Let’s be honest—the idea of planning an advertising campaign for content that disappears feels a bit like building a sandcastle at high tide. You put in all this work, and then… poof. It’s gone. But that’s exactly the magic, and the challenge, of platforms like Snapchat and BeReal.
Ephemeral content isn’t just a feature; it’s a mindset. It creates a powerful sense of urgency, authenticity, and FOMO (fear of missing out) that static posts can only dream of. For advertisers, this means a unique playground. But you can’t just wing it. You need a plan. And, crucially, you need to know if it worked. Here’s how to tackle both.
The Ephemeral Mindset: It’s Not Just a Disappearing Act
First, understand the soil you’re planting in. Snapchat Stories vanish after 24 hours. BeReal’s two-minute window captures a raw, unfiltered moment. This isn’t the polished, evergreen world of Instagram grids. The audience here is in a different headspace—they’re seeking connection, not curation.
Your advertising has to feel native to that. It’s less about a hard sell and more about a soft, genuine invitation into a moment. Think of it as a conversation at a bustling party, not a formal presentation in a boardroom.
Key Differences in Planning Your Approach
Planning for ephemeral ads requires a shift. A big one.
- Velocity Over Perfection: You’re creating for volume and timeliness. A slightly rough-around-the-edges video that taps into a today trend will outperform a perfectly lit, month-in-the-making ad. Seriously.
- Context is King (or Queen): Align with the platform’s native tools. On Snapchat, that means playful lenses, filters, and vertical video. On BeReal—well, advertising isn’t formally there yet, but influencer partnerships that mimic the app’s candid, back-camera style are the only way in. You have to blend.
- The Narrative Arc: Since a “Story” lasts a day, plan a mini-arc. A teaser in the morning, a behind-the-scenes peek at noon, a user-generated content highlight in the afternoon, and a limited-time offer in the evening. It guides the viewer through a journey, even a short one.
Building Your Measurement Toolkit: Beyond Vanity Metrics
Okay, so you’ve posted your ephemeral ad. It’s live for 24 hours. How do you know it did anything? This is where many brands stumble, looking at surface-level stats and calling it a day.
You need to dig deeper. The goal is to measure behavior, not just views.
What to Actually Track (And Why)
| Metric Category | Specific Examples | The “So What?” Factor |
| Engagement & Interaction | Swipe-up rate, tap-throughs, replies, shares, screenshot captures. | This shows intent. A screenshot is a powerful signal—they wanted to keep your fleeting content. A reply is a direct conversation starter. |
| Audience Movement | Story completion rate, drop-off points. | Did they watch your whole 3-part ad? If they dropped off at slide 2, maybe it dragged. This is real-time content editing feedback. |
| Conversion & Action | Website visits from the platform, use of a unique offer code, app installs. | The holy grail. This ties ephemeral buzz to tangible business results. Always use trackable links and promo codes. |
| Amplification | Share counts, mentions, influencer partnership reach. | Especially for BeReal-style campaigns, did it spark organic conversation? Did people share your branded lens? |
Honestly, forget about “likes” as a primary KPI. They’re a nice pat on the back, but they don’t pay the bills. A 5% swipe-up rate on a Snapchat ad is infinitely more valuable than 10,000 passive views.
The Unique Case of BeReal and Authentic Measurement
BeReal is a different beast. There’s no ad platform—yet. So, advertising here is purely organic and partnership-driven. Measurement is… nuanced.
You might work with creators to feature your product in their daily BeReal. The metrics? They’re softer, but arguably more powerful. Track the sentiment in the comments. Monitor brand mentions on other social platforms following a BeReal post. Look for increases in searches for your brand that day. It’s about measuring the ripple, not the splash.
It’s a bit like measuring the warmth in a room instead of the temperature on a thermostat. You need different tools.
Putting It All Together: A Framework for Success
So, let’s stitch this together. Here’s a loose, adaptable framework for your next ephemeral campaign.
- Define the “Moment”: What real-time event, feeling, or trend are you tapping into? (e.g., “Monday motivation,” “A lunchbreak escape,” “The 2pm slump”).
- Choose Your Vessel: Is this a Snapchat Lens, a series of Story ads, or a creator partnership on BeReal? Match the format to the moment.
- Build with Built-in Metrics: Before you create a single asset, know how you’ll track it. What’s your primary goal? Swipe-ups? Code redemptions? Plan the call-to-action directly into the content flow.
- Launch, Listen, and Pivot: Ephemeral content’s short lifespan is a gift. You can see what’s working in hours, not weeks. Double down on what’s resonating. Tweak what’s not. Be agile.
- The Post-Mortem (or Post-Vanish) Analysis: After the 24-hour window, gather your data. Not just the numbers, but the qualitative feedback. What did people say in replies? What was the sentiment? This informs your next “moment.”
And remember—consistency matters. One disappearing ad is a blip. A sustained strategy of appearing authentically in these fleeting spaces? That’s how you build real memory and presence in an audience’s mind, even when the content itself is gone.
The Lasting Impact of Temporary Content
In the end, the paradox of advertising on ephemeral platforms is that the goal isn’t ephemeral at all. It’s to create a lasting impression, a brand feeling, a sense of relatable presence that sticks around long after the Story expires.
The metrics, the planning, the careful measurement—they’re just the scaffolding. They support the real structure: a human connection made in a digital moment that was honest, timely, and just real enough to matter. That’s the castle that doesn’t wash away with the tide.
