No matter how good or bad Snapchat is in the eyes of users, investors and competitors, it is officially open for businesses.
On May 4th, 2017, Snapchat launched a self-serve tool, called Snapchat Ad Manager, for users to buy ads on its mobile app. The feature targets advertisers that don't want to buy ads through third-party providers that use Snapchat's advertising API. The tool allows them to purchase ads directly through Snapchat without requiring any previous requirements.
The tool has been tested with more than 20 brands. In its official launch, the Ad Manager is open to all advertisers in: United States, Canada, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, UK, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, New Zealand, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
Advertisers who want early access can apply on Snapchat's site to be added to the test group.
Google, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn have all offered their own self-serve tools, and they all have succeeded in their own ways. Snapchat just wants a piece of the pie.
Through Snapchat Ad Manager, advertisers can buy vertical video Snap Ads, but not Sponsored Lenses or Sponsored Geofilters. However, the Snap Ads can feature attachments like displaying a web page, or playing a longer video, or opening up app stores.
Advertisers can then target those ads using of Snapchat's targeting options. They can also buy the ads based on the cost per thousand impressions (CPM) or using Snapchat's goal-based bidding options.
And in addition to buying ads, Snapchat Ad Manager also provides the tool for monitoring ads' performance, such as how many times an ad was served, how many times people swiped up on it and the average cost per swipe.
Advertisers can also use Snapchat's app to track their Ad Manager campaigns through a new section dedicated for it. Called Snapchat Mobile Dashboard, the section is similar to Facebook's Ad Manager. Advertisers can use it without having to download or use separate app.
This is a convenience since advertisers can track their campaigns using their mobile devices.
Then there is a section on Snapchat's website called Business Manager. This can be used to dedicate certain roles for advertisers' marketing team, as it can manage ad accounts and billion information. This is familiar with Facebook's Business Manager tool.
