The campus approach to Snapchat.

Our best practice is to use the main UC Davis Official Snapchat account to share campus stories, so departments don’t have to maintain their own accounts, cutting down on the management time for everyone. If you would like to pursue a Snapchat account, please talk to us about creating a separate channel first.  

Take over the UC Davis Snapchat account.

Interested in taking over the UC Davis Official Snapchat channel to promote your story, department, point of view etc? Fill out this form and we will be in touch! Check out some of our favorites student takeovers on YouTube for inspiration. 

Audience members value transparency.

Keep in mind that the audience is typically younger on Snapchat, and that means your strategy should be slightly different as well. Be authentic, transparent and informal to keep them tuned in – and most of all be available and timely with any direct questions or story replies.

All story, all the time.

With Snapchat, the entire platform is story-based. Lean into that, and start recording.

• Audio - Yes or no? If yes, make sure it’s clear (also see “captions” below). If you are outside, be cognizant of the wind as it may interfere with sound quality. 

• Language - Make sure that there are no spelling or grammar errors. No profanity (this also applies to background music). 

• Captions - If your video clip has anyone speaking in it, please include some plain text captions for accessibility reasons and those viewing with sound off. Visit here for more accessibility tips. 

• Background - Make sure nothing weird (profane/illegal) is going on. 

• Consent - Make sure everyone in your story says it’s OK to be filmed/photographed. 

• Context - Be sure to add in helpful context to each image or video. 

• Promotion - It is OK to promote your organization’s social media handles to attract more followers. It is NOT OK to promote your own personal account. 

• Length - The ideal length of your story should be no longer than 90 seconds and no longer than 10 segments. 

• Filters - Use them when appropriate, particularly if they are UC Davis filters. Motion filters are a good way to add emphasis or speed up a slower video. Do not use branded filters (e.g. Gatorade, Taco Bell, etc.). 

• Lenses - Use sparingly if at all. Avoid voice-changing or face-distorting lenses. 

• Stickers and emojis - Yes! They are a fun way to add more context to your snaps. Be sure to look up “UC Davis” in your sticker search for fun UC Davis themed choices. Avoid profane GIFs, obscene gestures and eggplant and peach emojis. 

• Links - If the photo or video needs to have a link attached to it (e.g. “swipe up for more”) please note it on the completed storyboard. Tips: Don’t have too many links in your story and use trackable links (like bit.ly ones) to measure traffic.

Snapchat Geofilters

Learn how to create and submit a custom location-based overlay that you can apply to your snaps and how you can submit one for the UC Davis campuswide filter zones.