Snapchat, the popular social media app that allows users to send pictures and up-to-10-second videos to a controlled list of recipients, has gained exponential popularity over the last 18 months, causing consumer brands to take notice. Yet, brands have been slower to join the Snapchat scene because it offers no opportunities for advertisement, forcing them to get creative about the content and messaging they channel through the app.

In case you aren’t familiar with Snapchat, here are some statistics that prove why it is enticing for brands to capitalize on its user base. Snapchat has an estimated 26 million active users in the U.S.

• About 400 million snaps (photos and videos) are sent per day.
• The core audience on Snapchat is ages 13-25.
• Women make up 70% of Snapchat’s user base.
• 18% of people who own an iPhone are on Snapchat.

These five nuggets of information alone are pretty substantial evidence that there is a large audience of the teen-to-young-adult demographic that many brands are vying after who are using the app regularly.

To break it down, brands have used the following strategies to communicate with their targeted audiences through Snapchat.

• Host contests
• Show exclusive content
• Offer coupons and discounts
• Tell a story with the app’s Snapchat Stories feature
• Introduce new products
• Invite fans to participate

Specifically, see how companies and organizations like Taco Bell, Rebecca Minkoff, Acura and the New Orleans Saints have used Snapchat to successfully communicate with users and share their brand messages.
Although, several brands have been able to capitalize on the unique communication opportunity the app presents, there is still uncharted territory out there for other brands to discover. Share your ideas or prediction about future interaction between brands and Snapchat users below.