With Super Bowl 51 around the corner, many advertisers that prefer not to shell out $5 million+ for a 30-second spot during the Big Game will likely consider reaching captive audiences on mobile. For some, that might mean Snapchat. But are Snapchat ads actually working? Does anyone really watch them all the way through?

Snapchat ads are becoming increasingly popular and attractive to advertisers. These ads are very short and to the point, no longer than 10 seconds, containing valuable content to engage users. The ads are displayed between Snapchat stories, Discover articles, and live stories. Snapchat ads cost a minimum of $100,000 a day, and that price can increase on holidays and weekends. The price to advertise on Snapchat is much more appealing than 30-second spot ads during the Super Bowl, but what about the reach? How effective are Snapchat ads?

With more than 150 million daily Snapchat users, there is a huge potential to reach a wide audience. People watch their phones more than they watch TV. But a user will typically view an ad for only 2.5-2.8 seconds on Snapchat. Advertisers believe that they are purchasing a 10-second ad on Snapchat, but really are only purchasing a 3-second time frame to get their message across.

Personally, I hardly watch an ad on Snapchat all the way through. Like most users, I find myself skipping ads if they do not catch my attention right away. So, if Super Bowl Advertisers go the Snapchat route, what can they do to make their ads more interesting to users?

1. Be Disruptive. Recognize that Snapchat caters to short attention spans. If the beginning of an ad is boring, there is a slim change that it will be viewed all the way through. By creating an ad that catches the viewers attention in a few seconds, you increase the chances that the viewer will watch the entire ad and then “swipe up” for more information. Ads should be creative and eye-catching within the first 2 seconds, or you will lose them.
2. Create Interactive Ads to Engage Users. Gatorade, for example, created a Nintendo-style video game ad for last year’s Super Bowl. It invited users can play a tennis match with Serena Williams. This ad was a huge hit; the average time spent on the ad was three minutes. A creative brand “ad” that allows a user to get involved has the potential to reach larger audiences for longer periods of time.
3. Look Into Snapchat Lenses. This form of advertising is more expensive than 10-second Snap Ads, ranging from $300,000 – $750,000 for a single day, but reach millions of users daily. Snapchat lenses put different filters, animals, or objects on your face. Taco Bell created a lens where a users head would transform into a taco. Snapchat lenses are a great way to creatively advertise a brand. Users become engaged with these lenses and are able to send their transformed faces to their friends. Snapchat lenses, with the brands logo placed somewhere on the filter, are very recognizable users that leave a lasting and memorable impression.

Now Snapchat is not for every brand. But for big companies like Gatorade and Cadbury (another brand that’s had success with this medium), it may just be a valid opportunity during Super Bowl 51. As with any other medium, Snapchat is not something you want to dive into headfirst. Take a step back, evaluate the possibilities, and come up with a strategy that works in the medium without sacrificing the integrity of your brand.