Create a Customized Snapchat Filter for Your Event

As Snapchat continues to be a dominant avenue for social media, it is a great tool to use for event promotion. As you may know, Snapchat has an awesome feature that allows you to create your own snapchat filter for an event, On-Demand Geofilter. This allows anyone at the location of your event to use the filter during a designated time frame. At ABCey, we like to keep you up to date on all the latest social marketing tactics. So, here is a simple step by step on how to create your own filter!

 

** Note: to create an On-Demand Geofilter you must have a Snapchat account.


Create a Customized Snapchat Filter for Your Event

Custom Snapchat Filter

Step 1: Go to Canva.com  

Canva Custom Dimensions for Snapchat Filter

Once at the website, create a design using custom dimensions 1080px x 1920px.

After setting the dimensions, start designing! Keep in mind you want to leave room for people’s faces – so try to stick to customizing the top, bottom, and frame of the space.

 

Step 2: Download Your Finished Product

Download Canva Custom Snapchat Filter Design

After you finish designing your cool new filter, click the download button and download the file as a PNG.

 

Step 3: Download GIMP

GIMP Computer Application for Custom Snapchat Filter

Download the computer application GIMP.

Step 4: Open Your Filter in GIMP

Snapchat Geofilter in GIMP Application

First, open your new filter by going to File → Open → Select Filter PNG. After, go to Select → By Color and click the white portion of your filter. Proceed by going to Colors → Color to Alpha. Finally, go to File → Overwrite nameofyourfilter.png.

 

Step 5: Go to Snapchat

Snapchat On-Demand Geofilter

Login to Snapchat.com and follow the steps on their website to upload your filter, select the location and time you want your filter to be active.

Happy Snapping!

Snapchat Ghost


Do you plan on using a custom Snapchat filter for your events? Let us know in the comments below and on Facebook or Twitter!


10 Ways to Use Snapchat For Events

Here at ABCey, we like to keep up with all the latest tech trends. As Snapchat has arguably become the most popular social network among teens and millennials, we’ve caught on to the idea that it can be used for event marketing, to enhance guest experience, provide event messaging, and even promote your speakers or sponsors. Here are 10 ways to use Snapchat for your next event using geofilters, ads, lenses and more!

*A snapchat account is needed in order to post stories, chat, and send snapchats directly to users; we suggest your company uses an account at least for the duration of the event.


 

Snapchat collage with geofilters


1. Pre-event Hype

From the very start, you can build up suspense by event marketing with Snapchat! Send invites to guests via snapchat to create important interaction with guests. Long before the event, keep your guests informed and excited by sending them snaps and posting about your event through the transformation of the venue, decor, or anything else that goes into the event prep!

 

Behind the Scenes Snapchat
Behind the Scenes Snapchats

2. BTS (Behind The Scenes)

Market your event by showing behind the scenes snaps on the event prep. From snapchats of swag bag prep, setting up guest registration, or watching the AV team set up an awesome projection mapping display, guests will be excited long before their arrival.

Snapchat Speaker Michelle Obama

3. Speakers/Sponsors/Performers/VIP’s

Are you bringing in speakers, sponsors, or VIP’s? Follow in the footsteps of other event producers and let them take over your Snapchat to talk about the event and post snaps!

Snapchat collage of events
Live updates of an event

4. Live Updates

Engage with and update your guests! Utilize Snapchat by sending snaps and posting throughout the event when there’s a speaker or performer. You can even use it to post info on the event/time changes, etc.  With this app you can bring event engagement to the next level!


5.  Thank you’s

After the event, engage with attendees to solidify relationships built and keep the success of the event in their minds. Use Snapchat for post-event engagement with your guests by sending snaps to them personally,  messaging them, and posting on your event, and of course thanking them for attending!

 

Picture of Snapchat Coupon

6. Coupons, discount, or gift

One brilliant yogurt company let users send a snap of them with their product at their locations to the company’s snapchat account, so that they could receive a reply snap with a coupon. You can do the same thing for an event, possibly for a product launch.  Just give users a discount on the event admission or a cool gift for buying the product!


7. Prizes for promoting

You can also give out prizes to people who use their Geofilter, and post the snap on Facebook or Instagram with the event or business hashtag. This can help promote your event through your attendees!

Person speaking with a screen behind her that says there is a contest for the first person to snapchat with a geofilter and hashtag on instagram or facebook gets a prize.
Contest with a prize on Snapchat

8. Ads: Lenses & Discover

Use lenses relating to your business or event to help with event promo’s by reaching tons of users. Snapchat’s Discover feature also has channels (ex: ESPN, Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed) that create new content daily. Get your ad featured on a popular channel to help spread your content!

snapchat discovery
Snapchat Discovery feature

9. Snapchat Live Story

Snapchat’s feature called Live Story is great for major sporting events or music festivals. This allows users in the vicinity to post to this story, and every snapchat user worldwide can view their snaps. If you are hosting a large enough event that gets OK-ed from Snapchat, Live Story can be an incredible tool. Over 100 million people use snapchat daily, so imagine what getting a live story can do!

Live Story on Snapchat
Snapchat’s Live Story

 

10) On-Demand Geofilter

The On-Demand Geofilter  feature allows anyone to make a filter that users who are at a certain place can use, during a specific time range. Whether it’s for the Oscars or for a birthday party, anyone can buy one, and they’re cheap! Event promotion is enhanced as guests use the filter and post their story or send snaps.

Examples of snapchat geofilters

Do you use Snapchat for your events? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook and  Twitter.