Who Uses Snapchat
Snapchat's core audience is young adults. The platform reaches a significant percentage of 13-to-34-year-olds in the United States, many of whom are not easily reached on Facebook. Users open the app an average of 30 or more times per day, making it one of the most habit-forming apps on the market.
If your business sells to younger consumers -- restaurants, retail stores, entertainment venues, fitness studios, or trendy service businesses -- Snapchat gives you access to an audience that is highly engaged and increasingly has spending power. If your target customer is primarily over 45, your budget is better spent on other platforms.
Setting Up a Business Account
Create a Snapchat Business account through the Snapchat Ads Manager. This gives you access to advertising tools, analytics, and the ability to create a public profile for your business. Add your logo as your Bitmoji or profile icon, write a short description of your business, and link to your website.
Unlike other platforms, Snapchat does not have a traditional business page that users can browse. Your public profile serves as a hub for your Stories and Spotlight content. The emphasis is on content creation and advertising rather than building a static profile page.
Snapchat Ad Formats
Snapchat offers several ad formats designed for full-screen, vertical mobile viewing:
- Snap Ads: Full-screen vertical video or image ads that appear between Stories and content. They can include a swipe-up action that sends users to your website, app, or a longer video.
- Story Ads: A branded tile that appears in the Discover section. When tapped, it opens a collection of three to twenty Snaps, ideal for telling a longer story about your brand or showcasing multiple products.
- Collection Ads: Feature four tappable product tiles at the bottom of a Snap Ad. Each tile links to a product page, making them effective for e-commerce businesses.
- Commercials: Non-skippable video ads (up to six seconds) that play within curated content. These guarantee your message is seen in its entirety but come at a higher cost.
Geofilters for Local Businesses
Geofilters are custom overlays that Snapchat users can add to their Snaps when they are in a specific location. For local businesses, this is a uniquely powerful tool. You can create a branded geofilter available within a defined geographic area around your storefront, event, or service area.
The cost of on-demand geofilters depends on the size of the area covered and the duration. A small area around a single location for a few hours can cost as little as five to ten dollars, making this one of the most affordable advertising options on any platform.
Geofilters work especially well for events, grand openings, festivals, and any occasion where large numbers of people are gathered in one place. When users apply your filter to their Snaps and share them, your brand reaches their entire friend network organically.
Snapchat Spotlight
Spotlight is Snapchat's answer to TikTok -- a feed of short, entertaining videos from the community. Unlike Stories, Spotlight content is shown to users who do not follow you, giving businesses a chance to reach new audiences organically.
Create short, engaging videos that showcase your products, services, or brand personality. Content that performs well on Spotlight tends to be authentic, entertaining, and quick-paced. Avoid overly polished or corporate-feeling videos; Snapchat users respond better to content that feels natural and unscripted.
Targeting and Analytics
Snapchat's ad targeting includes demographics, interests, behaviors, device type, and custom audiences built from your customer lists or website visitors (using the Snap Pixel). Lookalike audiences help you find new users who resemble your existing customers.
The Snap Pixel is a piece of code you add to your website that tracks actions users take after seeing your Snapchat ads. This lets you measure conversions, optimize campaigns for specific outcomes, and build retargeting audiences. Installing the pixel before launching your first campaign ensures you are collecting data from day one.
Is Snapchat Right for Your Business?
Snapchat is not a universal solution. It works best when your target audience is under 35, your brand has a visual or experiential component, and you are comfortable creating casual, authentic content. Businesses like restaurants, bars, retail shops, beauty salons, fitness centers, and entertainment venues tend to see the strongest results.
If your primary audience is older professionals or your product requires detailed explanations, other platforms may be more efficient. The key is matching the platform to your customer, not trying to be everywhere at once.