Time spent on mobile devices is only increasing, and automotive dealers need new tools to reach Millennial and Gen Z auto buyers. With a large and unduplicated audience in these demographics, Snapchat has become a powerful channel for dealers looking to create an authentic impact. Here’s an introduction to the advanced targeting options within Snapchat’s Ads Manager, along with guidelines to measure the impact of that marketing spend.
Snapchat: from zero to 60 in only 3 ½ years
Snapchat commands over 186 million active daily users, with 44% being age 25+. The platform’s signature ephemerality and frictionless communication, paired with Stories, Lenses, augmented reality and mobile-focused premium content means that users open Snapchat 20 times per day on average and spend over 30 minutes per day on the app.
Over the past 3 ½ years, Snapchat has evolved from a branding tool for businesses to a conversion-based marketing machine. With unique creative units, buying tools, audience targeting solutions and measurement options specifically designed for the automotive industry, Snapchat is ideally positioned to reach those Gen Z and Millennial car buyers.
The Power of Stories and the Vertical Ad Format
Social media users now favor images and video over text, and Snapchat’s introduction of Stories in 2013 revolutionized the way that audiences consume images. Today, the adoption of the Stories format by competing social media companies stands testament to the feature’s strength and longevity, in no small part due to the effectiveness of the Stories format as a marketing tool.
Stories require a shift from traditional square or widescreen dimensions to a vertical format that leverages the entire mobile screen. Swiping between Stories allows users to access a diverse array of content while granting each frame their undivided attention.
Keys to a Successful Campaign
To execute an effective Snapchat campaign, dealers should first focus on creating the right structure. Snapchat delivers results from consideration to conversion, so begin by choosing the appropriate objective to achieve your goals. Are you more interested in driving engagement, website visits, or generating leads and purchases?
After defining what a successful campaign looks like for your dealership, the next step is to determine a target audience. On Snapchat, dealers can still reach the third-party, in-market auto buyer segments that have disappeared from Facebook’s targeting options. Build your audience based on lifestyle, advanced demographics, offline behavior, and geography. Dealers can also use first-party data to build and target custom audiences using Snap Audience Match (SAM). For remarketing, dealers can utilize Snap Foot Traffic Insights by utilizing geo-precise info on dealership visitation.
Remembering both the campaign goal and the audience being targeted, it is also important to keep Snapchat’s platform and visual language in mind. Your video should be short –5 seconds or less– with a singular message. For long-form video, dealers will have more success featuring user-generated content (think reviews and testimonials) and Snapchat-inspired features. Vertical video from a face-on (selfie) perspective, with a linear narrative and to-the-point messaging will yield the best engagement. Advertisers are encouraged to experiment and test multiple formats, from video to stills and gifs, to see what resonates most with their target audiences.
Snap Ad manager also provides features that dealers can use to track the impact and success of their campaign in real-time. Advertisers can measure spend against impressions, swipes, and conversions across devices and apps, in addition to using Snapchat’s unique location-based attribution solutions. Over 85% of Snapchat users share their location with Snapchat, so location-based attribution allows for tracking how many people that have been exposed to your message actually show up at the dealership!
Autos on Snapchat – build your brand and drive demand
When used strategically, Snapchat can be a formidable tool for auto dealers chasing that valuable yet elusive Millennial and Gen Z audience. With in-depth targeting tools enabling you to reach a highly-engaged user base, with many users not found on any other social media platform, Snapchat has truly become a powerful marketing machine for dealerships. Whether the goal is to increase your brand awareness with a younger generation or to drive website traffic and hard leads, Snapchat has a solution for your dealership.
Don’t miss Joel’s upcoming session at Digital Dealer 26 this Spring in Orlando titled, “The Evolution of Snapchat from a Communication App to a Marketing Machine for Dealers.” Gain a better understanding of the vertical ad phenomenon and the unduplicated Millenial and Gen Z audience on Snapchat.
