Snapchat video marketing focuses on short, mobile-friendly, and disappearing content that engages younger audiences like Gen Z and Millennials. With 413 million daily active users, Snapchat offers unique ad formats like AR Lenses, Story Ads, and Snap Ads to help businesses connect with potential customers. Here’s what you need to know:

• Why Snapchat? Reaches 75% of Millennials and Gen Z in over 25 countries. Users are 60% more likely to make impulse purchases and actively share product snaps.
• Ad Formats: Options include Snap Ads for traffic, Story Ads for storytelling, Collection Ads for e-commerce, and AR Lenses for interactive experiences.
• Best Practices: Keep videos short (3–5 seconds), use vertical format, and include captions. Authentic, user-generated content performs best.
• Budget: Start with as little as $20/day. Ads like Snap Ads average $1.93 per click, while Sponsored Lenses cost $450,000–$700,000 per day.

Snapchat is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses looking to build brand awareness, drive sales, or connect with younger audiences. Start small, test different formats, and track performance to optimize results.

How Snapchat Video Marketing Works

Core Features of Snapchat

Snapchat’s appeal in video marketing comes down to five standout features that boost engagement. Stories let businesses share content that disappears after 24 hours, making it perfect for showcasing behind-the-scenes moments, product launches, or daily updates. The Discover section places your content alongside major media outlets, giving you access to millions of users browsing for fresh updates.

The Chat feature allows for direct interaction with customers, turning casual viewers into active prospects. Meanwhile, AR Lenses offer an immersive way for users to engage with your brand – whether it’s trying on products virtually or exploring your services. With 93% of Snapchat users showing interest in AR shopping, this feature opens up creative ways to demonstrate products and connect with audiences.

Filters provide another layer of engagement by letting users overlay branded graphics on their snaps. When shared, these filtered snaps act as personal endorsements to their networks. For example, the University of Idaho used Snapchat’s features in 2024 to attract prospective students, achieving 69% of all student conversions while cutting acquisition costs by 22% compared to other social media strategies.

Snapchat Business Manager streamlines ad creation, targeting, analytics, and collaboration, making it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to manage their campaigns effectively.

These features make Snapchat a versatile platform for creating engaging video content tailored to different goals.

Types of Video Content on Snapchat

Snapchat offers a variety of video formats, each suited to specific marketing objectives. Single Image or Video Ads work best when the first frame grabs attention with a clear and compelling message. Keep these ads short – around 3 to 5 seconds – and include captions since many users watch without sound.

Story Ads integrate seamlessly into users’ feeds, appearing between friends’ stories. To make them effective, avoid overly polished production – Snapchat users prefer content that feels authentic and native to the platform. Collection Ads are great for showcasing multiple products in one ad, making them ideal for retailers looking to highlight a range of offerings.

For longer-form content, Commercials provide an opportunity to tell a story, but pacing is key. Share the most important details within the first five seconds to hook viewers while keeping the overall narrative simple and engaging. Tinder used this format to promote its dating app, featuring relatable scenarios of young people meeting new people. This approach lowered Tinder’s cost per completed view by over 9x and exceeded its CPCV goals by more than 4x.

Lenses AR Experiences create interactive moments that incorporate brand elements naturally, encouraging users to engage and share. Similarly, Filters should reflect your brand while offering fun designs users are excited to share with friends.

To stand out, consider a user-generated content strategy that includes attention-grabbing visuals and a style tailored to Snapchat’s casual vibe.

Understanding User Behavior

Creating effective Snapchat content means understanding how users interact with the platform. On average, Snapchat users open the app nearly 40 times a day, leading to frequent but brief interactions. This makes it essential to grab attention quickly and deliver value immediately.

Snapchat thrives on mobile-first consumption. While 67% of consumers watch videos on small screens daily, only 50% do so on larger screens. Even more telling, 69% of viewers give their full attention to smartphone videos, compared to just 50% for TV content. This level of focus provides a unique opportunity to connect with your audience in meaningful ways.

Sound is another key factor. Unlike many other platforms, 64% of Snapchat users watch videos with the sound on. Incorporating music, sound effects, or spoken elements can make your content more engaging.

Vertical video dominates on Snapchat since it aligns with how users naturally hold their phones. Additionally, Snapchat users are highly social – 35% of them share snaps about products they’re considering, creating organic word-of-mouth promotion.

Generational preferences also play a role, with 68% of Gen Z consuming video on social apps daily. They expect content that’s entertaining, fast-paced, and to the point. Keeping videos under 10 seconds and leading with the most important information is a smart way to capture their attention.

"A strategic approach to digital marketing on platforms like Snapchat and TikTok is not just about flashing content; it’s about orchestration and precision. It’s about hitting the right notes at the right time to amplify our brand’s unique story." – Ciaran Connolly, ProfileTree Founder

Snapchat Video Ad Formats

Main Snapchat Ad Types

Snapchat offers six core ad formats, each tailored to meet different marketing goals. Snap Ads are the backbone of Snapchat advertising. These full-screen vertical video or image ads appear between user stories. A simple swipe-up action takes users to your website, app store, or another destination, making them a go-to option for driving website traffic, app downloads, and brand awareness.

Story Ads place your branded content in Snapchat’s Discover section, right next to major media outlets. Users tap on your branded tile to access a series of connected ads, making them perfect for delivering extended narratives or creating deeper engagement.

Collection Ads are specifically designed for e-commerce. These ads showcase multiple products within a single unit, allowing users to browse and shop directly. Retailers using Collection Ads have reported engagement rates that are 4.1 to 17 times higher than standard Snap Ads.

Commercial Ads guarantee visibility with non-skippable video content. For instance, Tinder used this format to promote its app, achieving a cost per completed view that was over nine times lower while exceeding its CPCV goals by more than four times.

Sponsored AR Lenses create interactive experiences by transforming users’ faces or their surroundings. Face Lenses change users’ appearances, while World Lenses alter their real-time environment. These experiences encourage high levels of interaction and are often shared widely among users.

Filter Ads add branded overlays to snaps, based on location or user demographics. Unlike AR Lenses, these are static graphics that users can apply to their photos and videos. Sponsored Geofilters are great for large-scale campaigns, while On-Demand Geofilters target smaller, localized audiences at a lower cost.

Choosing the Right Format for Your Goals

The right ad format depends on your campaign goals and how your audience interacts with Snapchat. For brand awareness, formats like Snap Ads, Commercial Ads, and Sponsored AR Lenses work well. The immersive nature of AR Lenses resonates particularly with Snapchat’s younger audience, which includes 90% of users aged 13-24 in over 20 countries.

If your objective is driving website traffic, Snap Ads with clear swipe-up calls to action are highly effective. As of January 2025, the average cost per link click on Snapchat is $1.93, with a link click-through rate of 0.46%.

When it comes to product promotion and sales, Collection Ads shine. They allow users to browse and purchase products directly within the ad. Snapchat users are 60% more likely to make impulse purchases and 34% more likely to buy after watching an ad on the platform.

For lead generation, Story Ads are a smart choice. They let you nurture prospects with educational content. The University of Idaho, for example, used Snapchat for a lead-generation campaign in late 2024, achieving a 22% lower cost per conversion while capturing 67% of undergraduate impressions.

App install campaigns benefit from Snap Ads that link directly to app stores. Given that Snapchat users spend an average of 30 minutes daily on the app, it’s an ideal platform for mobile app discovery and adoption.

Experimentation is key to finding the best-performing format. The beauty brand Glamnetic, for example, doubled its click-through target and reduced its bounce rate by 77.48% through testing different Snapchat ad formats. Snapchat also suggests starting with a daily ad spend of $20–$50 to optimize performance quickly.

Ad Format Comparison Table

Budget is another factor to consider. Sponsored Lenses cost between $450,000 and $700,000 per day, video ads start at $3,000 per month, and the minimum daily spend is $5. This flexibility allows businesses of all sizes to tap into Snapchat’s 443 million daily active users.

"We want to drive positive advertiser value while also ensuring consumers continue to have positive experiences on the platform." – Snapchat

Best Practices for Snapchat Video Content

Keep Videos Short and Engaging

Snapchat users don’t waste time deciding whether a video is worth watching. In fact, 71% of viewers judge a video’s value within the first few seconds. That means your opening moments are absolutely critical. Short videos – just 3–5 seconds – often perform better, driving more action than longer ones.

Start strong by featuring your main message in the very first frame. Whether it’s showcasing a product, spotlighting a special deal, or emphasizing a key benefit, make it clear right away. Structure your video with a hook to grab attention, a clear progression, and a strong call to action. To keep things visually interesting in those few seconds, switch up angles or settings. Even in a 5-second clip, these small changes can make a big difference.

Highlight your key selling points immediately and don’t wait to mention promotions. If you’re running a sale, lead with that. Also, always include captions or subtitles so your video works even when watched without sound.

Lastly, make sure your creative style feels like it belongs on Snapchat. Videos that align with the platform’s casual and fast-paced vibe tend to perform better.

Use Snapchat’s Native Style

Snapchat videos that feel like they’re part of the app – authentic and user-generated – get the most engagement. Think phone-shot visuals and casual, relatable content.

Keep the tone light, fun, and straightforward. Snapchat audiences aren’t looking for polished, corporate messaging – they want content that feels real. Since over 64% of Snapchat users watch videos with sound on, consider using voiceovers to enhance your storytelling. Experiment with different styles and formats to see what clicks with your audience.

For example, in 2019, Blissy, a home bedding company, used user-generated video ads showing people enjoying their products. This approach delivered five times the impressions on the same budget. Similarly, Moitié Cosmetics ran a campaign in 2018 featuring customers wearing their lashes in casual, user-shot videos. The relatable content boosted both brand awareness and sales.

Use Branding and AR Features

Once you’ve nailed the content style, reinforce your message with consistent branding and Snapchat’s AR tools. Visible branding – like logos, colors, and slogans – helps your business stay top of mind while building trust and loyalty. Plus, 66% of people say they’ve been inspired to buy from a new brand after seeing social media images from other users.

Snapchat’s AR features are a game-changer for engagement. Over 800 million users interact with AR, and AR lenses are used more than 6 billion times daily. Sponsored AR lenses can make your brand stand out. For example, in 2020, Champs Sports launched an AR feature that let users virtually try on new shoes. The result? 8% of daily active users shared their digital shoe experiences on social media. Puma’s AR try-on tool for Suede shoes increased brand favorability by 9%, while Adidas saw 18% of store visitors come directly from its AR campaign. SWEAT, a women’s fitness app, created an AR filter showcasing workout moves, leading to an 83% spike in sales and conversions. And here’s a compelling stat: 62% of people who try products in AR are more likely to make a purchase.

If your business has a physical location, Snapchat’s Custom Landmarkers can create location-specific lenses. For instance, the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, OH, used a sponsored filter tied to its botanical garden, boosting both attendance and ticket sales.

Snapchat describes its ad platform as a way for brands to connect with consumers "that’s conversational, non-intrusive, and feels organic to the platform".

Getting Started with Snapchat Video Marketing

Set Up a Snapchat Business Account

Head over to ads.snapchat.com to create your Snapchat Ads account. Once you’re set up, create a Public Profile to make your business easier to find and install Snap Pixel to track conversions and gather insights. With these basics in place, you’ll be ready to define your campaign’s objectives and budget.

Define Goals and Budget

Focus on one primary goal for your campaign – whether it’s building awareness, driving consideration, or boosting conversions. Snapchat’s budgeting system is flexible, and they recommend starting with $20 to $50 per day to move beyond the Exploration Phase. Use Snapchat’s reach estimates to set achievable targets and adjust your spending as needed.

"The most important thing when choosing a platform to advertise on is whether we are going to get our money’s worth or not. Snapchat makes it so much easier because we can start small and grow at our own pace." – Sima Mosbacher, CEO + Founder, Moitie Cosmetics

Snapchat also offers a great incentive for beginners: spend $50 on ads, and you’ll receive $75 in free ad credit, giving you extra room to experiment with your campaigns.

Track and Optimize Campaigns

Once your campaign is live, use performance data to refine your strategy. Snapchat’s Ads Manager provides real-time metrics like impressions, views, swipe-ups, and conversions, allowing you to adjust underperforming ads quickly. Depending on your campaign’s focus, prioritize metrics like impressions, reach, and CPM for brand awareness or app installs, form fills, and purchase ROAS for conversion-focused campaigns.

For example, a solid swipe-up rate generally falls between 0.35% and 1.5%, while CPM rates typically range from $3 to $8. On average, users engage with Snapchat ads for about 30 seconds. A unique feature of Snapchat advertising is its phased optimization: you’ll first optimize for swipe-ups and page views before unlocking direct purchase optimization.

A/B testing is essential for finding what works best. Test different video styles, calls-to-action, and targeting options to see what resonates most with your audience. To enhance performance, showcase your products prominently, include interactive features like polls, and experiment with Snapchat’s AR Lenses for a more immersive experience. Let your campaign data guide your adjustments and optimizations.

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Working with Professional Digital Services

Robust Branding‘s Digital Marketing Solutions

If you want to make the most of Snapchat video marketing, having expert digital support can make a big difference. Snapchat’s ecosystem can be tricky for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to navigate, but that’s where Robust Branding steps in. They specialize in helping SMBs enhance their digital presence by combining strategic planning with hands-on execution.

Robust Branding offers services starting at just $39 per month. These include custom website design, niche identification, keyword research, and $99-per-month SEO with marketing automation. This approach ensures that your Snapchat campaigns align seamlessly with your broader marketing goals.

What’s great about Robust Branding is their flexibility. You can start small and expand as your business grows. Their services cover everything from content creation and analytics to managing your social profiles. Plus, their executives’ community provides networking opportunities with business leaders who’ve successfully tackled social media marketing challenges.

Benefits of Expert Support

Working with digital marketing experts can give your business a clear edge, delivering results that are often hard to achieve on your own. While 77% of SMBs use social media to build brand awareness, Snapchat requires specific strategies to drive real engagement. Many businesses struggle with the platform’s technical complexities, which can eat into valuable time and resources.

One major advantage of hiring experts is the time you save. Instead of spending hours figuring out Snapchat’s ad interface, testing video formats, or analyzing data, you can focus on running your business while the professionals handle the details.

Another benefit is improved performance. For example, Taktical Digital helped Fahlo achieve a 117% year-over-year increase in first-time customers while maintaining a strong return on ad spend. Similarly, their work with Aputure led to a 43% rise in organic purchases and a 54% increase in organic clicks year-over-year.

"The best Snapchat advertising agency for your needs will work closely with you to determine the ideal type of campaign to launch based on your specific goals." – Taktical Digital

Snapchat’s reach makes expert support even more valuable. The platform connects with 75% of users aged 13-34 across 25+ countries, representing a spending power of $5 trillion. With the right professional guidance, you can tap into this powerful audience using data-driven strategies that improve engagement, boost revenue, and elevate brand awareness.

"Digital marketing levels the playing field – giving small businesses reach, data, and personalization at a low cost." – Ali Hasan, Founder, Xorivotech

Expert services go beyond just managing ads. They can create eye-catching visuals, engaging videos, and persuasive copy that speaks directly to your audience. By knowing which platforms work best for your industry, these professionals can also manage your social profiles across multiple channels, ensuring your brand’s message stays consistent and impactful.

Conclusion

Key Points Summary

Snapchat video marketing opens up exciting opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). With 557 million active users globally and the ability to reach 75% of millennials and Gen Z across more than 25 countries, the platform offers access to a highly engaged audience. On average, users spend 30 minutes daily on Snapchat, making it a prime space for businesses to connect with potential customers.

Snapchat’s user behavior adds to its appeal. For example, users are 60% more likely to make impulse purchases, and 35% share snaps about products they’re considering buying. This creates a natural environment for SMBs to influence buying decisions with authentic, engaging video content.

The platform’s ad formats are flexible, catering to different marketing goals. Success stories include e.l.f. Cosmetics, which saw a 20% increase in site visits and a 60% boost in ad recall with Single Image or Video Ads in Q1 2020. Similarly, Tinder reduced its cost per completed view by over ninefold using Snapchat’s Commercials format. Plus, Snapchat’s low entry cost makes it easy for SMBs to experiment without a hefty upfront investment.

To succeed, businesses should focus on authenticity. Short, engaging videos that align with Snapchat’s casual, native style tend to perform better than overly polished ads. Features like AR tools, geofilters, and location-based targeting are especially effective for local businesses looking to connect with nearby customers.

With these advantages in mind, it’s time to turn insights into action.

Next Steps for SMBs

Ready to dive in? Start by setting up a Snapchat Business Account and defining your marketing objectives. Test out different ad formats to discover what resonates with your audience. Begin with a small budget, experiment, and scale up the strategies that deliver results.

Focus on creating short, dynamic videos that grab attention immediately. Ads that feel natural to Snapchat’s style will resonate better with users. Take advantage of the platform’s targeting tools to reach the right audience based on location, age, interests, and other demographics.

Track your progress using Snapchat’s analytics tools. For instance, Spinnaker Nordic spent just $759.04 over three days and achieved over 300,000 ad views and 24,000 site visitors – a testament to Snapchat’s potential for cost-effective campaigns.

If managing campaigns feels overwhelming, consider working with experts. Services like Robust Branding can help align your Snapchat efforts with your broader digital strategy, allowing you to focus on running your business.

"The small and medium sized businesses are the ones that are really starting to change the world." – Alix Peabody, Founder, Bev

With 453 million daily users and a global spending power of $4.4 trillion, Snapchat is a platform SMBs can’t afford to overlook. Start with a simple awareness campaign, learn from the data, and expand your efforts as you gain confidence. The potential is there – now it’s time to make the most of it.

Snapchat Marketing Full Course 2025 | Basics of Snapchat Marketing for Beginners | Simplilearn

FAQs

How can small businesses track the success of their Snapchat video marketing campaigns?

Small businesses can evaluate the success of their Snapchat video marketing efforts by focusing on key performance indicators (KPIs) that match their specific objectives. These include video views, completion rates, and engagement metrics such as shares, comments, and swipe-ups.

For a more detailed understanding, businesses should track metrics like impressions (total views), reach (unique viewers), and frequency (how often the same audience views the content). Additionally, monitoring conversion rates, such as website clicks or app downloads, can reveal how well campaigns are driving desired actions.

Snapchat offers built-in tools like Ads Manager, which provide real-time analytics. These tools enable businesses to fine-tune their strategies on the go, ensuring their campaigns stay impactful and resonate with their audience.

How can small businesses create Snapchat video content that feels authentic and connects with Gen Z and Millennials?

To create Snapchat video content that genuinely connects with Gen Z and Millennials, focus on being real and engaging. This audience gravitates toward content that feels relatable and personal, so incorporating user-generated content is a great place to start. Highlight real stories from your followers and feature them in your videos – this not only builds trust but also fosters a sense of community.

Make the most of Snapchat’s standout features like Stories, AR filters, and interactive ads. These tools are perfect for crafting fun, immersive experiences that grab attention and invite participation. And don’t forget to keep your brand voice consistent and relatable. Align your messaging with values that matter to Gen Z, like individuality and social awareness. By doing so, you can create content that sparks genuine connections and keeps your audience coming back.

How do Snapchat’s AR Lenses and Filters boost engagement and increase brand visibility in video marketing?

Snapchat’s AR Lenses and Filters offer a creative way to boost engagement and increase brand awareness. These features let users interact with your brand in a playful, immersive manner, leaving a lasting impression. By weaving AR into your video marketing efforts, you can grab attention and motivate users to engage with your content, which often leads to improved interaction rates.

These AR tools go beyond just entertainment – they help build stronger connections with your audience. Interactive and personalized content tends to strike a chord with users, often prompting them to share their experiences. When users create and share this content, it naturally broadens your brand’s reach while keeping it authentic and relatable.

Adding AR to your Snapchat marketing plan doesn’t just elevate your visibility; it creates meaningful, memorable interactions that ensure your brand stays top-of-mind for your audience.

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