When to Start Running TikTok and Snapchat Ads
It’s crazy to think that social media platforms have been around for more than two decades. Gone are the days of messaging friends and family on AOL or posting your top five friends on Myspace.
The newer trends of social media lean toward video content — specifically, short video content.
Facebook and Instagram now have video reels to entertain the masses. However, there are two social media platforms that were on this trend before Mark Zuckerberg got on it: TikTok and Snapchat.
Snapchat and TikTok are becoming social media GIANTS. And as with other apps, they offer businesses the opportunity to advertise to their users. Some companies are taking advantage of this opportunity, and many are getting great results.
So are these newer social media platforms worth running advertisements for your business? That’s what we’re here to explain.
Why Listen to Us?
Know that old saying, “The proof is in the pudding?” People need proof or they won’t believe it.
Well, here is your pudding: We recently saw a great return on ad spend (ROAS) for one of our clients on TikTok and Snapchat.
Norcross is a Volvo and Mazda dealer in Memphis, Tennessee. They are open to trying different strategies to reach their audiences, so we pitched TikTok and Snapchat advertising. After getting their approval, we gave the two platforms a three-month test run with dealership inventory ads.
The results showed really high engagement, even with a low advertising spend for our test. For the Mazda dealership, Snapchat’s return on ad spend (ROAS) was the highest for the quarter, even surpassing Facebook!
Is it Worth Advertising on Snapchat or TikTok?
The short answer is yes, but we know you don’t want the short answer. You need some proof.
Snapchat Stats
If you think your demographic isn’t on Snapchat, you are wrong. Snapchat has more than half a billion users. Of its users, 51% are 25+ years old. The platform also reaches 75% of the Millennial and Gen Z population.
These users aren’t just using it to post selfies and videos. They are buying a lot of products on the social media app. Snapchat alone has users with more than $4.4 trillion in spending power!
TikTok Stats
TikTok has great results for advertising, too. TikTok has 325 million monthly active users, and the active TikTok user spends 58 minutes on the app a day.
The platform has also reported great spending power. In the quarter two of 2024, TikTok reported $6 billion in consumer spending.
When to Start Advertising on Snapchat and TikTok
So when is the best time to start integrating TikTok and Snapchat advertising for your business?
First things first: if you don’t already have digital advertising for your business, we usually recommend fully funding Facebook and Instagram as well as search engine advertising (a.k.a. Google Ads) first. These platforms are well-established and produce quality results for most businesses.
Our team calls it the ice cream sundae of digital marketing. These established platforms are the ice cream, the foundation of any good sundae. Everything else is toppings.
Once you have a good base, you can start putting some of your advertising budget toward these newer platforms — or the toppings. (Sprinkles, anyone?)
We don’t recommend putting a giant budget in initially. Test out the platforms with a smaller budget like we did with Norcross and see which platforms and which advertising spends give you the best results.
Also, if you are an automotive dealer and you have extra co-op dollars to spend, you can spend them on TikTok and Snapchat! This will help you reach different audiences with your ads at no extra cost to your business.
Tips and Tricks to Get Those Clicks
Ready to start advertising your business on TikTok and Snapchat? Great!
Here are a few things to consider when you develop your brand on these newer platforms.
1. Follow the Trends
It’s a good idea to know what is popular on social media when you’re making ads. Just get a general sense of what is happening by glancing at TikTok’s explore page or swiping through Snapchat’s filters.
Making content similar to these trends will grab users’ attention and show off your brand.
2. Try Out Different Targeting
The great thing about TikTok and Snapchat advertising is they both have extensive targeting opportunities. Don’t be afraid to test out different targeting strategies to find the right audiences for your ads.
On Snapchat and TikTok you can target users by interests and lookalikes to your current customers, as well as pixel-based and other custom targeting options.
3. Use Multiple Ad Formats
Both of these platforms offer great ad formats (similar to Facebook) that you can use to your advantage. A lot of the content you put on Facebook can be reformatted and used for ads on Snapchat and Instagram.
TikTok and Snapchat also offer different formats that are unique to their brands. For example, TikTok offers branded hashtag challenges and Snapchat offers augmented reality advertising to keep the content relevant/relatable to the audiences on the platforms.
Have an inventory feed on your website? You can showcase it on TikTok!
In their first few months of running TikTok ads, our clients have seen quality engagement and great return on ad spend.
4. Keep it Simple
As we said earlier, users on these platforms like short videos. The average Gen Z user has a 1.3-second attention span when viewing ads on social media.
Keep your advertising short and sweet to catch the attention of this different audience.
Hop on the New Social Media Train with 9 Clouds
Not sure you want to learn all there is to know about new social media trends? The good news is, you don’t have to. Instead, let your trusty friends at 9 Clouds deal with the hustle and bustle of social media for you.
We’ll make sure your business gets advertised where your potential customers are — whether on Facebook and Instagram or one of these newer platforms.
We have the experience to help you establish the right digital strategy, even if it doesn’t involve making a fancy dance video.
Get More from Your Digital Ads with 9 Clouds »
Tyrel Finck
As a digital strategist — and our resident weightlifting expert — Tyrel understands performance. He helps clients achieve their online marketing goals with digital ads, email, website content, and more. Learn more about Tyrel Finck.
