For SMBs and Startups, Snap and Reddit Are Becoming New Advertising Power Tools

The social platforms are highlighting their ability to reach business decision‑makers as they aim to diversify ad revenue.

BY ANNABEL BURBA, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT @ANNIEBURBA

Illustration: Inc; Photo: Getty Images, Snapchat

Both Reddit and Snap recently released reports touting their platforms’ ability to reach business decision-makers. In doing so, the social media companies seem to be targeting a new customer segment for their advertising businesses: business-to-business marketers.

Snap’s report, which it conducted in partnership with consumer research company GWI and released on March 4, found that Snapchat users are 1.8 times more likely to be founders or business owners and 1.5 times more likely to be in executive management roles. They’re also 1.7 times more likely to work in marketing, per the study, which surveyed 2,254 U.S. professionals ages 18 to 45.

Reddit’s, on the other hand, explores what it calls the “hidden journey” of business-to-business buying. According to the report, 81 percent of decision-makers say they use Reddit to discover new business products or services. Another 76 percent say they’re more likely to purchase a product or service if Reddit users recommend it. The San Francisco-based company teamed up with Survey Monkey to create the report, which collected insights from 1,202 business decision-makers from December 2025 to January 2026.

Both companies rely heavily on advertising revenue. In its fourth quarter earnings, Snap reported making $1.72 billion in total revenue in 2025, with advertising revenue, at $1.48 billion, making up the bulk of that sum. Reddit, meanwhile, said it did $2.2 billion in total revenue and $2.1 billion in advertising revenue.

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They’ve each made significant gains in attracting small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) as advertising clients over the past year. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said “SMBs contributed the majority of advertising revenue growth” during the Santa Monica, California-based company’s February earnings call. Reddit’s SMB revenue doubled from 2024 to 2025, per its earnings call.

Snap and Reddit are likely now eying business-to-business marketers in order to continue diversifying their advertising mixes.

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