Geofencing Marketing: Location-Based Advertising for Local Businesses

Geofencing draws a virtual boundary around a physical location and delivers ads to mobile devices that enter that boundary. This targeting method reaches people when they are physically near your business or your competitors.

How geofencing works: you define a geographic boundary using GPS or RFID technology. When a mobile device crosses that boundary, the user becomes eligible for your ads. Ads can appear in apps, mobile browsers, social media, and search results.

Competitor conquesting targets people who visit competing businesses. A pizza restaurant could geofence competitors to show ads offering a better deal when potential customers are literally at a rival location.

Event targeting reaches attendees at conferences, concerts, sports events, and trade shows. A local restaurant near a convention center could target conference attendees with lunch specials. A fitness brand could target marathon participants with post-race recovery product ads.

Retargeting after visit extends the engagement beyond the geographic boundary. Someone who entered your geofence can be retargeted for up to 30 days. This is valuable for businesses with longer consideration periods like car dealerships or real estate agents.

Measure foot traffic attribution to connect ad exposure to physical visits. Platforms like Google and Meta offer store visit conversion tracking for qualifying businesses. This closes the attribution loop between digital advertising and in-person transactions.