Creating compelling Snapchat content takes more than just spontaneous creativity—it requires thoughtful planning, storyboarding, and seamless collaboration. Social media teams managing multi-part Snapchat campaigns often need dedicated tools that help streamline the creative process from concepts to shoots. With the rise of vertical storytelling and increasingly branded content, it’s become crucial for marketing teams to lay everything out before a single frame is filmed.
TL;DR (Too long, didn’t read):
Planning Snapchat campaigns successfully involves choosing the right tools for storyboarding and collaboration. Apps like Boords, Canva, and Milanote offer practical solutions for visual planning. Integration with cloud services and the ability to export and share storyboards make these tools ideal. Each app has unique features that cater to different team sizes and workflows, ensuring every stage of content creation runs smoothly.
1. Boords
Boords is a top pick among content creators and social teams for its intuitive interface and robust collaboration features. Designed with storyboarding in mind, it allows users to build, animate, and revise storyboards easily, making it ideal for Snapchat campaigns with multiple clips or scenes.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop storyboard panel creation
- Automatic frame numbering and scene organization
- Real-time collaboration options
- Export to PDF, MP4, or shareable links
Boords is especially useful for agencies with fast-paced revision cycles or for freelance teams that need to work remotely. Its comment and feedback functionality keeps everyone aligned at every step of the planning phase.
2. Canva (Storyboarding Templates)
Canva might be better known as a graphic design tool, but it also hosts a collection of storyboarding templates perfect for Snapchat campaigns. Its drag-and-drop functionality and rich media library make it easy to mock up what a story will feel like visually without needing technical skills.
Key Features:
- Thousands of customizable storyboard templates
- Easy sharing with cloud-based storage
- Mobile-friendly interface for planning on the go
- Supports brand colors and fonts for cohesive planning
Social teams value Canva’s simplicity and quick turnaround, especially when pitch decks or concept visuals are needed alongside campaign storyboard concepts.
3. StudioBinder
StudioBinder is a professional-grade production planning platform that offers comprehensive tools for storyboarding, shot listing, and shooting schedules. For social teams with larger campaigns or branded partnerships, this app brings structure to an otherwise chaotic process.
Key Features:
- Create frame-by-frame visual storyboards
- Add camera angles, durations, and notes per frame
- Collaborate with team members and assign tasks
- Integrated project and calendar management
StudioBinder is especially useful when working with external video producers or photographers since it bridges the gap between creative vision and logistical execution.
4. Milanote
Milanote is a creative workspace that feels like playing with sticky notes on a digital bulletin board. It caters well to brainstorming and nonlinear storytelling, often found in Snapchat takeovers or behind-the-scenes narratives.
Key Features:
- Flexible drag-and-drop interface for organizing media
- Supports images, notes, links, emojis, and sketches
- Mobile and desktop synchronicity
- Live collaboration with entire content teams
Milanote’s organic layout is ideal for the idea and pre-visualization stages of campaign planning. Creative directors love using it to convey visual tones, themes, and storytelling arcs.
5. Shotdeck
Shotdeck offers beautifully curated cinematic frames that social teams can reference when conceptualizing their multi-part Snapchat campaigns. While not a traditional storyboard app, it’s used extensively in the ideation phase to build moodboards and storytelling reference decks.
Key Features:
- Massive library of cinematic references, searchable by mood, location, color, and more
- Create shareable decks with inspiration frames
- Tag and organize by campaign
- Used by agencies, directors, and content marketers
This is the go-to app when visual tone is paramount. It also helps keep brand and agency stakeholders aligned visually during creative reviews.
6. FrameForge
FrameForge is one of the most detailed pre-visualization apps on the market. Ideal for large-scale Snapchat campaigns that require set design or complex movement planning, it allows teams to integrate camera logic and visual fidelity into their storyboard sequences.
Key Features:
- 3D set building and virtual camera placement
- Accurate lens simulation with perspective insights
- Ideal for script-to-shoot planning
- Endorsed by professional producers and directors
While it has a steeper learning curve, FrameForge helps plan high-production-value Snapchat campaigns that need extra precision in layout, camera angles, or actor positioning.
Choosing the Right Tool for Your Snapchat Team
Not all campaigns are created equal. A product showcase with influencer narration might need less planning than a full-scale lifestyle video series. The right tool depends on team size, creative complexity, and the need for professional handoffs or approvals. Some teams prefer shared visual boards for creative synergy, while others demand organized scene structures linked to production milestones.
Whatever your Snapchat storytelling strategy, having a reliable storyboarding and planning app can save time, reduce costs, and increase creative consistency across episodes or segments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
- Can I use these apps on mobile?
Yes. Apps like Canva and Milanote offer robust mobile apps, while others like StudioBinder and Boords are optimized for browser but still accessible on mobile browsers. - Which tool is best for working with external agencies?
StudioBinder is highly recommended for professional collaboration—including production schedules and shot lists. Boords and Canva also offer solid sharing links for external creatives or clients. - What if I’m not a designer or filmmaker?
Tools like Canva and Milanote are highly beginner-friendly and intuitive. They require no design background to create compelling storyboards or sample layouts. - Is there a free version for any of these apps?
Most of the tools offer free plans—Canva, Milanote, and Boords among them—though advanced features or higher-resolution exports may require paid tiers. - How do these tools support collaboration?
Each app has built-in sharing, commenting, or real-time collab tools. Teams can leave feedback, download versions, or assign roles depending on the level of access required.
Social teams that start their Snapchat campaigns with structured planning and dynamic visuals are often the ones whose stories spark real-time engagement. A reliable storyboard and planning workflow isn’t just helpful—it’s become a necessity for modern content marketing success.