Snapchat is currently gaining immense popularity for all the right reasons. With its unique features and regular updates, Snapchat ensures you never run out of captivating content to share and reach a wider audience. Snapchat announced a staggering 750 million monthly active users, and the numbers keep growing. Just 10 months prior, this number was 600 million, indicating that Snapchat’s user base has likely grown by more than 25 per cent in the past year. Surprisingly, very few marketers and business owners actively utilise Snapchat for their business ventures.

But why is that?

It is likely that many still perceive Snapchat as an app exclusively meant for personal use. Additionally, the concept of ephemeral content (visible for a short amount of time) might not suit all types of businesses. That being said, Snapchat offers brands a pathway of connecting directly with their audience in a more personal manner. If you are still undecided on whether Snapchat is a good strategy, do not fret. We are here to tell you all about the benefits of using Snapchat to market your brand.

Here are the key points we will be discussing today…

  1. 24-hour stories aren’t just for personal use
  2. Use Live Stories to your advantage
  3. Hi, I’m Snapchat Advertising, but my friends call me ‘Snap Ads’
  4. How a UK brand achieved millions of app installs from Snapchat
  5. Put your money where your Geofilter is
  6. Location radius targeting helped this app soar to new heights!
  7. Sponsored Lenses: Taking Interactivity to a new level
  8. Reaching over 2.5 Million Snapchatters from one Snapchat Lens
  9. Coca-Cola scores big in Brazil with Snapchat’s Augmented Reality (AR)
  10. Is your target audience aged between 18-24? If you answered yes, Snapchat is a MUST

1. 24-hour stories aren’t just for personal use

Can you remember a time before Instagram Stories? Me either. But, did you know that Snapchat was the first platform to feature 24-hour viewing of Stories? In fact, they used to be one of their most compelling features until pretty much every other platform joined the bandwagon. Many people enjoy using Snapchat Stories to post snippets of their day, however, brands can do the same!

Once you start to build up your following on Snapchat, you will be able to give your audience a backstage pass to your business’s daily shenanigans. They get to see what goes down at your workplace on a regular day, giving them a taste of the action.

2. Use Live Stories to your advantage

Imagine being at a brand event or offering a limited-time promo and being able to share the excitement with your Snapchat community. Live Stories make that possible. The great part is that everyone can contribute Snaps to the same epic story. Talk about making memories together!

Oh, and don’t forget to turn on your location services! That way, you can dive into city-specific Live Stories. And when there’s a big event that everyone is talking about, you bet there’s a Live Story for that too. It’s all about seizing the moment and capturing the attention of a massive audience. Create that sense of urgency, exclusivity, and authenticity that will have your audience craving more.

3. Hi, I’m Snapchat Advertising, but my friends call me ‘Snap Ads’

Snap Ads are a great tool when it comes to captivating your audience on Snapchat. Plus, they offer an interactive element that takes engagement to a whole new level. In just a few clicks you can add a call to action that directs your audience to visit a specific link—boom, instant connection! Recent figures from Snapchat itself show that the global ad audience has grown by 11 per cent from April 2022 to April 2023. From this, it suggests that more than 1 in 8 of the world’s internet users now see Snapchat ads every month.

But here’s the key: Your Snap Ads should do more than just entertain. They need to deliver valuable information about your company, its products, and services. Think of it as a mini-commercial that showcases your brand’s unique offerings, leaving a lasting impression on viewers.

4. How a UK brand achieved millions of app installs from Snapchat

A great example of how a brand used Snapchat Ads to drive revenue is the UK brain training app- Peak. It’s all about challenging those brains and having a blast with exciting mental workouts and games.

Peak set its sights on reaching that millennial audience, and what better way to do it than through the Snapchat hype train? Peak unleashed a plethora of Top Snaps that featured brainteasers in both video and text formats. Their goal was simple: Keep the creativity flowing and entice Snapchatters to swipe up like there’s no tomorrow.

With a simple swipe up, users could get the app right on their devices, with no need to leave the Snapchat realm.  In just a short span of two months, Peak’s ads worked their magic and drummed up a whopping 1.7 million installs from Snapchat alone, with 72% of month over month increase in app installs. Snapchat swiftly became their second-biggest marketing channel due to its ability to deliver fantastic results.

5. Put your money where your Geofilter is

Sponsored Geofilters on Snapchat allow users to send Snaps tagged with specific locations, and the possibilities are endless.

Imagine having a filter that covers your favourite cafes or clothing stores. Yep, these filters can get super specific, especially if your business has multiple locations. Geofilters can also go nationwide. It’s all about capturing the spirit of the moment, one Snappable filter at a time.

To get some inspiration about how brands are using Geofilters, head over to settings and check out those On-Demand Geofilters. You’ll find a treasure trove of templates just waiting for you. You can customise them with branded colours and words, and voilà! Another great thing is that Geofilters won’t break the bank. With prices starting at £5.99 a day, you can reach a local audience without emptying your wallet.

If you have a brick-and-mortar store, you can purchase a Geofilter that covers the walkable area around your storefront, enticing people to pop in. It’s the perfect way to spread the word about a limited-time discount or an epic event happening just around the corner.

6. Location radius targeting helped this app soar to new heights!

Hopper Airlines‘ booking app utilises a predictive algorithm to help users find the perfect time to fly and snag the best deals out there. It’s like having your own personal flight guru right in your pocket.

Hopper unleashed the power of location radius targeting combined with geographically relevant creative content. They centred their strategy around airports, using them as the epicentre of their targeting efforts. By creating a radius around each airport, they honed in on Snapchatters who had a burning desire to book travel from those specific locations. But they didn’t stop there. Hopper tailored their creative content to showcase enticing flight deals.

With clear and straightforward call-to-action static ads, Hopper made their presence known on Snapchat. And guess what? The results were simply awe-inspiring. Snapchatters couldn’t get enough of their campaign, engaging with it far more than users on any other platforms. Now that’s what we call success!

  • Snapchatters were 37% more likely to watch a route compared to other platforms.
  • The booking rate from Snapchatters was 4 times higher.
  • Hopper managed to cut their costs by a whopping 50% per install.

6. Sponsored Lenses: Taking interactivity to a new level

While filters are applied after capturing a photo or video, lenses are the life of the party, thanks to their mind-blowing facial recognition technology. We’ve all turned ourselves into a playful pup many moons ago, with those pictures coming back to haunt us via Snapchat memories. If you can relate, then you’ll know exactly what Snapchat lenses are.

Now, how can brands utilise these? Let’s say you’re in the business of selling outdoor gear. Imagine users transforming into explorers, complete with hiking gear, backpacks, and adventurous accessories. With each expression, they can conquer virtual mountains, explore forests, and experience the thrill of outdoor escapades—all without leaving the comfort of their screens. Obviously, this can work with an array of industries.

Brands that embrace sponsored lenses are likely to leave a lasting impression on the audience. And, once they post that photo or video to their story, that is increasing your brand awareness.

7. Reaching over 2.5 Million Snapchatters from one Snapchat Lens

Bacardi, with their empowering slogan “Do what moves you,” embarked on a mission to rejuvenate their brand image and recapture the hearts of Germany’s young population, specifically those around the age of 20. Recognising the potential of Snapchat, Bacardi strategically chose it as their way to connect with this demographic.

To immerse Snapchatters in the summer vibes of Bacardi, the brand introduced an interactive lens experience. This lens transported users into the heart of Bacardi’s summer feeling, sparking joy and fostering engagement. Over 10 weeks, Bacardi harnessed the power of their lens, effectively connecting with their target audience. They achieved an impressive reach of 2.5 million Snapchatters, who eagerly indulged in the featured lenses.

To ensure coverage across various moments of choice, Bacardi implemented a diverse range of Always-On Filters. Snapchatters could apply these filters to capture their unique experiences and share personalised greetings with friends at festivals and events. By seamlessly integrating into Snapchatters’ social interactions, Bacardi solidified its presence. The campaign not only increased the purchase intent of Bacardi but also catapulted them back into market leadership in Germany.

8. Coca-Cola scores big in Brazil with Snapchat’s Augmented Reality (AR)

As the 2022 World Cup’s sponsor, Coca-Cola saw an opportunity to connect with Snapchatters and enhance their experience through the power of Augmented Reality (AR) Lenses.

Coca-Cola devised a creative strategy, aiming to achieve a Click-Through Rate (CTR) surpassing 0.8%. Their approach involved launching two distinct AR Lens campaigns during the World Cup. The first Lens immersed users in a virtual football game where they could collect Coca-Cola bottles and earn points. This interactive Lens also provided a seamless shopping experience, enabling users to purchase Coca-Cola grocery packs directly through iFood (a Brazilian online food delivery platform) while enjoying the excitement of the World Cup matches.

The second Lens encouraged users to showcase their support for Brazil by showcasing the country’s vibrant colours. As a reward, users received a discount on iFood for Coca-Cola combos through a partner referral link.

The results of these innovative campaigns were remarkable.

  • The combined CTR of both campaigns achieved an impressive 1.44%.
  • The reach of the campaign was exceptional, generating an impressive 95,020 clicks on the direct link and an average playtime of 16.8 seconds.
  • The gamified World Cup Lens centred around grocery packs garnered 6,207,761 impressions, a CTR of 0.86%, and an impressive 52,559 clicks on the iFood partner referral link.

The impact of the campaign went beyond mere engagement metrics. A Brand Lift Study revealed phenomenal growth for Coca-Cola, with a significant 21% uplift in Ad Awareness and a notable 7% increase in Message Awareness.

9. Is your target audience aged between 18-24? If you answered yes, Snapchat is a MUST

With millennials and Gen Z flocking to the platform, Snapchat is the go-to spot for connecting with audiences of those demographics. According to the company’s data, the largest portion of its global ad audience consists of users aged 18 to 24. However, it’s important to keep in mind that demographic information on social platforms can be influenced by users who may not accurately state their age. This means that the actual distribution of demographics could be slightly different.

Further, the UCAS Student Lifestyle Report recently shared that 21% of UK students are Snapchat regulars, and 11% are all ears for product discounts on the app. It can be suggested that ads on Snapchat now reach 1 in 3 adults in the US and UK each month, so it is a literal goldmine.

10. Snapchat Insights

Once you have settled on the best Snapchat approach for your brand, you will be able to monitor so much data to see if it was a good choice. Snapchat Insights is a built-in analytics tool that provides valuable information about your Snapchat performance. It helps you monitor engagement, refine your social strategy, and determine your return on investment.

Key metrics to track include unique story views, reach, story view percentage, demographics, screenshots, and followers. These metrics allow you to understand audience behaviour, optimise your content, and demonstrate the ROI of your Snapchat campaigns.

10. Oh, Snap! We’re all done!

As shown, Snapchat presents a world of exciting possibilities for brands to connect with their audience in unique and engaging ways. We hope that by sharing these insights and success stories, we have inspired you to consider Snapchat as a valuable addition to your marketing strategy, even if it wasn’t on your radar before. That was a lot to take in, so here are some key points to consider:

  • Snapchat’s user base has grown by more than 25% in the past year, reaching 750 million monthly active users.
  • Very few marketers and business owners actively use Snapchat for their ventures, likely due to perceiving it as exclusively for personal use.
  • Snapchat offers unique features like 24-hour stories, Live Stories, Snap Ads, Sponsored Geofilters, Sponsored Lenses, and augmented reality (AR) experiences.
  • Successful case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of Snapchat advertising, including examples from Peak, Hopper Airlines, Bacardi, and Coca-Cola.
  • Snapchat is a prime platform to reach the millennial and Gen Z demographics, with a significant portion of its audience consisting of users aged 18-24.
  • Snapchat Insights provides valuable analytics to track engagement, refine social strategies, and measure the return on investment of Snapchat campaigns.

If you do use Snapchat for your marketing, how have you found it? If you don’t, is it something you will be considering? Let us know!

Tinisha Osu is a Marketing Executive with two degrees in Psychology. She is the first-author of a published psychology paper and is beginning her career in marketing through blog-writing, creating social media content and running marketing campaigns.