Getting Started with Snapchat Geofilters

Making a Snapchat Geofilter can create an online buzz about your products and services. Get started with your social media campaign in a few simple steps.

Millions of users every day are sharing their stories through the ultra-popular social media platform Snapchat. Social media forecasting has predicted Snapchat use will continually rise throughout the upcoming year. In fact, Snapchat has recently surpassed Instagram in worldwide popularity. Marketing on Snapchat can be a lucrative business venture, especially those looking to target an audience falling between the ages of 13 and 38. To engage with prospective companies, you can create your very own Snapchat Geofilter.

Snapchat Geofilter Basics

Newbies to Snapchat should familiarize themselves with the basic setup of the social media website. To post on Snapchat, you take a picture or video directly within the app and then upload to your profile. You may also upload previous photos and videos saved on your device. The unique feature of Snapchat is all “snaps” expire within 24 hours.

Snapchat Geofilters have a similar setup as traditional filters. During the editing process, you are able to overlay a custom design on top of your image or video. Snapchat has recently allowed anyone to upload Geofilters to share on their website. This feature gives your company the opportunity to create buzz about any upcoming events or sales your business is holding. The important thing to remember is generating a Snapchat Geofilter will help local reach. A statewide Geofilter will not have the same type of marketing impact as a hyper-localized version.

Submission Guidelines

Snapchat has a list of submission guidelines on their website to help you get started. You can find the complete list of rules here. One rule is your business name must be explicitly included on your created Geofilter. You can also use any branding or logos associated with your company. You’re not permitted to include photographs of people or display contact details such as an email address, phone number, or URL. Business Geofilters must also be submitted as a .png file with a transparent background. Review file size restrictions too before submitting to Snapchat to expedite the approval process.

Once you review all of the guidelines, you can create your own Geofilter through the dedicated page on the Snapchat website. You can upload your own creative design or make your own via the templates available on the Snapchat website. The templates come in AI and PSD formatting as a way to make editing simple to complete in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Scheduling and Location

After your template is uploaded onto the Snapchat server, you pick the dates you wish your Geofilter to run. Geofilters have a maximum runtime of 30 days. There is a long-term option to run your Geofilter after the 30-day window. The Geofilter will be enrolled in an auto-renewal plan at a discounted rate. There is an annual charge imposed and the fee is nonrefundable.

For the next step, you will be taken to a map screen. On the map screen, you will draw a geofence to help set the area where your Geofilter will be available to potential customers.

After all of the details are entered, your Geofilter will go through the review process. The length of your Geofilter campaign and the size of the geographic area you choose for the Geofilter determine your final cost. You will receive an email noting whether your Geofilter was approved or rejected.

Rejections

One thing to keep in mind is that your Geofilter may be rejected multiple times before going live. Snapchat will provide a reason for the rejection and you can use this information to decide how to edit the Geofilter before resubmitting. The specifications could not be correct or the filter you made is too broad or poorly designed for acceptance.

For certain campaigns, analytics is available to determine the reach of your Geofilter. This feedback helps you identify future Geofilter designs. Promote your Geofilters to your current customer base to help spread the word about any upcoming sales and promotions you want to create a buzz about.