5 Opportunities For Advertising On Snapchat

More Brand Advertising Options You Should Know About 

At the beginning of February Snapchat shocked their millions of users worldwide by rolling out a brand-new update with completely redesigned features. All of these updates have increased the ease at which users connect with content from both friends and public accounts, leaving major opportunities for brands to use Snapchat as a platform for social media marketing. 

And just this week they announced two new versions of Snapchat glasses as well.  Opportunities for brand exposure on Snapchat include: Snap Ads, Sponsored Lenses, Sponsored Geofilters, and Snapchat Influencer Partnerships. In this blog, Hollywood Branded discusses 5 new opportunities for advertising on Snapchat, how they work and the benefits for your brand. 

What’s Different This Time?

Snapchat took their beloved elements like stories, groups, and discover pages and shifted all of their locations. Friends lists became more “dynamic”, using a more advanced algorithm that supposedly helps you talk to the people you want to, when you want to. Along with the changes in the friends feed, Snapchat also expanded the size of the Discover page, giving it it’s entire own section which can be found when swiping left from the camera screen.

Opportunity #1: Snap Ads

One of the newest offerings for advertising on Snapchat, and one of the most affordable, is the “Snap Ad”. A Snap Ad is basically a mobile video ad that pops up on user’s phones while they are scrolling through their Discover page content. These ads can be a simple video, but can also include an interactive feature to increase engagement with the brand.

An important element that must be included to translate this advertising into sales is a swipe-up feature that links users to the brand website or a purchase point. This is effective because the swipe-up rate for Snapchat is 5x higher than the average click-through rate of other social media platforms!

Opportunity #2: Sponsored Lenses

A second option for getting your brand out there and interacted with on Snapchat is developing a sponsored lens. Lenses are the fun, interactive filters that track user’s facial features and transform them into something new! These lenses have ranged from cute puppy dogs, to scary monsters, to Taco Bell tacos. Brands can develop their very own sponsored lens for users to transform their faces and have fun with.

Often times these lenses include branded logos or product names. These are effective because they break through the clutter on Snapchat and grab user’s attention. Users typically play with these filters for at least 20 seconds before sending out to friends!   

Opportunity #3: Sponsored Geofilters

A third opportunity for advertising on Snapchat is sponsored geofilters. Geofilters are similar to sponsored lenses. They are meant to serve as a way for users to interact with a brand on their own photos that they are sending out. There are a number of geofilters that are always provided to users including three different color filters, a time stamp and a temperature stamp. However, brands can also develop their own geofilters that include a cute animation of their products and logo!

For example, McDonalds developed a successful nationwide sponsored geofilter that put an overflowing basket of their fries above the user’s heads, and a burger in the bottom left corner with a bite taken out of it! The basket of fries was clearly labeled with the McDonalds logo, and this served as an opportunity for users to take their own selfies and develop their own captions corresponding with the filter to send out to friends! Snapchat geofilters can be published on both a nationwide or local level, depending on the price a brand is looking to pay.

Opportunity #4: Partner with Snapchat Influencers

Another interesting way for brands to get their name out there on Snapchat is to partner with a Snapchat influencer. We’ve talked about the huge marketing power that influencers have on our blog before. Most powerful influencers are present on all social media platforms- including Snapchat. Influencers are so popular on Snapchat that most of their content is completely public, meaning it will be featured on the Discover page for all user to interact with. 

Many influencers will partner with brands and, through Snapchat, post videos of them using, reviewing or promoting a product! Some brands even have influencers “takeover” their Snapchats, in which they give the influencer the power to post stories to the brands Snapchat account. These stories often show how the brand’s products fit into the influencer’s everyday lives and benefits them. It’s important to remember that if you are looking to partner with an influencer on Snapchat for exposure that the influencer’s image matches your brand and its’ personality.   

Opportunity #5: Get Featured on the Discover Page

A final way, and the most expensive way, to advertise via Snapchat is through getting your brand onto the Discover page. As previously mentioned, the Discover page was recently revamped into a more personalized, content-filled experience for individual users. What is presented on a user’s Discover page are stories and videos straight from content publishers and creators.

Some of the most popular of these publishers include Cosmopolitan, Daily Mail, Complex and People. These Discover stories may also vary based on what big things are currently happening in pop culture. For example, the stories are often based around events like awards shows or the Olympics! Although it may come with a high price point ($50,000 at the lowest), having your brand featured by content publishers on the Discover page is a surefire way to get users talking about and interacting with you. 

Personalization Means Higher Engagement

The Snapchat update has made the social media platform even more personalized and easy for users to find content they find interesting. Brands are now able to increase both the size of the audience their advertising is reaching, as well as the engagement levels with these ads. Although content on Snapchat is not permanent, it is a fun and visual way for users to interact with and get to know your brand!

Interested in learning more about how Snapchat can be a fantastic advertising platform for your brand? Check out these blogs our team has written on Snapchat:

• 10 Reasons Why Your Brand Should Be On Snapchat
• 5 Ways To Use Snapchat's Spectacles For Your Brand's Social Media
• 5 Ways Your Brand Can Use Snapchat Memories To Improve Social Media Marketing
• Infographic On How Brands Are Using Snapchat
• Free Versus Paid Advertising On Snapchat

• How Brands Should Advertise On Snapchat
• How Brands Use Snapchat Discovery In Their Marketing Strategies
• Ikea Uses Snapchat Influencers In Their Back To School Campaign
• Snapchat Debuts New World Lenses With Huge Brand Sponsorship Potential
• Lyft And Joe Jonas Team Up For Snapchat Marketing Campaign

• Snapchat, Facebook And Instagram: What Stories Are
• Snapchat's Brand Marketing Wins Big At Cannes
• Snapchat's New Update Is Great For Brand Marketers
• Snapchat's Original Content
• What Brands Can Learn From How Hollywood Uses Snapchat

Ready to learn more about ways social media - and influencers - can help market your brand? Check out our downloadable e-book The Only Guide You Need For Social Influencer Marketing below.