📍 Geofencing now: Why marketing that “knows where you are” — is not the future, but a necessity
How to stop “using a sledgehammer to crack a nut” and start inviting customers at the right moment. We explain with B2B and B2C examples.
Imagine that your marketing offer appears on your customer’s phone screen not just on the right day, but at the exact moment when they can physically take advantage of it. What’s more, at the very moment when they might be walking past your competitor’s store.
This is not science fiction. This is Geofencing — a real-time marketing technology that is becoming the main weapon in the battle for offline customers. It allows businesses to finally move towards effective marketing automation.
What is Geofencing and why is everyone talking about it?
To explain something complex in simple terms, Geofencing – is the creation of a virtual “fence” around a real geographical location (your store, shopping mall, competitor’s office, exhibition).
When a user crosses this “fence”, their smartphone acts as a trigger. At that moment, the platform (for example, through UniTalk services) automatically sends them pre-prepared SMS or Viber message.
Important: We help reveal the “Geofencing feature” by showing how UniTalk helps solve specific customer pain points — spending advertising budgets as effectively as possible.
Why has this classic solution become “cool” again? Because in today’s digital world, we have two problems:
- “Banner blindness”: People are so used to online advertising that most of them ignore it.
- The gap between “Online” and “Offline”: You can spend thousands on targeting, but how do you get someone sitting on their couch to get up and come to you right now?
Geofencing solves both problems. It hits the mark when the relevance of the offer is at its highest.
5 examples of how Geofencing solves business “pain points”
Let’s forget about boring theory and see how it works in practice.
1. “Customers are in the shopping mall, but they go to competitors.”
- Industry: Retail, clothing stores, electronics.
- How it works: You place a “fence” around the entire shopping center where your boutique is located.
- Message: “Hello! We see you’re at Dream Town. Don’t miss out: today only, at [Your Store] on the 2nd floor, get an extra 10% on your discount card. Just show this SMS.”
- Benefit: It grabs the attention of customers who are already ready to spend money and gives them a compelling reason to visit your store. It’s a pure impulse purchase.
2. “In my café, the ‘dead’ hours are from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.”
- Industry: HoReCa (Cafes, restaurants).
- How it works: You place a “fence” on the business center opposite and activate it only during “slow” hours.
- Message: “Tough day at the office? You’re close by! Stop by “Cafe Name” between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., show this Viber message, and get our signature dessert as a gift with your coffee.”
- Benefit: You capture the attention of a customer who is already ready to spend money and give them a compelling reason to visit your store. This is a pure impulse purchase.
3. “The customer picked up the car from the service station and drove away” (Lost upsell)
- Industry: Car service, services.
- How it works: “Fence” is placed in the waiting area of your service station.
- Message: “While your car is being serviced, don’t waste time! Get 25% off headlight polishing or ‘anti-rain’ treatment. Just show this message to your mechanic.”
- Benefit: Uses the customer’s “dead” waiting time to upsell services they may not have thought of, increasing your profits.
4. PRO-Level: “How to lure customers away from a competitor?”
- Industry: Any highly competitive niche (B2B, B2C, e.g., beauty salons, insurance companies).
- How it works: You put up a “fence” at your main competitor’s address.
- Message: “We see you are on [Competitor’s Street]. Thinking about [Service]? We offer the same service 2 minutes away (on [Your Street]) at 20% less for new customers. Worth comparing!”
- Benefit: This is a direct “interception” of a hot customer at the moment of decision-making, when their KPI – to fulfill that need.
5. “I held an event, but people left without buying anything.”
- Industry: Events, conferences, exhibitions.
- How it works: “Fence” is placed at the event location and activated during the last hour.
- Message: “Thank you for joining us at [Conference Name]! For participants only: o our [Product] with a special 30% discount for 24 hours. Don’t lose momentum!”
- Benefit: Converts visitors into customers while their interest is still “hot,” maximizing the event’s return on investment (ROI).
Why is it a MUST-HAVE today?
The market is oversaturated. Today, the winner isn’t the one who shouts loudest, but the one who speaks softly, but at the right time and in the right place.
- Hyper-personalization era: Customers expect you to know their needs. The message “you are close” is the pinnacle of relevance.
- “Phygital” (Physical + Digital): The line between online and offline is blurring. Geofencing – the perfect bridge between the digital world (where you interact with the customer) and the physical world (where they buy).
- Budget savings: With a call tracking system, you know exactly which ads worked. Geofencing ensures that your budget goes to the most “hot” customers, ensuring high-cost efficiency.
Geofencing, integrated with your SMS mailings or Viber campaigns from UniTalk, transforms your marketing from a monologue (“Look how cool we are”) into a real-time dialogue (“Hi, you’re nearby. Come visit!”).
Ready to start “catching” customers, instead of just “sending” messages?
👉 Try UniTalk SMS/Viber messaging for your next campaign
