With over 160 million daily users, Snapchat has become a go-to platform for advertising to millennials. In fact, a majority of brands that advertise on Snapchat target users between the ages of 18 and 34. Businesses looking to expand their reach to other demographics, however, may be hesitant to invest in advertising on this platform. Common concerns include fears that older users won’t understand the ads or that they’re too expensive. Both of these assumptions are false. And whether you’re an experienced advertiser or just getting started, there are several best practices for using Snapchat Ads effectively. Read on to learn more about this growing platform and how you can use it to reach new audiences with your brand.
Why Snapchat Ads Are Effective
When evaluating a new advertising channel, it’s important to understand why it’s effective. While the format may be new, the principles behind effective advertising have remained the same for decades. To understand why Snapchat Ads are effective, it’s useful to review the 3 basic principles of advertising. First, you want to make sure your message is clearly communicated. Snapchat ads allow advertisers to contextualize their brand. Both the visual flair and short format of Snapchat ads allow advertisers to be creative and imaginative with their messaging. At the same time, when done well, the ads are still clear and recognizable, meaning they’re more likely to be effective. The second principle, targeting, is key to any successful advertising campaign. And Snapchat Ads allow advertisers to target their ads based on several factors, including age, location, and interests. Secondly, Snapchat Ads are accessible to a broader range of demographics than many people believe. While the platform does skew younger, the majority of users are between the ages of 18 and 49. Finally, Snapchat Ads are highly targeted. For example, you can target users based on their geolocation. This ensures you’re reaching the audiences you want and that you’re not wasting your budget by advertising to people who aren’t interested in your business.
Understanding Snapchat’s Audience
Understanding the audience you’re trying to reach with your ads is a critical part of any advertising campaign. If you aren’t targeting the right people, your ads won’t be effective. Fortunately, it’s not difficult to understand Snapchat’s audience. And once you do, you’ll see that the platform is a great way to reach a wide variety of demographics. First, if we’re talking about Snapchat, we’re talking about millennials. This generation is the platform’s core user base. And 91% of millennials use at least one social media platform on a daily basis. At the same time, millennials are also the most likely age group to use multiple social media platforms. So, Snapchat’s core user base is millennials. But that’s not to say the platform isn’t effective for reaching other demographics as well. In fact, Snapchat boasts an average user age of 35. In addition, the platform is especially appealing to users who are on the younger side of that average.
Best Practices For Using Snapchat Ads
Now that you understand why Snapchat Ads are effective, let’s examine how to use them effectively. There are two main types of ads on Snapchat. The first is the Snapchat Story ad, which is a more visual, creative ad that appears between friends’ Snaps. The second type of ad is called a Snap Ad, which is more traditional and includes more standard content. And while most people associate Snapchat with the Snaps feature, don’t forget about the ads. These can be a great way to further extend your campaign and promote your products.
How to Achieve Success With Snapchat Advertising
Now that you know why Snapchat Ads are effective and how to use them, it’s time to get started. To achieve success with Snapchat Advertising, make sure you follow these important best practices. First, remember that success on Snapchat is different from success on other platforms. The standard metrics for measuring ad campaigns won’t apply here. Instead, focus on qualitative data such as brand awareness and sentiment. Secondly, test, test, test. Snapchat allows you to A/B test two versions of each ad. This gives you the opportunity to run a variety of ads and see which ones work best. And keep in mind that the best ads aren’t just the ones that have the highest click rates. Instead, focus on achieving your campaign goals. If your goal is to drive traffic to your website, then focus on the number of people who click through to your site. If your goal is to drive app installs, then focus on the number of people who tap on the “Install” button in the ad. Thirdly, use the best practices outlined above to create engaging and effective ads. At the same time, remember that nothing is set in stone. You can always try new things, learn from what works and what doesn’t. And above all, have fun with it. If you’re having fun, you’ll be more likely to keep doing it, which can lead to long-term success.
Bottom line
Snapchat Ads are effective because they are highly targeted. They allow you to reach your ideal customers, regardless of their age or location, and provide them with a compelling reason to buy your product. At the same time, Snapchat Ads are less intrusive than other ads, because they appear between friends’ Snaps, rather than interrupting them. And while Snapchat Ads are a relatively new platform, they’re already proving to be incredibly effective. This is due in part to the fact that the platform is heavily used by millennials, a group that’s particularly interested in advertising. Additionally, Snapchat offers advertisers access to location-specific targeting, allowing them to reach their ideal customers, wherever they may be.
