What is Beacon Marketing?

What is a Beacon?

A beacon is a device with a Bluetooth signal that links with users’ mobile phones to send notifications based on their location. Its range is around 50 meters, so messages are directed to people who are in the immediate vicinity of the beacon. For a user to receive beacon messages, he or she must have Bluetooth enabled on his or her cell phone and have installed an application.

Beacons are very easy to install–they are simply attached or placed on a surface within the desired range. When a user passes by the beacon, it sends a signal to his or her mobile device via Bluetooth and the app displays digital notifications.

How to Use Beacons in Local Marketing

• Send personalized notifications: When a user enters the store, you can combine information about his or her location with the data you have about them, including the purchase history. This allows you to send them the offers that are most likely to appeal to them.
• Nudge people to go inside a store: You can let people passing your coffee shop know that you are giving away a free donut with every coffee. Or inform customers in a supermarket that there is a free tasting in the cheese section.
• Enrich the experience in tourist attractions: If the user is visiting a museum, you can send more detailed information about each of the pieces that make up the collection.
• Optimize information in the real estate sector: People who are interested in buying or renting real estate can download an application. So that you can alert them when they pass by an available property. The customer will be able to check the location in real-time and receive details of the property and the real estate agent’s marketing contact information.
• Improve patient care in hospitals: Normally, hospital rooms have clipboards where the patient’s history can found. You could replace this physical clipboard with a beacon so that both the patient and the doctor can access the digital information at any time.
• Access transportation information: Smart cities have multiple applications for beacons. For example, using them to provide information on lines and transit times to people approaching a public transport terminal.

Advantages of Beacon In Retail

1. Gathering or acquisition of information of and from customers: Beacons can gather information about how many times a particular customer comes to the store. What they buy or where the customer is spending time to target marketing items specifically. It can help generate effective promotions based on data gathered.
2. Increasing point of sale traffic: Since Beacons gather relevant information, they also used to give targeted deals like special discounts or coupons. Such notifications help in increasing the point of sale traffic.
3. Increase in the potential customer base: Adopting royalty programs and rewarding customers while they are in the store via beacon notifications helps in not only retain customers. But also helps increase in customer base.
4. Personalized relationship with customers: Such programs and notifications are a very personalize way of interacting with the customers. Different customers get different notifications based on their shopping style and requirements. It’s a unique way for stores to reward customers in a personalized way.
5. Track efficiency of staff: Beacons used to track how much time employees spend in which area or department. It can also send notifications for restocking.
6. Offering in-store navigation prompts: Beacons can give in-store navigation prompts to steer customers to areas where they have been shopping before. Or are likely to buy from based on past data.