Facebook is diving into the Geotargeting world. Google already has multiple tools tied to this technology. Foursquare and Gowalla are the current internet hotties, mostly because the strength of their location-based API’s are so intriguing. But what does this mean and why should you care? Well, for one thing, it takes the vastness of the internet and localizes it for business and personal use.
Case in point. You’re driving around an area looking for an interesting restaurant. You’d love to have a library of options at your fingertips but too many choices, especially irrelevant ones, are just as useless as none at all. So you push one simple button on your mobile phone and maybe add in the price range you’re looking for. And, oh, you’re in the mood for Thai food. As Emeril would say, BAM! You have the top options right there on your mobile phone, along with reviews. But that’s only the beginning. You also see who you know that’s eating there right now, how long the wait is, and what the specials are for that evening. And because your phone knows where you ate last night, last week, last month, it gives you a comparison in terms of how much you spent, and how many people who ate at the other places you ate at also ate at the restaurant options currently showing on your mobile phone.
This is a basic Geotargeting service that’s been around for a few years now. In the tech world it’s no longer a big deal. But the most important part of this technology is just now being realized, as people become more and more overwhelmed with the vast amount of information available to them (usually for free) online. When it comes to needing/doing things locally, this takes the online world and narrows it down to something as small as a neighborhood block.
Stop for a moment and think about how that can help your business. This technology not only allows them to find you, but you to find them. Hmmm…. Opportunity? We think so.
7 Responses to “How Can Geotargeting Help Your Business?”
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Brandon Yanofsky says:
This opens a door into a whole new area of marketing. I couldn’t see how a local business could use non-traditional media before, but this changes everything.
And as a consumer, it will finally be easy to decide on a restaurant with friends.
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I totally agree with Barbara’s comment. Thanks for sharing such an informative article with all of us. I’ve bookmarked your blog will come back for a re-read again. Keep up the great work.
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B Mews says:
What about businesses besides restaurants? I agree the web is great for eateries, but what about retail?
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Being present in consumers’ mindset is a constant opportunity for businesses. So far only big brands have really embraced and leveraged location based targeting.
It would be interesting to see what are the field experiences you have witnessed for smaller businesses. How this new geo targeting will impact branding and marketing budget?@score114
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B Mews you are definitely right. Retail stores can benefit from geo-targeting just as much as restaurants can. It seems to be most popular in the restaurant business right now, but I agree that it will become quite popular with retail stores as well.
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Score orange county – We are currently seeing a slow adoption to geo-targeting from (surprising enough) automotive dealerships. Many of our clients’ customers have “checked in” to the dealership when they have come in for service for for a new car purchase. But it will be interesting to see what other small business make use of this service as well.
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Veronica Brothwell says:
This is a great article and so true! I have seen some of the positive results as my friends, that are frequenters of the service, get rewarded at places they check into most at. I’m excited to see how other businesses that adopt the service will implement it.
As a consumer my only concern is how much the almighty Google knows about me, but have learned to just come to terms with it as I’m not about to give up Facebook, Twitter or the rest of my online addictions.
