Snapchat makes it way easier for brands to buy ads

Prepare to see more brands advertising on Snapchat.

Snap, the company behind the platform, announced a new self-serve advertising tool on Wednesday that will make it much easier for marketers to buy full-screen placements.

The company has been easing into this model for months. The launch of its long-awaited API (application programming interface) last fall let third-party partners sell ads on Snapchat's behalf for the first time, and an update in January gave brands even more control of the process.

The latest feature, which won't fully launch until June, will cut out the middleman entirely, allowing brands to place their own ads without working through one of the company's partners.

Snap already offers a similar self-serve platform for sponsored geo-filters -- location-specific graphic overlays brands can pay to let users attach to their snaps.

The latest move, first reported in Digiday last month, was reportedly timed to coincide with the NewFront presentations held in New York this week, in which digital media companies pitch advertisers on their wares. While Snap itself doesn't have an official presence at the event, it's certainly a big topic of conversation among presenters.

The news will please Snap's advertisers, many of which have been clamoring for a self-service option to streamline the buying process.