In early February 2016, Snapchat opened its geofilter feature to users, allowing them to design and buy custom filters for events or business purposes. These geofilters provide businesses and individuals a flexible way to market themselves to their public at a budget-friendly price point (prices are contingent on the size of the geofence as well as the longevity of its use).
This article will introduce you to the basics of Snapchat's custom geofilters and teach you how to create and use this feature effectively.
What are On-Demand Geofilters?
In general, Snapchat's on-demand geofilters are divided into two main categories: personal geofilters and business geofilters. While technically identical in regard to execution, these categories vary slightly when it comes to usage, guidelines, and price point.
Personal geofilters are typically defined as being smaller-scale, location-specific filters used for individual events (i.e. weddings, birthday parties, graduations, private parties, etc.). These filters can be used for a maximum of 30 days and cannot include the use of business logos, branding, or business-specific promotions.
Business geofilters are used for more promotional purposes, such as store openings, product promotion, and ad campaigns. These filters are subject to certain rights and permissions in regard to logo use and trademarking. As with personal geofilters, business geofilters may be active for a period of up to 30 days.
How To Make an On-Demand Geofilter
Snapchat provides templates to create your own on-demand geofilter. These templates are compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
Open your image-editing software of choice and create a 1080 x 1920 pixel file with a transparent background.
When creating your Snapchat design, ensure that you leave enough free space so that anyone using the filter can capture their content reasonably easily. (Snapchat recommends that designs do not exceed 25% of the top and bottom screen.) Once finished, save your file by clicking Save > Save for Web (Legacy). Select the PNG-24 file type from the drop-down menu.
Next, upload your geofilter file to http://geofilters.snapchat.com. Select the date range in which you'd like to use your filter, and then draw the geofence around the area that you'd like to cover. A geofence can cover up to 5 million square feet.
Enter your payment information, and then, click Submit. The Snapchat team will review your geofilter within 24 hours and be in contact once it's approved.
