How to Use Geo-Targeting and Geo-Fencing to Attract More Leads

Lead generation is a tricky business and it always has been. If you’re going to get the leads you want and drive growth, you need to have your campaign goals aligned with the best combination of digital marketing solutions. When you have a business that focuses on local audiences, geofencing and geotargeting are two great tools that you can use.

While they seem similar, they have differences, including different goals and methods of interaction. Before you can decide which of these services is best for your marketing, you’ll have to understand what they do and which aligns best with your own goals.

Geofencing

Essentially, this technology allows marketers to digitally “fence in” a specific geographic location or local market so that their display advertising is directed toward that group and that group only. When those people are within the “fenced area,” they will encounter your display ads. This gives you a much more targeted group of leads to try to convert, which means conversions should be easier.

Geofencing meets users where they are, based on your chosen targeted locations. The goal is to see how many people walk into your area of display ad “service” and which of them end up converting or even walking in the door of your business (or contacting you digitally).

Geotargeting

This is different than geofencing in that it focuses more on the users' journey through your website specifically. Geotargeting is designed to get people to click on ads that are displayed based on audience targeting and location radius. When the display ads are served to your audience, geotargeting will work to get more clicks and help you track people’s behavior after they’ve clicked through or converted.

Geotargeting is also known as local PPC, a location-based form of paid marketing that focuses on a specific geographic location. After all, if you’ve got a restaurant in New Jersey, you probably don’t need people in California seeing your PPC ads—so why should they? With geotargeting, you’ll ensure that only the right people see the right ads at the right time.

The biggest benefit of geotargeting is that you can completely customize your messaging, whether that’s in the form of an email, ad, or even a push notification.

Which is better? Or do I need both?

Honestly, most people can benefit from both types of targeted marketing when it comes to lead generation. Geofencing is a more trigger-based solution, such as sending an email alert or showing a targeted ad on social media. This “trigger” will be tripped whenever someone walks into the virtually fenced area and is sensed by the network.

Geofencing is also useful for monitoring field employees and tracking company property. It’s ideal if you want to capture all the users in a specific area. Geotargeting is a good tool for when you want to hone in on a more specific set of users.

For example:

·  Geotargeting: Only people in [location] who earn [income] and own a home, and are the primary decision-maker for home renovations.

·  Geofencing: Everyone within a certain radius of a retail store like Meijer or Kroger (where your products could be purchased, e.g.).

Do you see the difference here? As the names suggest, fencing is a looser audience rein and targeting helps you zone in on that ideal customer persona that your business seeks. They’re both useful in their own right, so be sure to consider how they can help improve your marketing campaigns.

How to use geofencing and geotargeting to increase leads and conversions

Obviously, even though these both have their place, there are ways you can put them to work for your marketing. For starters, try the following tips:

·  Match their language: This refers both to the form of language spoken (English, e.g.) and the type of “language” or local lingo used. For example, a brand located in the Southwest would be almost expected to use terms like “y’all” and “howdy.”

·  Match the location: Make sure that you include location-specific language in the personalization of your messages. For example, send an email alert to Minneapolis collegiates who shop at local grocery stores.

·  Match the currency: If you’ve got pricing listed, make sure it can be seen in the user’s country of origin. Otherwise, people may not be able to do the conversions themselves and will take their buying decision somewhere else.

·  Match the messaging: You need to get the right message in front of the right audience at the exact right time. This might require some A/B testing, but you can experiment with a few different ads. You can also create a geo-targeted landing page and a standard landing page and see which one gets more conversions.

·  Match the vibe: Visual elements are essential. The psychology of color plays a huge role in marketing. Try different colors, photos, and content to see what “feels” like it fits your geo-targeted audience.

If you’re tired of watching customers walk away, these are tips you need to keep in mind. Geofencing and geotargeting can catch all those leads you’ve been missing and help you grow your business, no matter what business you’re in.

Are you ready for all those new leads?

Before the leads start pouring in, you’ll want to make sure that you have systems in place to manage them all, including a 24/7 answering service like the dedicated virtual receptionists at Smith.ai. Not only can we field the calls and help with lead intake and qualification, but we’ll also offer solutions to assist with your outreach campaigns and outbound sales to get those leads in the first place.

Plus, we can handle appointment scheduling, live website chat, and even SMS message answering on your behalf, all so that you can focus on your business and the business of the customers at hand.

To learn more, schedule a consultation to discuss what the 24/7 virtual receptionists at Smith.ai can do to help your digital marketing efforts and more. You’ll also find us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.