The rise of smartphones and mobile devices has radically changed how marketers engage their audiences. People now walk around with handheld GPS devices in their pocket or purses all the time. This gives a distinct advantage to marketers or businesses looking to deliver a more targeted message and increase conversions.
Geofencing takes mobile marketing to the next level. It allows companies to serve ads to a target audience based on their geographic coordinates as determined by their cell phone. It’s not just big brands that are utilizing this. Geofencing is an affordable hyper-local marketing mechanism for delivering relevant content.
A Deeper Dive Into Geofencing
Geofencing is a type of location-based advertising. But it’s not simply defined by zip code or city limits. Rather, you can target specific buildings or events, like sports arenas or convention centers, with accuracy.
For example, let’s say a Morgantown, WV restaurant near Mountaineer Field wants to drive traffic during football season. With geofencing, the restaurant could serve ads to potential customers who visited the stadium for a game.
To do this, marketers place a geofence around the location, which makes a record of every mobile device that enters. You can choose to serve ads to those devices immediately and for up to 30 days after.
There are two different ways mobile users see geofenced ads. Either through apps that they have downloaded and access on their phone ranging from news to weather to games, or through third-party websites visited in a web browser such as ESPN, The New York Times, or Fox News.
Local Businesses Should Be Big on Geofencing
Any business that’s interested in improving local sales can benefit from geofencing, but small to midsize businesses have the most to gain. A billboard on a busy road or TV commercial on a local station can reach a lot of people - a lot of people who don’t fit the target audience. With geofencing, it’s easier to control who sees an ad as well as the costs associated with that reach.
Here are a few examples of businesses that could use geofencing:
Personal Injury Lawyers
Car dealerships
Bars and restaurants
Doctor’s offices
Trade show marketers
Event coordinators and venues
Retail stores
Non-profits
Getting started with geofencing is simple and when you work with a trusted marketing partner, it’s even easier! Contact Walker Media today to discuss a geofencing strategy for your business.