Snap Snap ads are a form of advertising offered by Snapchat. Businesses can use Snap Snap ads to promote their products, services, and brands to Snapchat’s large user base. Snapchat now has over 300 million daily active users, making it one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among younger demographics.
How do Snap Snap ads work?
There are a few main types of Snap Snap ads:
- Snap Ads – These are full-screen vertical video ads up to 10 seconds long. They appear between Snapchat content like Stories.
- Filters and Lenses – Sponsored augmented reality lenses and filters that users can play with.
- Collection Ads – Scrollable ads with multiple images/videos.
- Story Ads – Ads that appear in between friends’ stories.
- Commercials – Skippable video ads up to 3 minutes long.
- Shoppable Ads – Ads that allow for instant purchases within the Snapchat app.
Snap Snap ads take advantage of Snapchat’s engaging and immersive ad formats. For example, sponsored lenses and filters encourage users to actively engage with the ad content by trying out the branded augmented reality experience. Story ads appear in the same places users are already used to viewing their friends’ content, so they feel like a natural part of the app.
What are the benefits of Snap Snap ads?
There are several key benefits to Snap Snap advertising for businesses:
- Reach a young audience – Over 75% of Snapchat’s daily active users are between the ages of 13 and 34. This makes it a great platform to reach Millennial and Gen Z demographics.
- Full screen ads – Snap Ads occupy the entire screen, so they command the user’s full attention while they view them.
- Interactive ad formats – Sponsored lenses, filters, and Collection Ads allow users to engage with ads by swiping, trying on lenses, etc.
- Vertical video – Video ads are all vertical to match Snapchat’s interface, ideal for mobile devices.
- Closed ecosystem – Ads don’t leave Snapchat, so advertisers don’t have to worry about driving external site traffic.
- Precise targeting – Detailed audience, interest, and behavioral targeting options allow you to hone in on your target customer.
In summary, Snap Snap ads give brands access to Snapchat’s hard-to-reach younger users in a fun and interactive advertising environment optimized for mobile screens.
What types of businesses use Snap Snap ads?
A wide variety of businesses across industries use Snap Snap ads to promote their products, services and brands. Here are some of the most common categories:
- Consumer packaged goods (CPG) – Food, beverage, personal care, and other CPG brands use Snapchat to reach younger shoppers.
- Entertainment – Movies, TV shows, music artists, concerts, and other entertainment properties frequently advertise on Snapchat.
- Retail – Clothing, accessory, beauty, and other retail brands partner with Snapchat to drive sales.
- Restaurants – QSR chains and other restaurants run ads to promote new menu items and increase foot traffic.
- Travel – Airlines, hotels, theme parks, tourist destinations, and travel brands target younger travelers on Snapchat.
- Tech – Hardware, software, app, and other tech companies leverage Snapchat to reach early tech adopters.
Basically any brand looking to engage Gen Z and Millennial audiences is leveraging Snapchat ads in some capacity these days. The vertical full screen video ads and augmented reality experiences align especially well with consumer product, entertainment, retail, and travel marketers.
What makes Snapchat ads effective?
There are a few key factors that make Snapchat an effective advertising platform:
- Young demographics – Snapchat’s user base skews very young. 75% are 13-34 vs only 25% 35 and up. This makes Snapchat ads extremely effective for reaching Generation Z and Millennials.
- 100% share of screen – With vertical full screen video ads, brands can takeover the entire phone screen.
- Interactive ad formats – Snapchat ads like sponsored lenses, filters, and Collection Ads force engagement through interactivity.
- Enhanced targeting – From intent-based audiences to sales funnels, Snapchat provides advanced targeting.
- Closed ecosystem – Users can’t share Snapchat ad content outside the app, so brands don’t have to worry about driving external conversions.
In summary, Snapchat’s youthful demographics, immersive ad formats, precise targeting, and closed ecosystem give advertisers an extremely effective platform to influence young consumers.
What are some examples of successful Snapchat ad campaigns?
Here are some examples of impactful Snap Snap ad campaigns from major brands:
Netflix – Stranger Things 3
To promote Stranger Things season 3, Netflix created a sponsored Snapchat lens that transformed people into characters from the show. The lens was viewed over 17 million times, helping drive buzz leading up to the new season premiere.
Nike – Snapchat Search Try-On
Nike developed a Shoppable AR Lens that let Snapchatters virtually try-on Nike shoes and then purchase directly within Snapchat. During the initial product test, Nike saw a conversion rate over 2X the benchmark for Snap’s shoppable AR Lenses.
Wendy’s – National Roast Day
For National Roast Day, Wendy’s ran a sponsored lens that let users roast their friends. Users could record a video roasting a friend, and the lens added animated flames and smoke effects. The lens garnered 228 million views.
Sprite – AR Basketball
Sprite developed an augmented reality basketball lens that transformed surfaces into virtual basketball courts. Users could shoot virtual hoops on Snapchat. The sponsored lens received 35 million views and Sprite saw 95% positive sentiment in comments.
As these examples show, creative and interactive Sponsored Lenses and Filters that tie into trending topics, events, or pop culture are extremely effective at driving engagement and brand awareness on Snapchat.
What are the costs of advertising on Snapchat?
Snapchat advertising costs vary based on factors like ad type, targeting, length, distribution, and any additional features. Here is an overview of Snapchat ad pricing:
Snapchat Ad Format | Pricing |
Snap Ads (Story Ads) | $50 – $100 CPM |
Filters & Lenses (Sponsored) | $450,000+ for 1 Day National Lens |
Commercials | $10 – $20 CPM |
Collection Ads | $40 – $80 CPM |
Dynamic Ads | $40 – $50 CPM |
As a general benchmark, Snap Ads tend to cost $50 – $100 per CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions). Sponsored Lenses that run nationwide for 1 day begin at $450,000. Other ad formats fall somewhere in between.
Targeting a smaller, more defined audience will be more expensive on a CPM basis. Broad targeting to Snapchat’s general user base will be on the lower end of the pricing scale. Factors like ad length, quality, time of day, and targeting specifics will impact cost as well.
How can I get started advertising on Snapchat?
Here is a step-by-step guide to getting started with Snap Snap ads for your business:
- Create a Snapchat Ads Manager account – This is the main platform to manage your Snapchat ads. You’ll need to be approved.
- Define your audience – Use Snapchat’s advanced targeting tools to narrow down who you want to reach based on demographics, behavior, interests, and other options.
- Create your ad – Build your Snap Ad, Lens, Filter, Collection, etc. based on Snapchat’s ad specs and best practices.
- Set an objective – Specify the goal of your ad campaign like driving traffic to your website, app installs, video views, etc.
- Establish your budget – Determine how much you want to spend on your campaign over your specified schedule.
- Monitor and optimize – Leverage Snapchat’s analytics to gain insights into your ad results and make changes to improve performance.
Focus on creating relevant, engaging ad experiences that feel native to Snapchat and tailored to reaching your audience for the best results. Take advantage of Snapchat’s unique targeting and analytics to drive your campaign strategy and optimization.
Conclusion
Snap Snap ads represent a unique and powerful opportunity for brands to reach the coveted Gen Z audience in a fun, immersive environment. The vertical full screen video ads, sponsored AR lenses and filters, advanced targeting capabilities, and closed ecosystem provide compelling options for effective advertising to younger demographics. As Snapchat continues to grow its user base and roll out new ad products, expect Snap Snap ads to only increase in popularity and strategic importance, especially for consumer-facing brands targeting millennial and Gen Z shoppers and influencers.