How to Create a Snapchat Geofilter for Your Business

Snapchat is quickly becoming a popular social media platform for small businesses. The real-time platform provides a means for small businesses to put the customer in their shoes and show their audience the ins and outs of the business activities. Whether showing photos and videos of new products, special promotions, or product tutorials, Snapchat works to increase customer engagement through a behind-the-scenes lens of a business.

What are Geofilters?

If you’re already active on Snapchat, you may have noticed geofilters— a word, doodle, or phrase that appears on the snap when the user swipes over a picture they’ve taken. What you might not have known is that you can create your own geofilter!

Geofilters are a fun example of Snapchat helping to build your audience because of how it can increase your company’s visibility. Before you run to the drawing board to create fun designs for your Snapchat account, however, it’s important to know your geofilter options to determine which one is best-suited for your business.

Types of Geofilters

Snapchat’s geofilter website has two different types of geofilters you can submit: a Community Geofilter and an On-Demand Geofilter. Both serve the same purpose of adding a little flair to your business’s snaps, but below we will get into more specific comparisons.

Community Geofilter

A Community Geofilter is typically used to promote cities, universities, or a local landmark. This type of geofilter is free to submit, but is not allowed to have any brand names or brand logos incorporated into them. Once approved, Community Geofilters can be used for an indefinite amount of time. This type of filter is the best option for companies who want to add pizzazz to snaps from the office, but who don’t intend on targeting an audience in a specific area.  

When you submit your geofilter, you’ll need to choose how far you want it to reach. Just within your office complex?  Out to neighboring buildings? You’ll have the option to select and modify your “geofence” on the Snapchat website.

Once you submit your design with the PNG file, your name and email, and a brief description about why you want the geofilter, your design goes into a queue and you’ll hear a decision within a few business days. The time to hear back may vary, as submissions are reviewed in the order received.

On-Demand Geofilter

Unlike Community Geofilters, On-Demand Geofilters are permitted to have brand names, logos, and trademarks. However, they cost money and can last no longer than a month at a time. These types of geofilters are a great option if you’re holding a special event in or outside of your office, or attending a show and want to give your business a little extra visibility. If your business is celebrating a holiday, such as “National Donut Day,” pictured below, the On-Demand Geofilter is the choice for you.

As with Community Geofilters, you can choose how far you’d like your geofilter to reach. The caveat here is that it must reach at least 20,000 square feet, whereas Community Geofilters have no minimum requirement.  

Because On-Demand Geofilters are used for a specific time period, Snapchat is more timely in responding, promising to give you a decision regarding your submitted design within one business day.

How to Create a Geofilter

Creating a geofilter is easier than you might expect. You don’t have to be graphic designer or a Photoshop expert to create a custom geofilter. Snapchat has Photoshop and Illustrator templates on its website that are free to download so you don’t have to start from scratch.

General Requirements:

• Web-optimized PNG file
  • Width of 1080 pixels
  • Height of 1920 pixels
  • Must be under 300 KB
• Transparent background

A more comprehensive list of requirements and guidelines can be found on the Snapchat website.

Have you seen an interesting geofilter that caught your attention in the past? What do you think would make a successful geofilter?  Let us know in the comments below!