how to create and use snapchat's new custom geofilters

Less than a month ago, Snapchat opened custom on-demand Geofilters to everyone.

And what blows my mind is that for how amazing of a product they are, Snapchat

Geofilters have remained stunninglyunder the radar.

In case you’re just getting into Snapchat:

Geofilter a design you can overlay onto a photo you take in Snapchat, but are only limted to a specific location.

For example, when you stand near the Flatiron building in New York, you get this filter:

So why am I so hyped aboutthis new product?

Because the value of your branding impression, compared to the impressions

on any other platform, is insanely high.

Why?

Because not only are you putting your brand in a place they can see it…

...but they really see it.

Filters catch you off guard,grab your attention, and show up

directly in your app.

Plus, you’re bringing value to the viewer and interacting with them in a contextually

relevant and fun way.

Compared to other mediums, a custom Snapchat Geofilter is a branded impression

on steroids.

Of course, eventually these filters will be ruined by marketers the same way everything else is… so if you’re reading this a few months too late, sorry… but that’s what you get for

NOT being a first mover!( (

So now that you know why, let me show you how to create your own Geofilter...

PRICINGPRICING

PRICING ON SNAPCHAT IS LIMITEDBY TWO FACTORS:

1. You can’t geotarget over 5 million square feet2. The filter can only run for 30 days

Snapchat offers these filters at$5 per 20k square feet, per hour.

Cost = $5 x (square footage/20k) x hours ( )

For a city block in Austin, Texas for four hours, that’s about $32.44. A no-brainer.

CREATIVEGUIDELINES

CREATIVEGUIDELINES

Snapchat has a pretty comprehensive guide to what you need to follow. You can

check it out here...

But there are a few things thataren’t that obvious that you should

definitely keep in mind:

FIRST, allow at least two businessdays for approval.

The tool will let you submit filters up until one day before, but it’s important to plan ahead.( (

SECOND, if you feel like you’re flirtingwith the guidelines, give yourself more

time in case they reject it.

You’ll have to resubmit if it doesn’tpass, so it could take an extra day to go

through the process again.( (

LASTLY, you can’t include:URLs, handles, or email addresses.

So if you’re trying to create a filter as acall to action to get more followers,

you’ll need to be creative.( (

HOW TO MAKE YOUR FILTER

HOW TO MAKE YOUR FILTER

Create Your Filter

If you aren’t a designer yourself orwell-versed in Photoshop or Illustrator,

you might want to find someone tohelp you out here…

However, Snapchat does have templates available that you can download on

the submission page.

FILTERS SHOULD BE: • 1080px x 1920px • Under 300KB in size • Saved as a transparent .PNG

REMEMBER: content is king, butcontext is God. This is an opportunity

to really provide value upfront.

ASK YOURSELF: • What do you think people are going to be snapping when they come across your filter? • Is it relevant to an event or location? • Will it add something to the situation?

Here are some that I’ve made for myself!

Upload Filter andSet Time Frame

Login into the On-Demand Geofilterself-serve tool using your Snapchat login.

Upload your filter in the self-serve tool...

... then set your time frame.

Remember to triple check your times because once your filter is submitted,

you can’t edit the time!

Set Your Target Area

Type in your address location and draw a fence around using the “Draw Fence” tool.

The fence doesn’t have to be a rectangle and can be any shape you want.

As of now, you can only target locationsin the UK, US, and Canada.

PRO-TIP: Leave a buffer zone aroundyour target Geofilter. The map might

not be super accurate.

Final Touches

Name your filter, select your payment options and whether you're using a business or personal filter.

Then submit!

YOU’LL GET A FEW EMAILS FROMSNAPCHAT AFTER THIS:

• One confirming your submission • One saying if it’s approved or not • One when your card is charged • And lastly, one when the filter goes live

CONGRATS!CONGRATS!You submitted your first Geofilter!

I'll see you on the Snaps. ;)

IF YOU LIKED THIS, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY OTHER SNAPCHAT TIPS AND HACKS.

You can read my original article on GARYVAYNERCHUK.COM