Are you struggling to attract more foot traffic to your store? Are your current ads failing to generate a return on your investment? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you might want to try location-based advertising (LBA).
Whether for business lead generation or simply to get more people in the door, location-based ads have been popular among small businesses. In fact, local advertising dollars will hit $172.2 billion by 2020 for an annual gain of 4.2%.
But, even though LBA is highly effective, it may not be right for you. Read on to find out more about this specific form of advertising so you can determine whether or not it is a good fit for your small business.
What is location-based advertising?
With location-based advertising, you target a specific geographic location with your mobile ads, even as close as a 2-mile radius around your store. You can even tailor your ads based on factors such as weather and transport routes. This type of advertising is highly specific and targeted.
When you create and publish your mobile ad, pinpoint your target’s exact location and serve specific ads to them depending on where they are located. These ads can be highly effective if done correctly, since they are personal to your target and can satisfy their needs at the exact moment they need a solution.
Here is an example:
Let’s say you run a café in Los Angeles, California. You know that your busiest times are from 7-9 in the morning as people are getting their coffee before they head to work. Since Los Angeles is generally warm all year round, there are a lot of pedestrians who walk to work instead of drive. Consider publishing an advertisement that runs from 7-9 am and hits a 3-mile radius around your café. This will attract the people who walk to work and may be using their phones as they walk. In your creative, offer a targeted promotion or discount to this exact demographic (busy career folks) to increase conversions.
Do location-based ads need to be digital? No! LBA simply targets a specific location, whether the ads are online or offline. Offline options may entail placing fliers in a specific neighborhood such as adding your coffee promotional fliers to coupon mailings in the area. However, with mobile ad technology, you can target a more specific demographic (i.e. people who are walking near your store from 7-9 am).
Is location-based advertising for you?
Location-based advertising is ideal for the business whose customers are located within a nearby geographic location. For example, if you own a steakhouse in one location, run ads in the areas around your establishment. But, if your restaurant is part of a national chain, it would make sense to only advertise if you are holding a specific event or promotion in one geographic location and run ads to advertise this particular event.
Mobile ad technology collects data from people’s mobile phones and serves them your ads as they surf the web and use their phones. If you run mobile ads, ensure your target demographic uses their phones regularly. If your target demographic is aged 55+, you may not want to use location-based mobile ads as people in this this age range may not be as connected to the technology as a younger audience.
Leverage technology
These advertising technologies give small businesses the ammo to supercharge their business lead generation strategies and get their brand in front of more people. Here at CallFire, we are in the business of partnering with small businesses and supplying them with technology that streamlines their business, cuts costs and increases their bottom line. From text marketing to voice broadcast to interactive voice response, CallFire is a veteran in the industry, and we love helping businesses like yours find new and exciting ways to get more customers and scale with ease. If you would like to learn more about how CallFire can help you grow your business, sign up for a free account here.