About author: Jack Evans brings his extensive experience in digital marketing to the table, specialising in paid social strategies that drive growth for e-commerce and DTC brands.
Snapchat advertising is a powerful tool for digital marketers and has delivered exceptional results for brands in every industry.
The platform offers a wide range of creative ad formats, but Snapchat Story ads can deliver particularly strong results for advertisers.
This highly versatile ad type can enable you to increase brand awareness, drive online sales, and push your target audience through the sales funnel. If you’re equipped with a smart strategy and impactful creative assets, then Story ads can enable you to smash your campaign objectives out of the park.
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Let’s take a look at some high-performing Snapchat ad examples, and outline how you can generate incredible results with Story ads.
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What are Snapchat Story ads?
Snapchat Story ads are served in the Discover section of the Snapchat app, rather than appearing between organic posts like other Snapchat ads.
The Discover feed is absolutely packed with fresh content for users to discover. Posts relating to pop culture, news, and a near-infinite amount of other topics are constantly being uploaded by Snapchat users, advertisers, and publishers.
Snapchat Story ads appear in this same feed, reaching Snapchat users who are actively exploring new posts and searching for interesting content.
This is where an eye-catching creative asset can make a big impact on your target audience.
Story ads allow brands to include multiple sequential messages in a single ad placement. You can run between 3-20 consecutive images or videos in a single Story ad, which provides you with plenty of space for creativity and detailed product messaging.
If you have several brand messages to deliver, then your target audience can easily explore them by simply tapping on your Story ad.
Are Snapchat Story ads worth it?
Of all the Snapchat ad formats, Story ads have the potential to drive some of the highest levels of engagement.
That’s because Story ads lend themselves to interactive moments.
Users are already scrolling through mountains of fresh content on the Discover feed, so engaging with your Story ad feels natural and convenient.
On top of that, Story ads are extremely versatile.
You have a blank canvas to work with (technically up to 20 blank canvases) and a lot of space for creativity, meaning you can showcase product collections, tell in-depth brand stories, and provide your audience with multiple reasons to make a purchase.
As long as you can create ads that are genuinely engaging and interesting for your audience, then Story ads can be an invaluable addition to your paid social campaigns.
Finally, Snapchat advertising is proven to deliver positive results for advertisers around the globe. Whether you’re driving brand awareness or increasing website visitors, the Story ad format can help you to achieve your goals.
3 compelling benefits of Snapchat Story ads
Story ads are a fantastic way for businesses to drive brand awareness at scale, connect with high-value audiences, and grow their social media presence.
But what makes this ad format so effective for marketers?
Let’s take a closer look at the 3 key benefits of using Story ads in your Snapchat campaigns.
1. You can communicate multiple messages
This may sound like an obvious benefit, but it shouldn’t be overlooked.
The ability to communicate multiple messages in a single ad format is hugely advantageous for brands on Snapchat.
Since you aren’t restricted by a single image or video limit, you have more opportunities to engage, persuade, and convert your audience.
Rather than showing off a single product, you can showcase a full collection. Instead of highlighting just one benefit of your services, you can give users numerous reasons to buy.
2. You can reach a receptive Snapchat audience
The placement of Snapchat Story ads is also very important to acknowledge.
The Discover feed is a place where Snapchat users go to actively explore new content from different publishers and brands.
Your Story ads are served alongside all of this fresh content, meaning audiences are open-minded and ready to consume new posts. With relevant and creative ad messages, you can easily drive sky-high levels of engagement in the Discover feed.
3. You can drive high engagement
Snapchat Story ads are also specifically designed for engagement.
This ad type requires users to tap on their phone screen to explore your Story assets, so your audience will be automatically engaged with your brand messages.
Plus, if you can create compelling Story ads that hook users and encourage them to tap through, these engagements can quickly transform into conversions.
Whether you’re trying to boost sales or increase brand awareness, all of this user engagement can be immensely beneficial for your campaigns and business results.
For brands looking to unlock the full benefits of Snapchat ads, partnering with a specialist Snapchat advertising agency can be a game-changer. Paid social experts can help businesses to crush their campaign goals and make Snapchat ads work harder for them.
10 successful Snapchat Story ads examples
We’ve already covered the major benefits that Snapchat advertising offers businesses.
Now it’s time to explore a few high-performing Snapchat ad examples and explain how some of the best Snapchat ads achieved their success.
BUX
Finance tech company BUX launched Story ads to increase app installs and accelerate user acquisition.
The brand utilised the Story ad format to communicate several product benefits in a single ad placement. This helped users to easily understand the wider value of the BUX app and encouraged customers to commit to a download.
BUX produced a series of native-style Story ads that highlighted different features of the app. These video ads clearly showcased the look and feel of the app and invited audiences to swipe up and download the app for themselves.
The campaign was hugely successful, driving a 48% lower CPA compared to other social advertising platforms and an impressive 26% install rate.
Depop
Marketplace app Depop used Snapchat Story ads to reach new audiences and grow its user base cost-efficiently.
The brand targeted a combination of Lifestyle categories and Snap Pixel segments to drive conversions, and produced a punchy Story asset to promote the Depop platform offering.
These Story ads contained fashionable and aesthetic visuals that conveyed Depop’s brand personality and stood out in the busy Discover feed.
Each Story asset showcased different products that were available on the Depop platform, and the ad concluded with an eye-catching end frame that highlighted an app install CTA along with the Depop logo.
The campaign was very effective for Depop, delivering a 77% lower CPA versus other marketing channels.
Motorola
Motorola used Snapchat Story ads to increase both awareness and consideration for its latest product launch.
The Story ads were simple but effective. Motorola centred its Snapchat campaign around the long-lasting battery life of its new phone and used Story ads to highlight this benefit in a visual way.
The concept of this Story ad was straightforward but successfully showcased the core product benefit while also encouraging users to tap through the creative assets.
Simple and engaging visuals are often highly impactful when it comes to Story ads, and Motorola proved this with a successful ad campaign.
Motorola delivered an 8% increase in ad awareness through this Story activity, as well as a 3% boost in product consideration.
MeUndies
Underwear brand MeUndies used creative Story ads to drive customer acquisition and online sales.
MeUndies utilised Story ads to transition away from sales-led messaging and highlight more of its unique product offering. The brand then leveraged Snap Pixel data to retarget and convert audiences who engaged with its Story ads campaign.
These creative Story ads featured a range of eye-catching MeUndies products and effectively showcased multiple designs and patterns.
Rather than limiting itself to a single image or video asset, MeUndies used Story ads to promote a collection of different products while also maintaining a clear brand identity.
The brand delivered outstanding results through this campaign, generating a 66% increase in retargeting ROAS (versus the previous month) and a 242% increase in prospecting ROAS.
Pura Vida
Bracelet and jewellery brand Pura Vida launched Snapchat Story ads to increase conversions and drive cost-efficient flash sale purchases.
The brand targeted its best-performing audience segments to improve efficiency and used a combination of colourful product images and discount messaging to generate interest.
Pura Vida launched a combination of static and video Story ads, and also used Snapchat’s Creative Tools offering to enhance its assets and make them feel more native.
The campaign placed a big emphasis on clear and simple product photos, and this strategy paid off.
Pura Vida drove a 108% higher ROAS when compared to normal campaign benchmarks, and also achieved a 53% lower Cost Per Purchase versus normal campaigns.
Acorns
Financial wellness platform Acorns used Story ads to accelerate user acquisition and scale up app installs on the platform.
The brand chose to focus on a single key product benefit (a ‘round up’ investment feature) to encourage users to download the Acorns app. This single-minded approach to product messaging proved to be highly effective for the business.
The Story ad was short and sweet but managed to deliver all of the fundamental product information in a creative and engaging way.
Acorns used clear and informative visuals to demonstrate the benefits of its ‘round up’ functionality. The Story ad also ended with a clear app install call-to-action, directing users to both the App Store and Google Play store.
This campaign was extremely effective for Acorns, driving a 10% lower CPA versus historical benchmarks and causing the brand to increase its YoY Snapchat investment by 178%.
Swiggys
Food delivery platform Swiggy launched Snapchat ads to scale up its audience acquisition and increase monthly orders on its app.
The brand launched several Snapchat advertising tests to refine its marketing strategy, using both Story ads and Snap ads to maximise performance. Swiggy also targeted various audiences (including Lookalike segments) to increase reach and drive efficiency.
These Snapchat ads ticked a lot of the right boxes in terms of creative production.
Bold and striking colours helped these Story ads to stand out in the Discover feed, while eye-catching creative overlays communicated key information about the Swiggy service.
The ads also featured clear product visuals and ended with an unmissable brand logo that helped to drive recognition and awareness among target audiences.
This campaign was a big success, delivering 11k monthly incremental orders for Swiggy and a 49% YoY increase in first-time orders.
Max Fashion
Clothing brand Max Fashion launched Story ads to increase online sales, acquire new audiences, and improve the efficiency of its Snapchat ads.
The business initially launched Snapchat Commercials in the lead-up to Black Friday, promoting sales messaging to a younger demographic and building excitement around upcoming discounts.
Max Fashion then retargeted engaged users with Story ads, optimising conversions to deliver cost-efficient sales.
The Story ads featured a range of different product shots, while also promoting discount messaging and highlighting the Max Fashion brand logo.
This product-led creative approach, combined with a smart retargeting strategy, equalled highly successful Snapchat ads.
Max Fashion saw impressive results from this activity, including a 9% increase in ad awareness among the target audience and an 8x ROAS for ads optimising towards App Purchases.
Ford
Ford used Snapchat Story ads to promote its latest car release and nudge users to sign up for a test drive.
The brand utilised Story ads to highlight the different features and benefits of the car, with eye-catching visuals that were designed to capture attention in a competitive Discover feed.
Each Story asset contained different product benefits and unique ad visuals, encouraging audiences to explore the full Story sequence.
The ad also prompted users to swipe up and book a test drive, turning Story ad engagements into action.
The campaign delivered outstanding results for Ford. The business managed to maintain an impressive 13.26% open rate and generated an incredible 406x uplift in test drive bookings.
Pangaia
Eco-friendly manufacturer Pangaia leveraged Story ads to distribute brand messages around sustainability, increase its Snapchat ads ROAS, and drive high-value conversions during the Black Friday period.
The brand also used Dynamic ads to increase efficiency, meaning its Story ads contained relevant and personalised product recommendations that helped to drive catalog sales.
Pangaia’s Story ads balanced colourful product visuals with action-oriented CTAs – and this proved to be a powerful formula for the brand.
High-quality creative assets, combined with data-driven audience targeting and Dynamic Snapchat ads, delivered excellent results across the board.
The campaign achieved a 71% lower CPA versus other social advertising platforms, as well as a 278% higher ROAS. With impactful ad visuals and tactical marketing, businesses can drive insanely efficient conversions through Story ads.
3 Snapchat Story ads best practices to boost campaign performance
One of the best ways to improve performance when you advertise on Snapchat is by following proven best practices.
We’ve pulled together 3 expert pointers for Snapchat ads that will help you to skyrocket your returns and turbocharge your next campaign.
Maintain consistent quality across your Story ads
If you want to launch effective Snapchat Story campaigns, then you need to create ads that feel consistent and connected.
Every creative asset in your Story sequence should be of the same high quality, with a clear brand voice and visual identity present throughout.
If users are tapping through your Story ads and finding inconsistent quality and disjointed messaging, they’re unlikely to stick around to find out more. However, if you’re creating a seamless ad experience that feels cohesive, your audience is more likely to engage.
Produce Snapchat content that feels native
It’s also very important to create Story ads that feel natural and native to the Snapchat platform.
Take a look at some of the most popular content in the Discover feed.
There are an infinite number of different publishers and content types, but there are also some key similarities between high-performing posts. Native Snapchat content tends to be snappy and entertaining, rather than long-form and overly polished.
Influencer marketing and User Generated Content are also super effective on Snapchat, and can instantly add credibility to your brand communications.
Give users a reason to explore your Story ads
Snapchat Story ads have the potential to deliver mind-blowing levels of engagement.
However, you’ll still need to give your audience a compelling reason to explore your creative assets and pay attention to your campaign message.
Make sure that your Story ads are keeping users hooked. For example, you might tell an engaging brand story that unfolds over multiple assets or tease some game-changing product benefits that are highlighted throughout the ad.
Grabbing the attention of your audience is just one-half of the equation. If you can maintain this attention through creative Story ads, then you’ll be in a fantastic position to drive results.
What’s the difference between Snap ads and Snapchat Story ads?
Snapchat offers a wide range of unique ad formats to brands, so it’s important to know the differences between these placements.
For example, Snap ads are one of the most popular formats on the platform but can play a very different role to Story ads in your campaigns.
Snap ads are full-screen vertical video ads that can run for up to 10 seconds. They include a ‘swipe up’ functionality that can direct users to an external landing page or a longer video.
Snap ads are served in between organic Snapchat Stories, so can be very useful for capturing the attention of users as they tap through posts.
Snapchat Story ads, on the other hand, can include 3-20 images or videos in a single ad placement. They also appear in the Discover feed, rather than between user Stories.
Both Snapchat ad formats can be highly effective, but they also require a different creative approach.
What are the 6 ad types available on Snapchat?
Snapchat Story ads are a powerful tool for social media advertisers, but they’re just one part of the wider Snapchat advertising offering.
There are 6 main ad types available to brands on Snapchat, and understanding how each format can support your business goals is hugely important.
Let’s briefly run through these different ad types, and highlight what they can bring to the table for your next campaign.
Single Image or Video Ads
A simple but versatile ad format that allows you to run a single image or video asset. You can utilise photos, videos, or even GIFs to create this ad format.
Snapchat Story Ads
Allows marketers to run 3-20 images or videos within a single ad placement. These creative assets are served sequentially, and users can tap each tile to explore the next one.
Commercial Ads
Commercials are unskippable video ads that appear around Snapchat Stories. There are two types (Standard and Extended) but the first 6 seconds are always unskippable.
Collection Ads
Collection ads display a single ‘hero’ image or video asset above 4 clickable product tiles. This format is ideal for showcasing product collections and generating online sales.
AR Lens Ads
Augmented Reality Lens ads are essentially sponsored camera filters. Brands can create both Face AR Lenses and World AR Lenses to deliver augmented reality experiences.
Filter Ads
You can think of Filter ads as a more basic version of AR Lenses. Rather than creating AR experiences, Filters add static overlays to Snapchat images and user photos.
If you’re looking to bolster your Snapchat advertising efforts, then Story ads can be a brilliant addition to your strategy.
These Snapchat ads can deliver outstanding results for your business – you just need to follow creative best practices and ensure that your audience targeting is on point.
Take full advantage of the creative space available, focus on your most persuasive messages, and A/B test different tactics to maximise performance. Good luck!
