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How to Choose the Right Snapchat Ad Objective

Your ad objective is the foundation for achieving the results you want from your campaign. Before you select your objective, decide which stage of the Snapchat marketing funnel aligns with your current advertising goals as well as the ad objective that matches that stage.

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The Snapchat Marketing Funnel

The Snapchat marketing funnel is a simple model that reflects the customer journey. It includes three stages of engagement you can use to help determine your ad objective.
  • Awareness: Get the word out about your business to young people.
  • Consideration: Turn people into potential customers by asking them to fill out a lead form or download an app, for example.
  • Conversions: Prompt potential customers to take action, such as making purchases.
To figure out which ad objective to choose, consider which stage of the funnel is most important to your business right now.

Match Your Ad to Your Goal

Who should see your ad?

Awareness

Drive people to your website to learn more about your business.

Lead Generation

Capture contact info from potential customers.

App Install

Get more potential customers to download your app.

Online Sales

Increase purchases in your online store.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are ad objectives?

Ad objectives represent your current advertising goals and serve as the foundation for achieving the results you want from your Snapchat Ads campaign.

What are examples of good ad objectives?

A good ad objective matches the goal you’re trying to achieve. For instance, if you want to drive people to your website to make purchases, you could choose the Website Conversions objective when creating your ad.

What are Snapchat’s main types of ads?

Specific ad formats are available to you depending on your objective.
  • Single image or video ads - A photo or video, brief messaging, and a CTA combined to create an engaging full-screen ad.
  • Collection ads - Four tappable tiles that showcase multiple products, giving Snapchatters a frictionless way to browse and buy.
  • Story ads - A series of 3-20 Single Image or Video Ads, delivered in between Content or through a branded tile in Snapchat’s Discover section.
  • Lenses AR experiences - A powerful and memorable way to connect and interact with consumers using augmented reality.
  • Commercials - Non-skippable for 6 seconds, these ads can be up to three minutes long and appear within Snapchat’s curated content.
  • Filters - Artistic overlays that appear after you take a Snap and swipe left or right.
Learn more about which formats are available for each ad objective.

How do I choose the right Snapchat ad objective for my business?

The objective you choose will depend on the stage of the Snapchat marketing funnel you’re currently focusing on and the advertising goals you want to achieve. For example, if you want to build a base of potential customers for your business, you could select the Drive Traffic to Website objective in the Consideration stage. You could have them fill out a form or learn more about the products and services you offer.

What makes an effective Snapchat ad?

Once you’ve established your objective, focus on how your ad can get the results you want by choosing the right audience and customizing your ad creative. See the “Learn More” links above for more detailed descriptions of how you should set up your ad.

How do I know if my ad is getting the results I want?

You can check Snapchat Ads Manager at any time to see how your ad is doing. The specific activity you will want to pay attention to will depend on the type of ad you create. Tap one of the “Learn More” links above to learn which results are most important for your ad type.
We recommend setting a budget of at least $30 a day and running your ad for at least 15 days to properly complete the exploration phase, which is when our system figures out who in your audience is most likely to take action on your ad. The first 1-4 days are the most important, so avoid adjusting your ad during that time to prevent the exploration phase from starting over.

What is the Snapchat marketing funnel?

The Snapchat marketing funnel is a lot like other social media marketing funnels, in which you get the word out about your business (awareness), turn people into potential customers (consideration), and prompt those potential customers to take action, such as purchases (conversions).

Choose an objective and start achieving your goals on Snapchat.

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