What is Geotargeting?
Geotargeting is a marketing tactic that uses location data to help marketers engage and communicate with consumers in a way that is most appropriate to their geographical location. For instance, if a London-based family is looking for a decorator, they won’t want to be promoted decorating businesses based in Manchester. Geotargeting can be utilised in a wide variety of marketing channels. But is particularly effective when combined with email and on websites. Here are some examples to spark inspiration. Recommend the closest store We’ll start with one of the most obvious uses of Geotargeting. Recommending local stores. Whilst online shopping is increasing, nearly half of all consumers like to ‘try before they buy’ in a bricks-and-mortar store. This is often the case for more expensive purchases such as furniture, cars, and electronics. Where consumers really can’t get a feel for the product without seeing it. By using Geotargeting, brands can encourage consumers to visit their nearest store in their email communications and via their website. This can include store details, opening hours, and even a map to direct them. And if the closest store is still a distance away, brands can redirect them to their website with the aim of pushing through the sale online.
Location-based promotions
Similarly, when trying to drive footfall to a bricks-and-mortar store, brands need to be conscious of only promoting to consumers who are nearby.
Imagine receiving an email promoting an exciting in-store event, product launch, or sale. Only to realise the store is two hours away.
Instead, brands should filter these promotions based on the location of the consumer, so that they only see products and promotions that are nearby. Whilst the brand will have a reduced reach for their campaigns, they will also be avoiding disappointing customers and having to deal with additional support queries or complaints as a result.
Product recommendations
The location of a consumer can have a significant impact on the products they are interested in buying.
Weather, public holidays, and of course lockdown restrictions are all location-dependent. To offer the most personalised shopping experience possible, marketers can utilise geotargeting alongside dynamic content to tailor their product recommendations via email and web as much as possible.
There are industries that this is particularly relevant for, such as clothing, travel, and hospitality.
For instance, travel brands may want to focus their recommendations on countries that are open to tourism around lockdown.
Or clothing brands would rather promote coats and jumpers as opposed to bikinis and flip flops to a country that is in the midst of Winter.
Below is a great example of using Geotargeting within the travel industry during travel restrictions. Easyjet are promoting Portugal to their British customers. Whilst they are promoting England to their Portuguese customers.
Messaging and imagery
The needs of consumers can vary from country to country, and even city to city.
That’s why it is so important to reflect your audience as closely as possible in all of your messaging and imagery.
This could be influenced by the weather, lockdown restrictions, religious holidays and celebrations. And consumers from different locations also have different styles of marketing that they respond to.
All of this can be addressed using dynamic content and imagery based on location.
Titles, copy, banners, and images can all be tailored to a specific location in both emails and on websites.
For instance, below you can see the difference between the UK and US Mac cosmetics websites. The UK version of the homepage is promoting a limited edition range from a popular UK-based influencer. Whereas the US website chooses to promote the Cruella movie, which has received significant interest in that country.
Language and currency
Similarly, the language and currency of different locations need to be reflected in marketing communications.
Consumers don’t want to use a translator or a currency converter when making a purchase. The process should be as smooth and straightforward as possible. With no blockers to the sale. And language and currency are key to this.
Yes, many websites may ask for the visitor’s location before displaying the homepage. But this is just an additional step in the purchasing journey.
But by using geolocation, brands can automatically serve different emails, websites, language, and currency based on a specific location. Without the consumer having to do a thing.
