What is Spotlight on Snapchat? Discover Everything You Need to Know

TikTok’s got the “For You” tab, Instagram has the “Explore” tab, and YouTube has Shorts. Now, Snapchat has the “Spotlight” tab.

Discover what Snapchat’s latest Spotlight tab is, how the algorithm works, and how it can help brands double their reach.

• What is Spotlight on Snapchat?
• Spotlight Snapchat Features
• How to Use Snapchat Spotlight
• How Snapchat Decides Which Content to Feature on Spotlight

What is Spotlight on Snapchat?

Spotlight, one of Snapchat’s most recent features, is a tab within the app that promotes short-form viral videos from businesses, creators, and everyday users.

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Where it differs from other social platforms is that it doesn’t give users free rein to post comments on the videos shared on Spotlight. When first introduced in November 2020, users could only like and share.

Then, Snapchat introduced Spotlight Replies, which allows businesses and creators to only display comments of their choosing from a pre-filtered pool.

In addition, display names only appear for public users who are 18 years of age or older but private users can also share select videos to Spotlight.

To encourage adoption, Snapchat created the Spotlight reward fund to pay its top creators – though, according to a recent Techcrunch report, that fund has gone down considerably in the last two years.

Spotlight Snapchat Features

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• In-app music library – You must use your video’s original sound or use a sound from Snapchat’s internal library.
• Topic setting – When sharing your video to Spotlight, you have the option to add a topic in the form of a hashtag, which can help you reach your desired audience.
• Replies – Businesses and creators can filter through comments left on their Spotlight videos and choose the ones they want to display.
• Trending – When on the Spotlight tab, you can view videos under trending topics (hashtags), Lenses (i.e. filters), and sounds.
• Challenges – Snapchat users have the chance to win prizes when they submit Spotlight videos that meet certain criteria, like a trending Lense, sound, or location.

How to Use Snapchat Spotlight

Businesses, creators and everyday users can use Spotlight to reach new audiences and boost their engagement.

There are two ways to post on Spotlight: on your mobile device and on your desktop.

Before you can send off your video, you’ll have to meet Snapchat’s guidelines. Your video must:

• Be between five and 60 seconds.
• Be vertical, aspect ratio of at least 3:4.
• Have clear sound and video.
• Only feature original content and music from the licensed library.
• Not feature sponsored products or services, including links and attachments.
• Feature content appropriate for a 13+ audience.
• Be free of watermarks from other social platforms.

How Snapchat Decides Which Content to Feature on Spotlight

You know how Snapchat Spotlight works but the question is, how do you get featured on it?

Well, Snapchat said they created Spotlight to reward creativity, regardless of follower count and profile access. This is why any user can create content for the Spotlight and follower count is not considered as a ranking factor.

What is considered is the following:

• Watch Time
• Likes
• Shares
• Skips
• User interests

If you’re already leveraging Snapchat, this new feature opens up another avenue for you to meet your marketing goals.