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Before Instagram Stories threw a wrench in its seemingly unstoppable growth trajectory, Snapchat was the most promising opportunity for brands looking to reach Millennials and teens. There’s a good argument that this hasn’t changed, but as influencers have watched Instagram Stories dwarf their views on Snapchat, many are skeptical of pouring more energy into the channel, particularly when Instagram offers superior analytics and are introducing some amazing new features for bloggers.

Abandoning Snapchat completely, however, may be shortsighted. 

For the same reasons that users first fell in love with the platform, Snapchat has remained a force that brands can’t ignore. Instagram may have inarguably won the battle over analytics and audience size, but it still hasn’t replicated the authenticity that made Snapchat so unique.  

Insights now show that Snapchat users are quantitatively the most engaged of any major platform, which means each user has a higher value to brands. The platform is also still favored among teens 35% to 24% over Instagram. Moreover, Snapchat is the only major platform to cultivate what marketers call “appointment viewing,” or that feeling of missing out on content if you don’t check in frequently. 

All of this adds up to a resiliency for Snapchat that makes the channel attractive to brands even without the reach or pin-sharp analytics of Instagram. This makes Snapchat an important platform for you as influencers to build and maintain. 

Here’s how brands are using Snapchat today and what you can do to build a strong Snapchat presence that fits your own brand as an influencer. 

How Brands Approach Snapchat

Understanding how brands are using Snapchat will help you approach collaborations with the right mindset.  

The key is to remember that Snapchat’s appeal isn’t necessarily in the numbers. Snapchat isn’t a place to sell a brand the way Instagram is, particularly with the introduction of an update announced this week that allows verified viewers to shop looks through Instagram Stories. The feature is expected to become widely available over time. This is the first time that users have been able to add links outside their bios, which have already become a place for shopping links among influencers. 

As Instagram becomes more and more shopper friendly, Snapchat is holding true to its unscripted roots. Although analytics have improved along with options to save Stories, such as through Snapchat Memories, brands engage on Snapchat to embed themselves in the lives of consumers? in a way that feels genuine. 

Snapchat & Influencers

Recognizing that Snapchat is still very relevant to brands given the statistics above, should you be on the platform? The answer depends largely on how much you enjoy it! Given that Snapchat relies on authenticity, posting stories that feel unscripted is more important than simply posting out of professional necessity. Even if your audience skews toward younger Millennials and teens, Snapchat is only worth your time if you are genuinely inspired to share the kinds of personal, silly, lens-filled authentic moments that it favors. If you’re data-driven, a perfectionist at heart, or feel ambivalent about Snapchat vs. Instagram, Instagram Stories is still the better investment for your time. 

Snapchat Collab Guide 

Loving Snapchat? Great! Brands will love you, too. Here are some quick tips for making the most of your collabs: 

• Give brands as much data as you can. Take screenshots of opens, replies, and report on screenshots taken by others. 
• Be consistent. Think of Snapchat like television. Posting at the same times and days allows your followers to know when to “tune in.” 
• Use Snapchat Memories to save your stories so you can show them to brands and include them on your collab completion report. 
• Create a “Shoppable Snapchat” page on your blog to reinforce the brands you’ve featured and to give your followers a way to get the look. 

Above all, remain authentic to your personal brand and interests. Snapchat’s resiliency to competition has been its ability to remain delightfully noncommercial in the face of rapid commercialization of social media. Remain true to this unscripted spirit, and you’ll find that your collaborations are more effective for both your followers and the brands you work with.