Snapchat’s relationship with publishers is still pretty complicated

The main reasons for the recent staffing shake-up at Snapchat include layoffs across the mobile messaging app that have occurred over the last six months, with a significant reduction of 10% of its global workforce in February alone. This has resulted in key contacts at the platform going silent or becoming slower to respond to publishers, and replacements have not provided much clarity. Additionally, there are swirling rumors about what’s going on at Snap HQ, contributing to the uncertainty felt by publishers.

The Snapchat staffing shake-up has affected publishers' relationships with the platform in several ways:

• Loss of key contacts: Publishers have lost their publishing partner managers, leading to a breakdown in communication.
• Increased workload for remaining staff: Snap partnership managers who handle multiple accounts now have added responsibilities and accounts from departed colleagues, making it more challenging to communicate.
• Shift in focus: Snapchat is channeling significant resources into their creator businesses, and publishers feel that the publisher side is quieting down.
• Changes in content strategy: Publishers are being pushed toward Spotlight, Snapchat's TikTok clone, as the platform chases the popularity of short-form videos aimed at creators, making publishers feel sidelined.

Snapchat has made several changes to its offerings to publishers, which include:

• Project Unity: This initiative, starting around 2022, reduced the ability for publishers to get granular information about how their content is performing by simplifying the back end of the app.
• Removal of Comscore integration: Snapchat removed its Comscore integration for publishers, which was a significant blow to publishers who relied on it to quantify their audiences.

These changes have led to publishers feeling that Snapchat is deprioritizing them in favor of creators and Snap Stars.

Publishers have expressed sentiments of frustration and uncertainty about Snapchat's support and communication. They feel that the lack of clear communication from Snapchat, especially in explaining the reasons behind changes or listening to their concerns, makes them feel like another casualty of platforms deprioritizing publishers. The term 'inconsistent' is used by publishers to describe their current view of Snapchat. Despite some responses from Snapchat's U.K. head of partnerships, many issues remain unanswered, and publishers are left to speculate about the platform's direction and management.

Publishers are adapting to the changes on Snapchat in various ways:

• Seeking alternative support: Some find it easier to deal with AI/support agents for problem-solving due to the lack of direct communication.
• Adjusting content strategies: Publishers are starting to shift their focus to align with Snapchat's push towards Spotlight and content for creators.
• Exploring revenue opportunities: Despite challenges, some publishers like Team Whistle and PinkNews continue to see meaningful revenue and engagement from distributing content on Snapchat, particularly to reach Gen Z and young millennials.

Overall, publishers are recognizing that the platform is evolving and are trying to navigate the changes as best as they can, whether that means adapting to new content strategies or finding new ways to monetize their presence on the platform.