Some influencers are to be handed the keys to a new set of analytics tools designed to make the platform more appealing to brands.

Marketing Land reports that the new tool will offer better performance tracking as well as more detailed audience breakdowns. Stats include view counts and engagement time, as well as audience data such as age, gender and location.

The service will initially be offered to those on the Stories program and users with especially large audiences. The idea is that influencers will as a result be better equipped to sell sponsorship and strike marketing deals as they will have proof of the markets they target.

Snapchat has seen a downturn in its Stories usage since its main features were copied by Instagram in autumn 2016. Snapchat owner Snap subsequently admitted that it had “neglected” influencers by offering insufficient support.

Down with the kids

It’s not all bad news for Snapchat, however. A report on the decline of Facebook among younger users on The Guardian suggests that Snapchat is doing a far better job of capturing 18-24 year olds – a demographic that accounts for 44 per cent of its userbase. On Facebook, in contrast, they account for just 20 per cent.

However, Snapchat is currently facing a backlash from its userbase about recent changes that bring about a more obvious distinction between friends and brands. Or, in the words of Snap founder Evan Spiegel, “separates the social from the media”.

Snap has as a result been accused of failing to recognise the importance of influencers to its users.

"They hadn't realised the value that influencers add to the app," Rohan Midha, managing director of influencer marketing agency PMYB, told the BBC. "People want to follow influencers because they really like them, whereas Snapchat just sees them as brands."