Tuesday, April 10, 2012 Digital Roundup: Location-based marketing
Since it can be very difficult to keep up on the latest apps, tools and tech news, we’ve put together a Digital Roundup that highlights some noteworthy tidbits from the digital world. This time, let’s take a look at the location-based marketing trend.
Sites like Foursquare and Scvngr have gained industry buzz in recent years, and you can bet these types of location-based marketing tools will continue to gain momentum. In fact, marketers truly believe these tools can provide numerous benefits, but we have to be patient as consumers adapt to geo-fencing technologies.
But wait … what is geo-fencing? It’s a technology that allows users to opt in to receive various marketing messages, from sales information and coupons to branded messaging. But what’s unique about this technology is that a store has a radius or “fence” around it, and as soon as the user enters that zone (which is determined using the phone’s GPS), he or she receives the message. This is an effective way to market to consumers because the service is quiet until the message is truly meaningful.
ShopAlerts
With already more than a million users, ShopAlerts utilizes geo-fencing to target consumers with branded text messages. Why has this service been so successful? These users who have chosen to opt in are receptive and very likely to take action.
