The Benefits of Geofencing and Pre-Roll Advertising

The internet age has given birth to a myriad of powerful tools that advertisers can utilize to increase the effectiveness of their campaigns. While many business owners turn to platforms such as social media and email marketing to handle the majority of their digital efforts, these tactics only scratch the surface of today’s online marketing space. So-Lo-Mo is a common phrase used by tech-savvy marketers which stands for Social-Local-Mobile. This principle is meant to highlight the fact that consumers are getting information from online content such as videos instead of brand advertisements (social), they are reliant on location-based services to find what they are looking for (local) and they interact with brands using many different types of devices (mobile). Considering all the ways in which consumers interact with, it’s wise to consider utilizing new tools to target the modern marketplace. This is where location-based and video marketing can be especially beneficial.

Location-Based Marketing Through Geofencing

If you’ve dabbled in online advertising for your business, you’ve probably seen the term “geofencing.” Whereas online ad platforms such as Google AdWords or Facebook Advert Manager allow advertisers to target users within a certain city or geographical radius, geofencing gets far more granular. Geofencing refers to setting up a virtual boundary that triggers an action once a user enters this defined area. A geo-fence can be a wide as a city or as narrow as a single building or city street. With one of the most difficult parts of digital advertising being targeting, geofencing allows marketers to greatly narrow down who sees their ad to help exclude irrelevant traffic.

Geofencing is achieved through technologies like GPS, Bluetooth and RFID (radio frequency identification) to reach users on their computer or mobile device. This allows advertisers to serve targeted ads to users based on what websites they visit, what content they view and what mobile applications they use while within a targeted area. Targeting specific types of websites or content allows marketers to more easily reach their audience. For instance, if you are looking to reach parents, you may want to specifically target parenting related websites. These types of campaigns can even allow targeting of specific events such as parades or conventions. Keep in mind that consumers are far more likely to engage with an ad that is relevant to them. If you get creative – and specific – with your advertising, geofencing can be an extremely powerful tool for online advertising.

Digital Video Pre-Roll Advertising

The digital content landscape has changed greatly over the past decade. According to a study by Cisco, digital video will represent 80% of all internet traffic by 2019. Even now, 90% of consumers report that video helps them make purchasing decisions. With the rise of Youtube and Facebook video, it’s easier than ever for brands to create and share their own video content. While television advertising is still a popular and effective medium, digital video pre-roll advertising allows for far more possibilities in terms of targeting and engagement at a more affordable cost.

Similar to conventional television commercials, digital pre-roll ads are typically short 15 to 30 second ads that play before or during internet video. Also similar to television commercials, these ads typically cannot be skipped completely.

Where digital pre-roll differs is cost, placement, targeting and track-ability:

• Digital pre-roll ads tend to be far more cost-effective than conventional television commercials, making it easier for businesses with smaller budgets to advertise.
• Digital pre-roll ads also allow for several different types of placements. It is possible to reach users on Youtube through the Google Adwords platform as well as many other digital video networks by engaging with a digital marketing agency. It is even possible to target video through on-demand video services and video streaming apps such as Hulu. With interest-based targeting, it is easier to reach your ideal customer.
• Unlike traditional television advertising, digital pre-roll advertising offers powerful tools to analyze and track the performance of your ads. With digital pre-roll typically having a clear CTA (Call To Action), it’s easy to track the effectiveness of your campaign.

Getting Started with Digital Advertising

Getting started with digital advertising can sometimes be a daunting task for business owners. Without the proper marketing insight, it’s common to throw money away when attempting to build a digital marketing campaign. This is why it’s beneficial for businesses to partner with a digital marketing agency. Not only are most digital marketing agencies well-versed in the capabilities of digital online marketing platforms but they have the experience and knowledge to make the most out of your budget. The digital marketing experts at DRM have the expertise to craft a well-targeted digital marketing strategy for your brand. We offer the following options and more:

• Geofencing for display and pre-roll ads nationwide through our partnership with the powerful Spectrum Digital
• Pre-roll advertising for on-demand video and video streaming apps.
• Search, display, mobile app and pre-roll through the Google AdWords network.
• Social media advertising through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

DRM is a full-service agency located in Cleveland, OH that offers web design, branding, graphic design, content creation, copywriting, video production and much more. Visit our website to see some of our work or give us a call at (216) 245-0835 to speak with one of our marketing specialists today!