Snapchat Will Run Ads Between User-Generated Stories, Announces ‘Snapchat Partners’ API

Snapchat announced today that, for the first time, it will run ads between user-generated Stories. Previously, ads had been relegated to the app’s Discover section, featuring content from high-profile publishers like CNN and MTV, as well as the Live Stories tab, featuring Snaps compiled by Snapchat from various events and locales around the globe — including, for instance, London Men’s Fashion Week and The Tony Awards.

The new ad format, called Snap Ads, according to Bloomberg, will enable advertisers to create vertical video ads up to 10 seconds long that won’t interrupt a single user’s Story but will play between Stories from different friends. Ads can also feature a “swipe-up” option enabling consumers to take action. Snapchat will soon pilot the feature alongside 10 big-name brands, including Procter & Gamble, Verizon, and Warner Bros. Users will reportedly be able to skip ads with a simple tap.

At the same time, Snapchat announced the launch of Snapchat Partners — an API (application programming interface), which means that, for the first time, advertisers will be able to purchase Snapchat ads via an automated, auction-based system from third-party sellers.

Snapchat says on an average day, its service is used by 41% of all 18 to 34 year-olds in the United States, and that a total of 100 million people watch 10 billion videos every day. To this end, the company says its ads are exponentially more effective. “The swipe-up rate for Snap Ads is 5x higher than the average click-through rate on comparable platforms,” according to the company.

In addition to ads between Stories, Snapchat also enables users to purchase Sponsored Geofilters and Sponsored Lenses.