Get those campaigns ready, because as of now any advertiser, affiliate or agency can take advantage of Snapchat’s marketing API program to run programmatic ads.
Empowering All with Its Ad Tech
This API was previously only available to select advertising firms – around 70 of them in total. Now, any company or advertiser has full access to buy and automate ads such as Snapchat’s Sponsored Filters and vertical videos. Custom data can also be integrated, ultimately putting marketers in a position to enhance their campaign strategies, reporting, targeting and creative.
Advertisers no longer need to use third-party software, or the self-serve ad-buying feature which was a very manual and time-intensive process. They can add more real-time metrics to the pipeline, allowing them to make more intelligent campaign decisions. This announcement is also a nice benefit for ecommerce businesses, who now have the option to programmatically optimize inventory and pause advertisements accordingly when stock runs out.
“We’ve been listening closely to third-party developers as we transition Snapchat ad products onto our self-serve platform,” said James Borow, director of revenue programs at Snapchat in a recent statement.
Snapchat’s Advertising Evolution
While the expansion of this API has made a huge splash throughout the marketing landscape, Snapchat’s programmatic ad buying isn’t exactly new. The company first began experimenting with the idea back in October of 2016. At the time, it provided advertisers with the ability to test different types of ads to determine what resonated best with their target demographic.
Snap Inc recently stated that more than 90% of its ads were bought programmatically in Q4 2017, a 10% increase compared to previous quarter. The company also saw their shares jump significantly when they announced that their daily active users had increased to 187 million, an 8 million increase between Q3 and Q4 of 2017.
Clearly programmatic ad revenue has contributed in a large way, and this should be a very exciting and opportunistic time for all advertisers looking to convert more on the social medium.