Location-based marketing isn’t new. For decades marketers have been able to reach their target audience at the right place and time. But thanks to the rise of mobile devices and advancing technologies, location-based marketing has become easier and even more effective than ever before. As effective as location-based marketing is, there are still small businesses who question whether this marketing strategy is right for them. With this in mind, here are some of the biggest benefits of location-based marketing:
Reach Customers When They are Receptive
As we just mentioned, with location-based marketing, you have the ability to engage with people when they actually need your product or service. There is no need to spend money and hope you can convince people to keep you in mind for when they might need your product or service. Getting your message in front of the right people at the right time naturally leads to a larger ROI.
Impulses are Converted into Sales
Location-based marketing removes barriers to sales. When a prospect is physically close to your store, you have a much better chance of persuading them to purchase from you. For instance, let’s say you own a frozen yogurt shop. It’s 93 degrees out and a prospect is thinking to themselves, “God, it’s hot.” Right at that moment your location-based message hits their smartphone offering a large fro-yo for half-off. How likely is this person to buy from you? Very.
Connect More with Your Audience
When you specifically target people in one location you can create relevant content that speaks directly to their needs. This catered content helps your audience feel more connected to your business and fosters trust.
Boosts Business During Typically Quiet Periods
If you’re like most businesses, there are certain days of the week or certain times of the day when you are so busy you can barely handle every customer. Location-based marketing can help to even out this common disparity and attract more customers during the normally-quiet periods. So, let’s say you own a coffee shop and after the lunch crowd leaves it’s typically pretty quiet. You could develop a 2pm-5pm discount that targets students in the area. Or you could target some of the bigger corporations in your area and get them in your doors during these hours. You could also target those who are staying in your area wither on holiday or on business travel. AirRentalz can assist you with this. Now that you understand the benefits, let’s take a look at ways you can begin to employ this strategy.
Think Customers - Not Sales
When a prospect opts-in to location-based content, the last thing they want is to be bombarded with blatant ads. They trust you so don’t blow it. Think about how you can always deliver value and improve the customer experience. An engaged and informed customer will become a loyal one.
Get Creative
Most marketers think of entering a location as the primary trigger for delivering location-based marketing content to mobile users. But some of your best results will come from other kinds of location-driven content. When designing your program, be creative and think how you can reach customers at other points along their journey, such as when they are dwelling in one area of the store or when they head for the exit.
Test
When it comes to any kind of marketing, what works for one brand may not work for another. It’s best to evaluate engagement metrics around your location-based marketing efforts to ensure you are reaching your audience at the right time with the right message. And, be aware that location-based marketing is fast-paced and always changing. What works for you this week may not work two months from now. Always test, trust what the data is telling you, and be open to making necessary adjustments.
If you commit to a location-based marketing campaign and keep these tips in mind, you’ll find your program will deliver great results. At the end of the day, data is only as good as the actionable insights derived from it. We can help you turn data into smart marketing strategies.
AirRentalz has harnessed location-based marketing within its platform. We are connecting local businesses with hosts and their guests who will be staying in your area. By connecting hosts with local and other businesses we can deliver greater experiences for their guests by presenting them great places to eat, visit, sight see and do activities while they are holidaying or staying in that location. By harnessing the power of data by location, AirRentalz is taking location-based marketing to the next level for the short-term accommodation industry and the businesses that this industry supports through increased patronage from their guests.
