Why Snapchat Misses The Influencer Mark, For Now

Social networks typically form relationships with celebrities and social stars, encouraging them to produce content so people are more likely to stay longer on the platform. YouTube, for instance, initiated a program called YouTube Creators to let select accounts access new benefits, resources and events as their subscriber numbers grow. And Twitter acquired creator network Niche in 2015 and grew it from 2,500 to 40,000 social stars to date. Twitter also prioritizes posts from the Niche creator when it makes sense, according to the company. Facebook and Instagram, on the other hand, offer verified accounts analytics tools for free that regular users don’t have. Snapchat is different. At the moment, it is not focused on influencer marketing because, according to a company rep, it wants to keep authenticity on the platform by allowing social stars to use it like everyday users. And it wants to have more control over advertising on the platform rather than outsource it to other people. Snap Inc. does have an in-house partnership team, though, to manage Official Stories, which was launched in 2015 for celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and Michelle Obama, said the spokesperson. Given that nearly two-thirds of users skip ads on Snapchat, agency executives think that it should take a page from the likes of YouTube and Instagram, monetizing the influencer marketing community on the platform. Read more at Digiday.