How to use the Snapchat Imagine Lens for marketing

The quick answer

You can use the new Snapchat Imagine Lens to create AI-generated visual content for your brand. Follow these steps to start:

1. Open Snapchat and find the Snapchat Imagine Lens in the Lens Carousel or via search.
2. Take a photo or use the camera to frame a scene.
3. Write a clear text prompt describing the image you want to create (e.g., "turn my office into a futuristic space station").
4. Generate the image and share it to your Snapchat Story or save it for other social media platforms.
5. Use the images for concept testing, user-generated content campaigns, or unique marketing visuals.

What is the Snapchat Imagine Lens?

Snapchat has released its first open prompt AI image generator, the Imagine Lens. This tool is now available for free to all users in the United States. It was previously only for paid subscribers.

The lens lets you type a text description, and it generates a custom image based on your prompt. You can turn a selfie into a superhero or transform your desk into a jungle scene. These generated images can be shared directly within Snapchat or saved to use anywhere.

This move puts powerful generative AI tools directly into the hands of millions of users, creating a new opportunity for creative social media marketing.

Why this AI tool matters for your marketing

Generative AI is changing social media. Competitors like Meta and OpenAI are rapidly launching advanced AI tools. Snapchat's release of the Imagine Lens for free is a strategic move to keep users engaged, especially younger audiences who adopt AI features quickly.

For marketers, this is a significant development. It provides a free, accessible tool for creating unique visual content without needing complex software or a design team for every small idea. You can now experiment with visual concepts at the speed of thought.

Using the Snapchat Imagine Lens helps your brand stay relevant on a platform where users interact with Lenses over 8 billion times every day.

Engage users with interactive content

The Imagine Lens is not just a content creation tool; it's an engagement tool. You can build campaigns that encourage your followers to use the lens and share their creations. This type of user-generated content (UGC) is authentic and highly effective for building brand community.

An interactive campaign makes your audience a part of the creative process. It turns passive viewers into active participants, deepening their connection to your brand. For help building these campaigns, explore a fully managed social media plan.

Visualize products in creative settings

Struggling to get budget for an exotic product photoshoot? Use the Imagine Lens to create concepts quickly. You can generate images of your product in fantastical settings or artistic styles that would be expensive and time-consuming to produce traditionally.

For example, a skincare brand could generate an image of their moisturizer on a frozen arctic shelf. A coffee brand could create a scene of someone sipping their brew on the moon. This allows for rapid A/B testing of visual ideas for social posts and ads.

A step-by-step guide to creating with the Imagine Lens

Getting started is simple. The tool is built directly into the Snapchat camera interface you already know. Follow these steps to create your first AI-generated image.

Step 1: Find and open the Imagine Lens

First, make sure your Snapchat app is updated. Open the camera screen. You can find the Imagine Lens in two ways:

• Lens Carousel: Swipe through the available lenses next to the capture button. Look for the icon associated with the Imagine Lens.
• Search: Tap the search icon and type "Imagine Lens" to access it directly.

Once selected, the lens will be active and ready for your prompt.

Step 2: Write effective prompts for your brand

The quality of your output depends entirely on the quality of your prompt. Be specific and descriptive. Vague prompts lead to generic images.

Here’s how to structure a good prompt:

• Subject: What is the main focus? (e.g., "A woman wearing our black running shoes")
• Action: What is the subject doing? (e.g., "sprinting through a neon-lit city street at night")
• Style: What should it look like? (e.g., "in a vibrant, anime art style")
• Details: Add specific colors, lighting, or moods. (e.g., "with purple and blue light trails")

Example Prompt: "A woman wearing our black running shoes, sprinting through a neon-lit city street at night, in a vibrant anime art style with purple and blue light trails."

Step 3: Generate, refine, and save your image

After typing your prompt, tap to generate the image. Snapchat will provide a few variations based on your text. If the results are not quite right, you can refine your prompt and try again. Experiment by changing the style, action, or details.

Once you have an image you like, you can share it instantly. Post it to your Story, send it to a friend, or save it to your phone's camera roll. Saving the image allows you to repurpose the content for other platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or your website.

Step 4: Share your AI content responsibly

Snapchat encourages users to "share responsibly" when using AI-generated content. As a brand, transparency is key. When you post an AI-created image, consider adding a note like "Created with AI" or using a hashtag like #AIart.

This builds trust with your audience. It also positions your brand as a modern, transparent company experimenting with new technology. Be sure to follow all of Snapchat's AI guidelines, which prohibit the creation of harmful or deceptive content. You can learn more from Snapchat's official newsroom.

5 practical marketing ideas using the Snapchat Imagine Lens

This tool is more than a fun feature. It is a powerful asset for your content strategy. Here are 5 actionable ideas you can implement today.

1. Run a UGC Contest: Launch a contest asking followers to create an image related to your brand using the Snapchat Imagine Lens. For instance, a coffee shop could ask users to generate "the ultimate fantasy coffee cup." Offer a prize for the most creative entry and feature the winners on your profile.
2. Create Abstract Product Teasers: Building hype for a new product? Use the Imagine Lens to create artistic, abstract images that hint at the product without revealing it. A prompt like "a glowing golden orb surrounded by water ripples, hyperrealistic" could tease a new face oil.
3. A/B Test Ad Creatives: Quickly generate multiple visual concepts for a single campaign. Run ads with different AI-generated images to see which style or theme resonates most with your audience. This is a low-cost way to optimize your ad performance.
4. Visualize Customer Testimonials: Turn a powerful customer quote into a unique visual. If a customer says your product makes them "feel like they're on cloud nine," use that exact phrase as a prompt to create a compelling image to accompany their testimonial.
5. Develop Fun "Behind-the-Scenes" Content: Show your brand's playful side. Use the Imagine Lens to reimagine your office, team members, or workspace in funny and creative ways. A post captioned "We asked AI to show us our office on a Monday morning" can be highly relatable and shareable. Creating this type of engaging content is a core part of an effective social media marketing service.

Limitations and what to expect next

While the Imagine Lens is powerful, there are some current limitations. Free users in the U.S. receive a limited number of free generations. The tool is also in its early stages, so it may not always interpret complex prompts perfectly.

Snapchat plans to expand access to other markets soon, starting with Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. As detailed by publications like TechCrunch, this rollout is part of a larger trend of social platforms embedding generative AI into their user experience.

Getting familiar with the tool now gives you a head start. You can master prompt writing and understand what kind of AI content connects with your audience before your competitors do.

Staying ahead with AI in social media

The Snapchat Imagine Lens is just one piece of the rapidly evolving AI landscape. To stay competitive, your brand needs a strategy for adopting these tools effectively. This means dedicating time to experimentation and learning.

Integrate AI content creation into your regular workflow. Use it for brainstorming, quick mockups, and social media posts. The more you use these tools, the better you will become at leveraging them to meet your marketing goals.

Your AI content creation checklist

Use this checklist to integrate the Snapchat Imagine Lens into your marketing efforts today:

• Download & Update: Ensure your Snapchat app is current.
• Experiment with Prompts: Spend 30 minutes just playing with the lens. Try different styles and subjects.
• Draft 3 Brand Prompts: Write three specific prompts related to your product or service.
• Create One Test Post: Generate an image and share it to your Story with a caption explaining you are testing a new AI tool.
• Brainstorm A Campaign: Outline one UGC campaign idea using the Imagine Lens.
• Review Your Content: Check that your saved images are high-quality and align with your brand's voice.
• Stay Updated: Monitor news from Snapchat for updates on features and availability in new regions. Your website should also be ready to showcase this content, built to rank and designed to convert.