Learn how to use local mobile advertising to its full advantage. We cover platforms and tactics to help you succeed.
Consumers face many marketing messages in the average day, which leaves marketers with a challenge. How can they cut through the noise louder than their competitors? Local mobile advertising enables marketers to reach consumers when and where they are most likely to make a purchasing decision.
A variety of business types benefit from local mobile advertising as it targets the consumer at the moment they need the product or service they are inquiring about. Consumers doing local searches are more likely to visit your business and make a purchase. To better understand the role of local mobile advertising in today’s marketing landscape, we’ll explain in more detail what it is and why it matters.
What is local mobile advertising?
Local mobile advertising is a tactic of creating an extremely targeted ad set or notification in and around your business to attract customers. Geofencing enables your business to select a specific radius around you to serve up ads and reminders about who you are and what you do.
Companies with their own native mobile applications can use geofencing to send push notifications to their users when they get close to their business. The notification might remind the consumer about a sale they sent out via email or a recent purchase they’ve made online that needs additional accessories or add-ons.
To make local mobile advertising more effective, you should target ads to the user. For example, a clothing brand’s ads should be based on the user’s previous buying history. Your ad should show clothing in the same line to match their sense of fashion.
When previous purchase information is not available for a user, the company can resort to user profile information, such as age, gender, and location. Now, the company can show ads relevant to this information to entice the user to make a purchase with them and begin building a relationship.
The power of local mobile advertising
According to Google, 30% of mobile searches relate to location. The even better news for businesses is that 76 percent of people who search for a product or service nearby them end up visiting a business in the next 24 hours. And even better news, 28 percent of location-based searches result in a purchase.
One of the things that makes local mobile advertising such an asset for marketers is the ability to build a one-to-one relationship with the consumer. And believe it or not, consumers like the personalization of local mobile advertising. That’s because these ads serve as a reminder of what the consumer needs to do that day.
Many marketers believe that consumers fear the amount of data out there about them and the use of that data. However, that isn’t always the case when there is something in it for the consumer.
Infosys found that 31 percent of consumers wanted their shopping experience to be more personalized. Why you might ask? It’s simple. Personalization makes the shopping experience easier, faster, and more fruitful for the consumer when done right.
The study further found that more than half of consumers are interested in product recommendations and personalization. They wanted these recommendations and personalization in shopping as simple as fulfilling their grocery list. The number one reason for that is to discover new products, which 92 percent of respondents listed.
Industries ideal for local online advertising
Yes, brick and mortar stores are the most obvious business types that can benefit from local mobile advertising. But a variety of other industries and business types can benefit too.
- Sports stadium advertising: Think about the beer options you have within a sports stadium or arena. Craft beer has changed the landscape to where there is generally more than just one brew sold at sporting events. With geofencing and timing ads just right, you can reach consumers at a critical point of time in purchasing. The same could be true for the pizza brands that market within a stadium.
- Conventions: Even if you can’t afford to be at a convention, you can purchase ads to reach your audience. If you know the time and place for the convention, you know that you can reach your consumer in a targeted area with strategic ad placement said chad kimball maps. It can be hard to travel for every convention related to your industry, but you can have an online advertising presence.
- Colleges and universities: Colleges and universities can be the perfect place to target, especially for college supplies during move-in weekend. For businesses that sell dorm-related products, this can be an ideal opportunity to reach the right audience at the right time.
- State or county fair: This can be an ideal advertising opportunity for companies that market products for livestock. You have a specific targeted area and audience you can reach during these times.
Local digital marketing opportunities
Now that you understand what hyper local advertising is and how you can use it, you can select the company or platform for your local ads that will work best for you. There are a variety of ways you can start a local advertising campaign.
There are a variety of local digital marketing opportunities you can use to reach your audience effectively. Each has its benefits and limitations, so choose wisely. And hiring a local marketing firm can benefit you. Together, you’ll work to create a winning strategy for your local ad campaign.
Google local advertising
Google local advertising answers the query for hundreds of thousands of people looking for a service or business near them each day. The benefit of Google ads is that it puts your contact information and proximity to the customer front and center. Add your business operating hours and reviews to make it even easier for consumers to decide to work with you.
Plus, click-to-call and get directions are simple on mobile devices. Using Google enables you to remove all the barriers for individuals looking to connect with you or discover your business for the first time.
Local search marketing
While Google is the largest and most commonly used search engine, there are additional local search marketing platforms. Bing and Yahoo fall closely behind Google as additional search engines. People turn to these search engines when they want information on local businesses.
According to current data from Statista, Bing accounts for about 25 percent of total search volume. That means that you should not rule it out when considering where to advertise. Likewise, Yahoo still accounts for 11 percent of all online searches. So, you can reach a new audience using this platform as well.
YouTube local advertising
YouTube enables you to use video ads to attract your local audience. Choose the location and interests your audience has and start engaging with them in a new way by using video. Because Google owns YouTube, video ads can complement what you’re doing inside of the Google Ads search network. With search and video ads working together, you can show a little more about your business.
Using search ads, you tell your story, but with YouTube, you can show it. Depending on your business type, a video can be a much more effective way to market your business. YouTube local advertising enables you to reach your customers in a whole new way.
Plus, using YouTube’s Video Services, local businesses can get help in filming their videos to use on the platform.
Social media local advertising
Social media platforms enable businesses to connect with users where they go to build connections. Ads on ocial media show up alongside content from people and businesses the user chooses to follow.
And because many people enable location-based services on their social media, it’s an easy and accurate way to reach consumers in your neighborhood. Each social media platform has its strengths and ideal audience, so do your research before choosing one. Here are some of the most popular platforms.
- Facebook: thanks to groups and interests that people list on their Facebook pages, you can be pretty granular in your Facebook advertising. Plus, 1.74 billion Facebook users access their mobile app daily. That means you have a high probability of reaching your audience via this channel regularly.
Facebook also offers robust analytics so you can see who your ads are working exceptionally well with and make adjustments accordingly. This feedback loop makes it simpler to optimize your ads to get the most local traffic to your ads for your budget.
Because Facebook users return multiple times a day, this is also an excellent platform for building brand awareness. You’ll find this especially true if you’re new to the area or looking to expand into new audience groups.
- Instagram: because Instagram began as a way to share beautiful photos, users expect to have a highly visual experience when they are on the platform. Stunning visuals do well on Instagram. So if short videos or a photo showcases your product well, Instagram is the platform for you.
Additionally, Instagram has captured the younger generation of social media users, where Facebook seems to be a bit more lacking. If your audience is in the 18-30-year-old age range, look to Instagram.
- Twitter: B2B businesses benefit from Twitter more than B2C business. You can also target specific keywords and hashtags to have your content show among relevant tweets.
Plus, Twitter also allows for tailored audiences. You don’t need an email address to create a custom audience as you do on Facebook. This will enable you to reach only influencers or people who follow certain pages.
- LinkedIn: much like Twitter, LinkedIn is especially beneficial for B2B businesses. You can target based on a user’s job title, industry, or company name. The ability to target a specific company name can help immensely if you’re looking to get your product in at that business.
Local advertising solutions outside of digital
While you won’t be reaching your customers via mobile devices in these tactics, it’s important to remember that your marketing plan comes together as a whole. Both traditional and digital marketing tactics combined can have a significant impact on the success and growth of your business.
Don’t ignore any other area of your marketing plan, thinking you have it all covered in your local mobile advertising.
Local TV advertising
Once you’ve created an ad for YouTube, you can use that content or adapt it accordingly for use on local TV. Depending on the ages of your target audience, using local TV can help you reach a new audience, you might not be reaching on YouTube.
Local TV might make the viewer feel more connected to you and your business. Seeing your ad among other local businesses in their area can make them think more local. Then, they’ll look to you for their next need related to your product or service.
Local radio advertising
Much like local television, local radio advertising can help you attract your local audience as a part of the community. Hearing the voice of the owner or customer service team that will greet you upon arrival at a business can be impactful.
Plus, you’ll be featured alongside local events, local radio personalities, and local businesses just like yours. This presence can help consumers feel a specific connection to your business and what you have to offer them.
Learn what geofencing advertising and proximity advertising/marketing are.
Local small business marketing
If you view your business as a part of the local community, you should get involved in local events, post notices on bulletin boards, and serve on boards of directors. These activities can help you spread the word about your company and build goodwill with the community.
Local small business marketing can include a variety of different activities. You might get involved with your chamber of commerce or sponsor local sporting events. Each community is different, so how you engage local store marketing varies.
One aspect of local store marketing you don’t want to forget is your physical storefront. Think about signage and how easy it is to find your business once someone has looked up directions on a search engine.
Is there an opportunity for you to put a flag or yard sign on the corner during special promotional times? Can you collaborate with other business owners to drive more traffic to your shopping center or business complex?
If you focus only on your local mobile advertising strategy and overlook the traditional aspects of your marketing plan, you’ll miss out on growth opportunities. Plus, you’ll see a lower conversion rate if you don’t focus on the customer experience in-store, in the parking lot, and in your community.
