There is a standard misconception in the definition of proximity marketing geofencing and how it compares other forms of location based advertising such as beacon marketing technologies. Both have their benefits and particular uses that are vital to micro-targeting consumers who walk inside your retail location or nearby, but each has their pluses and minuses and should be considered when you’re trying to decide which one makes the most sense for your company.
Definition of Proximity Marketing Geofencing & Beacon Marketing
Proximity Geofencing marketing allows company to micro-target people based on the places they go. Advertisers are able to place a digital geofence directly around the building or location you want to target, and begin capturing the mobile device ID’s of people who walk inside that geofence. You then have the ability to serve ads to those individuals while they are there at the location and also for up to 30 days.
The term iBeacon and Beacon Marketing are often used interchangeably. iBeacon is the name for Apple’s technology standard, which allows Mobile Apps (running on both iOS and Android devices) to listen for signals from beacons in the physical world and react accordingly. Beacons transmit small amounts of data via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) up to 50 meters, and as a result are often used for indoor location technology, although beacons can be used outside as well.
Benefits of Proximity Geofencing Marketing
Proximity Marketing Geofencing has many benefits compared to beacon technology:
- LESS SET UP REQUIRED – You don’t have to place any physical objects at the location you want to target. With proximity marketing geofencing, you can simply build the geofence and begin targeting those people immediately once they enter the geofencing.
- SERVE ADS AFTER THEY LEAVE LOCATION – With geofencing, you can serve ads to people long after they leave the geofenced location. Legit geofencing platforms such as Simpli.fi allows you to serve ads for up to 30 days they that person leaves the geofenced location.
- GOOD FOR MULTIPLE DEVICE TYPES – Via geofencing, you can target multiple devices including IOS, Android, and other devices. As long as you have a signal and access to the internet or your apps on your smart phone, you’ll be able to serve ads to those individuals.
Benefits of Beacon Technology
- NEARBY SMS SENDS – Many people like the idea of sending an SMS text message to people. And in most cases you cannot simply sent a text message to someone unless they have physically retrieved your phone number and put it into their own SMS messaging service or their phone. So the nearby SMS phenomena is truly a notification that say to someone they are nearby a particular store and retail location with a message custom tailored to them.
- LESS EXPENSIVE – Beacons are not traditionally too expensive to install and implement. You are normally only paying for the hardware of the beacon technology, but many platforms require a monthly payment ranging from $50 – $300/month.
Which Proximity Marketing Makes Sense For My Business
Beacon technology and proximity geofencing each have their own advantages. If you are not concerned about targeting people beyond the point in which people enter your retail location, then beacons can be a good option, but if you want to continue targeting consumers long after they have left your location, geofencing marketing can be a better option for you.