Why You Should Be Getting Hyperlocal July 30, 2020, | Posted by Guest

Here at Site Impact, we talk a lot about how email marketing campaigns work best when they’re segmented, with tailored messages targeted at narrow, selective audiences. This has become an increasingly vital piece of strategy, because consumers more and more want to receive email messaging (and branded messaging more generally) that is highly relevant to them, as opposed to generalized messages. With that in mind, one of the more neglected methods for getting granular with segmentation is the hyperlocal approach. Today, we’ll discuss what it means, and how it can benefit your campaigns.

What is hyperlocal segmentation?

Segmentation by geographic location of record has been a possibility for years now, so it may seem like small potatoes to further isolate consumers through locality; after all, if you know where their registered address is, you can have a decent chance of directing them to the right brick-and-mortar location, or to the right sales opportunity, or whatever else, right? Hyperlocal marketing takes things a little deeper, though; you get really specific--in some cases, brands have been known to set up “geofences” around their location to trigger ads being sent to eligible email addresses that show up in that area per location services on a smartphone or other device. That’s edging slightly into creepy territory for many consumers, but from the perspective of email marketing, getting to more highly specific locations is a big opportunity to catch people who are most likely to be interested, depending on current events. For example, you might not just use a postal code but a street to advertise to a specific group of people. Or you might use readily-available shopping history data to target advertising to people who shopped at a particular store location within the past three months.

Walk the line

You obviously shouldn’t be using this approach with every campaign you send out, but incorporating this strategy into occasional campaigns--or setting up specific hyperlocal campaigns to run alongside other segmented campaigns based on different variables--allows you to appeal to prospects more directly. With that in mind, however, it’s important to avoid overdoing it. This is part of why not every campaign should be hyperlocal; the goal is to come across as a helpful, friendly neighbor as opposed to a stalker--so don’t make the data you’re using too evident, and don’t use the same segmentation every time. Keep your creative fresh and your criteria new, and you’ll be able to see the results you’re looking for without coming across as creepy.

Hyperlocal campaigns can be a real ace in the hole not just for brick-and-mortar companies but also for brands that are ecommerce based but who want to find new strategies for segmentation of their audiences. Taking a hyperlocal focus allows you to appeal to prospects more directly and personally, while also giving you a sharper relevance to your messages. It’s important to avoid coming across as creepy in the process; consumers and business buyers alike are already on the lookout for data overstep from brands. But if you can walk the line and use this tool judiciously, you’ll see real results in your email marketing efforts over time as well as in the short term. Contact Site Impact to learn how we can help you get the most out of every segmentation strategy with our data.