Snapchat. Gamification. Geofilters. Selfies.

These are words that will make a seasoned marketer's head spin. But before you completely chalk this latest social media trend up to "the kids," stop and think. These "kids" are the millennials that everyone is talking about.

Snapchat, the company that turned down a $3 billion acquisition from Facebook, has quickly become the 3rd most popular social network amongst millennials (AKA your customers). Facebook and Instagram are anxiously trying to keep their slight lead over this $25 billion company (estimates are based on their March 2017 IPO). With nearly 60% of all smartphone users aged 13 to 34 using this social network, marketers are trying to get their slice of the millennial pie. Much like any social network, brands struggle to find their foothold in the world of organic usage—so Snapchat decided to monetize. The movie "Ouija" launched its trailer on Snapchat in October 2014, which paved the way for advertising today.

Do It Yourself Advertising

Now, companies can host sponsored Geofilters, where they pay per sq. foot, per hour, to allow users to add a custom image to their "snaps." There is also the opportunity to design community based Geofilters that are centered around a neighborhood, park, or city. Geofilters can be a cost effective way to promote your event or business, with prices being roughly $5/hour for one block. To cover all of downtown Cedar Rapids and the New Bohemia District, it would cost around $76/hour for a filter.

The On-Demand Geofilter fence drawing option in Snapchat.

Endless Promotion Opportunities

Snapchat Geofilters are a great way to promote neighborhoods within your city, allowing users to take photos and then send them to friends. These Geofilters even expand outside of Snapchat with nearly 20,000 people using #Geofilter on Instagram. When traveling, these Geofilters are a great way to share your travels with friends. This allows people to advertise your neighborhood for you, sending graphics to their friends with your neighborhood's Geofilter.

Think about ways that your business can spotlight events or new promotions using Snapchat Geofilters. Is there a parade or large gathering of people that you can target with a Geofilter? Is your business hosting an event that you'd like to spotlight and "brand" snaps by your attendees? One thing is important—make it valuable. Spend some time creating a beautiful or entertaining Geofilter that users would like to use, otherwise they'll swipe right by it on to the next!

Snapchat Geofilter Requirements:

Geofilters for All

Previously, designs had to be done in an external graphic design program like Photoshop or Illustrator, keeping Geofilters refined to only designers (or those like me who think they are because they have the Adobe Suite). Snapchat released a Geofilter template creator which will allow you to add your business's name or your friend's wedding information to a Snapchat filter (it's all about making it easy for people to spend money, right?).

Snapchat's On-Demand Geofilter Creator (click to enlarge)

Even though Snapchat Geofilters have been around for a while, branded Geofilters are still a new opportunity for your business to take advantage of. Jump on board early before, much like all advertising, your opportunity becomes more costly and saturated. If you ever have any questions—de Novo is here to help!