Your guide to (really) effective Snapchat Ads

But today, via Snapchat Ads, you can reach much more than just Gen Z! You can reach no less than 319 million daily active users worldwide. A real godsend for brands with a young audience and an innovative brand image.
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Discover in this article all the keys to launching ads on Snapchat Ads that will help you achieve your marketing goals.

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What are the objectives for your Snapchat Ads campaigns?

As an advertiser, you know it's crucial to determine specific goals before creating any ad. Advertising on Snapchat is ideal for pursuing branding, awareness, and acquisition goals.

Indeed, Snapchat is, by definition, the social network of immediacy. We know, for example, that the platform's users are more inclined to make compulsive purchases through Snapchat. Hence the objective is to have an immediate impact with ephemeral & full-screen ads that encourage users not to miss the opportunity to connect with their favorite brands.

Another possible objective for your social media advertising campaigns is to strengthen your brand's visibility through Snapchat's organic formats.

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How to launch a Snapchat Ads campaign?

Want to launch your Snapchat Ads campaign? 
First, note that there are two possible options for getting started. You can either;

• Let the platform automatically set up your ads with the "Instant Created" option 
• Or make a more precise setting of the campaign via the "Advance Created" option

In order to create an effective campaign, the second option is recommended. You will have better control over your budget, targeting, and the advertising formats to deploy.

Now, let's take the three steps to start advertising on Snapchat.

Precisely target your audience

First, for all advertising campaigns on social networks, it is essential to target your audience appropriately.
The idea is to use your personas to select the criteria by which the platform will choose the audience to which your ads will be delivered.
On Snapchat Ads, you can choose among several criteria:

• Sociodemographics: age, gender, language, etc. 
• Criteria linked to users' interests
• Geolocation criteria
• Criteria related to the type of connexion (WiFi, network) or device used (iOS, Android)

The finer you’re targeting, the more likely your advertising campaign will reach your core target and be effective.

Define a budget

The second step to advertising on Snapchat is to set your budget. You can set a daily or global budget for your campaign on the platform.
Whatever you choose, be sure to streamline your media investments. For example, if this is your first Snapchat Ads campaign, take the time to test the platform on a small budget, spread it over different campaigns on different social networks, and then observe the results to see how your core target audience reacts.

The goal is to make sure you choose the right ad networks for your goals rather than spending your entire budget on a platform that won't bring you the desired results!

Select the formats to use

The last step in advertising on Snapchat is to select the ad format that will allow you to reach your audience effectively.
Snapchat Ads provides you with different formats to use in your campaigns:

• Snapchat Ads video is a type of ad where a vertical image or video is paired with a call to action, which lasts 3 to 10 seconds and is displayed in the Discover tab among the stories.
• Collection Ads is a carousel of images and videos, ideal for presenting several products broadcast between two stories.
• Story Ads are stories displayed in the Discover section that users must click on to view.
• AR Lens are filters offered to users when they want to create their own stories, using Augmented Reality to create an interaction with the user or his environment.
• Snap Filter is a filter that the user can add after taking a Snap by swiping left or right, which can be set according to geolocation or time of year. 
• The Commercials format delivers ads that the user can't skip, which last from 6 seconds to 3 minutes and appear in the user's Snapchat content.
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Note that all these formats are available in programmatic.

 “Snapchat is the ideal social network if you want to launch awareness-oriented ads to a fairly young audience. The key to successful campaigns? Innovative and fun formats stand out from the crowd, specifically targeting your core audience. Also, take the time to design a well-crafted media plan to test different social networks. Your audience may not be the most receptive on Snapchat, so it's a good idea to test other platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram while streamlining your media buying.” Susie Prud'homme,  Account Manager at Gamned!

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Which KPIs to measure the performance of your Snapchat advertising campaigns?

The last crucial element for all advertisers who want to place ads on Snapchat is campaign performance measurement. Not only does tracking these metrics allow you to track the effectiveness of your ads, but it also helps you to optimize your campaigns continuously.

From the Snapchat Ads Manager, you can track various key performance metrics. Choose from those that make sense with your campaign's primary goal.
For example, for branding purposes, you will follow;

• The number of impressions (total impressions, visible or not visible, etc.)
• The visibility rate, i.e., the percentage of impressions viewed
• The Cost Per Click (CPC) 
• The Cost Per Completed View (CPCV) 
• The Click Through Rate (CCR)
• Metrics specific to the video format: views at 25%, 50%, 75%, and complete views of your ad

As far as acquisition objectives are concerned, you'll have to track; 

• The Cost Per Visit (CPV)
• Metrics specific to an app download goal: number of installations, eCPI (effective cost per application installation)

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Also, don't hesitate to use Snapchat's Brand Lift option. This allows you to test your audience and how they react to your ads to see if they are relevant. You can broadcast surveys to a specific audience, asking them about ad recall, brand awareness, or message association.
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