Snapchat Advertising: A Look Into Emerging Brand Marketing

A few weeks ago, we published the Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Snapchat. So, now that you know the ins and outs of the emerging social media platform, we’ll show you how you can apply this technology to your business to gain exposure to Snapchat users.

According to Nielsen Media Impact, on any given day, Snapchat reaches 41% of all 18 to 34 year-olds in the United States. Snapchat offers three unique ways that businesses can use the platform – Snap Ads, Sponsored Geofilters and Sponsored Lenses.

Snapchat reaches 41% of all 18 to 34 year-olds in the United States.

Snap Ads

Snap Ads work similarly to TV commercials or YouTube ads. They are 10-second interactive videos that play in when users viewing their snaps. Business can give users the option to “swipe up” to view longer-form content such as articles, additional videos, app installs or redirect to a mobile website. So how are Snap Ads different that other forms of digital advertising? Snapchat’s internal data shows that the swipe-up rate for Snap Ads is 5x higher than the average click-through rate on comparable platforms. Brands like Shocktop and Trolli have both experienced massive success using Snap Ad.

Sponsored Geofilters

Business can take advantage of Snapchat’s sponsored geofilters for short-term or one-off events. Geofilters can be accessed after you create the photo or video snap by swiping right on your smartphone screen. You can then apply a variety of filters to your image including time, temperature, color correction, and your custom graphical elements based on your location. Snapchatters use this feature to communicate, where they are and why they took the snap.

“Snapchat geofilters are a fun way for brands to be a part of the user’s story,” Megan Wagner, Paperkite’s marketing strategist explains. “Users are giving their followers a glimpse into where they are and what they’re doing at any given time. By being part of these short stories, brands can enhance what the user is showing and create a more personalized snap.”

“Snapchat geofilters are a fun way for brands to be a part of the user’s story,”
– Megan Wagner, Paperkite Creative’s Marketing Strategist

Creating your business’ own geofilter is a unique way to have your brand attached to potentially thousands, if not millions, of snaps that are taken each day. And even if they don’t use the filter, the Snapchatter will still SEE the filter which counts as an impression. According to Snapchat, a single National Sponsored Geofilter typically reaches 40% to 60% of daily Snapchatters in the U.S. The cost to create a Snapchat geofilter is based on square footage of the geofence and the length that the geofilter will be active.

Sponsored Lenses

Have you ever seen a pic with someone with a face of a doe-eyed deer? Or big eyes and a rainbow shooting out of their mouth? That’s what’s called a Snapchat lens. Using sponsored lenses is a totally emerging brand awareness tool because it’s totally interactive AND it’s fun to use. Snapchatters activate Lenses when using their device in “selfie” mode” by simply pressing and holding on their faces. This playful approach has allowed brands like Kraft and the hit TV show Empire to reach millions of users with their message by making their lenses highly interactive and enjoyable for Snapchatters to use. Snapchat’s internal data shows that on average, users play with a Sponsored Lens for 20 seconds.

As it becomes more and more challenging to capture attention online, Snapchat’s advertising features offer captivating and engaging features that can make your brand stand apart from the rest. The one catch? Sponsored lenses and Snap ads have received a huge volume of inquiries and they will only respond to inquiries individually, if there is an opportunity to partner (enter sad violins). But not all hope is lost! Anyone can set up a Snapchat Geofilter for as little as $5 per use, depending on the size of the area and length that the filter will be active.

Looking to venture into Snapchat geofilters? Our team of social media pros will guide you through the process and design a custom geofilter that is snap worth! Contact us today to get started!