Snapchat introduces app stories ad option

Here’s an example of thinking outside of the box if your app revenue stream is running dry due to slow user adoption – get into the ads business as well! The messaging app Snapchat has announced just that this week as it confirms the launch of two new tools on the app backend – Snapchat Ad Kit and Snapchat Audience Network. These tools mean that Snapchat will now be able to show its ads within other apps.

What’s more, it will allow other apps to host Snapchat Stories within their own interfaces. For Snapchat this looks to be a smart move as it means other apps that may have been considering their own ephemeral content format won’t need to – thus helping Snap to keep hold of its existing user base.

While these new additions haven’t yet been rolled out (they are slated for later this year) the app has debuted the creations and showed off some of the functionality at a press event in LA this week. It demoed Snapchat Ad Kit and Snapchat Audience Network to invited reporters at what was its first ever scheduled press event.

Other new features

At the event, the messaging app also took the opportunity to announce even more innovations, this time aimed more at the consumer / user market than potential ad partners. The first was an augmented reality platform dubbed Scan – the utility platform uses the handset’s camera to function.

The user ‘Scans’ their surroundings with their camera to trigger the utility platform – it will prompt answers to maths puzzles to appear for example. Snap says if the user Scans a $10 note, a character from the musical Hamilton will appear and sing a song. If a slice of pizza is Scanned, a pizza emoji will be triggered. The Scan functions works side-by-side with Lenses. There are thought to be almost half a million AR Lenses for use on Snapchat, created by its community of users. These are one of the most used parts of the app, with 78% of Snapchat’s user base accessing Lenses daily.

The other new addition was a multiplayer games platform. This platform is also a way for Snapchat to generate money as users will only be able to access their desired game by watching an advert of around six second’s duration. The ad can’t be skipped, ensuring ad income for the app. The gaming platform allows users to chat as they play, helping it to grow time in app metrics along with ad revenue.