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For a social media channel hailed as the “most important” social network among users under the age of 25, Snapchat has suffered from an unexpected roadblock -- Snaps can be a bit boring. With so many Snapchatters posting the same selfies with the same filters in mostly the same ways, the door is wide open to set yourself apart and become a leader in the Snapchat space -- while landing more collaborations in the process.

Why Is Snapchat Important?

As the world’s fastest-growing social media network with a highly active audience (the app gets 10 billion video views per day -- a number on par with Facebook) Snapchat has grabbed the attention of top brands. And while some brands (like Macy’s and Sephora) are doing a great job with their own accounts, many also recognize that they need influencers (like you) to help them reach the right audiences. This is why it’s important to show that you have great content and a strong following.

How Do I Build My Snapchat Following?

Since Snapchat has no easy way yet to search for accounts, your future followers will need to know your handle -- and they’ll need to remember to look you up and add you! Promoting your Snapchat account to your Instagram following is one of the most effective ways to build your audience. Adding your Snapchat handle in your Instagram bio is a good start, and this great hack will send your followers right to Snapchat despite Insta not allowing links to other social sites.

Just head to the link-shortening site bit.ly and type in your Snapchat URL in this format: http://www.snapchat.com/add/username.

For example, our URL for Shopping Links is: http://www.snapchat.com/add/shoppinglinks.

Then hit "shorten link" and voila! You can use the new bit.ly link to send Instagram followers directly to your Snapchat. Ours, for example, looks like this: http://bit.ly/1rEWxcP

You can also use the #Snapchat hashtag on Instagram and Twitter to alert potential followers seeking good Snapchatters. Hashtags like #FashionSnapchat and #BeautySnapchat have started to become a popular way to find new Snapchat accounts through Instagram:

Another way to help followers find you is to add your handle Snapchat’s directory: www.snapchat.directory. To learn how to keep your audience -- and brands -- interested in your feed, try to think in terms of stories. One of the best sources of inspiration is other top Snapchat influencers. Here are a few of our favorites:

TOP SNAPCHAT ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW

Jacey Duprie (Blog: Damsel in Dior | Snapchat: @damselindior)

Jacey Duprie, the “Damsel in Dior,” paints a picture of elegance on her Instagram feed: clean, white images; Martha Stewart-worthy home interiors; the occasional shot of a beachscape. But her Snapchat tells a different side of Jacey’s personality that her fans would never discover on her other channels. The candid, raw video clips show a glimpse of a human Jacey -- not just a very polished one.

The Takeaway: Don’t be afraid to show a more playful, human side to yourself than you might on other social networks. Snapchat is more of an open canvas.

Jacey ‘Snaps’ a night out with friends. The informal atmosphere of Snapchat means images can look more candid. 

Kathleen Barnes (Blog: Carrie Bradshaw Lied | Snapchat: @CBLied)

A Southern belle with wit and warmth, Kathleen is fun to follow because she feels like an old friend. Her feed is a great one for inspiration because she thinks of each video as part of her whole Story. So whether she’s in the midst of a photo shoot or out on a cruise (as she was on a recent Snap), she frames her videos in a way that not only make you feel like you’re right there with her, but coherently take you from one scene to the next. Kathleen is also a pro at incorporating stickers and Emojis, which can liven up your feed. 

The Takeaway: Think of what your Story will look like before you begin, and be sure to mix up your images with Emojis!

Kathleen takes followers through her cabin, shows off the view and gives a preview of the day to come.
If you can’t go on a real cruise, a vicarious one might just be the next best thing.

Arielle Charnes (Blog: Something Navy | Snapchat: @ArielleCharnas)

With perfectly put-together outfits, flawless hair and makeup, and even perfect lighting, bloggers can often look impossibly -- well -- perfect. Arielle takes her Snapchat followers behind the perfection of Instagram to show glimpses of her normal (and yet still fabulous) life, including her adorable daughter and how she achieves her look.

Integrating her Instagram and Snapchat audiences, she posts fantastic beauty tutorials on Snapchat with a chance for viewers to ask questions on corresponding Instagram posts that she then answers in her next video. So if you were wondering how her makeup artist, Cassandra Garcia (@cygmakeup), perfects the smokey eye -- now you can find out!

The Takeaway: Tutorials are a perfect way to engage your followers while giving them a reason to keep an eye out for your posts. Integrating an account where you already have lots of followers, whether it’s Instagram or YouTube, helps to increase your views for both channels.

Paola Alberdi (Blog: Blank Itinerary | Snapchat: @blankitinerary)

Paola’s entertaining Snapchat feed is an extension of her happy, vibrant personality. Completely unscripted and totally spontaneous, Paola brings her followers along her travels like a fly on the wall for special occasions like vacations to Mexico, everyday moments like birthdays with friends, and the completely unexpected -- like getting stuck in a lift (elevator for our American readers) or following a bird who flew into her apartment.  

Paola's "fly on the wall" shooting method often makes her Snaps hard to catch with a screen shot, but that's part of her appeal. 

The Takeaway: Bring your followers into your world. Give them a reason to feel like they are seeing scenes on your Snapchat that they wouldn’t on your blog or Instagram.

Geneva Vanderzeil (Blog: A Pair and a Spare DIY | Snapchat: @genevavanderzeil) 

The talented, stylish and creative Geneva Vanderzeil offers a great example of how to approach different aspects of your blogger portfolio for the best response. Her blog (www.apairandasparediy.com), for example, is devoted to all her interests -- crafts, home projects, style, travel and life advice -- presented with a friendly, helpful tone that encourages input from her readers. Her Instagram (@apairandaspare), meanwhile, focuses on fashion and travel, which best suit the platform's visual audience.

Geneva's Snapchat brings back her DIY talents with tutorials shown as mini videos: 

She also posts her travels and daily adventures with a more organic, informal style than is shown on her blog or Instagram. 

These are just a few examples of how to stand out on Snapchat. By creating thoughtful stories, adding unique elements like text and Emojis, crafting behind-the-scenes tutorials, and (most importantly) showing your followers a side of yourself that they haven’t seen before, you are more likely to build your audience on the world’s fastest-growing social network while giving yourself a better chance to secure future blogger collaborations.