How Location Based Marketing can put you on the map

Mobile usage is on the rise, as is mobile payments and shopping. But what if you don’t have the type of product or service that is fit for e-commerce? Does this leave you “out of the game” so to speak? Not at all. You can still attract customers to your bricks-and-mortar shop with Location Based marketing. Most smartphones have geo-location technology that allows the user to know the geographic location of his/ her phone. While it doesn’t necessarily give an on-the-dot pinpoint of where the user is, it is still pretty accurate. Marketers are using this geo-technology to do Location Based Marketing. In other words, if they know the geographic location of the customer, they can time their marketing messages to reach customers at the ideal moment. If your customer is in the vicinity of your shop, you can send him a message about your current specials. The power of this marketing method lies in the fact that you are basically giving the customer a reason to enter your shop. You can either use Location Based marketing to play defence or offense. E.g. target consumers in your own vicinity or “hijack” customers in your competitor’s vicinity. It can also provide insight into consumer behaviour – for example what time of the day/ on which days your customers are doing their shopping – that will lead to highly targeted marketing campaigns. How do companies know where to “draw the line”? This is what is called geo-fencing. You can define a geographic region – big or small – that you want to target with your marketing. This type of marketing is...

Location Based Marketing trends to keep an eye on

Consumers are showing more and more interest in smartphones, tablets and mobile marketing as a whole. This is good news for businesses making use of LBS (location based service) marketing. What trends are starting to emerge in the industry? People love, love, love video There’s no denying the fact that human beings are lazy by nature. That is why the aim of mobile development is just that – to make life easier for us. Consumers have become increasingly reluctant to read long pieces of text and are shifting their favour towards graphics and video. Did you know that the mobile users are taking over Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest and Instagram? If you can combine your Location Based Marketing on social media channel with high quality images and video material, you will have an instant recipe or success! Location is part of everything we do – and beyond The traditional “word of mouth” marketing (one of the most powerful forms of marketing there is) has not disappeared. It only shifted from telling your friend about a wonderful restaurant (face to face) to regularly checking in or rewriting reviews/ comments on social media. Once again, being curious about what your friends do in their daily lives, is also one of those “human things” we do. People want to know what their loved ones are up to and they value the opinions of those close to them. If your friend is announcing his visit to a particular restaurant every week, it is no secret that he enjoys the experience. No words needed! Next time you want to try a new place, you will...

How to jump-start your Location Based Services campaign

Location Based Services (LBS) is an exciting way to market your business, especially locally. But like any successful campaign, you have to know where and how to jump-start the process. Start with: why do people make use of LBS? Because it is fun Bragging rights: To compete with others for virtual status, badges, stickers etc. Socializing: To meet and make new friends To make a statement: Show that you have visited a place you deem important (like a very classy restaurant). For recommendations: People sometimes like to recommend (in a professional capacity) nice places for others to visit. To receive freebies: Discounts, coupons, special offers etc. Wherein lays the trick? The trick is not to rely on mobile channels alone. Instead, make use of all the ammunition in your marketing arsenal if you want to strike Location Based Marketing gold. What are some of the channels can I use? Directories Company blogs Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest) LBS applications for mobile Mobile friendly websites Pay-Per-Click advertising Review sites Geofences What do I do with these channels? Engage! All these channels open a door for (voluntary) customer engagement. It is your job to drive these engagements in a positive manner. Use it to: Tell people more about your business – what you do, who you are. Make the benefits of doing business with you known – in regards to LBS, inform people about other attractions/ shops in your immediate area that they might be interested in. Offer something of value – everybody loves a freebie, but nobody does anything for free. Place yourself on the map, literally – make it...

Location Based Marketing: what to know before you get started (Part 2)

Continuing from our previous article about what you should know before you get started on you Location Based Service (LBS) marketing, here are a few more practical tips and tricks. Make it useful and valuable Before you go trigger happy with your campaign, you need to stop and ask yourself: “Will my clients find this useful? How will this add value to their lives?” Why? Thus, make sure your website displays correctly on mobile. Secondly, stick to platforms that are simple and familiar. Facebook is a good example, because everybody knows how it works. You can take a gander at apps like Yelp, Mapquest and Foursquare as well – depending on your location. Location Bases Services is a great marketing tool. Just get the basics right and the world can be your proverbial oyster. The very first step on your journey? Call Integrat, and we will get you...

Location Based Marketing: what to know before you get started (Part 1)

Location Based Service (LBS) marketing hasn’t It helps to convey a positive image to the public and makes your business seem more trustworthy. Remember that no matter what marketing mediums you use, in the end customers’ perception of your business will influence their decision to commit to your company or not. Incentives have to be part of the deal Consumers are used to all the marketing tips and tricks in the book. When it comes to Location Based Marketing, they expect to be rewarded for the time and effort they put in to participate in your campaign. Nobody does anything for free. Thus, reward your clientele for coming to the party. You can offer them discounts, vouchers, free samples, prizes etc. – as long as it is...