Lauryn Preston

Snapchat Geofencing

Geofencing, Social Media Marketing

If you don’t have a Snapchat account, you’re basically in the minority. With over 210 million daily users and the recent updates to Instagram and Facebook, Snapchat has recently topped Facebook’s engagement rate and is neck-and-neck with Instagram’s 85%, at 81%. Snapchat was built on and thrives on organic content. So, how does this fit into your marketing strategy, especially when discussing paid advertisements? Snapchat Geofencing.

Need to take a step back? Check out our basic guide to marketing with geofencing, as well as geofencing meaning.

What is Snapchat Geofencing?

Table of Contents

Snapchat geofencing is a dynamic location-based marketing strategy that allows businesses to target their audience within specific geographical areas using a social media platform.

Leveraging the Snapchat platform, this strategy involves creating virtual boundaries, known as geofences, around physical locations, such as retail stores, event centers, sports areas, hospitals, etc.

When a Snapchat user enters one of these designated areas, they can receive customized content, filters, mobile ads, or promotions. This enhances user engagement and drives brand awareness. This approach enables businesses to connect with their audience in real time, delivering contextually relevant messages based on users’ immediate surroundings.

Snapchat geofencing offers a creative way to amplify digital marketing efforts by tapping into users’ location data, making campaigns more meaningful and impactful.

What is a Snapchat Ad?

Snapchat is one of the many geofencing applications that provides diverse features that you really can’t find on any other platform. Tidbits such as fun filters, face swaps, games, etc, entice its users to keep coming back. Snapchat opens the doors for advertisers to capitalize on any of these features through their platform.

Snapchat gives marketers three different options for marketing: Snap Ads, Filters, and Lenses. For this post, we’re going to focus on the lens portion.

How to Purchase Snapchat Filter

You can use a credit card, PayPal, or an established business ad account to pay for your filter.

To purchase a Snapchat filter, follow these steps:

Create an Ad Account.
Log in to create.snapchat.com with the credentials associated with your business account.
Click your username in the top right-hand corner.
Select your ad account.
Select “Create Filter.”
Upload your file or create one on the platform using one of their pre-made templates.
Select your beginning and end dates for when you want users to be able to use your filter.
Select your location and draw your geofence.
Input your filter details.
Pay.
Review the terms and conditions. Check the box to agree.

How to Draw a Snapchat Geofence

When looking at how to set up geofencing marketing in general, the practice is different from drawing a geofence on Snapchat.

When you create your own Snapchat filter, Snapchat gives you a default geofence at the chosen location.

However, you can customize your geofence by physically drawing the location you want on your screen. When the geofence is drawn properly, more of the right people have access to your filter.

If you run a business or organization, you can easily use filters to promote an event. Like other geofences, the exposure you receive depends on the location you select.

Snapchat users who snap within the boundaries of your geofence and select your picture can choose to send or post the pictures. It doesn’t matter if the receiver or viewer is inside your boundary or not; they will still be able to view your filter or “ad,” thus giving you more opportunity for exposure.

With Snapchat, you are charged a one-time, upfront fee. This makes it easy to decide how much area you wish to cover with your geofence.