Coming Soon to a Snapchat Near You
Wherever you are, they will find their way in. We’re talking about advertisements, of course. Brands want to reach you and will adapt to popular platforms to be seen. If the masses are interacting on a specific site or social media application, brands need to be there. It is their job to be relatable and bring the content to the ‘scene.’ Brands who choose not to connect on places like Facebook and Twitter are not reaching their potential. Consumers, especially millennials, are looking to be informed in their preferred setting. The focus is on organic, real content and transparency in brands. Social media is the way brands can advertise without painting another billboard that will not be seen as a person walks by with their head in their phone. Simply, you would be missing your audience if your advertising requires them to look up instead of down.
Snapchat, a social media platform that further revolutionized the way people communicate, will be introducing advertisements. While they’re starting at a slow jog, brands are running to take a place. The ads will be featured under the stories section where people will have to opt-in to see them. This game changer will require more creativity and engaging content to be created than any previous platform. Everyone looks for the button that allows you to skip the ad or mute until it’s over. Brands are now faced with attempting to get their consumers to watch their content which really means that we have to feel like we’re not watching an ad.
Interestingly, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel and his team are reluctant to say what they’re actually allowing and doing. A recent article from The Information said the ads are just a method to prove to investors that the app is profitable. The real goal is to create a platform from Snapchat and build in services people will want to use and pay for.
Interesting enough, the first sponsored story was released within the last week. A horror movie, Ouija, providing our first insight with a 20 second story similar to what you would see during movie theater previews. Overall, it was disappointing and hopefully not what the future holds. The creativity lacked and it was a typical trailer such as one you would view before a Youtube video or on TV.
The ad game is to find your way into where people are in the virtual or real world. Regardless of what Snapchat’s motive for using ads, to make money now or just prove they can, I don’t think the ads will disappear. Once they have entered Snapchat, they will form with the platform and adjust as needed. The question that still stands is, what will these ads look like and who is buying in? If brands hope to have viewers, the typical generic ad with a tagline ending will not do.