Location-based services, conspicuous mobility, and the location-aware future
LOCATION BASED MARKETING WILL REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR BUSINESS
Throw out all of your old conceptions about coupons, building a brand, and customer loyalty. The idea of printing a buy one get one free in the local newspaper or having a punch card in your customer’s wallet is utterly outdated. The internet – and more specifically mobile phone apps – have redefined how small businesses can engage their customer base. A concept called “Location Based Marketing” or LBM is revolutionizing how big brands like McDonalds and Starbucks or even your neighborhood bagel shop engages their customers.
LBM uses applications to reach their customers in real time and these services leverage the GPS and location based services within the growing mobile market in order to deliver deals and rewards to customers in real time, and to attract new customers. LBM stands at the intersection of social media, business, and online marketing.
LBM services can do wonders for your brand whether you are a one store operator or a multi-unit chain. The concepts are so simple and easy to apply that you can leverage them throughout your business to develop customer loyalty to and build your brand. LBM allows you to bring deals to customers on their mobile phones – instantly. What does this mean? You can create completely customizable deals, one time offers, coupons, or reward programs to help your business boom.
WHY YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT THE CHECK IN
Millions of people are now walking around with a gizmo in their pocket that not only knows where they are but also plugs into the Internet to share that info, merge it with online databases, and find out what – and who – is in the immediate vicinity…Simply put, location changes everything. This one input – our coordinates – has the potential to change all the outputs. Where we shop, who we talk to, what we read, what we search for, where we go – they all change once we merge location and the Web.
Current and/or future location of a mobile device used to trigger marketing/ad contentLocation opt-in required to use app or receive messages– Safeguarding the consumer experience is key! Mobile location combined with other user attributes and behaviors (e.g., search categories) means ads delivered to right person at the right place at the right time
Mobile Location Based Apps Make Richer Marketing ExperiencesMobile devices, from smart phones to tablet devices like the iPad2, are making it increasingly easy to access the Internet and social communities on platforms that are application based, rather then web browser based. By using applications, users can have a much richer experience utilizing the mobile devices’ full range of capabilities including features like geo-location. This is where location based marketing begins to offer a new avenue of engagement with both new and loyal customers alike. These types of applications can also put the small businesses on the same level playing field of marketing to customers as giant retailers.
Location Base Marketing is a new and upcoming channel that can turn into a powerful marketing tactic – start planning for it now!