A vastly underused tool by businesses today is location-based mobile marketing. If you don’t know what this means specifically, it means ads or messages are delivered to your app users based on that person’s location (determined by the GPS in their smartphone).
These days people depend on their mobile devices for information regarding their purchase decisions. So clearly having the ability to display your message in the context of the app user’s location can be a very effective marketing tool. Before you start your next mobile app development project make sure you consider how you can include these powerful tools.
Geo-fencing
When you set up what is known as a geo-fence based on a specific proximity of your retail store, every time one of your app user’s enters that geo-fence, they can receive a push notification from you with a promotion to a product or service at your store. This is particularly effective if they can see your store (72% of consumers say they will respond to calls-to-action in messages they receive when in sight of the retailer – MDG Advertising).
iBeacons
A rapidly emerging new way to leverage location-based information is through Apple’s iBeacon. The iBeacon relies on Bluetooth low-energy technology to transmit when someone’s iPhone that is has your app installed comes within range. With a retails store, a perfect application of this would be to send a specific promotion directly to the customer’s smart phone with information about the product he or she is by.
So how does it work?
Mobile apps require that the device’s location services be turned on for them to function. Since privacy is always a concern, you should offer your users the option to opt-out of location-based services. To avoid having your users opt-out, you should make the benefits clear to your app users. Additionally, by presenting interesting and relevant promotions you will keep their interest. This can be a win-win strategy for you and your customer if executed properly. Blasting your users with unrelated offers will turn them off quickly.
Location-based marketing is not where near the end of exploring its full potential. Location-based marketing creates a massive opportunity to gain sales and market share over competitors that are not taking advantage of it. Many mobile users happy to opt-in to a mutually beneficial relationship, one where businesses respect their interests and time and deliver relevant content at the right time and place.
Pic: Juin Hoo (Flikr) http://bit.ly/1Rvk88G