Not using Snapchat in your marketing mix? Here’s why that’s a mistake!

Snapchat is the only social network where users don’t feel judged. People don’t care about getting as many likes or followers as their friends. The fact that people can’t access others’92 metrics means there is simply no competition.

When Snap launched in 2011, it was solely about taking pictures. There were no Stories and no Discover. Users couldn’t even send text-based messages on the app until 2014, three years after it launched. Even now, there are no likes, no re-posts, no comments. You open the app, and you’re looking through a lens. Evan Spiegel, the company’s founder and CEO, doubled down on this commitment to the camera when he filed for Snap’s IPO last year, plainly stating, ‘Snap Inc. is a camera company.

Snapchat Users are Active

A Snapchat spokesperson told us that, on average, Snap users have 20 to 30 friends in the app. It’s only their inner circle. For this reason, users are highly engaged. Added to that, Snapchat users spend an average of over 30 minutes each day in the app, and more than 60% of them are creating content every day.

Users are already swiping, clicking, and creating content on Snap, so when they see an ad, the chances of them engaging are much higher.

In terms of audience, Emmanuel Durand, Snap General Manager in France, recently shared some pretty amazing statistics:

So if you’92re an advertiser already maximizing facebook and instagram ads, Snapchat is the promised land you were desperately looking for! Millions of users out there are waiting to discover your brand and products!

Reveal your creativity with Snapchat ads

In early 2018, Snapchat released a new ad format: static image. This means advertisers now have the option to use video, cinemagraph, gif, and still images in their ads. All ads are full screen, sound on and skippable. Advertising on Snapchat is an immersive and active experience.

The creative opportunities are unlimited, and Snapchat encourages advertisers to A/B test all their campaigns, since they’ve found Snap users to be very sensitive to eccentric and unique creatives.

Martin Mangez, Creative Strategy Lead for Snap in France, also recommends being very attentive to your sound design. Since 60% of Snapchat users have their sound on, it’s crucial to optimize the sound effects and the voice over. In the below ad for example, the first few seconds feature a voice shouting out to the user: Hey, Hey I know you!

Martin notes that the first two seconds are crucial: you need to grab the attention of the user immediately, or they’ll swipe away. And having a very clear message is part of this mission – from the very beginning of your creative, Snapchat users need to know the value proposition you’re offering.

Also, think native : talk to the user directly, and put the emphasis on the swipe. Do not hesitate to use the selfie mode. The more your ad looks like a native story, the better it will catch a Snapchat user’92s attention.

Xavier Rezgui, Managing Director at PocketWhale – a mobile games agency pioneer in Snapchat advertising – recently revealed that his creative team creates 10-20 ad versions for each campaign. This is their secret sauce to achieve very impressive results like the ones below.

Snapchat ad tracking has made a lot of progress

As a performance marketer, it’s exciting to know there are millions of people out there waiting to see your creative ads. However, you might hesitate to launch your first Snapchat Ads campaigns because of questions around tracking.

Well, you can now rest assured because Snapchat has really improved its tracking capabilities over the past few months.

Now, with the Snap Pixel, advertisers can track their customers’ journey from start to finish, regardless of what device they’re on. Advertisers looking to sell targeted, direct response goods or services can now have more transparency into how Snapchat directly impacts their business every day. Whether the goal is generating sign-ups, website visits, purchases, or more, the Snap Pixel can track actions taken by Snapchatters across desktop and mobile.

As an official Snapchat Partner, Paragone is here to help you get the Snapchat Pixel implemented for your campaigns. Just contact us to get started!

Snapchat is now an established platform, not only among US teens but across all the globe and all ages, so it’s time for you to really consider testing it.
You don’t want to be the marketer who missed a major trend, access to exceptional incremental audiences, and an amazing opportunity to express your brand’s creativity!