How to Advertise on Snapchat - Comprehensive Guide 2026
Updated for 2026 | Comprehensive Guide
Snapchat has evolved into one of the most powerful advertising platforms for brands targeting younger demographics. With over 443 million daily active users and 850+ million monthly active users, Snapchat offers unmatched reach into Gen Z and Millennial audiences through immersive, full-screen ad formats.
Snapchat's self-serve Ads Manager makes the platform accessible to businesses of all sizes and budgets. Whether you run an eCommerce store, a mobile app, a local business, or an affiliate marketing operation, Snapchat has advertising solutions tailored to your industry.
Its power lies in its conversational, non-intrusive way to reach the community to drive change and grow your business.
This guide will clearly lay out everything you need to know about Snapchat ads in 2026: How to create them, how to target and engage your audience and how to measure your success.
Ready? Let's get started.
How Can Brands Advertise on Snapchat?
Snapchat offers a whole bunch of features to create different types of content:
- Images and Videos. Snapchat allows you to share portrait format images either after being taken and edited on the app or loaded from your library. You can also share videos up to 60 seconds in Snaps and up to 3 minutes in Spotlight, and these too can be edited like pictures.
- Snaps. Snaps can be either images or videos. They are sent to specific recipients in a private setting. The snap disappears right after being seen by its recipients.
- Stories. Stories are images or videos that a user can share with all of their followers/public.
- So how to use Snapchat for advertising your eCommerce brand and incorporate it in your marketing strategies in ways that make sense and cater to the platform's active demographics?
Set specific goals for the platform that helps with your marketing effort
Having specific marketing goals will help you make the best out of Snapchat to meet those goals. Let's say your goal is to promote offers and products on your website; then, you need to use Snapchat's feature that allows you to add direct links to your Snaps. With the help of Snapchat Insights, all business accounts have access to their analytics to track and analyze results.
Utilize Snapchat to promote content from other platforms
Suppose you've grown your following on other social media platforms. In that case, you can encourage those followers to check your content on Snapchat by sharing special content with a different angle or focus. A sneak peek of this content will create excitement and encourage them to follow you on this platform as well. Keep in mind that you are targeting generations known for being in tune with the latest trends, so your content must be unique and engaging.
Arrange brand takeovers on your account
If you're collaborating with bloggers and influencers, you can let them take over your account for a day. They will be promoting this takeover on their account, which will help you in driving traffic. Although some brands might repost the content on other platforms, if you want to get the full impact of the platform, it is better to keep it exclusive to Snapchat and work with influencers who are already active on the app.
If you need help in influencer marketing to bring your brand story to life, you can rely on Think Orion. It is where our team of influencer marketing experts excel. Get in touch today!
Invest in Snapchat ads
Snapchat's advertising program can be a lucrative part of your social media marketing strategy and worth taking advantage of. Businesses interested in region-specific marketing can benefit from Snapchat's powerful geographical targeting features to drive foot traffic to boost and measure sales by region. For others with young, tech-savvy audiences, they can use other types of Snapchat ads to promote app installs. Using the tap-through CTA on the ad, they can direct users to the installation page. All while using storytelling to present solutions and reveal the unique personality of the brand. Taking a step back on selling and focusing on helping your customers know you better will help you gain trust while promoting your business.
Interactive Snapchat filter advertising for instant exposure
One of the most popular features on Snapchat are the filters. Businesses with stores or brick-and-mortar locations can create location-targeted filters through Snapchat Ads Manager, which appear to users near their business location.
Why Do Brands Excel When Using Snapchat Ads for eCommerce Marketing?
Less Competition, More opportunity
Almost all businesses have a Facebook account, an X account, an Instagram account, and probably a Pinterest one. On the contrary, most eCommerce businesses haven't established a presence on Snapchat yet. This is why we also provide eCommerce Marketing services to solidify your brand on this social network.
Stand out and show the fun side of your brand
Snapchat was designed to be casual and fun. Snapchat is a more authentic, more natural, and more spontaneous platform. Using Snapchat makes it possible to show another side of your eCommerce business and express your brand personality in a new way to build a closer and warmer relationship with the users.
Engagement on a personal level
Snapchat allows one-on-one engagement with customers. Just like celebrities use Snapchat to show a "day-in-my-life" or "behind-the-scenes," businesses can do the same. Here's an example of "Go behind the scenes" with Alexa Chung on Vogue's Snapchat during London Fashion Week.
Reach the younger audience
Since the majority of Snapchat users are between the ages of 18-34, they will most likely see your business videos there rather than your TV ad. Besides, as we mentioned earlier, you have the opportunity to show the fun side of your business, which is a great way to promote and gain a loyal following.
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Book a Strategy CallWhat are Snapchat Campaign Goals?
Snapchat, like other social platforms, offers different goals depending on what you like to achieve when it comes to advertising. Depending on your goals and budget, brands can choose from different attachment types to effectively increase their ROI.
Here's a breakdown of each campaign goal:
| Campaign Goal | Description |
|---|---|
| Brand Awareness | The simplest form of advertising on Snapchat, where brands just ask users to watch a video. The key is to keep it short and create a few different versions of the video ad to avoid what is known as ad fatigue. This is more common on Snapchat than on other social advertising platforms. |
| Web Views and Conversions | Ads that encourage users to tap the CTA button to read more or check out a site aim to push the target audience down the sales funnel to a conversion. This is the most popular advertising format on Snapchat. |
| Lead Generation | For brands that aim to drive users to download, fill a form or register, creating ads with the lead generation goal is possible within the Ad Manager. |
| App Installs and Engagement | With down-funnel event tracking, brands can accurately track app installs and conversions along with their third-party tracking platform to measure their campaign's success. |
| Deep Linking | Brands can deep link their ad into their app to bring users where they want them to be, a feature that can drive surprising results. |
| Brand Engagement | Users are constantly looking for discounts or promotions and ready to purchase after viewing a product on Snapchat. Your opportunity for brand engagement is already wide open. |
| Catalog Sales | With shoppers spending much more time on their mobile devices than laptops and desktops, brands can now benefit from the Collection Ads to drive catalog sales through a phone screen. |
Which Types of Ads Will Work Best for Your Snapchat Campaign?
Snapchat has changed the way we consume content, and it is redefining the habits of an entire generation. In order to achieve the above marketing and advertising goals, Snapchat offers six different formats to create your ad.
Snap Ads
This is the most basic format offered by Snapchat. They can be videos, photos, gifs, etc. Regardless of the format, these are full-screen and designed to be full of sound, sight, and motion. Snap ads are displayed between different Snapchat content types and allow users to take immediate action, such as tapping a CTA button to visit a URL or installing an app.
Remember that Snapchat will add a call to action if you add an attachment, so avoid placing anything important in that area.
Technical specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Width | 1080 pixels |
| Height | 1920 pixels |
| Proportions | 9:16 |
| Format | .MP4, .MOV, H.264 encoded |
| Audio | 2 channels only, PCM or AAC codec, 192 kbps minimum, 16 or 24 bit only, 48 kHz sampling rate |
| Duration | 3 seconds to 3 minutes (but 3-5 seconds is the sweet spot if you're looking to drive action) |
| File size | 1 GB maximum (32 MB or less recommended for fastest upload) |
Story Ads
They are a collection of Snap Ads perfect when you need more than three to five seconds to say what you want to say!
Story ads are displayed in the Stories and Spotlight sections of the app, with a cover photo and a headline. When a user taps your tile, a collection of ads open, similar to personal Snapchat stories; this means you are reaching a highly-qualified segment of your audience, driving CPAs at a fraction of the cost.
For Story ads guidelines, click here.
Filters
Filters are another great way to advertise on Snapchat. Location-targeted filters can be set up through Snapchat Ads Manager. This is an exciting option to introduce your brand in the millions of snaps that users will send to each other daily. Quaker Oats developed a filter for College & Young Working Women, Female Fitness Buffs, Convenience Seekers, and Working Moms and drove 11.4 million impressions.
When creating Snapchat filters, always keep the user in mind. Create a filter that represents your brand without being too heavy-handed that nobody uses it.
Snapchat recommends designs not to take up more than 25% of the user's screen to maintain a positive user experience.
Filters are managed through Snapchat Ads Manager, where you can set targeting by location, demographics, and interests. Costs scale based on the size of your target area and audience reach.
Technical specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Width | 1080 pixels |
| Height | 1920 pixels |
| Format | PNG resource with transparent background |
| File size | 250 KB or less |
Lenses
When you think of Snapchat, the first thing that might probably pop in your mind is those puppy ears, flower crown selfies, long rainbow tongues, or giant tacos by Taco Bell. Those are lenses!
How to Create Lenses
Brands build AR lenses using Lens Studio, Snapchat's free desktop application for creating augmented reality experiences. Lens Studio provides templates, 3D object libraries, scripting tools, and real-time previews so you can design, test, and publish lenses without needing external 3D modeling software. Once your lens is ready, submit it through Ads Manager to run it as a paid campaign.
In addition to "Face Lenses," Snapchat also offers "World Lenses," which uses the rear camera to add 3D objects that seem like they are in your physical space.
The possibilities are just endless with these ads. This lens from Bareburger lets potential customers imagine their meal from all angles.
You can find the guidelines on AR lens ads here.
Product Ads
These are ideal for shining light on your products. Upload your catalog and create "shoppable" ads, a.k.a Product ads.
Users can click on the item they like and buy it straight away, which shows how Snapchat has become a channel that can drive full-funnel growth from awareness down to conversions and profit.
Dynamic Ads bring automated personalization to Snapchat advertising, offering scalable ways to drive performance. Syncing a product catalog with Dynamic Ads allows Snapchat to be automatically updated about changes to products like price and availability so you can run always-on campaigns. These ads are available across all major markets and support multiple product feed formats.
Swarovski and Ivory Ella had early success on their dynamic ads over the holiday season.
Snapchat Pixel Tracking
Just like Facebook Pixel for advertisers, Snapchat Pixel provides marketers with a code to place it on their website so they can track signups, product sales, and all traffic that convert on Snap Ads.
How to Measure the Metrics of Snapchat Advertising?
Understanding where to find Snapchat performance metrics and how to analyze the metrics to make smart choices for your Snapchat marketing is essential for getting a positive ROI for your social media efforts.
| Metric | What It Measures | How to Improve |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Total number of openings | The total number that your Snapchat stories have been viewed by users. Tracks content success and growth. | Create valuable, engaging content. Build excitement through anticipation. Take viewers on a journey or behind-the-scenes that encourages them to keep watching. |
| #2 Average open rates | The percentage of total estimated subscribers who have engaged with your story. | Repurpose your Snapchat stories for your other social channels and encourage viewers to follow you on Snapchat. |
| #3 Total number of screenshots | How many times people have saved your snap. Indicates valuable content. | Dive deeper to find which stories got the most screenshots. Plan content accordingly using an editorial calendar. |
| #4 Completion rate | The percentage of subscribers who viewed the entire story from start to finish. Represents audience loyalty. | Share content focused on series, provide reasons for interaction, add text to snaps and calls to action. |
| #5 Subscriber growth | Determines where your Snapchat followers are coming from. | Adjust your strategy to optimize the source and make it easier for users to connect with you. |
At Think Orion, Snapchat ad specialists are obsessed with data and brand-centric mindsets. Partnering with experts who are thoroughly familiar with the platform's marketing capabilities, features, and secrets will help you stay competitive and maximize the return on investment. No matter your size or your budget, Think Orion is the agency of choice for industry leads and small businesses alike. Get in touch today about what we can do for you.
Is AR Snapchat's Key Point of Difference?
Around 64% of Snapchatters watch video ads with the sound on -- a significant advantage over platforms like Facebook where the vast majority of videos are watched muted. For that reason, Snapchat has successfully created a totally different opportunity for brands to communicate with their audience. Adidas has started selling its products using Snapchat's shoppable augmented reality technology that allows adding a 'buy' button to AR lenses.
How Much Does It Cost to Advertise on Snapchat?
Snapchat advertising cost depends on the structure of the campaign. Advertisers are charged per 1,000 impressions (CPM). Snapchat offers three goal-based bidding strategies to optimize spend:
Snapchat's algorithm bids dynamically to get you the most results within your budget. Best for new campaigns and broad targeting.
You set the maximum amount you are willing to pay per action, giving you tighter control over costs. Ideal when you have a strict cost-per-action threshold.
You set a target cost per action, and Snapchat adjusts bids in real time to keep your average CPA at or below that target. Snapchat reports a 21% decrease in cost per purchase for advertisers using this strategy.
After setting up the campaigns, Snapchat will deliver the ads to generate the maximum result at the lowest cost. While advertisers control how much each specified goal means to them, they are still charged by impressions (CPM).
3 eCommerce Snapchat Advertising Examples to Inspire You
Mumzworld
An eCommerce website for moms, babies, and household products has used Snap ads, story ads, and collection ads to show their latest products and engage potential customers with a straightforward, shoppable experience.
Zaful
An eCommerce business for women's fashion has used Snapchat advertising to drive installs and reach buying-female customers. The ad featured a call to action and specific product categories based on product-focused creativity and expanded multi-country targeting. ZAFUL acquired high-intent customers using the minimum ROAS bidding and achieved a CPI growth of 20%.
Jaguar
Using AR lens and Snap ads, Jaguar created a Snapchat advertising campaign to build awareness for the launch of their E-PACE Engage Edition in Spain. Users 25+ old explored the exterior and interior of the car in their own surroundings and were asked to sign up on their landing page using a call-to-action button.
Just like the above Snapchat ads examples, take advantage of the platform's unique features to create memorable and shareable experiences relevant to your audiences.
Conclusion
There are a lot of great potentials for eCommerce brands to promote products on Snapchat, especially if it is of interest to Millennials and Generation Z. It has a robust advertising platform, through which you have a lot of control using their Ads Manager. It's easy, fun, and you get to spread your message to over 443 million daily active users, so give it a try!
Key points to remember:
- The Snapchat advertising platform is powerful if you are targeting a younger audience.
- Take your time to understand the channel and Snapchat advertising policies before setting up your strategy.
- Take advantage of shoppable ads to showcase your products and increase sales.
- Snapchat advertising opportunities are endless, don't be hesitant to experiment with new interactive and engaging content.
What other tips are you using to sell your products on Snapchat? Join us on Instagram and let us know in the comments!
Need Help With Your Snapchat Advertising?
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Rayed Chaudhry
I’m Rayed, co-founder and COO at Think Orion. I spend most of my time refining how data, experimentation, and creative strategy work together to make marketing systems more effective. Most of my work centers on optimizing funnels and building scalable processes for universities, exam prep companies, and certificate programs to help them grow with clarity, consistency, and measurable impact.
