Museums and Snapchat: Engaging the Next Generation of Visitors

Snapchat, once viewed primarily as a fleeting social media platform for teens, has evolved into a powerful tool for storytelling, brand building, and audience engagement. For museums, Snapchat offers a unique opportunity to connect with younger audiences, experiment with creative content formats, and bridge the gap between physical and digital experiences.

But how can museums effectively use Snapchat, and what challenges might they face? Let’s explore the potential of Snapchat as a valuable tool in a museum’s digital engagement strategy.

Understanding Snapchat’s Unique Features

Snapchat stands out from other social media platforms with its emphasis on ephemeral, visual-first content. With over 443 million daily active users worldwide as of Q3 2024, Snapchat has become a staple in the social media landscape.

While traditionally known for its younger audience, with 75% of users aged between 13 and 34, the platform is experiencing a gradual aging-up of its user base. This broadening demographic presents museums with an opportunity to reach not only younger visitors but also older audiences who are becoming increasingly active on the platform.

Snapchat’s features provide museums with creative storytelling opportunities. Stories, for example, allow museums to share daily updates or highlight special events with photos and short videos that disappear after 24 hours. Spotlight offers TikTok-style short videos for broader exposure, while Geofilters allow museums to create location-specific overlays for visitors’ photos.

The platform’s Lenses bring augmented reality (AR) into play, offering fun and interactive digital experiences, and Snap Map makes it easy for users to discover nearby events and attractions. These tools make Snapchat a dynamic platform for museums to share their stories, both inside and outside their physical spaces.

Museums Already Using Snapchat Successfully

Some museums have already embraced Snapchat to great effect. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), for instance, became widely recognized for its witty and engaging Snapchat presence. By incorporating memes and pop culture references into their snaps, LACMA made art more approachable and relatable to younger audiences.

Similarly, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has successfully used Snapchat geofilters to encourage visitors to share their museum experience with their friends and followers. In another example, the British Museum leveraged Snapchat’s AR lenses to allow visitors to interact with ancient artifacts in immersive ways.

These examples demonstrate that Snapchat is more than just a fleeting social media experiment for museums—it can drive real engagement, education, and increased brand visibility.

Creative Ways Museums Can Use Snapchat

Snapchat’s visual and interactive tools lend themselves well to museum storytelling. Behind-the-scenes content is one effective way for museums to utilize the platform. By sharing glimpses of exhibit installations, artifact conservation efforts, and day-to-day museum operations, museums can build transparency and foster a deeper connection with their audience.

Interactive scavenger hunts powered by Snapchat lenses or filters can transform a regular museum visit into a gamified experience. Museums can also provide exclusive previews of upcoming exhibits or events, giving Snapchat followers a sense of privilege and excitement.

Another effective approach is educational content delivered in short, engaging videos. Museums can spotlight specific artifacts, share fun facts, or explain historical events in an easily digestible format. Additionally, partnerships with Snapchat influencers or content creators can help museums extend their reach beyond their current audience.

These approaches highlight Snapchat’s potential as a powerful engagement tool for museums willing to experiment and be creative.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite its potential, Snapchat comes with its share of challenges. Creating engaging Snapchat content requires a significant investment of time, resources, and creative energy. Museums need dedicated staff who understand the platform’s nuances and can consistently deliver fresh, appealing content.

Furthermore, Snapchat’s analytics tools, while improving, are still less comprehensive than those offered by platforms like Instagram or Facebook. This can make it challenging for museums to measure the return on investment from their Snapchat efforts.

Additionally, Snapchat may not align with every museum’s target audience. Museums with primarily older visitors may find the platform less effective for outreach. However, with Snapchat’s audience gradually aging up, this challenge may diminish over time.

Practical Tips for Museums Getting Started on Snapchat

For museums ready to dive into Snapchat, having a clear strategy is key. The first step is to set clear goals—whether that’s increasing event attendance, boosting brand visibility, or driving engagement. Next, developing a content calendar will help ensure consistent and purposeful content creation. Museums should also take advantage of Snapchat Analytics to track performance metrics such as views, engagement rates, and follower growth.

Training staff or hiring team members with Snapchat expertise can also make a significant difference in content quality and audience connection. Finally, museums should cross-promote Snapchat content on other social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to maximize visibility.

The Future of Museums and Snapchat

Looking ahead, Snapchat is set to continue evolving, with augmented reality (AR) playing an even more significant role in the user experience. Museums can expect new tools for virtual exhibits, interactive scavenger hunts, and innovative storytelling formats driven by AR lenses. As younger generations age and become decision-makers, Snapchat will likely solidify its role as an essential tool for museum outreach and audience engagement.

Conclusion

With 443 million daily active users worldwide and a user base that’s gradually aging up, Snapchat offers museums an exciting platform to engage younger audiences, share stories in creative ways, and build long-lasting connections. While the platform requires a clear strategy, dedicated resources, and a willingness to experiment, museums that invest in Snapchat are well-positioned to thrive in an increasingly digital-first world.

Museums must continue to meet audiences where they are—and for millions of people today, that place is Snapchat.