Proximity marketing has evolved for direct sellers.
Proximity marketing continues to be a hot and evolving technology. In February, DigitalJournal.com noted an extensive study that estimated proximity marketing to reach $52 billion worldwide by 2023.
But is it a viable tool for your distributors to attract a specific audience?
Essentially, proximity marketing lets you market to people in a specified region. And you can do it right from your cell phone. Earlier proximity marketing technology required you to use a beacon—a small device that sent your message or ad to people near the beacon. Today, some services are as simple as dropping a pin on a map to determine the area to market to. The radius can be targeted as small as a few hundred yards up to several miles. This is also known as “geofencing.” So, with the updated technology, you can market to people in any area no matter where you are.
The ads and messages appear in social media feeds such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Yahoo!, in addition to many popular websites. Only people in the specified area will see the ads.
While there’s obvious value for traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, such as a restaurant or gym, direct sellers are using proximity marketing to capture attention in creative ways. Here are a few applications.
Health and Wellness
The king of direct selling product categories, there are lots of options to market weight loss, pre-workout, energy, protein or meal replacement products through proximity marketing. Distributors can target areas near a gym, or a large recreational area such as a park, hiking trail, or rec center where people regularly work out and stay active. If younger people are the
target audience, a large college campus can be targeted.
Home Services
Energy, home security, Internet and TV, phone service, identity theft and more can also be a good fit for proximity marketing. Target areas can include specific neighborhoods, new housing developments, apartment complexes, or areas where major businesses have relocated. People moving or new to an area need to set up home services.
Beauty
Targeting people in the right state of mind at a specific time can also be a powerful aspect of proximity marketing. Reaching people near salons, hotels or spas is a great option for those involved in make-up, skincare or other beauty products.
