Event organizers are always looking for innovative ways to boost engagement, enhance attendee experiences, and measure the success of their efforts. Geofencing technology offers an effective solution to meet these goals, providing real-time location-based interactions for current events and insightful data for past events. Whether you’re hosting a conference, trade show, or music festival, geofencing can transform the way you connect with your audience.
What is Geofencing?
Geofencing is a location-based service that triggers specific actions when a mobile device enters or exits a predefined geographic area, or “geofence.” These virtual boundaries can be set around event venues, conference centers, or even stages at an event. By leveraging GPS, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth, geofencing allows you to send targeted notifications, gather attendee data, and create personalized experiences.
Benefits of Geofencing for Events Marketing
1. Industry Targeting
Geofencing allows you to target people who attended a specific event. For example, let’s say you want to acquire clients in a specific industry, and you find out there is an industry event. By geofencing that event, you show your ads and your value to just about everyone who attends that event.
2. Layer in Interest Targeting from Search Keywords
In addition to simply targeting everyone at an event, you can also add on a layer of interest targeting based upon recently searched keywords.
For example, let’s say you’re geofencing an event for Outdoor Sports Enthusiasts, and you sell high-quality backpacks. You could specifically target this event, but narrow down the search to people who attended this event and searched for backpacks, the names of your competitors, or things like “Hiking Equipment.”
3. Increased Engagement During Events
By utilizing geofencing, you can push special promotions, discounts, or announcements to attendees during the event. This can be particularly effective for vendors and exhibitors looking to drive traffic to their booths or for sponsors promoting special offers. For instance, if attendees are near a particular area of the event, you can send them a notification encouraging them to stop by for a giveaway, demo, or exclusive deal.
4. Enhanced Local Advertising
Geofencing can also extend beyond just event attendees. You can target people who are near the event but may not be attending, such as those walking by the venue or visiting nearby businesses. This is particularly useful for local businesses looking to attract event-goers after hours or sponsors who want to increase brand awareness to a broader, yet still localized, audience.
Geofencing for Previous Event Attendees
1. Remarketing Opportunities
Geofencing doesn’t just stop at live events. After the event has ended, you can continue advertising to those who attended. By setting up a “geofence” during the event, you can capture data from attendees’ mobile devices and then use it to deliver follow-up ads later. For example, you can offer special discounts, send event recap content, or promote future events, all to an audience that has already shown interest.
You can geofence past events as well!
2. Tailored Ad Campaigns
Geofencing technology allows you to segment your audience based on their specific behaviors during the event. If someone spent a lot of time in a particular area, you can target them with ads related to the products or services they showed interest in. This level of personalization increases the chances of conversion since you’re reaching people with content that matters to them.
Best Uses for Geofencing Advertising at Events
1. Trade Shows and Conferences
For exhibitors and sponsors, geofencing at trade shows and conferences can help attract foot traffic to booths. Vendors can send ads to attendees when they enter the exhibition hall, offering them incentives to stop by, such as exclusive offers or product demonstrations.
2. Sporting Events
At large sporting events, advertisers can use geofencing to eng age fans with promotions related to food, merchandise, or upcoming games. Local businesses near stadiums can also benefit by using geofencing to drawin attendees post-game with nearby dining or entertainment offers.
3. Concerts and Festivals
Music festivals and concerts often have large, tech-savvy audiences who are highly engaged with their mobile devices. Using geofencing, sponsors can push out promotions for artist merchandise, food trucks, or after-parties while attendees are on-site, maximizing brand engagement.
4. Local and Retail Businesses
Even if you’re not directly involved in hosting the event, local businesses can use geofencing to target event attendees. For example, restaurants and shops near a conference center or festival venue can send ads offering discounts or deals to people who attended the event and are looking for a place to go afterward.
Key Benefits of Geofencing Advertising
1. Cost-Effective and Efficient
Geofencing advertising can be highly cost-effective, especially when compared to broader digital advertising methods. Since it only targets people within a specific area, you won’t waste your ad budget on people who aren’t likely to engage with your message. This also leads to higher click-through and conversion rates since your audience is more qualified.
2. Improved Analytics and Insights
With geofencing, you can track important metrics such as foot traffic to your store, engagement with your ads, and conversions from digital ads to physical visits. This data provides valuable insights into your campaign’s effectiveness and helps optimize future event marketing efforts.
3. Enhanced User Experience
By sending targeted, relevant ads, you create a better experience for attendees. They’re not overwhelmed with irrelevant promotions but instead receive information and offers that add value to their event experience. This personalized approach helps build a stronger connection between your brand and the audience.
Conclusion
Geofencing advertising is a powerful tool for reaching event attendees and local audiences with tailored, location-based ads. Whether you want to boost engagement during an event or continue marketing after it ends, geofencing offers flexibility, precision, and cost-effectiveness. At iPoint Technologies, we can help you incorporate geofencing into your event marketing strategy, ensuring your ads hit the right audience at the right time.