Business

How to Sell More Online with Snapchat Ads

Online sales ads drive potential customers to your site to buy your products or services. This guide shows you how to reach those interested customers and grow your business with Snapchat Ads.
Create an Ad

Prepare for Success

Follow these steps to get the best results:

1. Create at least 1 video to use in your ads

Video is a powerful method for connecting with your target audience to help your ad get the results you want.
  • Keep it short: 3-5 seconds should be enough to get your message across.
  • Focus on one key message: Add text to your video that tells people what you want them to do.
  • Keep it authentic: Film with your phone and talk directly to the camera.
Screenshot of the first step in installing the Snap Pixel

2. Set up your Snap Pixel and create a Pixel Custom Audience

The Snap Pixel lets you see how many Snapchat users take action on your website — such as purchasing a product — after clicking on your ad. ​​A Pixel Custom Audience uses the information generated by the Snap Pixel to find people who are more likely to take the action you want.

Increase Sales

First Ad
Your first ad sends people to your online store and generates Snap Pixel activity, such as purchases. This helps our ad system learn who on Snapchat is more likely to visit your online store.

Objective

Choose the Drive Traffic to Website objective with the Click goal.

Audience

Choose age range and gender. Keep the Expand audience automatically option checked.

Budget & Duration

Budget at least $30 a day. Run the ad for at least 15 days so the exploration phase can do its job.
Second Ad
Your second ad uses your Pixel activity to find more people who are likely to make purchases from your online store. This helps optimize your ad’s performance.

Objective

Choose the Website Conversions objective with Pixel Purchases goal.

Audience

Select the Pixel Custom Audience you created. Keep the Expand audience automatically option checked.

Budget & Duration

Budget at least $30 a day. Run the ad for at least 15 days so the exploration phase can continue to do its job.

Pro Tip

Get more specific about who you want to reach.

1. Customer List Audience

  • Source: Customer info collected during purchases and through newsletter subscriptions.
  • How to use it: Reach people who have made purchases from your online store and let them know about a new product.

2. First Lookalike Audience

  • Source: Customer List Audience.
  • How to use it: Find more new customers similar to those who have shared their info during a purchase or other interaction.

3. Second Lookalike Audience

  • Source: Pixel Custom Audience.
  • How to use it: Find more new customers similar to those who have made purchases through your website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I grow online sales with Snapchat Ads?
To boost purchases, we recommend using the 2-ad strategy explained on this page. In preparation, decide which of your products have the best potential to appeal to the younger audiences using Snapchat so you can showcase them in your ad.
What should I look for when growing online sales with Snapchat Ads?
When running your second ad, keep an eye on the number of purchases you get in Events Manager. If that number is too low, you may want to create a Pixel Custom Audience optimized for the Add to Cart event and switch the ad targeting to that new audience. This allows you to better optimize your ad.
What’s an example of a successful online sales ad campaign?
Rock ‘Em Socks wanted to grow sales of their colorful socks that show off the wearer’s interests. They showcased new sock themes in Snapchat Ads, making sure they focused on one product line and a single key message in each ad. The business was successful in driving new and repeat customers to their website, seeing a 5.5X increase in one of their sock design’s sales.
“Snapchat has evolved into a part of our paid marketing workflow and we are excited to continue and expand our partnership in the future.”
- Harrison Hall, Digital Marketing, Rock ‘Em Socks
How do I know if my online sales ads are working?
For your first ad, check the number of Clicks, which will tell you how many times people clicked on your ad or tapped the CTA to view the attachment.
For your second ad, view the number of Clicks and the number of Website Conversions in Events Manager, which will indicate how many purchases were made.
Is Snapchat a sales channel for Shopify and BigCommerce?
Yes. You can create and publish Snapchat Ads within your Shopify or BigCommerce dashboard and reach young audiences with $4.4 trillion in global spending power. Learn more about Snapchat Ads and Shopify and Snapchat for BigCommerce.