Geofencing – Reach Consumers Based on Where They Go
Where people spend time can reveal a great deal about what they may need, want or purchase next. Geofencing advertising helps your business reach people based on the physical locations they visit—such as competitor businesses, events, shopping areas, neighborhoods and other relevant places.
Canopy uses location-based advertising technology to build virtual boundaries around carefully selected locations. When qualified mobile devices are observed within those areas, those audiences can later be reached with digital ads across websites and mobile apps.
Turn Real-World Locations Into Digital Audiences
Geofencing connects physical behavior with digital advertising.
Instead of targeting only broad demographics or interests, a campaign can focus on people who have visited locations that matter to your business. A home-improvement company might target visitors to a home show. A retailer might target competing stores. A healthcare provider might focus on relevant community locations or events.
The goal is not simply to reach more people. It is to reach people whose real-world activity suggests they may be a strong fit for your business.
How Geofencing Works
1. Identify Relevant Locations
We begin with your business goals and the audience you want to reach. From there, we identify physical locations where those potential consumers are likely to spend time.
These locations might include:
- Competitor businesses
- Trade shows and community events
- Shopping centers
- Commercial districts
- Neighborhoods or service areas
- Relevant businesses and destinations
- Your own business location
2. Build the Virtual Fences
A digital boundary is mapped around each selected location. Mobile devices observed within those boundaries can be grouped into an audience for the campaign.
3. Deliver the Advertising
Qualified audience members can receive your ads while using websites and mobile apps that support digital advertising. The ads do not have to appear while the person is physically inside the fenced area; visitor targeting can allow the campaign to continue reaching them afterward.
4. Measure and Optimize
We monitor campaign performance, review the locations and creative, and make adjustments as needed. Reporting helps show how the audience is responding through metrics such as impressions, clicks and other campaign actions.
Geofencing Campaign Options
Competitor Targeting
Reach people who have visited competing businesses or other locations where your ideal consumers are likely to shop.
This can be especially effective for retailers, restaurants, gyms, automotive businesses, healthcare providers and home-service companies.
Event Targeting
Build an audience from visitors to fairs, festivals, trade shows, sporting events, conferences and other gatherings.
Event targeting can help your business continue reaching attendees after they leave the event.
Visitor Targeting
Reach people who previously visited selected locations, regardless of where they are when the ad is eventually served.
What Canopy Manages
Location Strategy
We help identify the places most likely to produce a relevant audience rather than placing fences around locations without a clear purpose.
Campaign Setup
Our team manages the digital boundaries, audience configuration, campaign timing and delivery settings.
Ad Creative
We can design clear, effective display ads that communicate your offer and work properly across different screen sizes, websites and mobile apps.
Campaign Monitoring
We track performance throughout the campaign and evaluate whether the targeting, message or creative should be adjusted.
Transparent Reporting
We help explain what the campaign metrics mean and connect them back to the original business objective.
Canopy’s geofencing service is structured as a managed campaign in which its team supports location selection, creative development, setup and ongoing execution.
Why Geofencing Matters
Traditional advertising can build broad awareness throughout a market. Geofencing adds another layer by focusing digital advertising on people connected to meaningful real-world locations.
A well-planned campaign can help your business:
- Reach people based on places they have visited
- Target competitor locations
- Connect with event attendees
- Extend direct-mail or household campaigns digitally
- Keep your business visible after a location visit
- Deliver ads across websites and mobile apps
- Build awareness among more qualified prospects
- Support other print and digital marketing efforts
More Than a Pin on a Map
Successful geofencing requires more than drawing boundaries around a few locations.
The locations must make sense for the business goal. The audience must be large enough to support the campaign. The message must be relevant. The creative must give people a reason to respond. The campaign must also be monitored and evaluated over time.
Canopy brings those pieces together so the technology supports a clear strategy instead of becoming a product used without purpose.
Geofencing and Device ID
Geofencing and Device ID are related, but they are not identical.
Geofencing creates an audience based on visits to selected physical locations.
Device ID targeting uses verified device and location data to build or extend targetable audiences in additional ways, including matching devices with home locations or household information when appropriate.
The right option depends on the audience, available data and business objective. In some strategies, the two can work together.
Businesses That Can Benefit From Geofencing
Geofencing can be useful for many businesses and organizations, including:
- Retail stores
- Restaurants
- Hotels and attractions
- Contractors and home-service companies
- Healthcare providers
- Automotive dealerships
- Gyms and fitness centers
- Colleges and training programs
- Real estate professionals
- Financial institutions
- Community events and fairs
- Businesses with defined service territories
The strongest opportunities are usually businesses that can clearly identify where their prospective consumers spend time.
Why Choose Canopy?
Geofencing is powerful technology, but technology alone does not build a successful campaign.
Canopy begins with a conversation about your business, your audience and the outcome you want to achieve. We then help determine whether geofencing is the right tool, identify meaningful locations, develop the campaign and explain the results.
Through Canopy we provide access to sophisticated location-based advertising capabilities. Through AloNovus, we bring more than 50 years of local market knowledge, client relationships and dependable service.
You receive the capabilities of a larger digital operation with guidance from people who understand your community.
Reach Consumers in the Places That Matter
Use real-world location behavior to build a more focused digital audience and keep your business visible to people who may be ready to act.