Social media platforms continue to be a powerful tool for strengthening a company’s brand through awareness and audience engagement. But as the social landscape evolves, marketers need to re-evaluate long-standing assumptions about which platforms deliver ROI and which may no longer be the right fit for every brand. After 10+ years, Snapchat remains a part of the social media ecosystem, but it’s no longer the standout “must-have” it once was, and in most cases, we don’t recommend it for our clients.

Here’s an updated look at Snapchat’s role in digital marketing today, including what it can do well and where it falls short compared to other platforms.

1. Snapchat Still Has a Desirable Young Audience – But Reach Alone Isn’t Enough

Original point: “Snapchat has a huge and desirable audience.”

Update for 2026: Snapchat’s strength remains its reach among younger users, particularly Gen Z and younger Millennials. However, while Snapchat continues to see growth in daily active users globally, user numbers in key markets like North America have stagnated or even declined, and its total global base (hundreds of millions daily) still trails platforms like TikTok and Instagram in scale.

That means Snapchat’s audience can still be valuable for certain brands targeting young demographics, but reach isn’t as broad or as reliably growing as it once was. Marketers should weigh whether that specific audience is worth the investment compared with platforms that offer both large scale and strong growth.

2. Advertising Tools Have Improved – But Effectiveness and ROI Are Mixed

Original point: “Snapchat offers different advertising options to fit your company’s goals and budget.”

Update for 2026: Snapchat does provide advertisers with a range of tools that are much more sophisticated than when we wrote the first iteration of this blog in 2016. Now Snapchat’s advertising toolkit includes full-screen video ads, geofilters, lenses and newer formats like Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places. Recent investments in AI-powered advertising and direct-response options are helping small and midsize advertisers reach users more efficiently.

Even with all the latest Snapchat Ads solutions, Snap has struggled to prove clear ROI and platform value compared with competitors. In 2025, technical glitches in Snapchat’s ad delivery system significantly impacted ad performance and contributed to advertisers pulling back ad spend. As digital marketers, we always prefer platforms where returns are easy to measure and benchmark.

In general, results aren’t consistently strong enough to justify prioritizing Snapchat over bigger social platforms unless you have a very specific, research-backed strategy.

3. Authentic, Ephemeral Content Can Be Engaging – But It’s Not Always Marketing-Friendly

Original point: “Snapchat gives your audience a behind-the-scenes, more exclusive look at your business.”

Update for 2026: Authentic, disappearing content once made Snapchat feel like a “real” way to connect with audiences and was unique to the Snapchat platform. Years later, other social networks feature disappearing content too, so Snapchat isn’t the only sheriff in town.

Of course, brands that lean into genuine storytelling can see engagement from loyal followers but Snapchat’s intimate IRL (in real life) friend-centered nature limits how far branded content spreads. Content on Snapchat doesn’t have the same discoverability or algorithmic reach that platforms like TikTok or Instagram offer. Moreover, building and maintaining a following on Snapchat is significantly harder because users tend to connect primarily with personal contacts or influencers, not brands.

The Bottom Line on Snapchat in 2026

• Snapchat still matters for specific audience segments (especially younger users), but it’s increasingly a supplemental part of some broader strategies and not a core platform for most brands.
• Clients demand clear ROI. While Snapchat’s tools have improved, competition from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts and others has intensified and many marketers see more predictable returns on those other platforms.
• Snapchat’s strength lies in authentic engagement, not broad reach. That’s valuable, but only if your brand strategy and goals support it.

Snapchat can still be part of your digital marketing toolkit, but it shouldn’t be the centerpiece for most plans in 2026. Consider it when your audience skews young, your budget allows for experimentation and you’re ready to measure whether the platform helps achieve specific business goals rather than relying on it as a default choice.

The only certainty is that the social media landscape is constantly changing. c21 can help you decide whether Snapchat fits your brand goals and prioritize the platforms that deliver real, measurable results. (And spoiler – we probably will not suggest Snapchat for most clients.) Let’s optimize your social media marketing plan for 2026 and beyond!