At its annual Snap Partner Summit on Tuesday, the maker of Snapchat unveiled new tools for creators aimed at bringing its app closer to rivals like TikTok and Instagram. The company also said it would make it easier for creators to connect with brands for sponsorship deals and partnerships.
In an effort to catch up with its rivals, Snapchat creators can now reply to users' comments on their videos with video to further engage with their audience. Video replies to comments have been available on TikTok and Instagram for some time and are often used to keep conversations going in a creator's videos, answer viewer questions, or link viewers to part two of a multi-part Story.
Additionally, Snapchat is introducing the option for creators to customize their public profile by pinning their favorite Snaps to the top of their profile, a feature that has also been available for some time on Instagram and TikTok. Creators can also use this feature to highlight their best work, while making it easier for visitors to see the type of content they post regularly.
To help creators land more partnerships, creators can now choose to publish their engagement and demographic data in Snap Star Collab Studio, Snap's initiative launched last year to connect brands and creators on marketing campaigns. By sharing their engagement numbers, creators can market themselves to brands that want to partner with “Snap Stars” who hit certain metrics or reach specific targeted audiences.
Snapchat says the number of creators posting publicly has more than tripled in the past year, with creators posting roughly 10 billion Snaps to their Stories. The company also says there are roughly 15 billion interactions between creators and viewers on the app every day.