Experimenting with community geofilters has taught us a lot about how we can help our clients leverage Snapchat to target hard-to-reach younger audiences.
Snapchat has high standards for community geofilter designs and not every submission gets approved. Here are some of our best tips to get your community geofilter approved:
Create original and visually interesting artwork
Did you know that 60 percent of Snapchat users are under the age of 25? Play to the young audience with fun, artsy designs that complement the beloved selfie. Corporate-y treatments just aren't going to cut it.
Snapchat bans logos in community geofilters and including a logo or company mark in your submission will result in almost immediate rejection. Find creative ways to incorporate a name without defaulting to a logo. (Or, if you absolutely need to include a logo, opt for a paid on-demand filter.)
Hire a graphic designer or PR agency
Start with the template Snapchat provides, but don't try and DIY if you lack Adobe skills. Save yourself the time and headache by having a graphic designer whip something up.
You'll also have more success if a designer or agency submits the artwork on your behalf. Snapchat wants the best possible filters and giving preference to graphic design professionals helps weed out lower quality submissions.
Write a kick-ass description
Unless you work for a big-name like the Smithsonian or a prominent national park, odds are good that Snapchat is not familiar with your organization, so don't skimp on the description.
It's how Snapchat decides if you (and the location for your geofilter) are legit and meet their criteria for community organizations. Don't just submit your organization name and tagline. It will undoubtedly hurt your chances of being approved.
If you don't succeed, try, try again
These tips will set you on the path to getting your community geofilter approved but, if your geofilter gets rejected, take a good hard look at the submission guidelines and your application to see what parts might need a bit of work.
Run some A/B tests, adjusting one thing at a time and resubmitting after each change. With a little experimentation and persistence, you'll get your community filter approved.
Need help designing your organization's Snapchat filter or crafting the perfect description? Let us know. We're happy to help.