Snapchat will now place video advertisements between stories users receive from their friends.
The app has partnered with Hollister, P&G, Verizon and Warner Brothers to change its strategy for the first time, allowing for ads to appear between messages.
It’s a big step for Snapchat as up until now ads were only present in its media section. Now, they will display when a user auto advances after going from story to another, but without disrupting the narrative.
In a big advertising push, the company has also announced a new application programming interface (API) to facilitate programmatic buying, saving valuable time in having to negotiate terms.
Monetising views
As the app has been growing in popularity, the number of its active users has recently crossed 150 million. Ads popping up through inboxes will monetise the previously unexploited views.
The lack of commercial interruptions, however, was exactly what users valued in the app. Anticipating a cold welcome for the changes, Snapchat issued a statement to ease its users’ concerns about the volume and relevance of what’s going to be shown.
“As always, we’re being incredibly thoughtful about the experience — we’ll run only top-notch creative, and we’ll be careful about how many ads Snapchatters see.
“From time to time, we’ll provide a skippable Snap Ad when a Snapchatter watches a string of Stories. These Snaps Ads only appear between Stories — they don’t interrupt a Story you’re currently watching,” the group said in its official statement.
Freshening things up
In a wave of changes, the app has handed a debut to its new API, offering a more sophisticated product for advertisers to grapple with.
The platform, bearing plenty of similarities to Facebook’s own, will help boost the app’s add business and attract bigger funds.
Snapchat has also recently revamped its Discover and Live Stories section and renamed its ad product from 3V to Snap Ads.
There are now growing rumours surrounding a potential IPO.