Snapchat Revs Up Social Commerce Efforts

Snap Inc. reportedly is testing two new ad units, one of which can help retail advertisers deep link within ads, and another that simplifies auto-fill functionality for users.

Done for some time by Instagram and Facebook, deep-linking allows an advertiser to run ads for a product they want to sell and users can “swipe up” to view and learn more about it, and then tap the screen to be taken directly to that product page. The effort is somewhat similar to what the company did with Uber last month where the Uber app linked riders directly into Snapchat where they were able to unlock custom filters.

In addition to deep-linking, Snap also introduced an auto-fill feature, which the company says is a simpler way for people to fill out forms on their mobile devices with a one tap opt-in. Essentially, the lead-generation form that advertisers require users to complete will be automatically entered with contact information that users have already given Snapchat at sign-up, including their name, email address and phone number. Keep in mind, filling in forms and credit card information on the mobile screen has been a primary barrier to m-commerce.

“Snap’s new features make its advertising platform more amenable to the type of direct response advertising that could make it a social commerce player,” said eMarketer analyst Yory Wurmser. “Mobile retail above all is about relevant, compelling images and simplicity.”

Metrics are still mixed on social commerce, says eMarketer. Data from Sumo Heavy found that 18.2% of U.S. internet users have purchased products directly via social — an increase of 8.3 percentage points from six months earlier. Still, a majority (81.9%) haven’t.


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