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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