 Facebook and Instagram advertising have been popular with all sorts of e-commerce and product-based businesses for a few years now. Brands all over the world have successfully been taking advantage of these social media platforms to reach their ideal customers and grow their businesses. But what about 'younger' platforms, such as Snapchat and TikTok? Could these be right for you? In this article, I take a deep dive into the world of Snapchat to help understand whether you should consider using Snapchat ads to promote your e-commerce business. What makes Snapchat stand out? When it comes to social media platforms, Snapchat is quite unique. Augmented reality, engaging filters, and fun face swaps are certainly part of the attraction. But a key element that makes Snapchat stand out is the fact that it has no 'vanity metrics'. Surprisingly, it's a world free from likes and follows. And for most users, this means it's a safer and more comfortable place to express themselves. According to Search Engine Journal, "at a time when many people feel anxious or overwhelmed by social media, 95% of Snapchat users—more than any other app tested—say the app makes them feel happy." And why, as a business owner or advertiser, would you miss an opportunity to reach out to an audience of people who are feeling positive when using a digital platform? But who exactly is on Snapchat? And will you find your future customers there? Who uses Snapchat?If you've been overlooking Snapchat in favour of other long-standing social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, it's probably because you don't think your ideal customers will be using the platform. Or perhaps you're not familiar with it yourself, and you're hoping to find new customers through Facebook or Instagram. While this may be true to an extent, if you've decided not to include Snapchat in your marketing and advertising strategies, you may have been leaving opportunities on the table. According to data shared by Fetch&Funnel, in the U.S. alone more than 30% of people on Snapchat are not active on Instagram or Facebook. Also, research conducted by Snapchat shows that the platform "reaches 90% of all 13-24 year-old's and 75% of all 13-34 year-olds in the US." When looking at these age brackets, these numbers speak for themselves. And they suggest that Snapchat may be your best bet to make your brand noticed within these demographics. After all, if you're not on Snapchat, you're probably not influencing these audiences. And while it's important to reach out to your existing customers and continue to build brand loyalty on other social media platforms, exploring the Snapchat waters may help you find new customers who could become your loyal fans and brand advocates. But let's look at the Snapchat demographic in more detail. Snapchat is the way to reach Millenials and Gen Z-ers According to data shared by Fetch&Funnel, "51% of Snapchat users are 25+ years old" while "Snapchat reaches 75% of 18 to 34 year-olds. The breakdown below, courtesy of Hootsuite, shows similar percentages and includes shares of female vs male users.  With 249 million daily active users in Q3 2020 alone and 4 billion Snaps created on average each day, Snapchat is the go-to platform to influence Millenials and Gen Z. And why are these generations important? Because they have direct spending power and are also responsible for heavily influencing their parents' buying decisions. As digital natives, they're open to online shopping and being influenced online. At their age, they are still forming their preferences and exploring the kinds of services and products they want to engage with and buy from. This makes them willing to try new brands. And let's face it, in sharing their choices, they are also directly influencing their family and friends. It's also worth mentioning that older demographics are becoming more engaged on the platform, as content has doubled year over year among those over 35 (source SocialPilot). Country distribution In case you're wondering, Snapchat is not just a US phenomenon. It's also popular in the UK and other European countries, predominantly France and Germany. As of October 2020, the UK had 19.5 million users (source Statista). The graph below from Hootsuite shows Snapchat usage and figures per country.  Snapchat users are engagedRemember when we said that Snapchat users tend to be happier social media users? When you think about this, it's no surprise that Snapchatters are said to be more engaged and willing to take action compared to users of other social media platforms. It's why brands that experience success on Snapchat, report excellent conversion rates when trying to increase leads, downloads, and sales.
Data from Search Engine Journal shows that "a typical user opens the app 30 times a day". They also state that:
If that isn't the definition of an engaged audience, I don't know what is! Snapchat is all about videoAnother factor that sets the platform apart is that Snapchat is (and always has been) all about video. It's no surprise to read that the pandemic has increased the amount of time spent watching mobile videos. Data shared by Search Engine Journal states that 82% of Millennials and Gen Zers report watching more mobile video content after the pandemic hit the UK. Also, "74% of Snapchat users say that vertical video is more personal and immersive than other forms of video". And "seven in ten Snapchat users say they would rather engage with a lot of shorter videos than get completely immersed in one longer video" (source Search Engine Journal). So if you're going to invest in creating more video content this year, short-form vertical video is the way to go. This is great news if you are considering Snapchat ads, as you have plenty of formats to choose from, including Snap Ads, Filters, and Lenses.
When it comes to setting ads up on Snapchat, the Ads Manager is an easy and intuitive tool to use. Once you have a linked business account, you don't need a lot of third-party editing services to get the job done, and you can create single-image or video ads in less than 5 minutes. The Instant Create workflow even allows you to input your business URL and will pull in photos directly from your website to help create your ad. With similar functionality to the Facebook Ads Manager, you get to decide on your goals before creating your campaigns. So whether you want to create:
If you're unsure as to how to get started, you can test the platform out with a small daily budget (as small as $20 a day). With Snapchat analytics, you can then measure the performance and results of your campaigns in seconds. To make the most of your advertising budget, you can install the Snap Pixel, which allows you to collect information on actions taken on your website. By using the Snap Pixel, you can:
While Snapchat may not be right for everyone, if you're operating in niches such as food, fashion, skincare, subscription boxes, digital products, etc. I hope this article convinced you to look into Snapchat ads to promote your e-commerce business. Sure, what may work for one business, may not work for another. But with a minimum budget spend of $20 a day, the doors are left open for small businesses of all kinds. Start small and set daily budgets and spend caps and keep an eye on your results. By looking at data, you can tweak and adjust your ads to increase conversion without breaking your limits. In summary, as long as you optimise towards your goals, you don't need to be a big international brand to advertise on Snapchat. Would you like some help with your social media advertising? Adding Snapchat to your advertising strategy can help you find new customers, build loyalty with existing ones, and reach Millennials and Gen-Zers at scale. Will you take this opportunity? If you're an established e-commerce business owner and would like some help with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok advertising, get in touch. I offer a FREE 30-minute strategy call, which is perfect for you if you want to find out how I can help you run and manage your ads and make the most of your budget.
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 Are you a business owner and want to boost your sales with social media advertising? Perhaps you want to start creating Instagram or Facebook ads but have no idea about what would work for your brand? In this step-by-step guide, I share how to create the best Facebook ads for your e-commerce business. 1. Write engaging ad copy that inspires your prospective customers The words you choose for your Facebook ad have the potential to make or break the success of your ad campaign. But what makes for engaging, inspiring copy? Let's look at this example from Boden.  You'll notice that the ad copy is short, concise, and to the point. When it comes to e-commerce and buying products from the internet, people aren't interested in reading long text. Truth is, they're on social media (Facebook or Instagram, for example) to connect with friends and family, check what else is going on in the world, or generally looking for entertainment and inspiration. So when crafting your copy, bear this in mind and aim to create something short and snappy. You want your ad copy to be entertaining, engaging, and inspiring. But how exactly do you achieve that? First thing first, include a 'hook' and an offer. The 'hook' is that initial section of your copy that stops the reader in their tracks. Your job here is to grab your prospective customers' attention, make them stop scrolling, and look at your ad instead. In order to do that, you may need to get a bit creative. Contrary to what a lot of e-commerce business owners might believe, your ad copy isn't the place to list all your product features. Because let's face it - that doesn't make for the most dazzling or interesting read, does it? Instead, aim to inspire people.
 What do you include in your ad copy?If you're looking for some ideas or inspiration around what to include in your ad copy, try with:
Using words and phrases your customers use isn't the only thing to think about when deciding how to craft your ad copy, especially because the wrong choices could make all the difference between your ad being approved or rejected by Facebook. Let's look at the example below from one of my clients, Laura De Zordo Jewellery. 
Generally speaking, when you're selling a product, multiple images tend to do a better job at showcasing your product than one single picture will. Within Facebook's Business Manager, you can also combine multiple photos together to create a slideshow video, so that's yet another option for you to test out in your ads. As for what type of photos you should include, professional photoshoots of your product aren't the only option. Sometimes lifestyle and more 'native' shots that show your product in use or 'in action' can contribute to making it look more appealing and within reach. More than anything, it looks less like an ad and more like a friend recommending something they bought, so try a combination of both. 3. Include a strong Call To Action (CTA)It goes without saying that the best Facebook ads for your e-commerce business should also contain a strong Call To Action (CTA). Think along the lines of:
When thinking about your CTA, it's important to be clear and direct. Also, never give your customers too much choice, because, as they say, "a confused mind never buys". So be absolutely clear and focused on what you want your customers to do next - give them one thing to do and make sure that translates into the text of your CTA buttons. 4. Decide on the best ad placementThe decision around where to publish your ad (i.e. which social media platforms) depends on where your ideal customers tend to be the most active. Within the Facebook Business Manager, you can select the platforms you want to push your ad onto:
If you do opt for the 'Automatic Placement' option, do check that the visuals you have included in your ad work for Instagram too. The last thing you want is for a video to be cut off or for your product to sit at an odd position within the ad. So before hitting the publish button, do make use of the Ad Preview feature and check that your creatives work. Would you like some help to create the best Facebook ads for your e-commerce business?When it comes to best practice and recommendations around creating high-performing ads, rules change frequently. If you're an established e-commerce business looking to get better results from your Facebook or Instagram ads, get in touch. I offer FREE 30-minute strategy calls that are perfect if you need help with your Facebook Ads Management, would like an audit of your Facebook Ad Account, or need support with Shopify.  Where did the idea for your business come from? Tell us how and why you get started. I have always loved stationery and could never walk past a stationery shop so when I left my previous career with redundancy (thankfully) I decided to do a start your own business course with a stationery shop in mind and that was it. It is also a little bit different as I personalise some of the stationery too (pencils & notebooks) and I have my own Fold & Seal range What's a typical day like? It’s a real mix between packing orders, emails, PR and then once my two children are home from school it’s homework, dinner, usual family life and then a little bit of work in the evening when they go to bed.  What is the best part of having your own business? Making decisions, getting good customer feedback and working to my own timetable What's the hardest part? Making decisions and sometimes the responsibility of delivering good quality products that customers will be happy with. What’s your best selling product? Definitely the Personalised Pencils & Notebooks – I personalise using my hot foil printing press, customers love this.  If you had one piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it be? Engage with your audience as much as you can Let's talk tech. Which softwares do you use in your business? ( Online store, email marketing, scheduling tools, video apps, accounting & banking apps etc)If you're on Shopify, I'd also love to learn your favourite apps. My website is Wordpress, I use Storycutter for my IG stories and Mailchimp for my Newsletter. Which social media platform works best for you? Instagram  What business book/podcast/courses would you recommend? I’m terrible I don’t read any business books … but I do listen to podcasts , my favourites include The Futurist with Jo Linehen , Let’s Talk Shop with Therese from the Small Business Collaborative and most recently I have started to listen to Work, Actually with Kate Chaundy
I am also the Community Manager for REALWORK which is the online co-working space for Women, founded by Fleur Emery. This is not a course but I absolutely recommend being part of it if you are a female founder or business owner. Where can people find you? www.foldandseal.ie @foldandseal hello@foldandseal.ie  Where did the idea for your business come from? Tell us how and why you get started. Our first product Wylde One was in the making for over a decade, ever since I was training as a medical herbalist. At the training clinic we kept seeing young women getting intimate irritations after sex, and this was making them feel awkward with their partners and out of touch with their bodies. This was when I first got the idea that I wanted to create something completely natural with top-notch ingredients that would make sex more enjoyable and less likely to cause irritation, whilst allowing them to feel that they were looking after themselves and their bodies’ needs. It was really important to me to create something that made women feel good when they bought and used it, from the design of the packaging to the quality of the ingredients and the information we provided, and so Wylde One was born.  What's a typical day like? During lockdown, the typical day looks like getting up at 7am for some exercise and meditation, breakfast and shower, ready to be at my desk for 9am. I’ll work through, but breaking for lunch and often do live events in the early evening. I find if I turn my computer on before 9 I can find myself enticed to start work before I’veeaten breakfast, so that’s a habit I’m in the middle of breaking! Postlockdown I am looking forward to getting back to face to face meetings again. I’m a real people person and nothing beats making plans with a collaborator in real life! What is the best part of having your own business? I get to make all the decisions and decide on the direction we’re going in. I love that freedom!! What's the hardest part? The buck stops with me! Also, I can’t wait to work with a team again!  What’s your best selling product?
At this point we just have our award-winning product Wylde One. Wylde One, is a luxurious, certified vegan and organic botanical water-based lubricant ,designed to be actively beneficial for a healthy intimate environment. Made from five dynamic botanicals, it has an intimately balanced pH, is 100% plant based,and has a ‘body identical’ feel so you can connect with confidence, even when your climate down under isn’t wyldly happy. What’s more, it’s condom-safe and nasties-free so now you can get down and dirty, safe in the knowledge that your lubricant is 100% clean. If you had one piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it be? Research, research, research, before you commit your precious funds. You will make mistakes but better that they are mistakes in the right direction and you can learn valuable, relevant information about your sector or yourself that will stand you in good stead for the future! Let's talk tech. Which softwares do you use in your business? ( Online store, email marketing, scheduling tools, video apps, accounting & banking apps etc) If you're on Shopify, I'd also love to learn your favourite apps. Currently we’re on Wordpress, Woocommerce and use Mailchimp, which are all great! I’m a big fan of Canva too! It has saved us on many occasions! Which social media platform works best for you? We’ve found that we get the most interaction on Instagram which is a space I personally love anyway. I love how visual it is and the sense of community on there - we’ve made so many good connections there that have gone on to be friends - its a very supportive platform! What business book/podcast/courses would you recommend? I’ve always dipped in and out of podcasts and courses and taken the bits from them that I need, but I’ve really loved the work of Marie Forleo and Denise Duffield Thomas. They totally inspired me in the early days of researching my set-up for Into the Wylde. I also really like the work of Amanda Cook too - she specialises in helping Wellness Entrepreneurs position themselves and sort out their messaging. Her work rocks! Where can people find you? www.intothewylde.com IG: @intothewylde FB: @IntoTheWylde We can’t wait to meet you!!  Where did the idea for your business come from? Tell us how and why you get started. My Grandad was a hobbying poet and wrote stacks of poems for me when I was a little girl. I rediscovered his words when I was clearing out my Mum’s loft after she passed away and being pregnant at the time I had an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia and happiness remembering my childhood. I not only wanted to share his words with my new baby but thought it might bring some joy and much needed escape to other people as well. My day job had been proving more and more challenging so I needed a light relief and a new focus and during Covid work wasn’t going so well so I had a bit more time and determination to get Nettlefold up and running. Nettlefold was the name of my childhood home that I had to sell when I lost Mum. What's a typical day like? Sadly Nettlefold has to come after the day job and looking after my baby boy so it tends to be post 7pm that I get cracking with Nettlefold. Then when my other half is off work I find myself packing cards in the spare room!  What is the best part of having your own business? The freedom to go at my own pace, on my own terms and take it in whichever direction I want. What's the hardest part? The fact I want to do nothing but Nettlefold and focus on it 100% but am unable to due to the day job! Also the guilt with the Mum/work juggle What’s your best selling product? The Animal Friends greeting cards but I’ve just released a new sunflower design that is proving very popular so that may take over! If you had one piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it be? Take it slowly, don’t make any rash decisions to ‘get it out there’ and don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice. Let's talk tech. Which softwares do you use in your business? ( Online store, email marketing, scheduling tools, video apps, accounting & banking apps etc)If you're on Shopify, I'd also love to learn your favourite apps. Wix for my website, GoDaddy for the site and Email domain hosting,Mailchimp for email marketing. Planoly for Instagram and Canva for drafting templates for flyers/ads/IG posts etc  Which social media platform works best for you?
Instagram has been slow but starting to get traction now What business book/podcast/courses would you recommend? The Resiliant Retail Club is amazing Where can people find you? www.nettlefoldhome.co.uk IG @nettlefoldhome FB facebook.com/nettlefoldhome |
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