How Geo-Targeting Can Personalize Campaigns

Noelle Zafra
August 29, 2018

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What is geo-targeting?

Geo-targeting advertising is a way of sending relevant, personalized ads to customers based on their geographic location. The value in this is that you could adapt your marketing efforts to turn a group of locals into qualified leads.

For example, if a local ice cream shop found that their target audience included young parents around their area, you can send that specific demographic a banner ad or promotion on their mobile devices through geo-targeting. Not only would geo-targeted advertisements distinguish your business from others in the area, but it would also show your customers that you’re willing to go the extra mile for them.

How can geo-targeting help me?

For an effective geo-targeted ad, businesses should understand the area’s culture and have a good sense of the type of people who are native to the area and/or who enjoy visiting that area.

Such targeted campaigns result in optimized delivery of ads that other campaigns can’t achieve. For example, you could deliver an ad to a group of individuals who may be interested in your product/service but end up living too far where they wouldn’t enter your location.

Like any other marketing campaign, think about what you’re aiming to achieve and what resources you have. Are you trying to get more people into your store? How much money are you willing to spend? What area is or areas are your favorite customers from? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, define your goals before starting a geo-targeted campaign.

How can I use geo-targeting effectively?

Now that you know more about geo-targeting, let’s go over three ways that can improve your results:

Change what you’re offering depending on the location. People tend to develop different buying habits based on where they live. For example, Town A might see that people shop more during the weekend, while Town B might not see a specific time of the week where their sales go up. Why not make their offers different, like offering more sales during the weekend for Town A? If you’re thoughtful enough to consider small differences in your audience’s routines or preferences, they’ll notice.
Keep your target area’s culture in mind. Make sure to craft your ads depending on the type of people you’re trying to reach. If your town has an inside joke, try to put it in your ad! For example, StreetEasy is known in Manhattan for having subway ads that poke fun at how hard it is to find an apartment in New York City. People will appreciate that you were thoughtful enough to mention things that only that area would know.
Brands or businesses with optimized mobile websites get results in geo-targeted campaigns because people use their phone in a lot of different ways, like searching for “best places to eat.” This helps you break down traits about them such as interests and age. Going mobile helps you connect with people wherever they are, giving businesses who take advantage of it an edge in geo-targeting advertising.

Seeing how much goes into a hyper-local campaign can be kind of jarring, so don’t be afraid to ask an expert for help. To learn more about geographic targeting and fencing, download our one-pager.[/vc_column_text][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_link_target=”_self” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”No Line”][fancy_box box_style=”default” icon_family=”none” image_url=”12643″ link_new_tab=”true” color=”Accent-Color” link_url=”https://www.dropbox.com/s/f1sxarf2ayp36z6/GeoFencing_NoBrand.pdf?dl=0″]