Snapchat tests placing ads in Snap Star Stories that gives ‘a share of the revenue’ to the creators

Snapchat is testing a new way to let creators earn money from the social media platform by placing mid-roll advertisements. However, ads will only be assigned to certain creators, and those with ads are only getting “a share of the revenue.”

The company announced the new financial opportunity on Monday, noting that the mid-roll ads will only be added to Stories posted by Snap Star creators. Snapchat will divide ad revenue between the company and the creator. The amount the latter earns is reportedly based on a number of things, including post engagement and how often the creator publishes Stories.

As mentioned, mid-roll ads will only be placed on Stories posted by a Snap Star. Snapchat defines a Snap Star as public figures or creators “who bring some of the best and most entertaining content.” Regular users can identify Snap Stars when they see a star stamped on featured content, making it somewhat Snapchat’s equivalent of Twitter’s blue checkmark.

The company notes on a support page that creators do not have to pay any charges to get their pages verified as a Snap Star. Snapchat identifies five main categories that determine whether a creator can be considered a Snap Star, including having a “large and engaged audience,” having regular public posts, the page being used by a real person or group, the account being “highly searched for or culturally relevant,” and content quality.

Snapchat has started testing the mid-roll ads on Snap Star Stories in the United States at the moment. “Stories lower the barrier to content creation and engagement, and we believe placing ads within a Snap Star’s public Story will allow an easier path to financial success,” the company said in an announcement post.

The company did not specifically mention if mid-roll ads will also be available to Snap Star creators outside the U.S. But creators will likely hear more updates about this soon as the financial opportunity is scheduled to roll out later this year.

Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash