Snapchat is a relatively new social media platform. Yet, it still has managed to see significant growth within the past few years.

As of 2021, Snapchat has almost 300 million daily active users. Almost half of internet users age 13 to 24 use Snapchat. 

Even though the platform’s user base is relatively young and the most popular social network among teens, Snapchat is becoming more popular among adults.

In fact, the number of people aged 45 to 54 using the photo-sharing app grew by 12.4 percent from 2018 to 2019.

So, what do these stats mean?

As a business, you can reach a wide range of audiences on Snapchat to build brand awareness and increase sales. Delivering relevant Snapchat ads is a great way to do this.

In this post, we’ll explore the effectiveness of Snapchat ads. Then, we’ll look at some real-life examples of how Snapchat ads helped drive conversions and sales.

How You Can Boost Conversions By Targeting Younger Users

Most Snapchat users are relatively young, which means many of them aren’t old enough (or aren’t allowed to) make purchases online. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t maximize your results from advertising on the platform. For example, a child or teen sees an ad for your product or service on Snapchat. Then, they tell their parent about what they saw and asks them to buy it. And if the parent says yes, your business has made a sale.

Types of Snapchat Ads

Are you thinking about advertising your business on Snapchat? If so, before getting started it’s vital to become familiar with the platform’s different ad formats. They include:

• Single image or video ads: Full-screen ads you can create to encourage users to swipe up and take action.
• Collection ads: Four tappable tiles that can showcase your products.
• Story ads: A branded tile that appears in Snapchat’s Discover section and opens into a collection of images or videos.
• Lenses AR experiences: Ads that allow users to apply branded augmented reality experiences (with your logo, brand name, and/or product) to their selfies.
• Commercials: Non-skippable ads that appear within Snapchat’s curated content.
• Filters: Ads that let users apply artistic overlays, highlighting shops, restaurants, parks,  neighborhoods, holidays, and more.

How 4 Brands Used Snapchat Ads to Generate Brand Awareness

These brands looked to Snapchat to build brand awareness and increase purchase intent.

1. Domino’s

Domino’s set out to launch their “New Bigger Better” pizzas with the help of Snapchat ads. Using Commercials and Snap Ads, Domino’s created scenarios where their pizzas were too big and heavy to carry.

Snapchat users were also able to apply the Domino’s filter to their Snaps and share the experience with their friends.

Using Snapchat ads, Domino’s was able to meet their goal: convincing their target audience that their pizza was bigger and better than ever. They were able to increase brand awareness and action intent based on Snapchat’s brand lift metrics measured in their ad suite.

2. Gatorade

During the 2016 Superbowl, Gatorade used a sponsored Snapchat Lens to build engagement with their followers. Gatorade’s lens allowed users to dunk a virtual Gatorade cooler over people’s video selfies.

This campaign built massive engagement by letting users feel like they were a part of the Superbowl tradition of “showering” winning coaches with Gatorade. The campaign generated more than 165 million views and more than 8 million unique user-generated videos.

3. BMW

When launching BMW X2, BMW wanted people to discover new cars in a more engaging and memorable way. BMW used Lenses AR experiences, allowing users to experience the car in a unique way.

The campaign was successful, generating 40 million impressions and receiving 52 seconds of engagement with the X2 Lens.

4. Fitbod

Fitbod, a mobile app that offers A.I.-powered workout plans, wanted to drive more engaged users on social media.

Their goal was to increase app downloads and encourage users to spend on the platform. They used full-screen Snapchat ads that included clear calls-to-actions (CTAs), encouraging users to swipe up and download the app.

The campaign achieved a 54% lower cost per install (CPI) than other platforms. They even exceeded their cost per action (CPA) goal, with a 30% lower CPA.

Is Snapchat Right for Your Business?

With the right presentation and messaging, Snapchat advertising can be effective in helping brands achieve a wide range of business goals. Whether you want to increase app downloads, build brand awareness, or boost engagement, you can customize Snapchat ads to your unique needs.

Breaking into emerging channels can be a daunting task for new brands between budget requirements, ad setup and sizing, and measuring KPIs. If you feel you need a little help, agency partners like FTE can help you create a strategic marketing plan that is cohesive with your other marketing channels.