Snapchat confirms that it is gearing up to show ads this weekend. The ads will be rolled out first to Snapchat users in the U.S in a section that is reserved for 'recent updates.'
The new ads will be the first ever paid content at Snapchat. The unique feature of the ads is that users can have the option to view them or not. Just like the sent messages and videos, the ads automatically disappear after they were viewed. If they are not viewed, the ads would still disappear which can happen within 24 hours.
"It's going to feel a little weird at first, but we're taking the plunge," says Snapchat in a blog post.
Unlike other social-media sites, Snapchat will not be feeding ads into its users' timeline, something that the company thinks would be totally 'rude.' The popular messaging company, which created an app for the users to share disappearing photos, adds that it will not use the data of its members as a way to effectively find a more appropriate target for the ads.
"We want to see if we can deliver an experience that's fun and informative, the way ads used to be, before they got creepy and targeted. It's nice when all of the brilliant creative minds out there get our attention with terrific content," says Snapchat.
Snapchat explained that the decision to feature ads is purely financial. Advertising could definitely provide the company the support that it needs in the service as they deliver awesome content to Snapchatters. Snapchat promises that whatever revenue they get from the advertisements, they would use it to continue surprising the Snapchat community with more amazing products.
Approximately fifty percent of Snapchat users are said to be seventeen years old or even younger. The company's unique concept of sending messages that 'disappear' had made Snapchat very popular particularly among the teens.
Snapchat has indeed gone a long way since it started in 2011. Currently, there are over 700 million disappearing 'snaps' that are sent in a day and over 500 million stories that are viewed daily. With these numbers, it's understandable why the company is venturing into advertisements in order to generate revenue.
Perhaps the company has also shown great potential for growth as it has attracted a slew of investors in the past. These would include Yahoo and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Earlier in 2014, Snapchat hired Facebook executive Mike Randall who is tasked to lead the company's advertising partnerships. At the Advertising Week conference in New York held this month, Snapchat's Chief Operating Officer Emily White attended and explained the company's upcoming services.
