Snapchat has announced the launch of two new advertising spaces: Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places. These new features are being introduced with launch partners Disney, McDonald’s, and Taco Bell, and are designed to help businesses engage with the Snapchat community in new, innovative ways.
Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places build on the way Snapchat users already engage with businesses on the platform, giving advertisers additional ways to connect with their audience through two of Snapchat’s most popular features.
Supported Snapshots: Full Screen Visual Messaging
Sponsored Snaps allow businesses to deliver direct, full-screen video messages directly to Snapchatters. Unlike traditional Snaps, Sponsored Snaps are visually different and delivered without push notifications. Users must opt-in to open a Snap, and can participate by sending a direct message to the advertiser or using a call-to-action to open a predetermined link.
Importantly, if a Sponsored Snap is not viewed, it will be removed from the user’s inbox, ensuring Snapchatters are not disruptive. This feature gives businesses a creative and interactive way to connect with their audience, drive personal interactions and encourage customer feedback.
Featured Places: Driving Tours on Snap Map
Promoted Places highlight sponsored locations on Snap Map, helping users find nearby businesses or places they might want to visit. The Snap Map is used extensively by Snapchatters to explore, see what’s happening around them, and find out which “Top Picks” locations are based on trends from the Snapchat community.
Snapchat reports that marking locations as “Top Picks” on Snap Map can increase visits by 17.6% among regular users. By using Promoted locations, businesses like McDonald’s and Taco Bell can drive traffic to their physical locations and measure the impact of these promotions on customer visits.
Future Plans: CRM Integration and AI Support
As these new features roll out, Snapchat is eager to receive feedback from the community and improve Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places. Looking ahead, Snapchat plans to test CRM system integration and AI chatbot support, which will make it easier for businesses to manage customer interactions and promote loyalty through the platform.
