Snapchat is one of, if not, the hardest platform to get noticed on and grow a following. Unless you are a celebrity, famous somewhere else and can drive your audience to Snapchat, your creations being seen by people outside your personal friend group are very slim.

These group of artists, storytellers and lens creators have figured out a way to grow a following and/or have their creations seen by hundreds of thousands of people and some to the millions. I say “and/or” because Snapchat has two different groups – Official Stories and Official Lens Creators.

The Top 13 Home-Grown Official Snapchat Stars

Let’s start with “Official Stories,” Snapchat’s version of verified accounts. Until recently, Official Stories have only been available to a handful of celebrities. It was only towards the end of 2017 that Snapchat started expanding their Official Stories to influencers, according to Business Insider. Just this year, Snapchat held the very first Creators Summit, inviting 13 home-grown influencers to visit the headquarters. The two-day event welcomed 13 people who have dedicated a part of their lives to the app. During the event, Snapchat shared their product road map that further helped this group be discovered and communicate, as reported by Digiday. They were greeted by a dozen of Snap execs and Evan Spiegel, creator of Snapchat himself, even made an appearance, as stated in Tech Crunch. These home-grown Snapchat stars were also inducted to be part of the Official Stories. As part of the Official Stories, they received an emoji right by their name as indication of verification as well as additional, exclusive features.

This first list of people have gathered mass followings on the app through their innovative and unique use of Snapchat’s features to tell a story. They don’t just take selfies and vlog their daily routine. They create mini-shows that include art using Snapchat’s drawing tools, do high energy stunts that are captured by Snapchat Spectacles or make comedy skits using the augmented reality face lenses.

(In no particular order.)

@CyreneQ

CyreneQ is a social media artist, influencer, published author, and public speaker. She is known for creating art, games and augmented reality lenses on Snapchat. Her Snapchat stories have helped her get recognized as one of the Top 100 New Establishments by Vanity Fair and Cosmopolitan's Top 50 Most Fascinating People.

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[Visit Website] @Shonduras

Shonduras is an artist and social media personality. He is best known on Snapchat for his finger-drawings and high energy stunts. Shonduras earned a spot in Forbes 30 Under 30.

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[Visit Website] @Geeohsnap

Geeohsnap is full-time content creator, public speaker and one of Europe's biggest Snapchat Stars. He is known for this "Random People Project" where he would take pictures of unsuspecting people and transform them into hilarious scenes using Snapchat's drawing tools.

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[Visit Website] @MPLATCO

MPLATCO is known for his elaborate re-makes of popular movies on Snapchat. His portfolio includes a remake of Home Alone, Stranger Things and Jurassic Park.

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[Visit Website] @Cakes1ToDough1

Cakes1ToDough1 is the viral cat lady of Snapchat. She uses the Snapchat drawing tools to transform her cats into funny, amazing, and meme-able masterpieces.

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[Visit Website] @Decalex

Decalex brings a modern twist to the traditional art of calligraphy. He shows his process through Snapchat where he writes witty and comedic quotes.

[Visit Website] @DannyBerk

DannyBerk is a semi-professional surfer. His pranks, high energy stunts and personality on Snapchat has earned him a place as one of the Top 13 Snapchat Stars by Business Insiders.

[Visit Website] @Georgio.Copter

Georgio.Copter is the shining Snapchat celebrity of Lebanon. He is one of the only Snapchat celebrities in the middle east and his fan base is worldwide. He takes his viewers to incredible adventures with his "Copter Monster" drawings.

[Visit Website] @OperAmericano

Operamericano brings her artistic and musical talent to her Snapchat stories. She has a popular weekly series called "What's That Tune Tuesday" where she sings a song and have her followers guess the music.

[Watch Video] @MannBilly

MannBilly is a high energy comedian known for his comedic skits on Snapchat. He went from professional freestyle skiing, to getting a degree in mechanical engineering, to dominating comedy. His iconic smile and his hilarious snaps have amassed a dedicated fan base. His snaps captivates a worldwide audience and has lead him to work with some of the top brands.

[Visit Website] @Metz044

Metz044 is widely known for his prolific work with numerous Sports brands including UFC, Nascar, CCM Hockey and many more. Perfect as an event host, Metz044 also creates playful and engaging games for brands on Snapchat. He gamifies and uses Snapchat's features in a unique way that it creates a game experience to whoever watches the story.

[Visit Website] @DidiRio

At only the age of 14, DidiRio is one of the youngest Official Snapchat Storytellers. His comedy sketches and material are far beyond his age. His most popular series is his hilarious conversations with his "Pre-Recorded Self."

[Visit Website] @Reinhard19

Reinhard is an art teacher in Belgium. He teaches his students not only traditional art, but often has lessons that include how to draw using Snapchat tools. He also creates elaborate Snapchat drawings on top of his videos to create a colorful story.

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The First 15 Official Snapchat Lens Creators

On December 2017, Snap released the Lens Studio, a free desktop software where anyone can create augmented reality experiences for Snapchat. In less than two months, 30,000 lenses were created by designers worldwide. These user-submitted lenses have become a phenomenon being viewed, shared and used by millions of Snapchat users.

It was only a matter of time that Snap started a program called “Official Lens Creators (OLC)” that recognizes and rewards power lens creators. The official Lens Studio website has an open application to become an OLC, and 15 creators have already been chosen to be the first to test the program and its perks.

This list includes a hand-selected group who has created a series of successful and popular augmented reality Snapchat lenses.

(In no particular order.)

