Posted by: Nicole Johnson, Marketing Coordinator
Ever heard of “location-sensitive mobile advertising?” It sounds fancy, but it’s just a term that encompasses a combination of two tactics that are becoming bigger and better every day – local search marketing and mobile advertising. The major players in the game (Yelp, Google and Facebook) are paving the way for new growth in this arena.
Yelp offers a smartphone application called “Nearby” for its mobile users. The app allows easy mobile access to any coupon or offer posted on a local business’s Yelp profile page. Users can also use the app to find businesses located in close proximity to their immediate locations.
Similarly, Google released “Near Me Now,” a feature that is automatically available to any user who accesses Google using an iPhone or Android phone user a 2.0.1 version or newer browser. The feature gives users easy navigation to restaurants, banks and other businesses in their areas. The mobile search engine results page serves up 10 local businesses and features three Google Adwords paid listings. Keep in mind that the Near Me Now link only appears if users give Google permission to access their locations with GPS tracking.
On the social side of the spectrum, a new service called YellowPin is partnering with Facebook to connect consumers with their network via text messaging. With this service, you can be sure that all of your friends know exactly where you just bought those new sunglasses and all the stores you had to visit before finding the perfect pair.
Combining these tactics is a great way for marketers to reach their preferred customers at exactly the right time and place, ultimately shortening the sales cycle. Finding the right marketing channel might not be so hard after all.
Whether you use one or all of these services, don’t forget to develop a strong local business listing, as it is the most important piece of your strategy.
Learn more at: ClickZ
