individual Snapchat users who viewed your content)
  • Completion rate
  • Average view time
  • Swipe-ups (which shows interest in your call-to-actions)
  • Share rate
  • Subscriber growth
  • Drop-off points (where users lose interest or stop viewing)

These Snapchat key metrics can tell you a lot about how your audience responded to your content, allowing you to make tweaks to your approach and (hopefully) get equal or better results in the future.

Building a Snapchat Discover Strategy with Meltwater

Finding success on the Snapchat Discover page means creating swipe-worthy content people want to share and engage with. To do this, you need to know your audience like your own best friend — their interests, needs, likes and dislikes, and what drives them to act.

Meltwater's AI-powered social listening and social media management help you surface the fine details of Snapchat trends and how your customers use the platform. It unlocks insights from billions of data points across social media and other online channels, giving you a complete picture of your audience and the things they care about. 

Request a demo by filling out the form below to see how Meltwater's social listening and social media management solutions can help you thrive on Snapchat and beyond.

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FeatureSnapchat DiscoverInstagram StoriesTikTok
ContentCurated by Snapchat; features publishers and creatorsFollows-based and not chronological; not algorithmicAlgorithm-driven For You Page (FYP)
AudienceMore closed, based on subscriptions and Snapchat's curationLimited to followers unless shared widelyGlobal, viral potential even without followers
Best-Performing ContentQuick facts, highlights, before and after, testimonialsPersonal updates, behind-the-scenes, promotionsViral trends, challenges, lip-syncs, storytelling
MonetizationAd revenue share for select partnersBrand sponsorships and swipe-up linksCreator Fund, brand deals, affiliate links
Editing & Creative ToolsProfessional-level tools for publishersBasic text, stickers, gifs, filtersAdvanced filters, transitions, effects, sound sync
Viewer InteractionTap-through storytelling, swipesReplies, polls, stickers, emoji reactionsComments, likes, shares, duets, stitches
Content LongevityMore evergreen in Discover tabDisappears after 24 hours unless savedPermanent unless deleted
Creator AccessSelect creators and publishersOpen to all usersOpen to all users