How to Use and Create Snapchat Geofilters
Snapchat introduced geofilters at the beginning of this year, and they quickly became incredibly popular.
If you aren’t using this feature, you’re missing out on a lot of fun and branding possibilities.
Geofilters are a filter imposed over a photo or video connected to a specific location and for a limited time period. They can contain text, images, and all sorts of designs, and anyone can make them. Geofilters are popular for celebrating holidays, big events, and local pride.
They can also be a lot of fun for personal events like birthdays and graduations or for spreading enthusiasm for your business.
Applying a geofilter couldn’t be easier.
After you’ve snapped a picture or taken a video in Snapchat, simply swipe to the side, and you’ll be able to see any filters that are available for your time and location. You can continue swiping to browse through all the different possible filters. When you find one you like, go ahead and post your snap!
Creating your own geofilter is easy and relatively affordable. It’s also something not many businesses are doing yet, so it can help you to stand out.
Snapchat has a list of guidelines for creating filters. Some of the key takeaways are that filters can’t contain pictures of people, URLs, email addresses, or usernames.
There are two key kinds of filters: personal geofilters and business geofilters. Businesses geofilters promote a business or brand, and they can include logos and business names.
You can design your filter essentially however you want, using Photoshop, Sketch, Illustrator, Canva, or any other program of your choice. Keep in mind that filters should measure 1080 x 1920 pixels and use no more than 25% of the screen. If you’re not especially artistic, Snapchat has a collection of templates that make it easy to get started. Once your design is ready, you can upload it to Snapchat’s On-Demand Geofilters site.
Next, you’ll set your filter’s date, time, and location. Using a map, you’ll be asked to draw around the area you want your filter to be active for. You must choose an area between 20,000 and 5 million square feet. With the time and location, it’s best to give a little extra room. It can be active for up to 30 days. Before your filter goes live, you’ll need to pay for it. The price depends on the size of your filter area and how long you want to run it for. Prices start at $5 and can run into the thousands. For most individual users and small businesses who want a filter for under a day in just one building, prices will probably be under $100.
Filters can be a great way to draw attention to a product launch, event, or your presence at a conference/trade show. For a relatively low cost, you have the potential to create something that will be seen by many people. They key is to create something that your friends and other people in the area will actually want to use. So make sure that your design is eye-catching and fun!
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Written by content manager Meghan Woolley
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