Geomarketing is a term that is used to describe any type of marketing that uses location intelligence as a way to improve the chances that a specific advertisement or message will reach the right audience at the right time. It has proven to be an effective marketing tool, and its use is on the rise. In this article, we will dive deeper into geo-marketing,
Location, location, location: it’s an adage that is automatically associated with real estate; however, it’s also an important sentiment in marketing, and geo-marketing is proof of this. Not only is it important to know what audience you should be pitching an idea to, but it is also important to know where and when to pitch the idea.
What Exactly is Geomarketing?
Geo-marketing is a tool that is used by marketers in order to determine the best strategies that will help them create effective campaigns that will reach a targeted audience. Any type of marketing that uses location intelligence as a way to boost the chances of a message reaching the right audience at the right time is considered geo-marketing.
While it can be achieved in several ways, the most common factor in geo-marketing is this: location data is a primary part of the marketing effort. Geo-targeting is a commonly used form of geo-marketing. With geo-targeting, advertisements are delivered to a targeted audience according to their current location or locations that they have visited in the past. It usually occurs via mobile devices, for example, when people “check-in” to a location on social media; however, geo-targeting can be employed on other devices, too.
Thanks to the constant increase in the use of digital technology that offer location data via social media and mobile devices, geo-marketing will only continue to grow in popularity in the world of advertising.
Who Used Geomarketing?
While any company in any industry can employ geo-marketing, it is best suited for those that can acquire substantial access to a substantial amount of location data; for example, mobile service providers. However, multiple industries can take advantage of this marketing tool. For example, a car dealership can use geo-targeting, as they can target their ads to people who have recently visited other car dealerships.
Companies can buy Geographic Information Software (GIS), which can be used for geo-marketing analysis. The data that is needed to feed this software can be gathered via the activity of a business. Larger firms that already employ database marketing can use most of the data that they already posses into geo-marketing because every ounce of data that is connected to a consumer’s addresses or zip code can be linked to a digital map.
Who Does Geomarketing Reach?
Geo-marketing can reach a wide range of consumers, including:
- Local consumers. Whenever a business is interested in advertising a sale, such as a car dealership, that business can utilize geo-marketing to locate consumers who are within an hour’s drive of the dealership in order to send out flyers to those potential customers. As another example, a business that is looking to grow can employ geo-targeting to find out what locations have the highest demand for the products and/or services the business provides.
- Internet consumers. Whenever someone shops online, they transmit the geographic location of the computer via an IP address. Business websites can utilize this information to showcase their pages in the language a targeted consumer speaks (for instance, if the IP address shows a location in France, the homepage of the business can be displayed in German). Geo-marketing can also be used to make sure that contextual ads are only being displayed to people in a specific region; for example, a restaurant in New York City.
- Mobile device users. Companies can use geo-targeting to send out coupons, discounts and other marketing material based on the location of a mobile device.
- Social media users. Several social media platforms offer a “check-in” feature, in which users can highlight their location. Businesses can send marketing materials to users that check-in to certain locations.
The Benefit of Geomarketing
This marketing tool makes it easier for marketers to reach the right audience at the right time. As such, this helps to increase the effect of a marketing campaign, thereby improving the success of a company.
