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Why am I suddenly getting ads on Snapchat?

Why am I suddenly getting ads on Snapchat?

Snapchat has become more aggressive with advertising in recent years. There are a few reasons why you may notice an increase in ads while using Snapchat:

Snapchat is prioritizing revenue growth

As a public company, Snapchat is focused on increasing revenue and profitability. One of the main ways Snapchat generates revenue is through advertising. By showing users more ads, Snapchat can increase the amount of money it makes from advertisers.

In 2021, Snapchat generated over $4 billion in revenue, with the vast majority coming from advertising. The company has been working to grow its ad business rapidly. This means users are likely to see more and more ads over time.

Snapchat’s user base and engagement are increasing

Snapchat now has over 300 million daily active users. The app’s user base has grown significantly over the past few years. More daily users means more ad inventory Snapchat can sell to advertisers.

In addition, users are highly engaged on Snapchat. Snapchatters open the app over 30 times per day on average. The high engagement level makes Snapchat an attractive platform for brands to advertise on.

With a bigger audience spending lots of time in the app, Snapchat has more opportunity to display ads.

Snapchat is expanding ad formats

Snapchat has been testing and launching new ad products. For example, they’ve added long-form commercials, AR try-on ads, collection ads, and more.

By increasing the variety of ad formats, Snapchat can serve more ads to users without it feeling overly repetitive. So you may notice ads popping up in new places or formats compared to the past.

Where are the ads coming from?

There are a few different sources for the ads you see on Snapchat:

Snapchat Ad Manager

The Snapchat Ad Manager is the main self-serve ad platform brands big and small use to run ads on Snapchat. Brands can target ads using Snapchat’s unique ad targeting capabilities based on interests, behaviors, demographics, and more.

The Ad Manager is Snapchat’s biggest source of ad revenue. Brands are constantly optimizing their Snapchat ad campaigns in the platform to reach users like you.

Sponsored AR Lenses and Filters

Snapchat’s signature lenses and filters are hugely popular. Brands can pay to sponsor their own lenses/filters which appear in Snapchat’s carousel of effects.

For example, you may see a “Pepsi Challenge Lens” or a “Chipotle Filter for National Burrito Day”. These are all sponsored ads mixed in with Snapchat’s default lenses.

Snapchat Discover

Snapchat Discover features content from top media publishers, celebrities, influencers and more. These publishers can embed ads within their Discover content.

So as you’re swiping through Discover stories, you may come across video ads or sponsored content. Brands pay big money to advertise in Discover channels they know Snapchatters are engaged with.

Influencer Sponsored Content

Snapchat is also popular among social media influencers. Influencers can get paid by brands to promote products or services within their own public Snapchat stories.

When you watch Stories from influencers you follow, be on the lookout for sponsored content. It’s usually disclosed at the beginning or end of the Story.

Your Friends’ Stories

This one may surprise some users. Brands can pay your friends with public Stories to post sponsored content. For example, your favorite fashion blogger friend could post Outfit of the Day Snaps sponsored by a clothing brand.

So keep an eye out for sponsored content mixed in with your friends’ organic Stories as well.

Why am I seeing more ads than my friends?

The number and targeting of ads can vary quite a bit from user to user. There are a few potential reasons why you may be seeing more ads than your friends on Snapchat:

You use Snapchat more

The more time you spend in Snapchat, the more ads you’re likely to see. Snapchat has more opportunities to serve you ads throughout your many sessions.

If your friends just check Snapchat once a day for a few minutes, they’re exposed to far fewer ads than a heavy user.

Your interests align more with advertisers

Snapchat’s ad targeting abilities are very advanced. If you tend to engage with content related to certain topics like fashion, sports or music, you’re likely to be categorized within interest-based audiences.

Brands advertising in those interest areas may bid more to reach users like you compared to other people on Snapchat.

Differences in ad settings

In your Snapchat settings, you can choose to see “Personalized Ads” which utilize Snapchat’s interest and behavioral targeting. Turning that off will give you more generic ads.

Your friends may have personalized ads disabled, leading them to see fewer or less relevant ads overall.

You’re in a valuable ad demographic

Factors like your age, gender, location and more determine how valuable you are to advertisers.

For example, an 18-year-old female in Los Angeles is likely more valuable than a 45-year-old male in a small town. You may simply fall into demographics that brands on Snapchat are bidding more aggressively for.

How to reduce ads on Snapchat

If you’re looking to cut back on the ads you see in Snapchat, here are some suggestions:

Limit your Snapchat use

The #1 way to reduce ads is to simply spend less time in the app. The less you’re browsing Snaps and Stories, the fewer opportunities Snapchat has to serve you ads. Deleting the app from your phone is the most drastic way to eliminate Snapchat ads.

Disable Personalized Ads

As mentioned above, you can disable personalized ads in Snapchat’s settings. This will give you more generic ads instead of ones targeted to your interests. However, you’ll still see plenty of ads, just less relevant ones.

Don’t engage with ads

Be sure not to tap or engage with any Snapchat ads. This signals to Snapchat that you’re interested in that type of ad creative, brand or product. Less engagement = fewer similar ads in the future.

Avoid addictive Snapchat features

Certain Snapchat features like Stories and Discover are designed to keep you engaged for long periods, and that’s where you’ll see the most ads. Avoid the endless scrolling through these addictive features if you want less ad exposure.

Follow fewer influencers

Having lots of influencers in your Snapchat feed means more exposure to sponsored content. Prune your Following list to remove influencers prone to posting Snap ads.

Conclusion

Ads on Snapchat are increasing as the app prioritizes revenue growth and expands its array of ad products. The exact amount of ads you see depends on factors like your usage, interests, demographics and ad settings. While Snapchat ads can be annoying, there are ways to minimize your exposure through limiting usage, disabling targeting, avoiding engagement and pruning your Following list. At the end of the day, some amount of ads are the tradeoff we make to enjoy Snapchat’s fun features for free!