It used to be that location was the most important factor for a business’ exposure (and therefore success). Whether it was a hotel or a boutique, being visible was necessary for winning customers. Then the internet happened. Suddenly, people could find what they were looking for online, and everyone became a potential customer, regardless of location. But things have changed once again. With the advent of mobile devices (and the ever-increasing frequency with which they’re being used), location is once again playing a major role in marketing—only this time around, it’s the customer’s location that matters most.
What is location-first marketing?
Location-first marketing is when a business uses a customers’ physical location to target them with relevant content. There are a number of different strategies for taking a location-first approach—all made possible by the ubiquity of GPS enabled mobile devices and location-gathering apps.
Why it works
These days consumers expect a personalized experience from brands. It’s an expectation that extends to their marketing collateral—and that makes sense. Irrelevant ads on our news feeds and web banners are annoying. But if we’re met with content that’s relevant to our lives, suddenly those advertisements have value and feel less intrusive. Instead of disregarding them, we’re more likely to engage. And that means higher click-through rates.
Location-first strategies
There are several location-first strategies hoteliers can use that range in complexity. Here’s a quick overview:
Geo-targeted Ads>> Whether it’s for emails or online ads, geo-targeting is a common strategy for marketers. Platforms like Google Adwords have built-in features that make geo-targeting easy. Depending on your goals, you can target users by country, area within a country (perhaps there’s a city with an affordable direct flight to your locality), or even a set radius surrounding a location of your choosing (maybe your local airport?). The platform also has options to target based on search intent, physical location, or both. Whatever ad campaigns you choose to run remember to analyze the numbers. The performance of an ad in various locations can tell you where (and where not) to target in the future.
Geo-tags on social media>> Geo-targeting is not just for ads. A savvy hotelier can use it for guest engagement as well. Geo-tags are commonly used on social media. On platforms like Instagram, users will often tag their location when uploading posts—making it easy to find location-specific content. If you want to surprise and delight a current guest, check-out your properties geo-tag for recent content. Perhaps a couple just got engaged at your property (and posted about it). Surprising the happy couple with a complimentary bottle of Champagne would do a lot to nurture guest satisfaction.
Geo-fencing>> This is where things become a bit more complicated. Geo-fencing is a marketing strategy that sends SMS messages, emails, or push notifications when a person crosses a “virtual barrier” (or a geo-fence). For example, someone walking down the street past a Starbucks could be sent a notification advertising a special promotion at that location. And it’s not just for advertising. Geofencing can be used to check-in guests, monitor posts made at a property (without requiring geo-tags or hashtags), and collect data on how guests spend time at your property.
With GPS-enabled smartphones, there are treasure troves of location data that marketers can and should be putting to use. Targeting customers with marketing collateral specific to their location creates a personalized experience more likely to yield a conversion. Make sure you’re using location-first strategies to get the most out of your marketing efforts.
