Snapchat has made quite a few changes over the last two months, including a major new redesign, new features, and also testing out some new ad models. Now, a new report says the social media service may force users to view ads for three seconds before skipping them.
AdAge today reports that Snapchat is looking into the option of requiring users to watch at least 3 seconds of an ad before being able to skip it, according to advertisers and media partners in the know.
One of Snapchat’s top advertiser’s has said that it sees “average view times on ads that barely reach a second.” This stems from an interface that allows users to quickly skip ads without any time limits, creating a smoother user experience. However, this also reduces Snapchat’s revenue and makes it more difficult to sell ads.
The Media Rating Council has determined two seconds is the minimum time needed for a video ad to be considered “viewable,” and if Snapchat can force more three-second views it would go a long way to addressing viewability concerns.
AdAge notes that if Snapchat were to adopt an ad skip limit, it would be notable as the leadership team has been reluctant to impose ads on its users. In contrast, the ad sales team is reported to be pushing for the 3 second limit to better attract advertisers.
“Advertisers are not spending as much as they have previously with Snapchat,” says the top advertiser from a brand that works closely with the messaging service. “They have to do something that draws more interest from advertisers, and they are getting more aggressive to address the market’s needs.”
For now, it’s unknown where Snapchat might implement the three second ad limits, for instance in the media section or if they would be seen across the app. Whether this potential move will work or not, the social media service will no doubt continue efforts to raise its ad rates after falling 60% over the last year.
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