Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms across the globe, with an average of 293 million daily active users.
Minus the impressive user base, the app also boasts engagement rates that can rival some of the other social media big names, and over 75% of the younger demographics (13 – 34 years old) use the app every day. With the impressive statistics and high engagement rates, it makes you wonder why some businesses don’t take advantage of what Snapchat has to offer in terms of brand advertising.
This guide will share all you need to know about Snapchat ads, and how to run successful campaigns on the platform.
Should You Advertise on Snapchat?
The short answer is, yes, you should advertise on Snapchat. Especially if your business appeals to the younger generation. Setting up a Snapchat account for your business is easy, and would be a good idea for increasing user acquisition, raising brand awareness, and boosting engagement.
Do you still need some convincing? Snapchat’s Inspiration Page showcases the businesses that have found success with Snap Ads, and you could be one of them. Some of the bigger brands spend more money to reach a wider audience and thus convert more sales, but with as little as $5, you can advertise on Snapchat and see the results for yourself.
Snapchat has even partnered with Amazon to make virtual shopping easier. Now, when customers see a product they like, they can scan the provided barcode with their phone cameras, and be redirected to an Amazon page with the product.
Types of Snapchat Ads
No matter the size of your business or what kind of audience you’re hoping to reach, there’s a Snapchat ad format for you. You can choose an ad format according to your business objectives and tailor your content to fit.
Single Image or Video
This kind of advertising is a full-screen ad that can be used to achieve many ad goals. Snapchatters can swipe up to visit your website or visit the app store to download your app when you include the link in an attachment. These attachments can come in between other Snapchat content like Our Stories, User Stories, or Creator Stories.
There is almost no limit to what you can do with your ads; they can be anything from a few seconds to 3 minutes long, but we would recommend keeping your Snaps concise–15-seconds to 30-seconds is the sweet spot.
Collection Ads
Collection ads appear in the form of four tiles which Snapchatters can tap to take them to view and buy your products. Your collection ad can be a set of different products you think the audience would find interesting, and they can simply tap one for more information. Collection ads make the shopping experience smoother and easier for Snapchatters.
Story Ads
Story ads are placed in the Discover feed, and your audience can find them in the form of a branded tile they can tap to see up to 20 Snaps. With story ads, businesses can display new collections, special releases, or limited edition items. Story ads also have features that allow the audience to further interact with the ad such as a function that takes them straight to your website.
Lenses
Snapchat lenses are a great way to run memorable ads on Snapchat. With Snapchat’s Lens Web Builder, brands can select from a wide range of effects, themes, and animations to build a unique branded AR lens. You can then launch it on the app, and Snapchatters can use and share these lenses with their friends and followers.
Filters
Snapchat filters are one of the features that Snapchat is most notable for, and brands should feel empowered to integrate these fun elements into their marketing strategy. Geofilters can be added to Snaps if you want to target users in a specified area, like highlighting a new restaurant or a specific landmark.
Commercials
Snapchat commercials are ads that Snapchatters have to view for at least six seconds. The ads can be up to three minutes long and usually appear in Snapchat’s curated content. These ads are a way for brands to showcase their products early and ensure that viewers see the items most likely to hook them in before they have a chance to skip the ad.
Dynamic Ads
Dynamic ads on Snapchat are much like dynamic ads on other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. The system shows these ads to users who have shown previous interest in your website or interacted with your brand in some way.
How to Create Snapchat Ads
Create an Objective
To ensure the success of your ad campaign, you must first decide on your objective – what do you want Snapchatters to get out of your ad campaigns? Your campaign goal could be awareness, app installs, more traffic, website conversion, or engagement.
If Snapchat is a new advertising platform, you can first build a customer base by raising awareness and then targeting the section of the audience that interacted with your ads.
Create an Ad Set
You can enable your Snap Pixel from the Ad Set Details page. The Snap Pixel is a useful tool that helps businesses see just how well their ads are doing in terms of impact and conversion. Select your ad format, type, and attachment, then select ad placement and target demographic. The final step is selecting how much you wish to spend, your bidding strategy, and the duration of the campaign.
Build your Ads
Once you have made all necessary selections, the next step is to design your ad; upload visuals, your brand name, headline text, and all other information you wish to add. During this stage, you will see an example of what your ad will look like, and you can review and make any changes you want before you publish the campaign.
There is no doubt that Snapchat ads work well for eCommerce brands, and both large and small-scale businesses can benefit from the magic of Snapchat. The key to running successful Snapchat campaigns is following some of the Snapchat ads best practices; consistency, authenticity, and careful strategizing. Soon, you will see results in the form of increased leads and sales.
