Canvas Ads – Red Zmudzien

In an effort to expand its slice of the social media marketing pie, Snapchat is expanding into mobile app install ads. The theory behind lots of Snapchat advertising is that the user is more engaged on Snapchat as opposed to passively scrolling through their Facebook newsfeed thus more likely to remember and respond to an ad.

Something that Snapchat has done that is a fresh new take on the app install ads is eliminating the need to *sigh* actually click the screen. With a simple swipe up, you’re already on the app download screen, which sounds small but in early tests is showing a huge return for advertisers. According to this Ad Age article, the micro investing app Acorns started running these Snapchat mobile app install ads and is seeing a 40% higher install rate than Facebook.

Say what you will, but Snapchat has lowered the barrier of entry with these ad types. As small as it may appear, requiring a swipe vs a click, it is faster and requires no new screen to load. This is something that Facebook itself already knows, evidenced by ad types like Lead Ads and Canvas Ads that remove the need to click out of Facebook. Or even Instant Articles which are pre-cached to remove any unwanted load times.

What may have started as a self-serving agenda by Facebook and others of keeping users on the social channels rather than clicking out to a website, is also seemingly having a huge positive impact on advertisers as it makes it even easier for users to respond and engage.

Facebook Messenger recently added PayPal integration and it was just announced that MasterCard account management is coming soon. So it seems Facebook is getting closer by the day to adding the feature digital marketers everywhere should be absolutely giddy about; the ability to seamlessly make purchases within Facebook.

The more we as marketers can reduce friction and lower the barrier of entry, the easier it is to sell products and services. It may not seem like much asking customers to visit your website, add an item to a cart and then enter in all their Credit Card info to make a purchase. But, People. Are. Lazy. The easier you make things for them, the more likely they are to purchase. Just take Amazon for example. They’ve made huge leaps over competitors by simplifying the checkout process. You can see a product on Amazon and within two taps its already confirmed and on its way to your house. Now that is a frictionless experience.

It will start with MasterCard, but when more Credit Card providers get involved and as users get more comfortable sharing their CC info, as well as their Bank Account info for Debit Cards, the easier it will be to sell on Facebook.

This gets back to not being romantic about what works and what doesn’t. Say what you want about websites and website design, but Facebook is slowly making them less and less important. Do you think its a coincidence that more and more of the Facebook products keep you on their platform rather than direct users to your website? Take Instant Articles, Canvas Ads, Lead Ads as just a few quick examples of that. If you make money by selling ad space based on impressions to your website this is an issue, but for everyone else who cares? Don’t be romantic. Take advantage of what works. And what usually works is what captures the customer’s attention and makes it easy for them to buy. Don’t get in the way of a sale because there is nothing more frustrating than shopping cart abandonment.