Snapchat’s Influencer Revival: A TikTok Alternative

TikTok’s fate in the U.S. has been on shaky ground lately – from congressional scrutiny to a looming ban that almost took effect in January 2025. In fact, a Supreme Court decision allowed a law to go forward that would remove TikTok from app stores. With TikTok’s future uncertain, many creators aren’t waiting around. Instead, influencers are dusting off their Snapchat accounts in droves, hoping to reconnect with audiences and monetize their content on a platform they once abandoned. Even Forbes noted that TikTok’s rivals (like Instagram, YouTube – and notably Snapchat) were “set to pounce” on dislocated users. This trend hasn’t gone unnoticed on social media either. Posts on X (formerly Twitter) have highlighted how some creators are proudly “back on Snap”, taking advantage of the app’s resurgence. It begs the question: Is Snapchat poised for an influencer comeback as a viable TikTok alternative?

15 Most Popular Social Networks worldwide by active users (October 2024). TikTok’s massive scale (1.69 B MAU) dwarfs Snapchat (850 M MAU), yet Snapchat’s niche remains highly active, according to Status Brew.

Why Influencers Are Migrating Back to Snapchat

A few years ago, Snapchat seemed like yesterday’s news for many influencers – the platform that Instagram Stories and TikTok had overtaken. So why the sudden revival? Several factors are drawing creators back:

• TikTok’s Turbulence: The biggest driver is TikTok’s recent challenges. Fears of a U.S. TikTok ban peaked in January 2025, when the app actually went dark for a short time before an executive order gave it a last-minute reprieve, according to Reuters. This roller coaster made creators nervous. Many began seeking a Plan B in case TikTok disappeared overnight. Snapchat – with its established user base – became an attractive refuge. Industry experts pointed out that if TikTok truly went offline, no single app could fully absorb its community, but Snapchat was particularly well-positioned to benefit. Snap’s relatively smaller size means even a slice of TikTok’s usage (say, 10%) would be a huge boost in Snap’s metrics. Sensing an opportunity, Snap started preparing its app to welcome TikTok “refugees.” In late 2024 they announced a “Simple Snapchat” redesign to mimic TikTok’s feed, introducing a unified recommendations stream of short videos (ditching the old Snap Map/Stories tabs), according to Forbes Australia. In short, Snap rolled out the welcome mat for TikTok’s audience.

   

• Show Me the Money: Beyond geopolitical drama, it often boils down to dollars. Creators follow the money, and Snapchat has quietly become a money-maker for many. Starting in 2022, Snap began sharing ad revenue on content. Influencers noticed they could earn serious cash simply by vlogging their daily lives on Snap. As one commentator put it, Snapchat was literally paying “hundreds of thousands of dollars” to some influencers for frequent posts. Why? Snap inserts ads between Stories, and shares 50% of the revenue with creators. Fans often tap through dozens of Snaps out of curiosity or boredom, inadvertently generating ad views (and income) for the creator. Compared to TikTok’s Creator Fund payouts (often criticized as low), Snapchat’s model can be far more lucrative for those who rack up views. This has led to influencers flooding their Snap Stories with content – from random photos of meals and sunsets to clickbait-y titles – all to boost view counts. The financial incentive is a powerful pull back to Snap.

   

• Untapped (or Re-tapped) Audience: Snapchat might not have TikTok’s global reach or virality, but it does have a loyal, younger audience that many creators covet. Over 90% of U.S. 13–24 year-olds use Snapchat, and 75% of 13–34 year-olds, according to Snap’s internal data according to Digiday. In many countries, Snapchat remained a staple social app even while influencers focused elsewhere. By returning to Snap, creators can reconnect with followers who never left (think high school and college-age users who use Snap like a second camera roll). Plus, there’s less noise from competing influencers on Snapchat’s Discover page and Stories now – a chance to stand out again. Some millennial creators who originally built followings on Instagram have even joined Snapchat’s official Creator program (Snap Stars) to reach new fans. In short, Snapchat offers a direct line to Gen Z/Gen Alpha that isn’t filtered by TikTok’s ultra-competitive algorithm.

   

• Nostalgia and Content Comfort: Let’s face it – creating polished TikToks or aesthetic IG posts can be work. Snapping a quick selfie video rant or daily life vlog feels more casual and low-pressure. Influencers have commented that Snapchat allows a more authentic, unfiltered glimpse into their life (something that originally made Snapchat popular). The content doesn’t have to be trend-driven or perfectly edited. This “back to basics” appeal of Snapchat Story vlogging is refreshing for creators burnt out on chasing TikTok dances or Instagram perfection. It’s like hanging out with your core audience versus performing on a stage for the masses.

Monetization Showdown: Snapchat vs TikTok vs Instagram vs YouTube Shorts

Of course, an influencer’s platform loyalty often hinges on monetization. So how does Snapchat stack up against its rivals when it comes to paying creators and enabling brand deals? Let’s break it down:

• Snapchat: Snapchat’s creator monetization has evolved rapidly. These days, qualifying creators can earn money primarily through ads in their Stories and Spotlight videos. Snap offers a revenue share on those ads – reportedly a 50/50 split for Snap Stars (top creators). In practice, this means if you have a decent following on Snap, you can make money simply by posting content and racking up views (as ads are auto-inserted between your snaps). In the early days, Snap lured creators with its Spotlight Rewards program, paying out $1 million per day to the top viral Spotlight (short-form) videos in 2020. That program paid $250+ million to 12,000 creators within its first year! However, by late 2024, Snap decided to shift to a more traditional ad-share model. Starting Feb 1, 2025, they’re launching a unified Creator Monetization Program that combines Story and Spotlight ad revenue into one payout. To join, creators need to be pretty notable – at least 50,000 followers and either 10M+ Snap story views or 1M Spotlight views in 28 days, among other criteria. In other words, Snapchat is rewarding established creators who drive serious eyeballs. Those who qualify can make significant income. Example: OG Snap influencer YesJulz revealed she earned over $32,000 USD in 5 months in 2024 just from posting Snap Stories. In a similar period in 2023, she made $45k, including a record $15.5k in a single month. She explained that Snap “pays based on views,” via the ads on her stories. Not bad for content that disappears after 24 hours! Snapchat has also introduced features like in-app gifting (fans can send paid gifts to Snap Stars) and is piloting creator subscriptions for exclusive content, according to  Logie. And let’s not forget Snap’s unique AR Lens ecosystem – creators who design popular AR filters can land sponsorships or win cash in Lens Challenges. Overall, while Snapchat doesn’t enable monetization for everyone (you need to hit their thresholds), those who do make the cut can see payouts that rival YouTube’s, especially for short-form content, according to Social Media Today. 

• TikTok: TikTok famously launched a $1 billion Creator Fund in 2020, but many influencers found the payouts underwhelming (think: a few dollars for thousands of views). In 2023, TikTok introduced the Creativity Program (Beta), which shifted to an ad-revenue share model for longer videos (over 1 minute) according to Tubefilter. This is similar to what Snap is now doing – rewarding creators based on ad performance rather than a static fund. Still, the average TikTok creator earns far less per view than they might on Snap or YouTube. The platform simply hasn’t shared ad revenue at the scale YouTube does. TikTok has other monetization tools: creators can receive gifts and coins from fans during live streams (which can be converted to cash), do brand-sponsored hashtag challenges, or join the TikTok Creator Marketplace to get paired with brands for deals. Top TikTokers also earn via sponsored content (ads disguised as TikToks). But directly through TikTok’s programs, it often takes millions of views to see a substantial check. For instance, TikTok’s new ad-rev program (Creativity Beta) requires longer videos; shorter viral clips still aren’t monetized much. With TikTok’s U.S. future iffy and monetization so-so, it’s no surprise some creators are hedging their bets by moving to Snap, where a viral story could literally pay next month’s rent. 

• Instagram: Instagram (and Facebook via Meta) have been trying various creator payouts, but it’s been rocky. They tested a Reels Play Bonus program – paying bonuses for hitting Reel view milestones – but as of 2023 those bonuses were paused or not widely available. Unlike YouTube or Snap, Instagram doesn’t yet share ad revenue on regular posts or Reels with most creators. Instead, IG offers other monetization features: Instagram Subscriptions (fans pay monthly for exclusive lives/stories from a creator), Badges (tips during IG Live streams), affiliate shopping links, and of course, facilitating brand sponsorships. Many influencers primarily monetize Instagram through brand deals (getting paid by companies to post or promote products) rather than through Instagram paying them directly. With TikTok in flux, Meta has openly courted creators – Reels is heavily pushed, and Meta even announced a Creator Marketplace similar to TikTok’s to connect brands with talent. Still, for pure ad revenue dollars, Instagram lags. Creators with an existing IG fanbase often reactivate their Snap as an extra income stream rather than relying on IG’s limited payouts. 

• YouTube Shorts: YouTube is the veteran in creator monetization (YouTube was sharing ad revenue way back in 2007!). For long-form videos, YouTube’s Partner Program (YPP) is the gold standard – creators get ~55% of ad revenue. But what about Shorts (YouTube’s TikTok-like feature)? In early 2023, YouTube rolled out Shorts ad revenue sharing. They allocate a portion of total ads shown between Shorts to a creator pool, then creators get 45% of that pool split based on their view counts. It’s a bit complex, but effectively YouTube is now paying creators for Shorts views (after subtracting music licensing costs). Many creators reported that Shorts monetization, while not as lucrative as long-form, still beats TikTok’s payouts. For example, if a Short gets, say, 10 million views, it might earn a few hundred dollars or more – whereas 10 million views on TikTok’s fund might’ve been barely $50. YouTube also allows other revenue streams (Channel memberships, Super Chat donations in live streams, etc.), which TikTok and Snap don’t have at scale. So YouTube remains a strong platform to earn. However, YouTube’s Shorts algorithm and culture are still developing, and not every TikTok-style creator has succeeded in pulling their audience over. This is where Snapchat offers something different – a middle ground of casual content with monetization, without needing full YouTube video production.

In summary, Snapchat’s pitch to influencers is “come home and get paid.” TikTok pioneered the short-video craze but hasn’t shared much wealth with the average creator. Instagram has huge reach but minimal direct payout. YouTube pays well, but is saturated and Shorts is competitive. Snapchat, meanwhile, has opened its wallet to attract content – if you can build an audience there, it will cut you in on the ad revenue (and some creators are making tens of thousands per month doing so. It’s a compelling value proposition, especially for mid-tier influencers who might feel lost in the shuffle on TikTok or Instagram.

Engagement and Algorithm: Snapchat vs. the Competition

Monetization aside, how does the experience on Snapchat differ from TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube? The answer: quite a bit. Each platform’s algorithm and audience behavior shape how content performs.

• Algorithm & Feed: TikTok’s secret sauce is its powerful AI-driven For You Page. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have – if your video is engaging, TikTok’s algorithm will blast it out to millions of strangers. This has turned everyday teens into overnight viral stars. Snapchat historically took a very different approach: it was primarily a social graph platform (friends and mutuals), not an open algorithmic feed. Your Snapchat feed showed Stories from people you added, and Discover content from publishers or Snap Stars you subscribed to. As a result, going “viral” on Snap was tougher; content spread through social circles, not global reach. However, with Spotlight (Snapchat’s TikTok-like feed) and the new “Simple Snapchat” redesign, Snap is inching closer to TikTok’s model. The unified feed means a Snap user might increasingly see Spotlight videos from creators they don’t follow, recommended based on their interests – just like TikTok’s FYP. Still, Snapchat’s algorithmic recommendations are nascent compared to TikTok’s finely-tuned machine. The upside for creators: Snapchat isn’t as algorithmically crowded. Fewer creators are actively posting public content on Snap than on TikTok, so there’s a better chance your content gets noticed by those who do use Spotlight or subscribe to you.

   

• Engagement & Time Spent: TikTok excels at engagement – it’s literally engineered to keep users scrolling for hours. By one analysis, globally the average user spends a whopping 95 minutes per day on TikTok’s app according to Backlinko. Snapchat usage is high in frequency, but different in nature. The average Snapchat user globally spends around 19 minutes per day in the app (or ~30 minutes for U.S. users), and those minutes are often fragmented into many quick sessions. People fire Snapchat open dozens of times a day (over 30 times daily on average according to Analyzify) to send Snaps, check messages, and watch a few Stories. It’s habitual, but not the lean-back marathon viewing you see on TikTok or YouTube. This means if you’re a creator on Snap, you have a captive audience – users constantly open the app – but you need to grab their attention fast and frequently. They might watch your Story while waiting in line or between classes, rather than bingeing 50 of your videos in one go. Instagram and YouTube fall somewhere in between: Instagram’s feed is a mix of friends and suggested Reels (so some discovery), and YouTube’s algorithm strongly recommends content but YouTube is still often a search or intentional destination platform too.

   

• Audience Differences: Snapchat’s user base skews young – a strength for brands seeking Gen Z, but traditionally a knock when comparing total reach. Yet interestingly, there’s a lot of overlap between Snap and TikTok audiences. Snap’s internal data shows 60% of Snapchat users over 18 are also daily TikTok users according to Digiday. So the same person might watch dance videos on TikTok, then later use Snapchat to message friends and catch creator Stories. On the flip side, Snap claims that over 50% of the people who use Snapchat daily aren’t on TikTok at all– suggesting Snap reaches some segment of users that TikTok doesn’t (or who prefer not to use TikTok). These could be users who value Snapchat’s more private, tight-knit experience. In contrast, pretty much all TikTokers use Instagram or YouTube in some capacity, since those platforms are more established. For an influencer, the takeaway is you may find unique viewers on Snapchat that you won’t reach elsewhere. Also, the relationship with fans can feel closer on Snap because of the one-to-one communication aspect (snaps and chats) and smaller community vibe.

   

• Virality vs. Intimacy: TikTok = viral broadcast; Snapchat = intimate sharing. Creators are finding that Snapchat engagement, while smaller in absolute numbers, can be deeper. Fans might feel like they’re on your “close friends” list if they follow your Snaps. Views on Snapchat may not hit the millions unless you’re featured in Spotlight or Discover, but those viewers are likely your core followers who actually care about you. It’s quality vs. quantity. In fact, Snap’s execs say the app is “first and foremost a messaging app” which offers a layer of privacy and connection not found on the more public-facing platforms. From a content strategy perspective, influencers are using Snapchat to show behind-the-scenes, day-in-the-life content and using TikTok/Instagram for more polished posts. This dual approach can funnel casual Snap viewers into becoming fans of your other work, and vice versa.
  

All that said, Snapchat clearly wants a bit of TikTok’s viral magic. The 2025 redesign and increased emphasis on Spotlight indicate Snap is trying to become an entertainment destination and not just a messaging tool. If they succeed, creators could enjoy the best of both worlds on Snap: viral reach and strong personal connections. But it’s a delicate balance – lean too far into random algorithmic videos and Snapchat could lose its unique close-friends feel. For now, Snap occupies a distinct niche alongside its competitors, and many influencers are happy to exploit that niche.

Snapchat usage and growth stats (2024). The platform had 443 million daily active users in Q3 2024 (9% YoY increase), with total time spent watching content up 25% according to Status Brew. Snapchat’s user base is highly engaged (over 1 billion Snaps shared publicly each month) and growing steadily.

Brand Deals and Partnership Opportunities on Snapchat

Where influencers go, advertising dollars follow – eventually. So, what about brands? Can Snapchat offer attractive partnership opportunities comparable to Instagram sponsorships or TikTok brand deals? The landscape is evolving, but there are promising signs:

• Creator Collab Programs: Snapchat has been actively courting brands to work with its top creators. In 2023, Snap launched the Snap Star Collab Studio – essentially an in-house team to connect Snap influencers with brands for partnerships. This means if a brand wants to run a campaign using Snap Stars, Snap’s team can facilitate the introductions and help streamline sponsored content deals. It’s similar to TikTok’s Creator Marketplace or Instagram’s Brand Collabs Manager. By making these connections easier, Snapchat hopes to lure more marketing budgets its way, according to Newsroom.

   

• Ad Formats and Native Promotion: Snapchat offers unique ad formats that creators can leverage with brands. For instance, Snap’s famous AR Lenses and filters can be branded – many creators who are skilled at AR design get commissioned by companies to create sponsored lenses (think: a Pepsi-branded AR filter that an influencer promotes). Snap also has Sponsored Stories and product links that creators can embed. An influencer might do a “takeover” of a brand’s Snap account or include a brand’s product naturally in their 24-hour Story, similar to Instagram story ads but more organic. The difference is Snapchat’s content is fleeting, which can create urgency. Brands like Priceline and Celsius Energy Drink have worked with Snapchat creators to produce content across the funnel – from fun awareness Snaps to promo codes delivered via Story. Because Snap’s audience skews younger, brands in categories like beauty, fashion, and entertainment (movies, music) frequently partner with Snap influencers to reach that demographic.

   

• High Engagement = High Conversion? Marketers are cautiously optimistic about Snap. On one hand, Snapchat’s user base (and total reach) is smaller than Facebook or Instagram. But on the other, Snapchat users are very engaged and mostly young – a goldmine for brands if tapped correctly. Snap cites that its users are more likely to buy based on influencer recommendations than users on some other platforms. And with features like swipe-up links on Snaps and native e-commerce (Snapchat has tested Shopify integrations), it’s quite possible to drive direct sales through a Snapchat campaign, according to Threads. For example, an influencer might show off a new makeup product on their Story and include a swipe-up to purchase – the experience is seamless inside the app.

   

• Challenges for Brands: Despite these opportunities, some advertisers remain hesitant to shift their budget to Snap. Why? One concern is scale. If a brand can reach, say, 100 million users on TikTok vs. 20 million on Snapchat, they may prioritize TikTok (especially if they’re chasing virality). Another is measurement – Snapchat’s analytics for creator content historically lagged behind the robust tools of Facebook/Instagram. However, Snap has been improving on this, offering more insights to creators and brands on views, reach, and impact of campaigns. There’s also the perception issue: Snapchat is sometimes still seen as that ephemeral sexting app or just a messaging platform, not a place for polished brand storytelling. Snap is actively trying to change this perception by showcasing success stories and boasting about its growth. They revealed that content from creators (not just friend chats) grew 40% year-over-year by Q4 2024, implying that people are watching a lot more public content on Snap than before. And Snap’s ad revenue is following suit, projected to grow by 13% in 2024 even as some rivals’ ad sales stagnate.

In practical terms, we’re seeing more cross-platform campaigns: an influencer might do a TikTok for a brand and also a Snapchat Story for the same brand as part of one deal. The brand gets the polished TikTok reaching millions, and the candid Snap reaching a niche but devoted crowd. As Snapchat continues to invest in creators, we can expect dedicated Snapchat-only brand deals to become more common – especially for campaigns targeting Gen Z. The platform itself is making the case to advertisers that a significant chunk of TikTok’s audience can be reached on Snap, with the added bonus that Snapchat offers more intimacy and authenticity. A sponsored Snap story can feel like a personal recommendation rather than an obvious ad, due to the platform’s casual vibe. That’s an advantage that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Influencer Success Stories: Who’s Winning on Snap?

To put a face to this trend, let’s look at a couple of examples of influencers thriving on Snapchat:

• Julieanna Goddard (YesJulz) – Often called the original “Snapchat Queen,” YesJulz built her fame on Snapchat back in the mid-2010s. While she’s since branched out, she recently showed that Snap is still a lucrative gig. In response to a skeptic on X asking “who even uses Snapchat in 2024?”, Julz posted screenshots of her Snapchat payouts – totaling $32,416.70 earned from late July to December 2024 according to UNILAD Tech. She even outdid herself compared to the previous year, making $45,284.40 in the same period of 2023 In one record month (Dec 2023), she pulled in over $15k just from Snapchat. And remember, this is largely for daily Story content about her life. Julz’s comeback quip went viral on X, and it highlights how an “old” platform like Snap can quietly line influencers’ pockets. She noted that she’s not even posting every day – usually just half the month – so those numbers could potentially double if she ramped up to daily posts. YesJulz’s success is a case study proving Snapchat’s monetization can rival YouTube or TikTok for established creators. It also sends a message to other influencers: there’s real money to be made here.

• David Dobrik & Vlog Squad Members – David Dobrik, a huge YouTube vlogger, famously leveraged Snapchat in 2022–2023 to earn extra cash. While David hasn’t publicly shared his earnings, insiders have speculated that Snapchat offered lucrative incentives for top social media stars to post on the platform (some rumors mentioned six-figure monthly guarantees). In online discussions, people noted how Dobrik and his Vlog Squad suddenly began posting hundreds of snaps a day – everything from pranks to random daily moments – likely to capitalize on Snap’s ad revenue sharing. One Redditor claimed, “Snapchat pays [around] $10K a month to post, plus whatever the ads bring in. Someone like David Dobrik definitely has a sweeter deal”. Whether or not those exact figures are accurate, it’s clear that influencers of Dobrik’s caliber wouldn’t spam Snapchat for free. He even had a Snapchat Discover show (“David’s Vlog”) for a while, which indicates Snap was actively partnering with him. The takeaway: big-name creators who largely operated on YouTube or TikTok have found Snapchat to be a welcome additional revenue stream – enough to motivate consistent content creation there. And if fans can’t get enough of their content on YouTube, they’ll happily watch the overflow on Snapchat, boosting those Story view counts (and the creator’s bank balance).

• Emerging Snap Stars: It’s not only already-famous influencers benefiting. Snapchat has minted its own new stars via Spotlight. For example, a creator named Cam Casey famously made almost $3 million in 2021 by posting viral videos to Spotlight when it first launched and was paying huge rewards, according to Tubefilter. While that early gold rush has cooled, there’s now a cohort of “Snapchat-first” creators who focus on Snapchat as their main platform. They might not have tens of millions of followers like a Charli D’Amelio on TikTok, but they have highly engaged Snap audiences and are earning a living through the app’s various programs. Snap’s report that over the last year the number of creators posting publicly tripled according to Newsroom.Snap. This means a whole new generation is trying their luck on Snap. Some college-age influencers have said they actually get more views on their Snapchat Stories than on an Instagram story due to less algorithmic throttling. And with Snapchat+ (Snap’s paid subscription for power users) now over 12 million subscribers, even some fans are paying for extra features to follow creators more closely.

These examples underscore a key point: Snapchat is no longer a dead-end for influencers. It’s a viable, even profitable, component of a multi-platform strategy. Creators are treating it as the “daily vlog” outlet where audiences can form a habit of tuning in, and it complements their more viral-oriented content on other apps. The fact that established names and up-and-comers alike are seeing success on Snap bodes well for its influencer ecosystem.

Conclusion: A Second Wind for the Ghost?

Snapchat’s yellow ghost has seemingly come back to life in the influencer world. While it might never again be the trendiest app in pop culture, it has carved out a resilient niche as a platform that understands the importance of paying its creators and connecting them with an audience in an authentic way. The current resurgence — fueled by TikTok’s uncertainties and Snapchat’s own creator-focused pivots — suggests that Snap could serve as a dependable alternative (or supplement) to TikTok for many influencers.

Is Snapchat the new TikTok? Probably not – TikTok’s massive scale and cultural impact are one of a kind. But does Snapchat offer things TikTok doesn’t? Absolutely. From stronger monetization per view, to an audience that opens the app dozens of times a day, to features like AR lenses and intimate messaging, Snapchat gives creators and brands unique angles to play with. And with the platform’s renewed focus on discovery (hello, algorithmic feed) and continued growth in usage, it’s poised to capture any spillover when rivals stumble.

For influencers, marketers, and brands, the takeaway is clear: Don’t count Snapchat out. It may have been born in a different era of social media, but it’s adapting to the short-form video age while retaining what made it special. In a fragmented social media landscape, Snapchat has become a surprising comeback story – one where creators who give it a second chance might just find a loyal audience and a new income stream waiting for them. In the ever-evolving playbook of social media strategy, Snapchat in 2025 has re-earned a chapter of its own.

Snap’s influencer revival is real, and it just might stick around this time – especially if that TikTok ban hammer ever drops for good. For now, savvy creators are saying “snap ya later” to the doubters and enjoying a platform that once again values their presence – both with eyeballs and with cold, hard cash. Snapchat as a TikTok alternative? It’s no longer a crazy question to ask. It might be your next move.