If you have received something similar, then you have been part of Proximity Marketing. It is a marketing technique where a brand will use location technologies to directly communicate with its customers via portable devices.

What is Proximity Marketing?

Proximity Marketing is also known as Hyperlocal Marketing. It is the targeting of potential customers via personalized advertisements to prompt them to make purchasing decisions in the immediate future. Proximity Marketing includes media distribution via applications, retail check-ins, payment gateways, local ads etc.

How does it work?

One needs to set up a Bluetooth Enabled Mobile device at a particular spot within the range of a beacon and pass information in the form of text, images or video via the respective mobile application. How can you employ this marketing technique though? Here is how:

• Your customer needs to use a Bluetooth enabled mobile device at the location where you apply this technique.
• Deploy a beacon in the area your customer is located. This is so that you can send and receive information.
• Your customer needs to download the relevant mobile application, install it in the smartphone, and allow push notifications. (We would be happy to build an app for the same. You can contact us here. )

What happens after deploying the beacon?

• Detects device – The beacon will scan for Bluetooth enabled mobile device in its proximity range by broadcasting its ID number at regular intervals. The mobile application will also carry a list of ID numbers of all the activated beacons. And will associate them with their location. When the device matches a beacons ID number with the ID in the mobile application, it lets the application know that the beacon is nearby.
• Requests permission – When a Bluetooth enabled mobile device within the proximity range is detected, it sends requests to customers and seeks permission to communicate with the mobile device.
• Uploading content – When the customer grants permission, it will notify the customer with an alert on the lock-screen and displays the required message. (This depends on the app configuration on the smartphone.) You can open the messages by tapping on it and can display text/image/audio/ video about the products.

This technique can also be used without using an app by using QR codes, NFC, Geofencing, Mobile Browser and Wifi Hotspot. If you are a brand which is related to sports, casinos, airports, museums, retail etc, proximity marketing is best for you. You should let your customers opt-in or opt-out of this option because that is the right thing to do. While building your brand you need to keep in mind that the should be provided with the best experience. Vouchers or offers are the best for this technique as 63% of customers feel that is more valuable. Go ahead, provide your customers with good and quick user experience with this marketing technique. Happy Marketing!

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