11. Advertising on Snapchat

What ad types does Snapchat offer?

Most of Snapchat’s advertising options are targeted at large brands and companies, and can’t be booked through a self-service platform like the other options we have seen so far. Currently, only Sponsored Geofilters are available through self-service, so keep that in mind when evaluating advertising channels.

Snapchat Discover

It’s not officially listed on the website, but brands can take over a publisher’s channel in the Discover section of the app for about $50,000 a day. If you want to sponsor a Live Story (also a feature in the Discovery section), you can expect to pay about $250,000.

Sponsored Lenses

Sponsored Lenses are a very interactive format in which users engage with promotional elements that overlay a video user’s film of her/himself. Snapchat reports that the average user plays for 20 seconds with a Sponsored Lens, which can really help a brand drive awareness. Taco Bell’s Sponsored Lens received over 224 million views. But high engagement comes with a high price tag: Sponsored Lenses can cost $500,000 or more – per day.

Snap Ads

Snap Ads are 10-second vertical mobile video ads with the option to swipe up for more related content, such as another video, article, ad or mobile website. Snapchat says that five times more users swipe up on Snap Ads than click through on ads on comparable platforms. Pricing for Snap Ads depends on the details of the campaign but can be as low as $1,000. Currently, Snap Ads can only be booked through Snapchat’s Partners.

Here is an example from Netflix, advertising their production LOVE:

Sponsored Geofilters

This is the only advertising option you can book yourself online and with a small budget. Geofilters, however, are a very specific ad type that only suits some campaign objectives. Geofilters are pre-designed overlays such as frames, logos, images or text elements that Snapchat users can use to decorate their snaps if they are in a certain location. Companies and brands can purchase Geofilters for a specific location (between 20,000 and 5,000,000 square feet) to promote their product, services or event.

Here are two examples of Sponsored Geofilters:

Also, big brands like Starbucks or McDonald’s make use of Sponsored Geofilters targeting the locations of their stores. This way customers are encouraged to share their experience in a playful way.

If your objective is to promote a store in a mall, a party on campus, a booth at a conference, or anything else that is of interest to Snapchat users in a specific location, Geofilters could be an interesting choice for you. You can also use Geofilters to create some entertainment for your friends or guests at a wedding, birthday or any other personal occasion. But if you want to target users in a whole city or country, or by specific interests or behaviors, this is probably not the right choice for you.

How much do Sponsored Geofilters cost?

The price of a Geofilter depends on the dates, times and the area size (measured in square feet) of your Geofilter. Pricing begins at $5 for a Geofilter covering a small area during a short period of time, but Snapchat will show you an exact quote once you have entered this information in their booking platform.

How to get started

Go to https://www.snapchat.com/geofilters and log in with your Snapchat account information. The Geofilter creation tool walks you through the design process, helping you with customizable templates. Alternatively, design your personal Geofilter in your favorite image editing software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop) and upload your file (learn more here). Choose the dates (min. 1 hour, max. 30 days) and define the location of your Geofilter (currently only the US, UK and Canada): Enter the address closest to the area you want to advertise and draw a fence around your selected area. Your area must be between 20,000 and 5,000,000 square feet. Snapchat then quotes you a price and you can submit your order for approval. If you have any questions, have a look at the related section on the Snapchat Support site.

The last platform we will cover in this lesson is LinkedIn.