By Christina Gaines | @stinaegaines  

Believe it or not, Snapchat is still relatively new. Brought to life by three founders at Stanford University in 2011, this crafty little ghost has sprouted to a whopping over 100 million users with 7 billion daily views. Needless to say, The Snap Generation has come a long way since its early reputation as the “sexting app.” (Did you know Mark Zuckerberg even tried to get in on the fun and buy the app a year after its launch? The Facebook mogul was promptly turned down.)

Newer still is its marketing efforts - the “Discover” feature was only up and at ‘em in early 2015.

Take a peek at these 10 early adopters to see who was and is already making savvy, Snappy strides:

1. CoverGirl (@COVERGIRLxo) 

   CoverGirl uses Snapchat as a conduit for its immersive online experience - by taking advantage of the platform’s stickiness with youth, it draws teens and young adults to their website in droves.

2. Aoki (@aokisteve) 

   Who said a brand can’t be a human being? Wise for any musician or performer - Aoki snaps his life on the concert trail, giving his viewers not only an inside look into his wacky sets, but overwhelming anticipation to be a part of it all.

3. Whataburger (@WhataburgerLife) 

   It’s tough to pass up pictures of food and free burgers. Good thing for Whataburger, people seem not to be. Whata might be new to the game, but we can already smell a big hit. Bring it on, you Texas classic, you.

4. Elle (@elleusa) 

   Fancy, behind-the-scenes action characterizes this magazine’s Snapchat story. Because the fashion industry is so visual, artsy makeup snaps are the best route to go to pull in fans. (Especially during photoshoots or Fashion Week.)

5. Food Network (@FoodNetwork) 

   Food Network is quickly dominating Discover. With its videos, delicious recipes and exclusive tips, FN provides an all-encompassing experience for both the pro and amateur chefs out there - while providing adequate incentive to keep tapping.

6. Amazon (@Amazon) 

   Snapchat also offers the big guys like Amazon a chance to humanize their brand. Who knew their corporate atmosphere was so fun and dog-friendly? Their snaps appear to double as a low-key recruiting tool. See #10 to see how we’ve taken a few hints.

7. Universal Pictures (@UniStudios) 

   Back in late 2014, history was born: Universal Pictures became the first to deliver an ad spot on Snap. Its 20-second Ouija trailer rapidly hit millions of views. Momentum has only picked up since then, both within the Snapchat marketing realm and for @UniStudios. The app offers quite the interactive advantage for the company - I can’t stress enough how important Snapchat will be to movies wanting to make it big with the Millennials. (Remember that meme-inspired “Straight Outta Compton” filter? Pure genius.)

8. McDonald’s (@McDonalds) 

   McDonald’s is kicking so much butt on Snapchat even AdWeek noticed. Its use of behind-the-scenes commercial shots of LeBron, on point cross-promotion, contests and colorful doodles make Ronald McDonald’s following consistently engaged. Word to the wise: When creating your Snapchat account, be 100% sure to tease and share the news on your other social. There’s not much use in one if you don’t advertise its existence.

9. Heineken (@HeinekenSnapWho) 

   First, let’s take you back to Coachella, circa 2014. Think palm trees and tan Cali babes in high waisted shorts. To make your vacay even better, Heineken deployed a campaign for the books. They snapped image clues of certain artists, rewarding those who guessed correctly with exclusive sneak peeks of surprise gigs scheduled for the Heineken House. Though it’s 2016 now, this creative campaign definitely gets an honorable mention.

10. Social Media Delivered (@SocialMediaDel) 

    Our quirky antics and company culture set themselves up quite nicely for the Snapchat spotlight. Follow @SocialMediaDel for gnomes, hammocks, bicycles, and other odd things - we don’t hide much here.

One of the great things about our business is that we love doing it.

Need some pointers on gearing up for this fast-growing platform? Let us crazies here at SMD bring your brand to life.