Location-based services and social networks are changing the landscape for marketers, but with all the talk surrounding geotargeting and location marketing where is it actually headed? How will it be utilized and how can marketers take advantage of the geo-location push? In truth, right now no-one is fully sure what the future possibilities are.
Jesse Stanchak in his SmartBrief article "Where next for location marketing" lays out five key points discussed in a recent debate by location-service big wigs on what the future holds; the most notable point being the technological hurdles that will slow its spread.
"Location services need better hardware support and more standardization across phone platforms before pinpoint accuracy will become viable; in the meantime, the services are likely to remain fuzzy, limiting their ability to serve up precisely targeted promotions. ‘The ideas we’re pushing are more advanced than the technologies that are driving them,’ said Foursquare’s Crowley."
Even with the technical limitations that currently exist, location-based services such as Foursquare and Gowalla are becoming more widely accepted. Even the hit TV show Law and Order: SVU had a recent episode centered around a GPS based dating site. I know this example doesn’t portray these services in the most positive light, but it’s a testament to the location services growing popularity and that more people are taking notice. Sites like Foursquare and Gowalla are no longer for the “geeky” (as Stanchak puts it) social media elite. But this brings up another interesting point; as these services become more mainstream what factor privacy will issues play in their growth and overall effectiveness. People are becoming more concerned with the issue of privacy, which could be a limiting factor in the wide spread growth of location service and their effectiveness as marketing tools.
Although these current barriers exist, as long as location services continue to spread and user interaction evolves, brands will seek new ways to embrace the fields’ promotional capabilities, utilizing these tools to connect with consumers in hopes of influencing the “influencer” and building brand advocates.
As the industry moves forward, it will be important for marketers to remember that they cannot solely rely on location-based campaigns. Location marketing campaigns will need to be integrated as part of an overall comprehensive marketing strategy to ensure long-term success and value. So how can your brand effectively utilize location marketing? This may not be something that is fully visible yet, but as the services and supporting technology evolves; it will be interesting to see what unfolds.
