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If you’re a brand that wants to advertise online, Snapchat is probably not the first channel that comes to mind. You are more likely to think about the more popular platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter, first.
However, your choice of social network really depends on the nature of your intended audience. There is little point restricting your advertising to the big social networks if your target market uses another platform, such as Snapchat.
This is particularly important for youth-oriented brands. Snapchat and Instagram are the platforms of choice for Generation Z and the Millennials. Sure, they may have Facebook accounts, but they rarely use them – that’s where mom and dad hang out. Today’s youngsters would rather send a Snapchat Snap or Instagram Story, which will disappear within a day.
Snapchat Advertising Uptake Has Been Slow
Snapchat was slow to accept advertising, and when it did in 2014, it focused mainly on large brands with deep pockets. Early Snapchat ads were prohibitively expensive for many businesses. However, things have changed. Snapchat has now made it easier and more affordable for brands to advertise on their platform now.
Despite Snapchat's current range of marketing opportunities, brands have been cautious in investing heavily in advertising on the platform. After facing challenges in recent years, Snapchat's global ad revenues are projected to reach $4.04 billion in 2024.
With a potential advertising audience of 676.0 million people worldwide—equivalent to 9.7% of the global population aged 18+—Snapchat still holds significant untapped potential for advertisers looking to reach a vast and engaged audience.
Snapchat is Essential for Brands Targeting the Youth Market
However, despite the cautious approach to advertising on Snapchat, the platform's popularity among younger audiences remains undeniable. In 2024, there will be 92.8 million Snapchat users in the US, representing 13.4% of all users, with Gen Z making up 48.6 million of these users.
Globally, Snapchat had 414 million daily active users in Q4 2023, with the highest user penetration in North America (27.4%) and Western Europe (21.3%). While Snapchat’s US user base is smaller compared to TikTok (112.4 million) and Instagram (143.2 million), its significant share of Gen Z users presents a major opportunity for advertisers targeting this demographic.
Millennials and Generation Z, who make up a substantial portion of Snapchat’s audience, are crucial to marketers as they represent a powerful spending group. These young influencers, especially in niches like fashion, gaming, music, and tech, may not exclusively use Snapchat, but they still have a strong influence on their followers on the platform.
Snapchatters are also highly engaged. According to Gary Vaynerchuk,
“If you have 1,000 followers on Snapchat, 900 of them will watch your story.”
Note
If you sell a product that is of interest to Millennials and Generation Z, you should definitely consider advertising on Snapchat.
AR is Snapchat’s Key Point of Difference Currently
Snapchat has pushed the use of augmented reality (AR) with its platform. More than 250 million AR snaps are shared every day. Snap claims that more than 70% of its users play with AR each month.
This provides huge opportunities for marketers. According to David Norris, Snap’s UK creative director,
“The majority of our users have sound on, the majority are used to engaging and playing through the camera. It creates a totally different opportunity for a brand to communicate.”
Indeed, Snapchatters watch 60 percent of video ads on Snapchat with the sound on. In comparison, Facebookers watch 85 percent of videos on that platform on mute.
Adidas has begun to experiment with selling products via the platform’s new shoppable augmented reality technology. This allows advertisers to add a ‘buy’ button to their AR lenses.
Know Your Audience
As with most types of marketing, the key to advertising success on Snapchat is knowing your target audience. You have to be able to attract and engage with your potential customers. If you feel difficulty in doing this yourself, (particularly if you are on the wrong side of 30) you may prefer to work with a Snapchat influencer.
Snapchat gives you the ability to highly target your advertising spend. This is especially so in the US market, which offers more granular demographic data than is available for most of the rest of the world.
Don’t try to create slick ads. The Snapchat crowd doesn’t respond well to expensive looking ads, and you don’t have enough time to attract their attention anyhow.
Ads that look natural or normal win the crowd far more than anything that looks like professional content.
Ideally, your ad should show a way to solve a problem, preferably done humorously.
You are likely to see better results if you film your video on a phone than if you use expensive professional photographic equipment.
Ways Brands Can Advertise on Snapchat
1. Top Snap Only
These ads display a single piece of content at the top of users’ feeds. These are static and can be run as images, GIFs, or video. You can’t add clickable hyperlinks to these ads, although there is nothing stopping you showing specific URLs as copy on your ad visuals.
These ads are ideal for promoting events, sales, or other one-off activities.
Many advertisers opt for short-form videos here, to make an eye-catching impression. These can last up to 10 seconds. Snapchat recommends you limit your ads to five or six seconds. As with all Snaps, Snapchat video ads have a vertical orientation.
Brands often use these ads to drive people to a website landing page, to watch a long-form video, or to install an app.
Snap ads usually include sound, turned on by default by most users.
2. Long Form Video Content
Long Form Video ads can be up to 10 minutes in total length. They are ideal for bringing attention to even longer forms of content, for example, film trailers or snippets of other substantial pieces of content, such as a YouTube series. You can include a Call to Action with these types of ads.
Long form video content ads are primarily targeted at media companies or brands that have quality media to which they want to redirect Snapchatters.
Many ads also give users the opportunity to swipe up to see more information, such as long-form content or a longer video.
3. Web View
Snapchat’s Web View ads are particularly useful for introducing your brand to Snapchatters.
Web View ads are similar to Top Snap Only ads. However, there is an additional feature. With Web View ads, users can swipe up on the ad and go to a particular URL. It is important that the URL relates to the ad.
4. Deep Link
Deep Link ads are a variation on Web View ads. In this case, when a Snapchatter swipes up on your ad he or she is also given a link to a particular web-based content location. For instance, he/she may click on a link to go to the iOS App Store (or Google Play Store if on an Android device) straight to a particular app to download.
5. App Install Ad
An App Install app is similar to a Deep Link app, but it bypasses any additional URLs or content links. If a user clicks on an App Install app, he or she goes straight to the relevant page at the appropriate download store to download the app you are promoting.
6. Sponsored Lenses
Lenses allow Snapchatters to make fun modifications to their selfies and other images. Perhaps they want to make themselves look like the Devil or some form of alien.
The youthful users of Snapchat love playing around with lenses to get the strangest and funniest looks possible. One-third of Snapchat’s users play with this feature every day.
Larger firms can create custom filters, which gets their name before Snapchat’s many users.
If your sponsored Lenses are particularly successful you will even find Snapchatters sharing their creations on other social networks, such as Twitter and Instagram.
7. Sponsored Geofilters
A geofilter is a graphic overlay that Snapchatters can place on their snaps. Most Snapchatters use them, to the tune of 1 billion geofilter per day. Advertisers can create geofilters, based on where they are physically located. For instance, if you operate out of the USA, you would sponsor a geofilter that would only be available to USA users.
8. On-Demand Geofilters
These are similar to sponsored geofilters, but they are designed to be used in a localized area for a short period. You design and upload a customized overlay. Prices start at $5 for a small area over a short time. It costs about $45 to cover a small city block.
Snapchat permits cities, universities and other public institutions to create free community Geofilters.
The Snapchat Ads Manager
Snapchat provides a free way for brands to set up and manage their ads – the Snapchat Ads Manager.
To use this you first need to set up an ad account. Once you have done this you can go to Ads Manager / Get Started.
You can use Snapchat Ads Manager to
- create a new campaign
- choose your audience (geographically and demographically), and set your budget
- create your ads
- follow how your ads perform
Snapchat users are young, fun, and cynical. They will respond, however, to short ads that pique their interest. They also respect the views of their influencers, so you might also consider working with influencers to spread your message to Generation Z and Millennials. However, don’t crowd their style. They know how Snapchatters think.
Snapchat can be a highly effective marketing tool for relating your message to youth. Just don’t bother, if your main target market sprouts gray hair, or has reached the grand old age of 30.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I measure the success of my Snapchat ads?
You can track metrics like amount spent, impressions, swipe-ups, swipe-up rate, and video views in the Snapchat Ads Manager dashboard. Snapchat also recently introduced down-funnel event tracking for app installs, opens and conversions.
What are some best practices for Snapchat ads?
- Know your audience - Snapchat skews towards Gen Z and millennials
- Set clear goals for your ads like increasing sales or building brand awareness
- Test and tweak your ads regularly based on performance data
- Use short-form vertical video and have your CTA appear quickly
- Vary your target audiences to open up new opportunities and avoid hitting a ceiling
Can I run ads on Snapchat without a business account?
Yes, you can create and run ads on Snapchat without a business account, but having a Snapchat Business account gives you access to advanced features and insights.
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