Think of a geofence as a virtual border. It extends for a specific area around a location as chosen by whoever sets it up. Using GPS or cell carrier towers, devices that enter or exit this virtual border engage the action of the fence.
There are lots of uses for geofencing. For instance, it can tell a smart home when a resident is approaching and get everything all ready for them to come inside. Another cool trick is that it can be set to alert parents when their kids leave a certain area. In business, it is used to clock in employees at remote job sites or even advertise to people within a building or conference.
We’re still only beginning to explore the ways geofencing can change the way we live.
Other uses are more commercial in nature. Businesses can now use geofencing to target local customers, meaning that their ads will be more effective and more likely to convert into sales.
How It Works
Geofencing allows advertisers to target users in a geographic area with an accuracy of 3 meters. Unlike traditional localized targeting which focuses on cities, states, or regions, we can now specifically reach people within certain buildings or public spaces.
1 ) The process starts by drawing a polygon around an area on Google Maps. This is what we call a geofence. Our ad software then flags people who enter that area by utilizing cell-carrier location techniques and GPS. This means that even if the user has their GPS turned off, we can still locate them within a targeted area.
2 ) Once they are identified as being inside the fence, we can continue to run ads to them for the following 30 days. These ads show on partner websites in the form of native and banner display ads.
3) Multiple fences can be drawn as well as a “conversion zone” which will let you know if people are walking into your business after being marketed to.
It is a common misunderstanding that the ad will appear as a popup on their device right away, and that is in fact not possible. Instead, it supplies a steady stream of reminders to potential customers that you’re nearby and ready for their business.
Why It’s So Effective
What geofencing does is to ensure that your advertising money is going to the right places. Instead of spending big bucks saturating a large area with ads, you can focus in on the people who are more likely to bring you their business.
By identifying people in the local area and targeting them, your conversion rates can reach new highs while keeping costs down as compared to traditional advertising. Big companies like Google and Facebook have been using geofencing for a while. Today, it’s possible for businesses of any size to take advantage of the innovative new advertising method.
Technological advances mean that it has become a lot more available and affordable. It isn’t just for big brands anymore.
What Makes Us Special
Site Hub is one of the only marketing vendors that allows you to pick an UNLIMITED number of fences! This means you can maximize your ad campaign by zeroing in on potential customers in multiple areas.
With over two million websites in our ad network, you can be sure that your target audience will see your ad.
Once the ads are delivered, we then track the number of views, clicks, calls, and conversions. We can even create another fence which acts as a conversion zone. This means when someone walks from a target fence into the conversion fence, we track that as a ‘visit.’ For example, when someone walks into your store. This makes it easier for us to keep tabs on exactly how well your advertising campaign is working.
Recently, Site Hub has made quite a stir in the digital marketing world through our work on a geofencing campaign for Farmer’s Insurance which led to a large number of new leads. So much so that we were recognized for a Digital Marketing Award (GREAT Awards) in Rochester NY.
2 comments
I am working with a non-profit, local history organization. We want to install signs or markers at various locations in our community. I’d like to see if geofencing technology could be used to provide in depth info on the various sites for those who want to learn more than a small sign can say. Can you refer me to people who have done this? We are a small organization, so a large marketing firm is not appropriate
Hey Roger, thanks for sharing. We could definitely use Geofencing in this way. In fact, we recently did a test to see how many people came to a free outdoor event and were able to get data and analytics the venue had never had in 20+ years running it! I (Sean) am glad to help answer your questions and see if the pricing makes sense.
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