location based content marketing is already the next big thing

Location Based Content Marketing is “Already” the Next Big Thing

Prepared by Kevin HuangSept 30, 2015

The growth of the smartphone market provides a number of opportunities for brands to engage with

consumers based on their current location.

Two of the biggest trends in marketing right now are content marketing and mobile marketing. More and more brands are

creating content that’s meant to engage and inspire their fans. More and more brands are optimizing their advertising (and content) to be viewed on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. It only makes sense that these two trends would converge. One of these convergences is the rise

of location based content marketing.

Location, Location, Location…

Drive ResponseBy Targeting CustomersWhen They are Near By.

Location Provides an Enhanced User Experience

Location is a Game Changer for Social Networking

Passive

Real-Time

Participatory

What have you been up to?

What are you doing right now?

Where are you? Can I join?

What is Location Based Content Marketing?

In the world of mobile advertising, ads are still largely disruptive. That is, when you use your smartphone to go to a website, you get a pop up ad, or see a banner ad before you can use the site you’re going to. Location-based advertising takes this a step further and provides pop-up ads and banners based on your location. For instance, you might be near a Del Taco at lunchtime. You open your phone and do a search for “restaurants.” An ad for a nearby Del Taco comes up and it includes a coupon code!

Location based content marketing would take this a step further and offer content that is useful, interesting, and of course, pertinent to the user’s location. Say for instance you’re in downtown Chicago wandering up and down the Magnificent Mile. You do a search for “deep dish pizza.” Included in your search results is a sponsored story about the history of Chicago deep-dish pizza that happens to feature a historic Chicago pizzeria like Uno’s or Lou Malnati’s. Now, the person who did the search has found something interesting, read it, and learned more about a pizzeria she may want to visit. By creating compelling, local content, the searcher is less likely to ignore the ad.

7 Tips to Maximize Location Based Content

#1: Take advantage of geo-targeting

#2: Optimize your site for mobile devices

#3: Provide the information your leads need

#4: Use social media to promote events

#5: Regularly update your blog with location-specific information

#6: Tap into customer feedback to fine-tune your content

#7: Don’t forget the call to action

- particularly the content that is relevant to their location

- include your location in your Facebook status updates, in your tweets, and in other social media blasts to ensure that your targeted data reaches the audience you want it to reach.

How to Use Facebook Location-Based Content Marketing [Check-ins]If you have a retail business, then there are exciting opportunities for using Location-Based Facebook Marketing right now to leverage the power of social media.

• the check-in is visible to the friends of the person checking in – providing additional exposure to the business.• the check-in can be used to leverage additional sales of products or services. If this is encouraged from the actual business location (and not advertised on Facebook) then the business owner is complying with the Facebook Guidelines for Promotions.

Anyone with a smart phone can “Check-In” or publicly acknowledge where they are at any given time. This has many benefits, especially if the place being “Checked-In” to is your business:

How to Use Facebook Location-Based Content Marketing [Nearby]Nearby allows you to discover people, places and businesses “Nearby”. With the power of GPS functionality, this location based app helps users and their friends to find your business.

The results that appear on the Nearby map are influenced by the recommendations of your friends based on whether they have:• rated a particular place or business (using a simple star rating)• recommended the business• checked-in• liked the business page

Now it is not just about what you like, but it is about what your friends like and where they are!

How to Use Facebook Location-Based Content Marketing [Offers]

Facebook Offers are a free way to receive discounts from businesses, brands and organisations. For Local Businesses, this little Facebook Product is proving to be a winner, performing well against Ads and Promoted Posts.

• When you like the pages of businesses you care about, you will see their updates, including their Offers in the newsfeed.• To redeem an offer, click “Get Offer” below the Offer’s headline.

What is Foursquare? Location-based social media app Makes “Checking in” a game Become the “Major” Earn points, badges and specials

Another Location-Based Content Marketing Tool - Foursquare

HotelApplication of Foursquare already existCreative promotionsList of nearby attractions to engage with guestsRetailDrive awareness and foot-traffic -> salesChance to win tickets to an eventFood & BeverageDiscover new restaurantsGrubHubEntertainment

Foursquare in Various Industries

3 examples of using Foursquare:

#1: STARBUCKS

Starbucks was the first company to roll out discounts for earning mayor status at any of their locations. Since then, they’ve added a campaign for Foursquare users to add tips about what makes their local Starbucks “unique, different and interesting.”

A pioneer in the location and check-in based services, Starbucks was one of the first major brands to reward check-ins and loyalty through Foursquare.

#2: BRAVO TV SHOWS

The marriage between reality television and social media seems like a natural one, and Bravo is using this to it’s full advantage with their Foursquare marketing campaign. Bravo offered Foursquare user “badges and special prizes when viewers visit more than 500 Bravo locations.” The locations will be picked by Bravo to correspond with select Bravo shows including The Real Housewives, The Millionaire Matchmaker, Top Chef, Kell on Earth, Top Chef Masters and Shear Genius.

http://foursquare.com/bravo

#3: HARVARD

Universities have been taking a lead on social media marketing (Gettysburg College’s among the universities using Postano), and Harvard demonstrated this with their unique use of Foursquare marketing.Harvard encouraged students to rate campus venues, share tips, and work to earn the Harvard Yard badge by checking in to a certain numbers of locations. They also left tips at locations on and off campus for students and visitors alike to explore.

http://www.gettysburg.edu/news_events/social_networks/

http://www.gettysburg.edu/news_events/social_networks/

Location-Based Content Marketing in B2B

The Four Phases in the B2B Customer Journey

Social Media Adoption by B2B Businesses in 2014

http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/social-media-b2b-stats/615931

Difficulty proving ROI, lack of time and no strategic planning are the key challenges facing companies in this space.

http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/social-media-b2b-stats/615931

How to Leverage Location-Based Marketing for B2B

Knowing what your potential customers are doing, at what locations and at what times are valuable pieces of data for restaurants, retailers and other consumer-based industries, but what about B2B?

There are ways to leverage location-based industry related events and within professional group affiliations that can help you engage current clients and attract new ones.

Social Media & Brand Awareness: One aspect of leveraging location-based for events is telling your audience where you will be and what you’re up to. If you check in as your company on Foursquare, or check in through your Facebook Company Page you can let your audience know what’s going on with your company.

Identify Prospects and Facilitate Leads: With the data you get from location-based research, your company can find out a lot about a prospect. Location-based gives you a better perspective on personas because it lets you see where actual people spend time and when. An article from Hubspot reveals an important point about using location-based tactics:

“Sales and marketing teams for B2B companies traditionally have profiles and personas for their customers. They have an idea about their personality, what motivates them, the types of activities they like to do. A significant part of who a person is, are the places they go and the people they spend time with. If you are in the business of selling software to engineers, then you can find the places in your sales area that engineers are likely to frequent and use location-based applications as a way to connect with them.”

Incentives: If several of your clients regularly visit a local coffee shop, let’s call it “The Grind”, it might make sense to partner with them. On Foursquare, businesses can offer incentives for checking in. If you partnered with “The Grind” the check-in incentive could say, “Free latte with your third check-in! Brought to you by “Your Company Name and Website.” This would be a great way to keep your company top-of-mind for current customers and to attract new ones. Think how this might work at an out-of-town trade show. . .

Sponsorships & Events: Sponsoring events is another way to leverage location-based marketing for B2B. If there is an upcoming event in which many of your clients or potential clients will be attending, your company could partner with the venue and/or whoever is putting on the event. Have banners or booth cards made that say, “Check in on Foursquare (or Facebook, Google+, Yelp, etc.) and receive one free drink from the bar, a free gift bag, some other incentive—sponsored by “Your Company Name & Website.” Using check-ins creates brand awareness and buzz around your company. If people check in and share it on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or any other social network, their contacts will see your brand as well.

Check In With Clients: By checking-in (as yourself or as your company) to places that current and potential clients are, you can show that your company is actively involved in happenings in your industry. This applies not just to coffee shops, but technology hubs, common client association events and the like. Don’t forget to follow your clients and interact with them as well.

A Hubspot article notes, “to ensure the most exposure from these checkins, follow your employees, existing clients, potential clients, industry partners, competitors, and other B2Bs of interest to your business. They’ll be more likely to follow you in return if you’re active on the particular network, thus seeing where you’ve recently checked in.

Best Practices for Company Account Check-ins: If you have a company Instagram or Vine account, both allow you to add the Foursquare location with the image or video which you can then send to Twitter or your Facebook Company Page. If you want to check in on Facebook with your company page, you cannot do so with the official Facebook mobile app. You would need to check in using your personal Facebook account and just mention that it involves your company or you can get around this by logging in to Facebook through your mobile browser and checking-in on your company page that way. With Foursquare, you could create an account for your company and check in, then send the check-in it to your Facebook Company Page and Twitter.

How to Use Location-Based Marketing at B2B Events

Consider that at any moment during your average industry event, dozens if not hundreds of attendees will be standing around or walking the floor while scanning their smartphones and tablets. Why not take advantage of all this mobile usage and run a check-in sweepstakes at any trade show or event your company attends?

1. Lose the scanner. Instead of asking every attendee the worn-out question, "Can I scan your badge?" invite attendees to check in at your trade show booth via Foursquare or Facebook for a chance to win your giveaway.

2. Create a memorable experience. In addition to getting visits to your trade show booth from people interested in your promotion, you’ll have the opportunity to engage attendees with a unique mobile experience. Imagine getting creative and, for example, providing VIP access to your corporate party to anyone that checks in at your booth. This is infinitely more enjoyable and engaging than having a sales rep scan an attendee’s badge while asking awkward questions about his or her "budget.“

3. Watch the buzz grow. By using check-ins, you're also going to create more awareness for your company at the event. Every check-in will be seen by that attendees' colleagues, who will ask them "Saw you checked in — what did you think of that company?"

Here’s How It Work:

End result: You've created a memorable experience for attendees that visited you and also created increased buzz for your brand.

Facebook Events

Facebook makes it easy to add events through your business’s Facebook page. Posting events on Facebook is important because it builds buzz prior to your event and can be an easy way to encourage fans to invite their friends. Events also provide a way for you to collect photos and testimonials after the event from attendees.Creating your event is as easy as posting a status update.1. Sign into your business’s page.

2. Go to your status update box and click “Offer, Event +.”3. Click “Event.” This will open up a new window where you’ll be able to insert information about your event. Provide plenty of information: location, time, price of admission (if there is one), whether food and drink will be served, any special perks attendees can expect, etc.4. When your information is complete click “Create.” This is your event page where you’ll be able to add messages and an event photo.5. Click the calendar image on the top left of the page to upload an event photo.

Foursquare & Its Use in CES Event

What do you think? How can you engage your customers and prospects with location-

based content marketing and use social media effectively?

And if you’ve already been using it, what’s been successful for you? If you’ve not started yet, then

There is no timeTo waste.