Retention Revolution: How Snapchat Ads Keep App Users Coming Back for More

Discover the secret to boosting your app’s retention rate with Snapchat ads! Yes, it’s true. Not only do Snapchat ads drive downloads, but they also entice users to return to your app time and again.

Now, you might be wondering, “How exactly can I leverage Snapchat ads to enhance my mobile app’s retention rate?” Well, you’re about to find out. Let’s dive in!

What are Snapchat ads?

Snapchat ads are full-screen, unobtrusive ads that users see sandwiched between organic content. These promotional messages or content appear within the Snapchat app, allowing businesses and advertisers to reach Snapchat’s extensive user base through various ad formats.

Integrated seamlessly into the Snapchat user experience, these 10-second full-screen vertical videos show up in between watching friends’ stories. Users can swipe up to interact with the ad, which can be targeted to specific audience segments based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.

What are the different types of Snapchat ads?

The ad formats of Snapchat ads are designed to drive essential results, which include increasing awareness, improving product knowledge, and converting leads to sales. To achieve these, there are various Snapchat ad formats you can choose from. Here are some of the best options for you:

Single Image or Video Ads

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Single image or video ads offer versatility and immediate impact. They can appear in Stories and Spotlight ad placements, combining a photo or video with brief messaging and a call-to-action to create engaging full-screen ads. These ads are ideal for boosting awareness, driving traffic to your website, and remarketing to previous visitors.

Story Ads

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Story Ads are crafted to ignite curiosity by presenting a sequence of images or videos that users can tap through. These ads have the potential to appear between user Stories, within the Discover Feed, and in Spotlight.

Consisting of a series ranging from 1 to 20 Single Image or Video Ads, they are seamlessly delivered between content or featured through a branded tile in Snapchat’s Discover section. Story Ads are particularly effective for driving deeper engagement, educating viewers about your product, and highlighting special offers and timely messaging.

Collection Ads

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Collection Ads offer a seamless shopping experience, simplifying the browsing and purchasing process. These ads can be found in both Stories and Spotlight ad placements, presenting four tappable tiles that highlight multiple products.

This format provides Snapchatters with a frictionless way to explore and make purchases. Collection Ads are particularly effective for advertising in the e-commerce space, serving as ‘always-on’ advertising to maintain visibility in the market. Additionally, they are well-suited for lower-funnel objectives, driving conversions and sales.

AR Ads

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AR Ads offer a captivating way to captivate your audience through Snapchat Lenses, providing an interactive augmented reality experience aimed at leaving a lasting impact. These ads enable a powerful and memorable connection with consumers by immersing them in augmented reality interactions.

Ideal for enhancing brand awareness, fostering engagement, and driving conversions, AR Ads present a dynamic opportunity to connect with your target audience on a deeper level.

Why is User Retention Important for My App?

Retention rate plays a vital role in your app’s success. Retained users are more likely to generate long-term revenue for the app through in-app purchases, subscriptions, or ad views. A high retention rate means a higher lifetime value (LTV) per user, contributing significantly to the app’s overall revenue stream.

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Moreover, Acquiring new users is typically more expensive than retaining existing ones. By focusing on retaining users, app developers can save on marketing and advertising costs associated with acquiring new users. Improving retention rates can lead to a more cost-efficient user acquisition strategy over time.

As you can see, you need to focus on improving your retention rate and you can do this through Snapchat Ads.

How to Improve Retention Rate with Snapchat Ads

Improving the retention rate with Snapchat ads involves a strategic approach that focuses on engaging existing users, providing value, and encouraging continued app usage. Here’s how you can leverage Snapchat ads to enhance your retention rate:

1. Create Engaging Content

Develop compelling ad creatives that resonate with your target audience. Use eye-catching visuals. Remember, the visual aspect of your ads is crucial on Snapchat. Create visually appealing content that stands out in users’ feeds. Use high-quality images or videos that capture attention and reflect your brand identity. Consider incorporating motion graphics or animations to make your ads more dynamic and attention-grabbing.

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Take advantage of Snapchat’s interactive features, such as AR Lenses, filters, stickers, and interactive ad formats. These elements allow users to engage with your content in fun and creative ways, increasing their interaction and likelihood of remembering your brand. AR Lenses, in particular, can provide an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression on users.

While visuals are important, don’t overlook the power of words. Craft compelling copy that complements your visuals and effectively communicates your message. Keep it concise, engaging, and on-brand. Use language that resonates with your target audience and prompts them to take action, whether it’s swiping up to learn more, visiting your website, or downloading your app.

2. Run Retargeting Campaigns

Retargeting is a type of online advertising that focuses on people who have previously engaged with your brand. By targeting individuals who have visited your website, clicked on ads, or interacted on social media, retargeting keeps your brand in front of potential customers. Through ads across different channels, retargeting aims to remind these individuals of their initial interest and encourage them to return and make a purchase, install your app, or perform your desired actions.

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What’s amazing about Snapchat Ads is that they allow you to upload your own customer data to create a Custom Audience of Snapchatters who are highly likely to convert, using your own first-party data. This enables you to target ads more effectively to individuals who have already shown interest in your brand, increasing the likelihood of conversion and maximizing the impact of your Snapchat advertising campaigns.

3. Promote App Features and Updates

Promoting app features and updates through Snapchat ads is an effective way to engage existing users, rekindle their interest in your app, and encourage continued usage. Here’s how you can effectively leverage Snapchat ads for this purpose:

• Highlight New Features: Whenever you release a new feature or update in your app, use Snapchat ads to showcase it to your audience. Create visually appealing ads that highlight the functionality and benefits of the new feature, making users eager to try it out.
• Educate Users: Many users may not be aware of all the features your app offers. Use Snapchat ads as an opportunity to educate your audience about the various capabilities of your app. Create tutorial-style ads that demonstrate how to use specific features or accomplish certain tasks within the app.
• Offer Sneak Peeks: Generate excitement and anticipation among your users by offering sneak peeks of upcoming features or updates. Tease new functionalities through teaser ads or behind-the-scenes glimpses, building anticipation and curiosity among your audience.
• Use Storytelling: Tell a compelling story through your ads that showcases how your app can make a positive impact on users’ lives. Use real-life scenarios, testimonials, or user stories to illustrate the value of your app and how it can address specific pain points or fulfill specific needs.
• Encourage Engagement: Include interactive elements in your ads, such as polls, quizzes, or challenges, to encourage user engagement and interaction. Engaging with your ads can deepen users’ connection with your app and increase their likelihood of returning to it in the future.

4. Offer Incentives and Rewards

Run promotional campaigns and offers exclusively for existing users to incentivize them to stay engaged with your app. Offer discounts, loyalty rewards, exclusive content, or in-app currency as incentives for users to keep coming back.

5. Provide Personalized Experiences

Utilize Snapchat’s audience segmentation and targeting capabilities to deliver personalized ad experiences based on users’ interests, behaviors, and preferences. Tailor your ads to specific audience segments to make them more relevant and engaging.

Here’s how you can effectively implement personalized experiences:

• Audience Segmentation: Utilize Snapchat’s audience segmentation tools to divide your user base into different segments based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and other relevant criteria. This allows you to better understand your audience and create targeted ad campaigns that resonate with specific user groups.
• Behavioral Targeting: Leverage data on users’ past interactions with your app, such as in-app actions, purchase history, and engagement level, to inform your targeting strategy. Use this information to deliver personalized ad experiences that are relevant to users’ interests and preferences.
• Interest-Based Targeting: Target users based on their expressed interests, preferences, and affinities. Utilize data on users’ interactions with Snapchat content, such as the types of Stories they engage with or the lenses they use, to identify relevant interests and tailor your ad content accordingly.
• Customized Messaging: Tailor your ad messaging to resonate with specific audience segments. Use language, imagery, and offers that are relevant and appealing to each segment, addressing their unique needs, pain points, and motivations.

6. Choose the right call to action

Once your target audience views your Snapchat ads, they have the option to swipe up the ad and depending on what you have set up, they can take a specific action. For example, you can set the swipe-up function to redirect users to a specific website, video, article, or app install page.

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This is a neat feature if you want to improve your app retention. For example, you can set the swipe-up function and redirect them to an article where you educate them more about the benefits of using your app. You can also tell them more about new features, promos, and special offers. All these could dramatically improve your retention rate.

7. Track and Optimize Performance

Monitor the performance of your Snapchat ad campaigns closely and track key metrics related to retention, such as app opens, in-app actions, and user engagement. Use this data to optimize your ad creatives, targeting, and messaging to improve retention rates over time.

Snapchat offers its Ads Manager, where you can essentially set up and track your ads. With Ads Manager, you immediately see the most important metrics you need to know. These include the following:

• Amount spent – The cumulative amount you have invested up to this point.
• Paid impressions  – The total count of views your ad has received.
• Clicks – The total count of clicks or taps on your ad’s Call-to-Action (CTA).
• Click Rate – The ratio of clicks on Top Snap impressions, expressed as a percentage.
• Video Views – The total count of impressions where users watched for 2 seconds or more or performed a click action on the Top Snap.

Refrain from altering your ad within the initial four days, even if the outcomes are not satisfactory. This approach enables the ad system to undergo its exploration phase, facilitating the identification of the most probable audience members to initiate action.

8. Use the Snap Pixel

Remember the swipe-up function of Snap Ads? Well, this feature becomes more useful when you combine it with Snap Pixel. You see, you may effectively redirect users to your desired page, but you also want to know what they do after that. For example, what do they do on your website? Do they proceed to install your app or make a purchase? You can track their activities with Snap Pixel.

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Utilize the Snap Pixel to track user actions on your website following ad views. This tool enables you to identify key areas for improving your ad audiences, such as encouraging purchases or completing lead generation forms. Additionally, the Snap Pixel tracks your return on ad spend (ROAS), providing insights into the value generated by your ads.

Run Successful Snapchat Ads Today

Boosting your app’s retention rate through Snapchat ads is within reach, especially with the right expertise and resources at your disposal. However, navigating the complexities of Snapchat ad campaigns can be daunting without the proper knowledge and experience.

Fortunately, ShyftUp is here to help. As one of the top user acquisition agencies, ShyftUp specializes in driving more downloads and installs for your app. Their experienced team will collaborate closely with you to develop tailored Snapchat ad campaigns designed to significantly enhance your retention rate. Ready to take your app to the next level? Schedule a demo with ShyftUp today!