Snapchat Announcement

Snapchat just announced that they’re launching their ads platform to the public in June.

Previously, you needed to be a major brand (like a Nike, Taco Bell, Gatorade) to be able to use the platform.

But according to TechCrunch, that’s all changing in June.

So what does that mean to you? Well, here’s how it may change your marketing:

Huge Opportunity – Whenever a major platform begins monetization, the attention is almost always underpriced.

There’s a small window (sometimes weeks, sometimes months, sometimes years) that you can capture massive attention at a tiny cost. Although I don’t know what the Snapchat pricing model will be, it’s likely that ads will be underpriced at the beginning.

This means more attention for less $$$. Who doesn’t want that?

Don’t Be Dumb – The truth is marketers, ruin everything. So let’s try our best not to ruin this platform. If you’re going to give Snapchat Ads a chance, I can’t tell you with certainty what will work, but I can tell you what won’t.

• Don’t do horizontal video – Snapchat is a vertical platform. Don’t turn your video sideways. Keep it upright. Think “portrait” mode.
• Don’t do anything on desktop – Don’t have your ads push to anything that requires someone to use a desktop or laptop computer. Snapchat is for MOBILE. You must understand this. All your offers, engagement, branding, etc. need to be focused on mobile.
• Don’t just pimp your product – Make your video engaging and worthwhile. Create a unique offering.

Test Everything – If you’re anything like most people I meet, you’ll want to wait to see what works on the platform before you jump in. Sure, it’s safer that way, but there’s also way less opportunity.

If you jump in now, there’s opportunity (see the first point), but that also means there’s no guidebook. There’s no recipe.

That means you have to test. If you dive into Snapchat, you’re a scientist. Try and test everything.

You may just find the secret formula that catapults growth in your business.