Snapchat may be looking to take a page out of the YouTube playbook with three-second pre-roll ads that will then offer users an option to skip. Currently, Snapchat lets users skip ads immediately — while TrueView ads on YouTube are skippable after five seconds of play-time.
AdAge reports that Snapchat, which has been altogether tentative about integrating ads, is weighing the change in order to appease brands — given that young users often skip ads on the platform in less than a second. It’s unclear where the three-second ads would run — whether in the Discover section featuring professional publishers or amid user-generated Stories. And Snapchat isn’t the only platform looking to integrate pre-roll ads after long abstaining from the format: Facebook is also testing six-second pre-roll ads within its Watch video hub.
The rumored change arrives as Snapchat is in the midst of rolling out a complete redesign in the face of slagging user growth — and, consequently, falling ad prices. The company reported $208 million in ad revenue its third quarter, according to AdAge — far below analyst projections of $235 million.
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This morning, Snap shares fell 3.8% on the heels of a Cowen Group survey of 50 senior ad buyers — 96% of whom said that they preferred to buy ads on Instagram over Snapchat, according to Business Insider. Surveyed buyers cited better user targeting, return on investment, and campaign measurement on Instagram.
