It won’t be wrong to say that applications and social media platforms are ruling the digital domain today. The core of these applications and platforms is the power of communication and instant connection they give users. With so much as a click, an image, an opinion, news and much more gets shared with the world.

Snapchat, often referred to as Snap after its parent company, is a mobile application that is immensely popular. One of the most interesting features of Snapchat is that a picture, video, or message sent through this app can be viewed by the receiver for only a short time, by default. After that, it becomes inaccessible. This short-shelf-life feature for content was added to mimic natural interactivity.

Snapchat Winning Hearts & Markets In Saudi Arabia

While Snapchat is known globally, in March 2022, it touched a monthly addressable reach of 20 million, making it the most popular social platform in Saudi Arabia. The numbers mean that 9 out of 10 people between ages 13-34 use Snapchat. 

The reason behind the popularity is its power of letting users convey a range of emotions visually, within a close circle. In addition, Snapchat’s Augmented Reality Tool is used for entertainment, education, commerce etc. As per a recent study by Kantar and Snap, the platform is popular not just with students, but also among parents, with nearly 71% of them using Snapchat.

What Are Snapchat Ads?

Apart from personal communication, Snapchat also has a business communication side too; so much so that more than 50% of Snap’s business comes from Direct Response advertising. Snapchat ads are 3-second to 3-minute long, full-screen, vertical content that appear between organic content. It is an influential channel for brands seeking to reach a larger audience while launching their eCommerce campaigns.

Effective as tools for business growth, these ads are in the form of an image(s) or video. Moreover, Snapchat ads come in varied formats:

Single Image or Video Ads

Pretty basic in look and feel, these ads appear like organic Snapchat content, used for several purposes, from raising brand awareness to driving a specific action.

Collection Ads

Best for driving eCommerce sales conversions, this format requires you to upload the product catalogue to the Snapchat Ads Manager. The products are showcased to viewers through videos or images with four clickable product tiles at the bottom.

Story Ads

One of the most appealing formats, Story Ads are single image or video ads in a series. A sequence containing three to twenty such ads mimics the experience of going through a person’s Snapchat Story.

Commercial Ads

Commercial ads are unskippable ads businesses use when they need guaranteed views.

Why Does an eCommerce Business Need Snapchat Ads?

As per Snap, the accumulated spending power of their users globally stands at $4.4 trillion. In addition, they are 20% more likely to use their mobile phones for shopping; studies suggest that users on Snapchat spend almost 35% more time in the Discover section every day, and their probability of making an impulsive purchase is nearly 60%. 

Being a visuals-focused platform, Snapchat gives eCommerce companies a chance to showcase their items aesthetically and creatively. Moreover, their AR tool lets users virtually try the products before making a purchase; hence, products with a high visual appeal, like clothing and accessories, tend to sell well on Snapchat. Thanks to its ability to support high-quality videos, Snapchat is an effective marketing tool for products where demos are essential. 

A great example of the effectiveness of Snapchat for product marketing is the Subway Campaign. In order to raise awareness about their sandwich range, Subway took close-up shots of the sandwiches and used them with animated emojis in Snapchat stories; this campaign managed to increase its reach by 25.2%.

Snapchat Ads help businesses to:

• Drive meaningful traffic
• Improve engagement
• Generate brand awareness
• Connect with audience
• Influence purchase

Boosting A Post Is Not Similar To Creating An Ad

Now, creating an ad should not be confused with boosting a post. While boosting a post, you use an already posted ad, image, or video that has performed well in the past. No changes are possible at this stage, and you use it as it is. 

When you create Snapchat ads, it gives you the creative freedom to start from scratch. You can customize it, choose an appropriate audience, and select goals that let you drive more leads to your eCommerce business. For example, Bacardi fashioned a lens experience with a reach of over 2.5 million during their 10-week campaign. To strengthen the brand image using Snap Ads and Commercials, they created horizontal videos to endorse their slogan and reached a share rate of 24%.

Steps To Create A Snapchat Ad

Below are the steps you need to follow to let Snapchat Ads grow your business:

Step 1: Create a Business Account

Sign up on Snapchat as a Business account, then log in to Snapchat Business Manager. If it is a personal account you want to use for business, click the ‘Open a Business Account’ option at the top right-hand corner and fill in the required information in the form. Once the account setup is over, connect it with your Snapchat username. To do so, click on ‘Business’ at the top left, then go to Ad Accounts and click on ‘+new ad account’. Scroll down to ‘Public Profiles’, find your Snapchat accounts by clicking on the textbox. Then, select the relevant account to link and finally click on ‘Connect Profile’.

Step 2: Choose the Ad Type

Inside Snapchat Ads Manager, go to the top left menu and select ‘Create Ads’. You can choose ‘Instant Create,’ which uses Snapchat’s recommended settings for quick launch, or ‘Advanced Create’ to have better control over ad creation.

Step 3: Choose your Goal

Select a goal for your ad from among the following:

· Website visits

· Local business promotion

· Getting leads to contact you

· App installs 

· App visits

Step 4: Set your Budget

Define the target users, select budget options and finally click Publish.

What Is The Snapchat Policy?

Snap is very particular about the kind of content that goes out as Snapchat marketing content. The ads must conform to a strict set of guidelines on the Snapchat official website. All Snapchat ads that undergo reviews for approval must comply with the necessary terms and conditions. 

In order to create Snapchat ads, it is necessary to consider the following: 

• Consider the audience
• The content should be fun and relatable
• Short and simple serve better
• Test first to improve performance

Start the Snap journey of your business today to reap the marketing benefits offered by the platform.