Snapchat will soon begin experimenting with placing sponsored messages directly within users’ chat threads. This new initiative, dubbed ‘Sponsored Snaps,’ marks the first time the social media platform will introduce ads into its most frequented area, the Chat tab.
Advertisers will soon be able to place their promotional content in Sponsored Snaps. These branded messages will not generate notifications, and users will have the autonomy to decide whether to engage with them.
Snap has not yet revealed if users can dismiss these promotional messages without opening them, leaving unclear the full range of functionality and user experience.
“Sponsored Snaps empower advertisers to communicate visually with the Snapchat community, making the core functionality of Snapchat accessible to advertisers. Sponsored Snaps appear in the chat inbox as a new Snap without a push notification, and opening the message is optional,” explains Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snapchat.
Snapchat also assures that private conversations with friends remain untouched and free from advertising intrusions.
Snapchat’s strategic pivot is not without reason. Despite boasting over 850 million monthly users globally, Snap’s financial performance has been lacklustre at best, particularly compared to giants like Meta.
The company has struggled to generate profits, and its stock price is nearing an all-time low, reports The Verge. This concerning financial backdrop likely motivated the introduction of Sponsored Snaps to bolster the company’s digital advertising business — a critical component of its long-term revenue strategy.
Spiegel’s memo, which coincides with the company’s 13th anniversary, also hints at another upcoming feature: allowing advertisers to promote locations within Snapchat’s Map tab.
“With more than 350 million people using the Snap Map, we now offer one of the most used maps on mobile. Instead of using our map to get directions from A to B, people use the Snap Map to see what their friends are up to, explore new places, and keep track of their favourite spots,” writes Spiegel.
This move could further diversify Snap’s ad offerings, creating new revenue streams by capitalising on the platform’s unique features.
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