Top Reasons Designers, Stagers & Organizers Don't Need to Use Geofencing
I’m going to talk about geofencing: What it is and when you would or would not want to implement this advertising technique in your business. This topic was suggested by my agency's wonderful client and good friend in real life, Georgiana Schwandt. Georgiana runs Incredible Windows here in Wisconsin...as her third career. 😎 Her energy is inspiring and her work ethic is extraordinary. She's always keeping her hand on the pulse of the dynamic home industry, and I wasn't at all surprised that she knew about geofencing and wanted me to discuss it.
Georgi, thanks for the topic suggestion!
Top Reasons Designers, Stagers & Organizers Don't Need to Use Geofencing
A geofence is a virtual fence around a real-world location that can be nearly any size, small or large. Geofencing is typically used to prompt app interactions when people enter a certain geographic area. Specific use cases, as suggested by Clearbridge Mobile, include (and I quote):
Increase foot traffic by sending promotional offers to shoppers as they pass by stores
Suggest products based on previous in-app behaviors
Improve customer service by capturing feedback, or opening lines of communication between app users and business management
Integrate social sharing to boost brand awareness
Geo-conquest competitors by building fences around rival locations and pushing incentivized content to redirect shoppers
Additionally, GeoMarketing.com describes it this way:
Geofencing is a way to engage consumers based on hyper-local location, and that can do a lot in terms of triggering immediate sales as well as understanding shopper mindset. For example, a store could erect a simple geofence in an area surrounding its physical location. When users pass through, receiving a location-triggered alert or deal makes them considerably more likely to stop in and shop.
Alternatively, an auto dealer, for example, could set up a geofence aimed at targeting individuals who are leaving a rival dealership after browsing for a vehicle. Hitting them with an offer for zero percent financing on a comparable car model at that moment is more likely to make them come comparison shop — or at least consider an alternative option.
Finally, even if a geofenced offer or notification doesn’t provoke an immediate visit or sale, it allows a business to know exactly what location a consumer passed through — and where they were when they received the message — which may aid in refining targeting efforts in the future based on what communications were most successful.
Does Geofencing Apply to Home Industry Businesses?
If you are creating an app, hosting a huge in-person event, or selling retail at a physical location, geofencing can be helpful. It will send a text or notification to anyone within your pre-defined physical parameters.
However, geofencing isn't actually marketing; it's advertising. Meant to share quick announcements, notifications, or sales, geofencing is not a replacement for relationship or content marketing. To use geofencing safely, you'll need to make sure each person who is going to receive your text messages or app notifications has knowingly opted themselves in first. Permission-based advertising is the hallmark of a professional brand. Advertising to someone without their consent constitutes spam and won't result in new clients.
Speaking of clients, will yours feel harassed or helped if they receive a message from you every time they pass by your physical location? Will they feel stalked or will they think it's cool? Only you can answer this for your own clients and your own business.
Should Interior Designers, Stagers & Organizers Use Geofencing?
Answering for myself, I would never use geofencing. It doesn't have a good, reasonable, or proven application for service-based, high-end, custom businesses. It also tends to make people feel like just another phone number on your long list, which can actually damage the real relationship you should be building with them through your marketing. Advertising, whether a social media ad or a geofencing strategy, should only be used if it fits your business model and makes sense for your ideal client.
If you are running a custom, service-based business in the home industry, you have other advertising and marketing options at your disposal. Ones that will come across much more professionally and avoid making your potential clients feel like they are being digitally stalked. Heaven knows we don't need any more "Big Brother" behavior in our lives.
In short, here are three reasons to avoid geofence advertising strategies:
The size of a geofence for a typical service-based home industry business would be massive (and costly) since most businesses serve entire cities or multiples states / provinces.
Geofencing doesn't make much sense unless you have a physical storefront that receives foot traffic as well as a branded app for your business.
An ideal client looking to spend some serious coin will be put off by abrasive advertising tactics, such as text alerts.
And here are three reasons to consider geofencing:
You have a storefront that depends on foot traffic, and your business also has an app.
You serve a very specific geographic area; traveling more than a few minutes from your storefront isn't part of your business model.
Your retail products are lower-priced and befitting of "interruption" advertising.
If you decide to try geofencing, do yourself a huge favor by setting up a sales funnel that can serve the people who opt into your text messages or app notifications. Nothing sells consistently without a sales funnel, and even the best geofencing strategy will fall flat if you don't have a plan in place to convert any leads you might gain.
Advertising alternatives to geofencing for home professionals:
An interview or project showcase in your local shelter magazine
An ad in the print publication distributed to specific neighborhoods you'd like to target — many high-end communities have these; it's the original "geofence"!
Signage on all your work vehicles that says who, what, and where regarding your business
Resources
Get a sales funnel for your home industry business. Go here now.
