• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, May 5, 2015

Believe it or not, Snapchat says it has made QR codes cool.

Launched in early January, the social network says its Snapcodes scanning service is now used millions of times each week. Snapcodes let Snapchat users easily add friends with the cameras on their mobile devices.

Encouraging more brands and agencies to get in on the scanning action, Snapchat is now offering downloadable files and branding guidelines for Snapcodes.

Among other customization options, brands can now insert their logos -- or any other image -- at the center of the Snapchat ghost that appears in middle of each tag.

Like other Snapchat initiatives, it is not yet clear how brands will capitalize on Snapcodes.

Indeed, from straightforward advertising to branded content, business opportunities remain highly experimental on Snapchat. The vanishing-message service only recently introduced ads to its platform, which also disappear after users view them or within 24 hours.

While Instagram remains the social network of choice for young users, Snapchat continues to encroach on the Facebook unit.

At last count, 13% of teens ranked Snapchat as their go-to social network, according to Piper Jaffray. The figure is particularly impressive considering that Snapchat wasn’t even on the investment bank’s radar, last year.