What is Geofencing?

The average American spends approximately 3.7 hours on their mobile phone each day, making it a valuable resource for data gathering and communication. But, in our increasingly digital society, how can you maximize the information collected from mobile phones to gain insights and interact with potential customers? 

The answer is geofencing. 

If you haven’t considered geofencing, now might be the right time. It’s no surprise that businesses, restaurants, and other services have shifted past the traditional brick and mortar, so expanding your customer base is more important than ever. With geofencing, you can apply digital marketing solutions to target specific customers and watch your traffic grow! 

What is Geofencing?

Geofencing is a specific location-based marketing strategy that allows businesses to better target their marketing and content delivery based on the targeted area. A "geofence" is the virtual perimeter of the target location and can be a zip code, a city, or a mileage range around a physical location. If your business has multiple locations, a geofenced marketing channel is created for each location. Through geofencing, your business can better connect with people living in targeted areas.

How Geofencing Works

In our expanding digital marketplace, your business needs to increase its online and mobile presence to keep ahead of competitors. To ensure the right customers are reached, your marketing efforts should include geofencing. 

The concept of geofencing is simple: target your marketing efforts around a specific location (i.e. zip code, city).

When creating a geofencing marketing strategy, advertising and content are developed and tailored to potential customers within the geofence. Using geographic information system (GIS) mapping, internet-capable devices (i.e. mobile phones) are targeted within the determined geofenced area. If a customer visits a targeted area, they will receive notifications about limited-time promotions, current discounts, and offers, or events where they can interact with your brand or business. If you have more than one location, a multi-channel geofencing marketing strategy can be developed for your business. 

Location-based marketing creates virtual boundaries, automatically targeting those who enter the geofenced area. A powerful and effective marketing tool, geofencing allows you to communicate the message of your brand or business to the right customers at the right time - whether you have a brick-and-mortar store or online shop.

Benefits of Geofencing

When you invest in a geofencing marketing strategy, you reap the benefits that will help make your business successful in the future. Some of the benefits of geofencing include:

• Precise Target Marketing. By connecting with your customers on a personal or local level, you boost the image of your business, increasing the chance of returning customers in the future. 
• Create High-Quality Content. Content is still king when it comes to improving your marketing success. Geofencing encourages precisely crafted content unique to your targeted customer base, building a strong, positive image within that area. 
• Connect with Potential Customers. Your local customers are likely the backbone of your business. Geofencing effects allow your business to foster a strong local following.
• Timely Content Delivery. Geofencing marketing campaigns make it easier to announce limited-time offers via mobile devices, increasing the chance of more customers walking into your door. 
• Increase Data-Gathering. Geofencing allows you to gather more detailed information about customers than other types of digital marketing efforts. If a customer visits your business in response to a geofenced ad, you gain relevant data such as length of visit, spending, message effectiveness. 
• User Experience. With the data gathered from a geofencing campaign, you can create content and offer promotions that better align with the interests and needs of your targeted customers. 

Before you invest in geofencing or any other type of digital marketing effort, it is essential to do your research and determine the best locations for your geofences. Loyalty Health services the marketing needs of healthcare providers so that you can focus on what matters - serving your patients. We offer vital digital marketing in a simple, cost-effective one-stop spot. Call us today at 800-411-6022 or fill out our contact form to learn more or schedule a complimentary 20-minute consultation. 

Sources:

https://loyaltyhealth.com/digital-marketing https://geomarketing.com/geomarketing-101-what-is-geofencing https://webengage.com/blog/what-is-geofencing/