Location-based marketing (LBM) uses geo-tracking and mobile communications to deliver customized content and offers to customers' phones based on their location. It is an effective way for businesses like stores and restaurants to actively target nearby customers. To succeed with LBM, businesses should choose the right social media platforms, incentivize customer check-ins and sharing with rewards, ensure their business location is properly listed online, continuously offer new deals, and collect customer data to refine their campaigns.

1. The 7 Essentials of Location-Based Marketing
Location Based Marketing is just beginning to go mainstream. This article helps you understand and
cash in on this revolutionary new marketing technique.
Location based marketing (LBM) is an excellent way to reach out to shoppers and consumers who are
on-the-go. What makes LBM so attractiveness is that it costs very little to launch and run, while retaining
the potential to generate large revenues in a relatively short period of time.
What exactly is location-based marketing?
Location based marketing is an advertising technique that combines geo-tracking with mobile
communications, and in many cases social media platforms like foursquare and Gowalla, to deliver
highly customized content directly to prospects' cell phones. This is done in the hope of generating real-
time conversions and developing brand loyalty and thus, LBM communications tend to be composed of
attractive offers and discounts. However, this marketing strategy is limited to a localized area such as a
mall or a street. If you have a store or a restaurant, LBM will allow you to actively solicit shoppers and
passers-by via SMS, multimedia or mobile web applications.
This marketing technique also tends to work best with foot traffic and as a result finds its primary outlet
at malls, shopping centers and streets that play host to a large number of commercial establishments.
Here are a few tips to help you create and capitalize on your very own LBM strategy -
1. Choose Your Platforms
Foursquare, Facebook Places, Gowalla and SCVNGR are just some of the LBM platforms available to you.
But which one do you launch on? The smart way to pick the perfect platform is to leverage your extant
social media marketing campaign and find out which platform the majority of your clientele uses. You
can do this by creating a poll or a survey on every social media marketing platform you employ.
If you find that your results are inconclusive, there's nothing to do but experiment. If you have a multi-
location business, trying using different combinations of platforms at each location and analyze the
responses you receive. If you're in a single location, then foursquare or facebook places are likely to be
your best bets.
2. Social Loyalty
Incorporate customer loyalty programmes into your LBM networks. This will create an extra avenue for
consumers to earn loyalty points and rewards. If you give users incentives to share info, it will also help
you achieve greater penetration across social networks.

2. 3. Put Yourself on the Map
Make sure you put your business up on Google Places. Why? Google is the world's largest search engine
and one in three queries are local in nature. A Google Places listing will be highly indexed on a SERP for
your specific area. Also, get your business on every single location-based social network. You don't have
to market yourself through all of them initially, but at least put up your contact details and basic
information. A simple presence wouldn't hurt.
Additionally, if you provide a delivery service, specific your coverage radius. This can go a long way in
boosting sales and helping define who your target audience should be.
4. Dole out the Deals
Deals and offers can quickly become boring and that is one of the biggest causes for 'check-in' declines.
Try experimenting with different deal structures and offer-types while collecting data on redemption
rates. If you find that a particular sort of deal is being redeemed a lot more than others, find a way to
enhance it, while keeping your bottom line in mind.
5. Spruce up the Store
A successful LBM campaign is going to drive a lot of traffic to your actual outlets, so if you've noticed any
discrepancies between the outlet and the experience on offer, take care of them before you embark on
your campaign. This is vital, because a bad reputation earned within a small area isn't easy to shake. You
don't want customers skirting your store because they found it scruffy, especially after you explicitly
asked them to drop in.
6. Employee Inclusion
Keep your employees up-to-date on all the offers you put out there and make sure they're prepared to
handle sudden surges in customer volume – you never know when that killer deal you offered will strike
a chord in the consumer heart.
Remember, your staff is on the ground and they interact directly with all your customers. Incorporating
their opinions and feedback into your campaign could give you a remarkable edge over establishments
that ignore their employees' suggestions.
7. Visual Reinforcement
If you want to really capitalize on LBM, you can put up standees, posters and hang placards around your
establishment to reinforce your LBM deals and offers and to remind people of the real-time incentives
up for grabs if they share information virtually. If you own a restaurant or a bar, table tents are a great
way to implement this, without sacrificing your ambience.
In Summary
Keep collecting information that includes customer response rates, check-in, products purchased,
hottest deals, etc. And use them to refine and retool your LBM campaign. Shoppers can be a fickle lot

3. and you're going to have to keep on your toes if you want to stay ahead of the competition. Quality data
analysis combined with timing and attractive offers are what will help you make in big in the LBM game.
Sources
http://www.toprankblog.com
http://www.esalesdata.com
http://searchenginewatch.com
About The Author
Linda Mentzer is a published author and senior marketing manager for an information management
company that has helped sell thousands of software products on a global scale. With over 11 years of
experience in electronic marketing techniques, Linda has authored articles for several leading business
journals, worldwide.
Ph: 1-877-728-9624
Email: sales@esalesdata.com
Website: www.esalesdata.com