How to Use Snapchat Ads Manager: Tips and Best Practices

As a digital marketer with extensive experience in leveraging social media platforms, I can tell you that capturing the attention of Gen Z is super amazing. With Snapchat reaching 90% of 13- to 24-year-olds in the U.S., it’s clear that this platform is a goldmine for advertisers. If you’re not using Snapchat Ads Manager, you’re missing out on the opportunity to tap into a platform boasting over 265 million daily active users. If you wouldn’t mind, let me show you how to use this powerful tool to elevate your marketing campaigns and also effectively connect with one of the most influential demographics online.

Key Points

Snapchat Ads Manager is the engine room provided by Snapchat to help businesses create, manage, and optimize their ad campaigns on the platform.
It offers a user-friendly interface where you can design ads, define your target audience, set budgets, and track performance metrics.
Leveraging vertical videos, short and engaging content, sounds and captions, user-generated content, advanced targeting, monitoring, and analyzing are some of the best tips and practices regarding the use of Snapchat Ad Manager.
Snap ads, story ads, collection ads, filters, and lenses are the various types of ads available on Snapchat

What Is Snapchat Ads Manager, and How Does It Work?

Snapchat Ads Manager is the engine room provided by Snapchat to help businesses create, manage, and optimize their ad campaigns on the platform. It offers a user-friendly interface where you can design ads, define your target audience, set budgets, and track performance metrics. The Ads Manager integrates various ad formats like Snap Ads, Story Ads, and Collection Ads, allowing marketers to reach a broad audience with visually engaging content.

key Features of Snapchat Ads Manager

The following are some of the key features of Snapchat Ads Manager that I love as a digital marketer:

#1. User-Friendly Interface

Snapchat Ads Manager is designed with a user-friendly interface that allows beginners to easily create, manage, and analyze their ad campaigns. The dashboard is intuitive, with a clear layout that guides you through each step of the ad creation process, from setting objectives to selecting your target audience and defining your budget.

#2. Diverse Ad Formats

The Snapchat Ads Manager has a variety of ad formats. These include:

Snap Ads
Story Ads
Collection Ads
Dynamic Ads
Commercials and so on

#3. Advanced Targeting Options

Snapchat provides advanced targeting options to ensure your ads reach the right audience. These include:

Demographic Targeting
Interest Targeting
Custom Audiences
Location-Based Targeting

#4. Creative Tools and Templates

Snapchat Ads Manager has a suite of creative tools and templates that help you design eye-catching ads. For instance, the Snap Publisher tool allows you to create and edit video ads directly within the platform. You can add animations, transitions, and interactive elements to make your ads stand out.

#5. Goal-Based Bidding

The platform supports goal-based bidding, allowing you to optimize your ad spend based on specific objectives, such as app installs, website conversions, or video views. This feature ensures budgets are efficiently used to achieve the best possible results.

#6. Comprehensive Analytics and Reporting

Snapchat Ads Manager provides detailed analytics and reporting to track the performance of your campaigns. Metrics such as impressions, reach, swipe-ups, video views, and conversions are all available, allowing you to measure the effectiveness of your ads and make data-driven decisions. The insights dashboard is customizable, so you can focus on the metrics that matter most to your business.

Others Include

Integration with Third-Party Tools
Snap Pixel
A/B Testing
Collaborative Workflow

Getting Started with Snapchat Ads Manager

I love Snapchat for its unique features and the diverse possibilities it offers. If you’re yet to get into this space, grab a spot with the following steps:

#1. Create a Business Account

First, sign up for a Snapchat Business Account at Snapchat for Business. Afterward, complete your business profile by adding details like your name, contact information, and payment method.

#2. Set Up Your Ad Account

Once you’ve added the payment method, navigate to the Snapchat ads manager and set up your account. Afterward, set your time zone and currency preferences.

How to Use Snapchat Ads Manager: Creating Your First Ad Campaign

The secret to smashing your marketing goals with Snapchat lies in understanding how to create ad campaigns. If you’re ready to create your first ad campaign, check out the following steps:

#1. Define Your Campaign Objective

Choose an objective that aligns with your marketing goals. Snapchat offers several objectives, including brand awareness, website visits, app installs, engagement, video views, and lead generation. Selecting the right objective influences how your ads are optimized and delivered, hence the need to be clear about your campaign objective.

#2. Set Up Ad Set

Ad setup involves budgeting, scheduling, audience targeting, placements, and bidding. Under budget and schedule, you are expected to define your daily or lifetime budget. Afterward, schedule the start and end dates for your campaign. You can also choose to run your ads continuously.

Under audience targeting, you are expected to use Snapchat’s targeting options to define your audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and location. You can also use custom audiences and lookalike audiences to reach users similar to your best customers.

Under placements, decide where you want your ads to appear. You can choose between Snapchat’s main sections like Stories, Discover, and the Camera. Remember to choose your bidding strategy based on your campaign objective. Generally, Snapchat supports goal-based bidding, which helps you optimize for specific actions like app installs or website conversions.

#3. Design Your Ad Creative

Use Snap Publisher, Snapchat’s built-in tool, to create your ad. You can also upload your assets or use Snapchat’s templates to design engaging ads. Whichever one you choose is up to you; however, you must ensure your ad creative is visually appealing, with high-quality images or videos, clear messaging, and a strong call-to-action (CTA). You can also experiment with different ad formats like Snap Ads, Story Ads, Collection Ads, and Dynamic Ads to see which works best for your audience.

How to Use Snapchat Ads Manager: Launching and Managing Your Campaign

How do you launch and manage your campaign after creating a killer ad? Check out the following steps:

#1. Review and Publish

I once published an ad without reviewing my ad setup, only to realize I used the wrong call-to-action hooker line after 12 hours. It wasn’t a good experience, and it taught me never to hit the “Publish” button without due diligence. As much as you can, review your campaign settings, targeting options, budget, and ad creative before publishing. This ensures everything is set up correctly.

#2. Monitor Performance

After launching your campaign, regularly monitor its performance using Snapchat Ads Manager’s analytics dashboard. Track key metrics such as impressions, swipe-ups, video views, and conversions. Use the Snap Pixel to measure users’ actions on your website after interacting with your ad. This reveals the true impact of your campaigns and also helps you optimize for better results.

#3. Optimize Your Campaign

Run A/B tests to compare ad creatives, and targeting strategies, in addition to bidding options. This helps identify what works best and improves your campaign performance. Secondly, refine your targeting based on performance data. If certain demographics or interests respond better, allocate more budget to those segments. Lastly, update your ad creatives to avoid ad fatigue. Remember that fresh content keeps your audience engaged and this leads to better results.

How Do I Set up a Snapchat Ads Manager Account?

Setting up a Snapchat Ads Manager account is simple with the following steps:

Sign up for a business account, or log in if you already have one.
Enter your business details
Add a payment method to fund your ad campaigns.
Follow the prompts to start your first ad campaign, setting your objectives, target audience, and budget.

What Are the Different Types of Ads Available on Snapchat?

The following are some of the various types of Snapchat ad formats:

Snap Ads: Full-screen vertical videos or images that appear between user content.
Story Ads: Ads placed within Discover stories, allow for a series of snaps.
Collection Ads: Showcase products with tappable tiles beneath the main ad.
Filters: Custom overlays that users can apply to their snaps.
Lenses: Augmented reality experiences users can interact with.

How Do I Target My Audience on Snapchat Ads Manager?

Over the years, I have targeted my audience on Snapchat Ads Manager with the following:

Demographics
Interests and Behaviors
Custom Audiences
Lookalike Audiences

How Can I Optimize My Snapchat Ads for Better Performance?

To optimize Snapchat ads, first test different creatives, headlines, and CTAs. Next, use bright colors, clear branding, and concise messaging, refine your audience segments based on performance data, and adjust bids and budgets to ensure optimal ad delivery.

What Are the Best Practices for Creating Engaging Snapchat Ads?

Below are some of the best practices I adopt in creating engaging Snapchat ads:

Design ads specifically for vertical viewing.
Capture attention within the first few seconds.
Use features like swipe-ups or augmented reality to engage users.
Include a strong, clear call-to-action to guide user behavior.

How Do I Measure the Success of My Snapchat Ads?

I measure success with the following steps:

Impressions: Number of times my ad is viewed.
Engagements: Clicks, swipe-ups, and interactions.
Conversions: These are actions taken on your website or app, tracked via the Snapchat Pixel.
ROI: I calculate the return on investment by comparing ad spent to revenue generated.

What Metrics Should I Track in Snapchat Ads Manager?

The following are some of the important metrics tracked in Snapchat Manager:

Impressions and Reach: How many people saw your ad and how many times?
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of viewers who clicked your ad.
Conversion Rate: Percentage of users who completed a desired action.
Cost Per Action (CPA): Cost incurred per conversion.
Engagement Rate: Interactions relative to the number of impressions.

How to Improve Snapchat Ad Performance

If you’d love to improve your Snapchat Ad performance, check out the following steps:

Refine Targeting: Continuously tweak your audience settings based on performance data.
Creative Testing: Regularly test and refresh your ad creatives to prevent ad fatigue.
Optimize Bids: Monitor and adjust your bidding strategy to ensure efficient ad spend.
Analyzing Data: Use Snapchat’s analytics to identify trends and areas for improvement.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Snapchat Ads Manager

As much as you can, avoid these mistakes when using the Snapchat Ad Manager:

Ignoring Creative Guidelines: Ensure your ads meet Snapchat’s creative specifications.
Broad Targeting: Narrow down your audience for more relevant engagement.
Neglecting Analytics: Regularly review performance data to make informed adjustments.
Inconsistent Branding: Maintain consistent branding across all ad creatives.

How Do I Use Snapchat’s Advanced Targeting Features?

Below are Snapchat’s advanced targeting features and how to use them:

Custom Audiences: Upload customer data to target specific user groups.
Lookalike Audiences: Find users similar to your existing customers.
Geotargeting: Target users based on specific locations.
Behavioral Targeting: Reach users based on their interests and activities.

How to Use Snapchat Ads Manager for Local Business Advertising

If you have a local business, you can use Snapchat to advertise in the following ways

Geofilters: Create custom filters for specific locations.
Location Targeting: Use geo-targeting to reach users near your business.
Local Promotions: Promote local events, offers, or announcements with targeted ads.
Measure Foot Traffic: Use Snapchat’s location-based metrics to track ad impact.

Benefits of Using Snapchat Ads Manager for Businesses

The following are some of the benefits of using Snapchat for businesses:

Reaching a young, active user base.
Using Snapchat’s immersive ad formats.
Leveraging precise targeting options.
Accessing detailed analytics to track ad performance.

How Do I Integrate Snapchat Ads With My Overall Marketing Strategy?

To integrate Snapchat ads with your overall marketing strategy, check out the following:

Align Snapchat ad content with your broader marketing themes.
Promote Snapchat content on other social media platforms.
Use tools like the Snapchat Pixel to measure cross-channel impact.
Coordinate Snapchat ads with other digital marketing efforts for a cohesive strategy.

How Can I Increase My Ad Engagement on Snapchat?

To increase ad engagement on Snapchat, do the following:

Create Compelling Content: Use vibrant visuals and interactive elements to create compelling content.
Targeting Accurately: Focus on highly relevant audience segments.
Incorporating CTAs: Use clear and enticing calls to action.
A/B Testing: Continuously test and optimize your ads to find the most effective strategies.

Lamphills’ Snapchat Ads Performance Analysis Template

This Lamphills’ Snapchat ads performance analysis template will help you effectively plan, execute, and optimize your Snapchat advertising campaigns, ensuring you maximize engagement and visibility

Download Lamphills’ Snapchat Ads Performance Analysis Template

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Tips and Best Practices

To get the most out of your Snapchat ad manager and overall marketing campaign, adopt the tips and practices below:

Leverage Vertical Video: Snapchat is a vertical-first platform. Ensure your videos are shot and edited in a vertical format to provide a seamless experience for users.
Keep It Short and Engaging: Snapchat users have short attention spans. Capture their attention within the first few seconds with eye-catching visuals and concise messaging.
Use Sound and Captions: Always, incorporate sound to make your ads more engaging. You can also add captions for users who watch with sound off. This ensures your message gets across, regardless of how the ad is consumed.
Incorporate User-Generated Content: Use user-generated content or create ads that mimic organic Snaps to seamlessly blend with user content. Ads that feel native to the platform tend to perform better.
Use Advanced Targeting: Take full advantage of Snapchat’s advanced targeting options. Use custom audiences, lookalike audiences, and retargeting to reach users more likely to convert.
Monitor and Adapt: Continuously monitor your campaign’s performance and be ready to make adjustments. If an ad set is underperforming, tweak your targeting, creative, or bidding strategy to improve results.
Analyze and Learn: Post-campaign, analyze the data to learn what worked and what didn’t. Use these insights to inform future campaigns and continually improve your advertising strategy.

Conclusion

Using Snapchat Ads Manager effectively requires strategic planning, creative innovation, as well as data-driven optimization. Understanding the platform’s features, setting clear objectives, designing engaging ads, and continuously monitoring performance over time helped me create successful ad campaigns that resonate with my Snapchat audience. You can also achieve similar results with ease. Practicing the tips outlined above and leveraging the unique aspects of Snapchat will help you achieve your marketing goals and maximize your return on investment.

Uchenna Nwokolo

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