Globalization has made almost every market stiffly competitive. A cybersecurity product developer based in the U.S., for example, competes directly with similar companies based in Europe. Despite that, location is still of utmost importance, particularly in the realm of marketing. That is even truer when it comes to companies with brick-and-mortar stores. Several of such businesses have evaded being phased out by integrating various technologies into their marketing strategies, geolocation data included.
In one notable success story, Barneys New York used location data to connect with its potential and existing customers. The high-end retail chain provided videos, product updates, and sightseeing recommendations based on app users’ locations. Location data can be obtained from a geolocation database, enabling marketers to find the exact location of someone’s IP address, email address, or domain name.
Here are three ways to enrich marketing campaigns with geolocation data.
Content Personalization
Content personalization is not new to marketers. Among the data points they need to provide a personal touch to users are:
- Search history
- Page visit history
- Ads clicked
- Purchase history
- Type of device
- Gender
- Age
These data points are useful in putting a premium on user experience. However, data privacy laws and user initiatives to protect their privacy may hinder marketers from collecting such information. That is where geolocation data comes in. It is a non-invasive method of providing personalized content to visitors based on their location, as disclosed by a geolocation database.
Business owners and marketers can configure their websites, so when a user’s IP address is from the Netherlands, for instance, the site would automatically use Dutch. Additionally, content can be curated such that relevant local news, promotional offers, and updates are visible to the user first. For e-commerce sites, geolocation data can also dictate the local currency and payment methods, which helps minimize shopping cart abandonment.
Geo-Targeted PPC Advertising
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a game-changer in the world of digital marketing. It allows businesses to land on the most coveted place on the Internet—the first page of search results. The 7 million advertisers who invested about US$10 billion in PPC advertising can attest to this. However, the downside is that you run the risk of paying for clicks that don’t necessarily lead to conversions.
But when you use location data from a geolocation database in PPC advertising, you minimize such risks. PPC geo-targeting enables you to get the most out of your advertising budget.
Consider a digital marketing agency that is licensed to operate in the U.S. and Canada only. The company would get a better return on investment (ROI) for PPC ads if it targets business districts in these countries instead of setting the ad globally.
Location-Based Mobile Marketing
About 76% of consumers who search for products and services on their mobile phones tend to visit a store within 24 hours. Mobile marketing is, therefore, a very lucrative platform. It can be enhanced further when location data is integrated into the strategy. When a user clicks your ad and visits your website using a mobile device, his/her IP address tells you how far he/she is from your store. You can then show him/her that your store has what he/she needs (i.e., what he/she searched for).
On the other hand, if a geolocation database reveals that the user is nearer to a competitor’s store (or within the premises of a competitor), you can entice him/her to visit your store instead by showing better deals and discounts.
Creating location-based mobile marketing campaigns allows you to stay at the forefront of any consumer’s buying journey.
Location has always been a vital force that can dictate the success of a business. So it’s no surprise that location data from a geolocation database can help enrich marketing strategies such as PPC advertising, mobile marketing, and content personalization.