Brands on Snapchat can now leverage new content marketing tools after the social platform rolled out its Promoted Stories feature late last week. British online fashion store Asos was among the first to use the ephemeral format to “tell deeper stories” to target audiences on mobile
Similar strategies by other social media platforms like Instagram have been hugely popular with general users for some time. Brands can now finally leverage the visually-focused feature on Snapchat, which allows marketers to stitch together videos and images for a unique branded content experience. The content then disappears 24 hours after its release.
Asos advertised its Black Friday shopping deals with a promoted post, while HBO used its renowned storytelling techniques to urge brands to stay connected with some of their favourite shows, offering free episodes for the fantasy epic, Game of Thrones, and science fiction thriller, Westworld.
Snapchat believes the new format will allow brands across the globe to engage with the reported 178 million users on the platform. Asos is on board since it revealed that it has been recently experimenting with new tech to better serve the needs of its customers.
“Our advertising partners have been asking for ways to tell deeper stories on mobile,” Asos director for revenue product, Peter Sells said. “Promoted Stories offer marketers access to the same Stories format used by our community, combined with the reach and placement enjoyed by publishers on the app.”
The branded content features in between Stories in a user’s feed and offers a click through to an app, website or article via a “swipe up” gesture.