Every dollar counts in your marketing budget and technology like geotargeting and geofencing can seem like a no-brainer for getting in front of your target audience.
However, geotargeting and geofencing are fairly complicated tactics if you don’t understand them.
“Don’t try to do it all yourself,” says Katy Doss, founder and CEO of Script Marketing. “This is one of those marketing tactics that looks simple, but requires strategy to be effective. If you’re going to spend the money, spend it wisely.”
Common Mistakes of Geotargeting and Geofencing
Poor targeting, bad creative or messaging that doesn’t resonate all equal wasted money.
Doss says that often, lawn and landscape companies try to target everyone. Instead, start narrow and use data.
“When you try to be for everyone, you become relevant to no one,” Doss says.
Robert Murray, co-founder and CEO of Intrigue Media, says another common mistake is when landscape companies don’t have a goal or a way to measure the goal. He says a lot of people say they want more brand presence and more community visibility.
“But at the end of the day, what they’re looking for is new customers,” Murray says. “Having the goal of how many leads or customers that you want is really important, because then you can see if you’re on track to doing it or not, and then have the reporting piece in behind it, so that you can ensure that you know these things are happening, those are the two biggest things.”
Murray says just like a science experiment, you need to make a hypothesis of what you expect to happen. After observing, determine why your hypothesis was or wasn’t accurate and learn from it.
“If it’s not measured along the way, it’s really difficult to predict,” Murray says.
Murray says it’s important to have a reporting infrastructure in place so you can track your cost per lead and the quality of said leads.
Doss recommends monitoring your click-through rate and engagement metrics.
“High impressions but low clicks usually mean your creative isn’t working,” Doss says. “Track how many leads become customers, because that’s the real win.”
Maximizing Your Messaging
If you’re going to invest money into geotargeting and/or geofencing, don’t use boring, generic creative.
“Lead with lifestyle, not logistics,” Doss says. “Show what life looks like with your services — cocktails on the patio, grandkids playing on the lawn, dinner parties under the twinkle lights. Speak to the pain points (they don’t want to DIY, they want to enjoy their weekends) and elevate the outcome.”
When using geofencing, avoid messaging that comes across as digital stalking, like ‘We see you’re at Lowe’s.”
Instead, Murray says adding the locale’s name in your ad can go a long way to resonating with leads. Similarly, utilize real photos from the community you serve rather than generic ones.
“If you’re from Huntsville, Alabama, and an ad says, ‘landscaping in Huntsville, Alabama,’ you’re going to be way more prone to look at that than just an ad that says ‘landscaping,’” Murray says.
Including social proof can also enhance the effectiveness of your geotargeting ads. Some of the ways to show social proof include Google reviews, recent awards, BBB accreditation or being an NALP member.
“To say that you’re an advocate of the industry and that you’re a certified member within the industry is really helpful,” Murray says.
Make sure wherever your ad directs the lead, there is consistent messaging and a straightforward call to action.
“If your website or landing page doesn’t back up your ad with a strong message, your targets aren’t likely to convert,” Doss says.
Pay attention to your metrics to see if clients are clicking on your ads in the first place. When using geotargeting through Google or Meta, you can track where a lead came from and determine which investments are turning into dollars.
