Have you ever walked down the street and all of a sudden had your phone alert you that you’re near a Starbucks or Walgreens, automatically displaying your loyalty card in Apple Passbook or Google Wallet? Or perhaps you have received push notifications from Waze and other apps that deliver real-time notifications based on your location.  As consumers increasingly rely on mobile phones for information, location-based marketing is becoming more important. Facebook recently launched Facebook Bluetooth Beacons, which enables push messages, tips and invitations to like your page, whenever a customer opens the Facebook app while at your business.

Geo-targeted technology allows businesses to push coupons and offers to nearby users. Many industries - especially retail and hospitality - are adopting these technologies to capture more immediate business. Traditional - and even digital - marketing may still be effective. However,   it takes time for that message to reach the customer before they see it and take action.

A recent article by MarketingLand shared some interesting information on this subject. I thought I would share it and at the same time put it into perspective for the auto industry, as to why you might want to consider this technology:

Location-based data is currently used by only 23% of marketers

If only 23% of businesses are using this technology currently, your dealership could be ahead of any competition by adopting a location-based marketing program.

Companies can provide consumers with product/service information and recommendations in real time, based on location

Imagine a customer walking your lot, or sitting in your service waiting area, to whom you can immediately send service specials, offers and coupons. Or you could simply share current incentives with them. If you can provide the information they seek without any effort on their part, the customer may well be more inclined to take action.

But how do they respond to this?

57% of consumers are willing to share their locations to receive more relevant advertising.

53% are more likely to engage with location-based advertising

This seems like a no-brainer. If you’re looking for a place to eat and all of a sudden you get a coupon pushed to your phone from a nearby restaurant, you may just be swayed into trying you out. The same could well apply to your dealership.

The real question is, do consumers take the businesses up on the offer?

72% of consumers respond to calls to action in marketing messages they receive within sight of the retailer

With all these stats and technology in mind, wouldn’t you want to put that to use when a customer is at a competitor dealership and searching your site, or other auto sites? That technology exists today.  You just need to execute a plan of action.  Think about how huge this would be for a dealership. It’s almost like sending your salespeople over to the competing dealership and pulling the customer back to yours. Why would you not want to do that? This customer is nearby and actively car-shopping. Can you think of any customer you’d rather have walk into your dealership?

The fact is that the technology is readily available to accomplish location-based marketing right now. The ability to push relevant messages to nearby customers, incenting them to come to your dealership showroom, when they are in the vicinity of your dealership and ready to buy is a game changer. If you’re not already utilizing services that allow you to do these things, take the time to investigate them and see how you can leverage this technology to drive more traffic into your dealership.