Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media platforms for brands and businesses to run ads on. The vertical video format, creative tools, and high engagement among Snapchat’s young user base make it an attractive platform for marketers.
How do Snapchat ads work?
Snapchat ads appear within Snapchat’s core Stories content. There are a few main types of Snapchat ads:
- Lens Ads: Sponsored augmented reality lenses that users can play with.
- Filter Ads: Sponsored filters and geofilters that users can overlay on their Snaps.
- Snap Ads: Full-screen vertical video ads up to 10 seconds long. These appear between Stories and Shows.
- Collection Ads: Scrollable product catalogs that drive traffic to external shopping sites.
- Story Ads: Video ads up to 3 minutes long that run within publisher Stories.
Snapchat leverages its wealth of user data to target these ads based on granular factors like age, location, interests, and behaviors on and off the platform. Advertisers bid for ad placement using an auction-based pricing model.
What are some popular Snapchat ad examples?
Here are some examples of well-known brands running effective Snapchat ads:
Snapchat Lens Ads
- Michael Kors created a virtual try-on Lens to promote its touchscreen smartwatches.
- Wendy’s offered a Super Bowl-themed Lens that turned users into bacon cheeseburgers.
- Gatorade’s Serena Williams Lens transformed users into the tennis star.
Snapchat Filter Ads
- HBO promoted Game of Thrones with augmented reality filters adding dragons andwhite walkers to Snaps.
- Mountain Dew created Sponsored World Lenses with augmented reality games.
- Visit Australia promoted tourism with geofilters for top travel destinations.
Snapchat Snap Ads
- Apple ran multiple Snap Ads for product launches like the iPhone X and AirPods.
- Netflix promoted Stranger Things and other original shows via Snap Ads.
- Nike launched its Snapchat presence in 2016 with an immersive Jordan Brand campaign.
Snapchat Collection Ads
- ASOS uses shoppable Collection Ads to showcase fashion styles.
- Chipotle lets users browse an in-app menu and place food orders.
- Sephora promotes makeup with virtual “try-on” Collection Ads.
Snapchat Story Ads
- Taco Bell runs recipe-based ads in Snapchat Discover.
- State Farm promotes safe driving through the “Drive Safe” series.
- Procter & Gamble advertises products like Secret deodorant in curated Stories.
In addition to big brands, Snapchat now opens up advertising to small businesses through self-serve ad platforms. Almost any business can create targeted Snap ads to drive results.
What makes Snapchat good for advertising?
There are a few key advantages Snapchat offers for marketers:
- Vertical video: Snapchat popularized vertical video ads. This mobile-first format is ideal for the platform.
- Unique ad formats: Lenses, geofilters, and Stories enable interactive and fun ads.
- Young audience: Over 60% of Snapchat’s daily users are under 25 years old.
- Targeting capabilities: Snapchat lets advertisers target based on advanced attributes.
- Closed ecosystem: Ads don’t leave the platform, giving marketers a safe environment.
- High engagement: Snapchat users open the app over 20 times per day on average.
For businesses trying to reach younger Millennial and Gen Z demographics, Snapchat tends to provide strong returns on ad spend. The immersive creative ad formats perform especially well.
What are the benefits of Snapchat advertising?
Here are some of the main benefits for brands advertising on Snapchat:
- Brand awareness: Snapchat’s immersive ads help increase brand visibility and reach.
- Video views: 10 million+ video views per day provides sight, sound, and motion.
- Engagement: Interactive Lenses and Filters keep users engaged with brands.
- Snap-to-store: Ads can drive traffic to physical stores via Business Profile pages.
- Sales: Snapchat ads have directly generated millions in revenue for brands.
- Sharability: Users share Sponsored Lenses with friends, increasing impact.
According to Snapchat, over 75% of users act after seeing an ad on the platform. This presents a major opportunity for brands to influence purchase decisions and site traffic.
What are some best practices for Snapchat ads?
To create effective Snapchat ads, brands should focus on these best practices:
- Leverage interactive Lenses and Filters for maximum creativity.
- Keep videos short, vertical, and fun – tailor content to the Snapchat audience.
- Complement Snap Ads with Snapchat Story ads for expanded reach.
- Retarget users with sequential messaging across multiple ad formats.
- Test different types of Collection Ads to determine ideal product presentation.
- Use Snap Pixel or universal links to track conversions from Snapchat.
- Rotate new ad creative frequently to keep campaigns fresh.
- Target Snap Ads based on custom audiences and lookalike profiles.
- Promote Snapchat presence through other digital channels and in-store.
- Analyze performance data to identify optimization opportunities.
Following Snapchat best practices allows brands to get the most out of their ad budgets and turn Snapchat users into loyal customers.
What Snapchat metrics are important to track?
Snapchat provides advertisers with robust analytics to measure campaign performance. Here are some of the key Snapchat ad metrics to monitor:
Metric | Description |
---|---|
Impressions | How many times your ads were seen. |
Reach | The number of unique accounts that saw your ads. |
Frequency | How often unique users saw your ads on average. |
Engagement rate | The percentage of users that interacted with your ad creative. |
Screen time | How long users actively viewed or interacted with your ads. |
Lenses used | The number of times users engaged with Sponsored Lenses. |
AR plays | How many times Sponsored Lenses were activated. |
Swipe ups | The rate of swiping on Collection Ads to your site. |
Website visits | How many users visited your site from Snapchat. |
Conversions | Purchases, sign-ups, downloads, or other goals completed. |
ROI | Return on your Snapchat ad spend. |
Tracking these metrics over time gives insight into how your Snapchat ads are performing. You can then optimize based on what’s working and stop poor performers.
How much do Snapchat ads cost?
Snapchat ad costs are based on the following factors:
- Ad type – Snap Ads tend to cost more per impression than Geofilters.
- Targeting – Narrower targeting increases costs due to lower reach and competition.
- Filters and Lenses – Interactive formats command higher CPMs.
- Time of day – Peak usage drives up costs, while nighttime tends to be cheaper.
- Geo-targeting – Targeting big cities is more expensive.
- Auction dynamics – More advertisers bidding can drive up pricing.
Average Snapchat ad costs in 2022 include:
- Snap Ads: $7.60 CPM
- Sponsored Geofilters: $4.20 CPM
- Sponsored Lenses: $20+ CPM
Snapchat provides performance-based pricing options to help maximize ROI. Overall, costs per conversion end up lower than many other platforms while still providing branding and awareness.
Conclusion
Snapchat offers a powerful way for brands to engage young consumers. When creating Snapchat ads, focusing on interactive formats, sharp targeting, short video content, and clear calls-to-action are key to success. Tracking metrics like reach, engagement rate, conversions, and ROI will reveal how your Snapchat ads are performing. Following Snapchat best practices with iterative testing enables brands to hone in on the right strategies over time. Ultimately, Snapchat provides unmatched access to Millennial and Gen Z audiences who are hard to reach on other platforms.