Proximity marketing may sound confusing, but the concept (and application) is pretty simple.
To put it in one sentence: proximity marketing (also known as geofencing) allows you to digitally market or advertise to people in a specific region through their online device without needing to know the phone number, email or IP address of that device.
The recipient of the ad DOES NOT have to have a specific app on their device (phone, tablet or computer) to receive the ad or message.
Pretty amazing, right?
How Proximity Marketing Works
With less advertising attention to TV, radio, magazines and billboards, more and more attention is shifting to digital–especially to cell phones.
Americans check their phones an average of every 12 minutes (WOW!), according to a study by Asurion. That’s a major reason why proximity marketing is such a powerful digital advertising tool today.
Reaching people in a specific region can be done through cellular data, Wi-Fi signals or GPS.
Proximity marketing allows you to reach people in the targeted region through text messages, alerts or targeted display advertising. Typically, the radius of the targeted area is anywhere between half a mile to 5 to 6 miles.
Identifying the region you want to target can be as simple as dropping a pin on a map in your cell phone or using a small device that sends a signal to people in your area. You essentially set a virtual boundary around the specified region you want to target.
You do not have to actually be in the specific area. Maybe you live in Florida but want to gather customers in New York. You can do that.
Or maybe you want to attract people four cities away to come to your next big event.
The digital ad used in proximity marketing is usually linked to a landing page or website. These pages can be used to sell products, capture emails, or encourage people to contact a business.
Proximity Marketing Benefits
This form of digital advertising has a ton of benefits and advantages for nearly all types of businesses.
A restaurant could use proximity marketing to advertise special deals, new menu items, or specific coupons for people in a certain area or neighborhood.
A local car mechanic could send helpful advice for how to get your car ready for a summer road trip, or how to prepare your car for cold winter months. The message could include a coupon for people targeted within a 3-mile radius.
Using proximity marketing for roofing or dent repair business could involve advertising to people in a region that recently had a bad hail storm, offering tips on what to do after the storm to protect your property and then inviting people to get a free inspection.
A lawyer could take advantage of proximity marketing benefits to reach people in court houses, jails or hospitals.
Own a sporting goods store or online store? Target a sports or fitness convention, or even pro sports stadiums.
Someone who sells workout supplements or nutrition products could advertise two areas that have a gym or large recreational territory such is a park, bike or jogging trails, or even hospitals and other medical centers.
An article in Direct Selling News magazine highlighted proximity marketing benefits and applications for direct sellers and network marketers.
A realtor could target new home neighborhood developments, or areas where population is growing.
So, there are endless possibilities for using proximity marketing for business. Here are several others:
| Daycare | Pharmacy | Hotel |
| Dentist | Salon | Park |
| Book Store | Spa | Theater |
| Pest Control | Doctor | Bar/Winery |
| Church | Gym | Car Mechanic |
| Bakery | Car Dealership | Gas Station |
Contact me here to learn how you can use proximity marketing for your business.
Latest Technology
While this form of digital marketing and advertising is not new, the latest proximity marketing technology is certainly different and much more efficient than it used to be.
Some platforms such as Google Adwords or Facebook Ads already give you the ability to advertise to specific regions, but new proximity marketing technology allows you to advertise on many different digital platforms all through one service.
This way, you do not have to set up a bunch of individual advertising or marketing campaigns. It can all be done in one place, basically giving you your own digital marketing agency.
Proximity marketing devices, such as beacons, have been used to send out the advertising or marketing message to people in the area based on a certain radius.
With this type of technology, you had to physically be in the area or at least set the proximity beacon in an area you wanted to advertise to.
Proximity beacon marketing is still in effect, but technology is advancing so that you don’t even need a beacon device anymore.
Proximity marketing solutions today can be as simple as creating an ad (also called “virtual ad pins) and setting your target radius right from your smart phone. You also can create a landing page or just link to an existing page or website.
What exactly is an ad pin?
It’s a virtual ad pin is a “pin” point that you place on a map in through a proximity marketing service, around the area you want to advertise to.
This video shows how easy it is to select the location you want to target.
Some of these geofencing and proximity marketing services guarantee your ad or message will receive a certain number of impressions or views across many different mobile apps and websites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn and many more.
With this latest proximity marketing technology you can have an ad pin running and reaching people in a specific region within a day.
Current technology also lets you track analytics in real time such as views or impressions, clicks on your ad, views on your landing page, and even the number of conversions (such as people entering their email address).
Proximity Marketing Business Opportunity
Not only is this is an incredibly powerful digital advertising tool for businesses, but many proximity marketing companies offer an affiliate program, or even a full business opportunity.
Royaltie’s marketing technology, for example, is a leading proximity marketing company that has a simple affiliate program that allows you to get your service for free and even make an income by referring others to the service.
Want to use proximity marketing to grow your business? Interested in earning money by referring this service to others?
Just contact me here. I’d be happy to help!
