Marketing

Types of Snapchat Ads: Which Format Fits Your Ecommerce Brand?

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Open Ads Manager and you’ll find a menu of formats: Snaps, Stories, Collections, Lenses, Commercials. It’s tempting to pick whatever looks most exciting. That’s usually how a first test gets wasted. A better way to choose is by the job each ad has to do.

This post sorts the types of Snapchat ads by job. For setup, targeting, and test design, see this guide to Snapchat ads for business.

The main types of Snapchat ads

According to Snapchat for Business, the formats include:

Single Image or Video Ads
Story Ads
Collection Ads
Sponsored Snaps
Commercials
AR Lenses and Filters

Shopify stores can also run Snapchat Dynamic Product Ads from a synced catalog. Confirm the current specs in Ads Manager, since they change.

For prospecting: Single Image or Video Ads

These are full-screen vertical (9:16) ads that appear in Stories and Spotlight, running from 3 to 180 seconds. Snap’s own advice is to begin with a single image or video ad. Show the product in the first frame and use phone-shot footage rather than polished studio edits.

For selling from your catalog: Collection and Dynamic Product Ads

Snapchat Collection Ads pair a lead image or video with products people can browse, and Snap labels them as a good fit for ecommerce. Snapchat Dynamic Product Ads build each ad from your synced catalog, which suits retargeting people who viewed products.

Both can only show what your feed holds. Audit titles, images, prices, and stock before launch. A messy feed makes good ads look bad.

For starting a conversation: Sponsored Snaps

Snapchat Sponsored Snaps land in the Chat inbox, where people can reply, and brands can add an auto-response. They run up to 180 seconds, though Snap recommends keeping them under 10. They suit launches and offers. Snap’s reach claims for the format are Snap’s own, so judge them by your orders, not the platform’s numbers.

For awareness: Commercials and AR Lenses

Commercials start with a non-skippable opening, and AR Lenses and Filters offer branded camera effects. Both suit reach goals and launches. They rarely belong in a first test judged on purchases.

A hypothetical first test

These details are made up for illustration. Imagine an apparel store selling $60 items. It chooses three formats, each with its own job and its own read:

Single video for prospecting new customers
Dynamic Product Ads in a separate campaign for retargeting product viewers
One Sponsored Snap batch for an upcoming product drop

Because each format has its own purpose, the store can see what each one contributes instead of blending everything into one number.

Common mistakes and fixes

Testing every format at once: start with two or three that match clear jobs.
Judging awareness formats on purchases: set reach goals for them instead.
Launching with a messy catalog: clean titles, prices, and stock first.
Reusing horizontal video: build in 9:16 from the start.
Mixing retargeting results into prospecting: keep campaigns separate.

Conclusion

The best format for your first test depends on the job you need done: single video for prospecting, catalog ads for selling, Sponsored Snaps for conversation, and awareness formats only when reach is the goal. Pick two or three, keep their results separate, and judge them against your own store data. If you’d like a second opinion on your mix, a team that handles Snapchat ads management can review your plan with you.