It may be true that we’re addicted to our smartphones – a recent study indicated that 54% of Facebook users only access the social media platform via their smartphone. For smart advertisers, this gradual customer shift to the mobile platform is good news.

Smartphones have “location services,” meaning that Facebook and other apps can track the location of users in real-time. Mobile ads that utilize this feature are geolocation-specific: if you know what you’re doing, you can greatly increase conversion per ad by relying on the location of your intended customers to do the heavy lifting for you.

But how? Follow along for pro-tips on using geolocation mobile ads.

Pick the Proper Venue

You don’t need to target your mobile ads just around your location. If you own a sports bar, for example, one of the best plays is to advertise at a nearby venue after a game. Time and target your marketing based on needs of large groups of people to get real results.

If the rowdy fans need somewhere to go after the game and they see an ad for your bar, you’ll have more luck then focusing ads right around you at all times of the day. Airports, universities, malls, clubs – anticipate where your target demographic will congregate and advertise there.

Prioritize Your Ad Bids

Geolocation mobile ads cost money, and to make the most of your marketing budget you should understand how the mobile advertising landscape works. Raise your bids for mobile ads in locations where you know you’ll get better performance and click through.

For example, let’s say your restaurant is upscale and is popular among executives and business types, most of which come from downtown. Lower your bid on neighborhoods and areas in your city where you know customers aren’t likely to visit your restaurant, and raise your bid in areas where you can really entice customers so the right people are seeing your mobile ads.

Use Specific Keywords

Don’t simply base your mobile campaign on where customers are currently located. A huge buzzword in mobile advertising is “intent” – you can learn if customers are planning to visit your city or neighborhood based on their search history. For example, if you own a bar in downtown Philadelphia and someone searches “downtown Philadelphia bars” you would want your ad to appear.

To make this happen, include terms like your zip code, city, neighborhood, and even nearby landmarks and locations in your keywords. This will connect a customer’s intent with your geolocation mobile ad for better visibility.

Match Your Values

A person’s geographic location can tell you more than you might think. Where someone lives is also connected to their ethnicity, income bracket, education, and in many cases their political beliefs and values. This can be used to reach specific demographics in a city.

First, define the target audience for your mobile ads (and your location in general) and research areas where the residents largely consist of people matching your ideal customer. Concentrate your geolocation mobile ads in these locations for best results.

When used correctly geolocation mobile ads are a powerful tool for any restaurant or bar owner.
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