Snapchat just announced a new way for its top creators to earn extra money. In the coming months, the platform will introduce mid-roll advertisements in the Stories of Snap Star accounts. These are public figures or creators with a large following who deliver entertaining content and have been verified by Snapchat, as indicated by a gold star next to their username.
The new feature offers creators a share of revenue generated from ads within their public Story, marking the first time Snapchat will split ad revenue with creators through Stories. A select group of Snap’s Star users in the US is currently testing it and Snap said it will make the feature available to all Snap Star users later this year.
The amount of revenue Snap will give creators will be based on a formula that takes into consideration metrics such as engagement and posting frequency. The company believes that placing ads within a Snap Star’s public Story allows for a more streamlined path to earning an income on the app given that “Stories lower the barrier to content creation and engagement,” it said.
The mid-roll ads are a win for creators and advertisers alike. For the latter, they present yet another opportunity to reach the Snapchat community with high-value placement. Snapchat users already view ads between Stories and in the Discover section, though the new creator-focused ad offering is a first for Snap.
According to Snap, “Snap Stars give their audiences unprecedented access into a diverse and global set of interests, including the arts, beauty, news, gaming, music and more. Snap Stars are eligible to have their content featured in Snapchat, and are indicated by a star.” These users enjoy unique updates, tools and in-app analytics that simplify engaging with their subscriber base.
To become eligible for a Snap Star upgrade, Snap considers five factors. A creator’s account has to have a large and engaged audience; they have to create and share stories with the general public on a regular basis; the account has to be authentic and represent a real person; it must also be highly searched for or culturally relevant; and the content shared must be original, safe and meet Snap’s community guidelines.
The news comes on the heels of Snapchat’s acknowledgment of users’ move toward a more TikTok-like experience over Stories as they have spent less time viewing and posting Stories and spent more time watching content on Spotlight, which is the platform’s TikTok equivalent.
The new feature is one more way to entice creators to stay on the platform. In 2021, Snapchat announced Spotlight Challenges, which, throughout the year, paid over $250 million in cash prizes to users that created top-performing videos using certain topics, Lenses or sounds.