Introducing two new ways to reach your audience by location and context

Over 187 million daily active Snapchatters open our app an average of 25 times a day to send photos and videos to friends, catch up on the news, and see what’s going on in the world around them.¹ In fact, 80% have used the app at a restaurant, 67% at a shopping mall, and 50% at a gym, to name a few.² 

Just like the camera, location is central to how Snapchatters use our app. From Geofilters to Context Cards to the Snap Map and more, location plays a huge role in how our community experiences Snapchat. This presents businesses and brands with a unique opportunity to reach an incredibly engaged audience based on where they are and what they’re doing in the real world.

Today, we’re excited to introduce two new location-based targeting features that allow advertisers to reach Snapchatters who are in the right context to consider taking action. 

Location categories are a simple and powerful way for businesses to reach customers at scale who are in the right context to consider or act. Instead of running Snap Ads and Filters over specific locations or geofences, advertisers can now reach Snapchatters based on the type of location they’re in. For example, a swimsuit brand can reach Snapchatters currently at beaches nationwide, or a movie studio can reach them at the theater. Advertisers can also get more specific by narrowing down their location categories by state, city, DMA, and more. 

Location categories aren’t just a way for advertisers to easily identify high-intent Snapchatters, it ensures that our community is shown the most relevant ads for them — in the moment that they are the most impactful. Advertisers can start reaching audiences by location categories today in Ads Manager.

Today, we’re also introducing radius targeting, which allows advertisers around the globe to add or exclude a radius around an address, city center, pin, or point of interest (like Yankee Stadium or UCLA). This new feature is great for businesses big and small, such as brick and mortar retailers, to travel apps like Hopper. Recently, Hopper cut its cost per install in half by using radius targeting around airports to reach those likely to fly from that hub with a specific flight deal. This combination of smart radius targeting and geographically-relevant creative gave the highest-intent Snapchatters a sense of urgency to act.

As location becomes more central to our advertising solutions, we’re continuing to work on building the most user-friendly tools for seamless buying and planning. The new location search bar in Ads Manager is a great example, as it makes it easy to find and select a location category, address, city, neighborhood, or point of interest with a single click. 

While location plays a big role in making Snapchat special for both Snapchatters and advertisers, what’s even more important is our commitment to showing Snapchatters content they care about, while protecting their privacy at the same time. We don't share any location information that can identify specific Snapchatters to advertisers, and all Snapchatters can choose whether to allow use of location services.

This is the first of many location-centric features to come this year, and we’re really excited to bring you more in 2018. Stay tuned for more big announcements, and check out the Business Help Center as you start to reach your audience in a completely new way!