Snapchat Making Ads Fun For Millennials

Snapchat Ads, Millennials, Boelter Lincoln, Blog
04.11.2017|Boelter Lincoln|,

Social advertising just keeps growing and growing! It can be a little overwhelming to keep up with all the platforms and new ad technologies coming out month after month.

Everyone knows about – and many of us use – top social networking apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. From an advertising perspective, budding platforms like Snapchat have become go-to social sites advertisers are using to target millennials and teens. With Snapchat becoming the largest tech IPO since 2014, it now faces tall hurdles to extend its audience and boost advertising sales to compete with other social competitors. It’s a daunting task considering research shows that many of these young people either don’t notice these ads or, even worse, are totally annoyed by them.

A survey conducted by Survata that focused on Instagram and Snapchat users between the ages of 13-34 yields some eye-opening insights:

  • 40% said the ads they see on these platforms are “OK”
  • One in three said they rarely notice the ads
  • 10% liked or loved the ads
  • 20% “hated” ads seen on either platform

While advertisers looking to spend ad dollars toward these platforms might shudder, there is still a good reason for brands to consider Instagram and Snapchat in their media buying plans. While Instagram boasts 300 million daily active users, Snapchat is employing some clever techniques for marketers to target its 160 million daily active users.

In an effort to turn the hated and unnoticed ads into something young people will engage with and enjoy, Snapchat has monetized filters for brands to use in their advertising. Examples include turning your head into a Taco Bell taco and Uncle Sam-ing yourself in a new Budweiser filter.

Aside from the lense-based ads, Snapchat also offers sponsored versions of its filters. Users can choose to send photos with branded, cartoon-like frames showing where they are or what they are interested. These frames can be nationwide or geo-targeted.

As visuals continue to boom in popularity, more and more advertisers are looking to run video wherever they can. Advertisers might be tempted to turn to Instagram or Facebook because their platforms have become leaders in this department. As these established social media networks and new emerging social apps continue to experiment, it’s essential for advertisers to figure out which opportunities make the most sense for their brand.