The Why of Where: Reasons Why Online Marketers Should Use Geolocation in Their Campaigns

With all the challenges that marketers face today – texting and social media having a firm grasp on our distracted consumers – it’s important for us to utilize all the tools we have at our disposal. The main question constantly being asked is, “how can we keep consumers online to engage with our brands?” It is essential that brands serve up the most relevant and targeted ads possible for true engagement. There are many options available today but IP geolocation definitely stands out from the crowd as it provides pertinent information about a Web user without actually infringing upon any privacy concerns.

Serving Hyperlocal Content

Geolocation allows marketers to think locally and personalize content – advertisements, local news, or local search results – in a scaleable and measurable way. With all of the advertisements being targeted at Web users, it is difficult for brands to get their ads to stand out from others, especially when the ads are not relevant. Would a home owner living in Southern California really be interested in an advertisement for snowmobiles? Through geolocation, marketers can be ensured that the most tailored content is reaching the appropriate local market.

Preservation of Privacy

Through IP geolocation, brands will not only benefit from the localization of advertising, but will also keep consumers privacy safe. IP intelligence lets a site owner understand where site viewers come from, but not who specifically. With IP intelligence, no cookies are being dropped and no Personally Identifiable Information is being pulled – no Web tracking or Web history will be extracted. Marketers receive only the information they need to know, where that person is logging on from, that’s it.

Data Delivers

IP geolocation provides marketers with data to analyze the success of a local campaign to determine the MROI. For example, do you want to know if your latest advertising had an impact in New York, but not in California? This is the kind of intelligence needed for further planning of a similar campaign in the same or new demographic.

So, as you plan your next campaign, ensure that geolocation is a component to further your success.

By Steven Cook, former Samsung Electronics SVP, CMO, North America; former P&G and Coca-Cola global brand marketer, and CMO Council Advisory Board Member. www.FortuneCMO.co