Why ‘Geolocation’ Should Be on Your Radar

Strategy August 03, 2018

Technology is crazy. And now that our cellphones are smarter than ever, it’s much easier to leverage this technology to connect with the right people. Especially if you’re trying to find people in a certain geographic location.

In plain English, geolocation refers to finding someone’s whereabouts through a device connected to the internet.

Why should this matter to marketers at 2-year colleges? Well, geolocation is an integral part of location-based marketing.

Imagine that there is a nearby science-fair event for high school students. Because of GPS technology, you can set a digital ‘fence’ around the building holding the event. Then, through using ad networks or social networking platforms, you can target those devices entering this digital zone.

In other words, if I was attending this event and opened up my weather app, your message about registering for science classes could appear in the ad display section.

Not convinced just yet? This might change your mind:

• According to the Pew Research Center, 90% of people ages 18 and over use their smartphones for information related to location. This means that smartphone users have their location settings enabled and are sharing information about where they go.
• The Location Based Marketing Association (LBMA) completed a study on 500 business leaders and marketing executives regarding location-based marketing. They found that more than half of the companies are using location-based marketing strategies and are planning to invest more in the future (with a major focus on mobile devices).
• Recently, Interact worked with Oakland Community College on a digital campaign using geolocation technology. The results were incredible. Oakland CC was able to reach over 6.2 million people with their ads and drive 13,974 people to their website!