Backstage or backseat? Snapchat’s pitch to creators faces reality check ‘behind the curtains’

New Delhi: While Instagram and YouTube thrive in the spotlight, Snapchat positions itself as the “backstage” of social media. That was the pitch at Snapchat’s Delhi chapter of Creators Connect, where the platform reminded creators that it is less about polished perfection and more about quick, candid moments.

Instead of carefully planned and produced content, Snapchat is where you can open the camera, share what is happening in the moment, and keep it raw. To bring this idea to life, Snap put three of its leading Delhi creators on stage: Shreyas Mendiratta, Vaibhav Navlani, and Amulya Rattan.

And fittingly, BuzzInContent.com caught up with the three “Snapstars” backstage, which, in a way, is where everything about Snapchat makes the most sense.

Brands, ads, and the balancing act

Mendiratta, who has more than 4 lakh followers on Snapchat, explained, “Snapchat requires creators to capture a lot of raw, unfiltered, or heavily filtered content and be very open.”

The challenge, though, lies in getting brands to stick in a platform built around fleeting stories. “Brand integration on the platform can be very momentary, especially within Snap Stories, since they are so easy to skip. Therefore, a creator must demonstrate enough aptitude to get the audience completely hooked on their content,” Mendiratta told BuzzInContent. 

Mendiratta, who has crossed a million followers on Instagram, calls the platform its “home base.” 

“For me, Instagram is the centre of my mind. It's because you have to make a proper video post there; you have to make a Reel. There's a lot of designing involved in that. Yes, it's true, there's a lot of rawness in Snapchat, but I think Instagram simply has more creative elements,” he explained. 

Amulya Rattan, another “snap star”, has roughly 2.2 million followers on Snapchat. Meanwhile, her follower count on Instagram is around 4.6 million. On being asked about navigating brands on both platforms, she noted that Snapchat is still catching up with its older, more brand-friendly sibling.

“Brand collaborations have just begun on Snapchat. On the other hand, Instagram is a little older. It already has established brands and a bit of a legacy. Snapchat's own monetisation is actually quite good if you're consistent. But obviously, other platforms are doing better because they've been working with brands for a longer time. Brands are only now being introduced to Snapchat,” she said. 

She added that brands often walk in expecting Instagram-style metrics. “It is a little difficult on Snapchat to convey to them that it is a little different platform,” she noted.

However, the platform is building infrastructure to make brand collaborations easier. Snapchat recommends that creators use the ‘Paid Partnership’ label for any brand partnership they undertake. Activating this label allows brands to use the creator’s assets for further ad promotions. 

This not only boosts the brand’s visibility but also the creator’s own reach, encouraging brands to return to the creator for future collaborations.

The money side of Snapchat

To get a clear picture of the monetisation part, we spoke to Vaibhav Navlani, who is a gold “snapstar.” Why gold is because while the other two creators were bigger on Instagram, Navlani had Snapchat as his main turf. He has clocked almost 5 lakh followers on Snapchat, while his Instagram following is yet to cross 24,000. 

He recalled how monetisation has shifted. “Earlier, Snapchat itself was incentivising us creators to make content, but that program has now gone down. However, on the other hand, the brand partnerships and collaborations are currently good,” Navlani said.

That big-ticket incentive programme is history. “Earlier, the reward programs on Snapchat, the bounty they gave to creators, were very big, but now that has gone down. It's shifted more toward them giving us a share of what they are earning. Before, they used to just pay out and say, 'If you want to create, this money is for you.' Now it's more about revenue sharing,” he told BuzzInContent.com.

The shift may sound practical, but for creators, it means Snap is slowly expecting them to shoulder the responsibility of pulling in audiences, without offering the upfront carrots it once dangled.

At the event, Roxanne Chinoy, Head of Talent Partnerships at Snapchat, explained what it now takes to succeed on the platform:

• Consistency counts: No matter how popular you are elsewhere, Snap will not recommend you if you are not active here.
  

• 10 to 15 Snaps a day: The sweet spot for Stories, because fewer Snaps mean fewer ads and less money.
  

• Watch time matters more than follower count: Snap pays you for attention, not for popularity.
  

• Keep it natural: Forget the hyper-editing. Relatable, raw energy is the winning formula here.

Navlani had his wishlist ready for Snap, too. “First, more detailed analytics. And second, an integrated Collab Studio,” he said, pointing out that these already exist in the US and Europe, but not in India

A calmer corner

All three creators agreed on one thing. Snapchat feels calmer compared to other platforms. While trolling and negativity can dominate Instagram and YouTube, Snap’s design makes such behaviour harder to sustain.

Because followers are often friends and interactions are more private, there is less public drama. Without endless rows of likes or comments fuelling comparisons, creators feel freer.

Or as one Delhi attendee put it with a laugh, “Snap pe gaali kam padti hai.”

Backstage or behind?

The “backstage” pitch does have charm. Creators like the intimacy, and Snap is positioning itself as the low-drama alternative to Instagram and YouTube. But scratch beneath the surface, and the picture is less glossy. Brand money is only trickling in, incentive programmes have shrunk, and creators still look at Instagram as their anchor.

For now, Snapchat is indeed calmer backstage. The question is whether brands and creators will see it as the main show, or just the green room they pass through before stepping into the spotlight elsewhere.