What is Geo-Ads?
Geo-advertising, also known as geofencing and geotargeting, are display and banner ads that show up during mobile search or app use. Instead of just casting a wide net and hoping for the best, geotargeting your ads can help you spend your PPC dollars more efficiently by serving ads and impressions to people who are more likely to spend.
With these types of targeted mobile ads, you can determine where and when you want your ads to appear. We create these ads for our customers, then use our cannabis-friendly network to get them right into your customers’ hands.
For example, maybe you only want to show ads when your dispensary is open. We can set those parameters so that when people see your ads, they can go directly to your menu to order. When a customer goes to one of our in-network sites or uses an app during that time, if they’re within your target location, they’ll see your ads. It’s that easy.
Can dispensaries use Geo-Ads?
Yes! There are no rules in the US against dispensaries using geo-ads.
Some states do have marketing requirements that create additional regulations, but these can be taken into account when creating your ad.
For example, if your dispensary is located in California, you’re required to share your dispensary license number on your advertising.
Why do Geo-Ads matter?
Targeted mobile ads like geo-ads have a click-thru rate that’s 5 times higher, on average, than regular ads.
The ability to target potential customers based on their location and demographic data makes geo-ads a more effective and efficient way to reach new customers. By targeting your ads, you can spend less money on advertising while reaching people who are more likely to be interested in your dispensary.
Plus, you can measure the effectiveness of your ads if you properly set up revenue attribution. This lets you see which ads are performing well for you and which aren’t so that you can make changes as necessary and invest in higher-performing ads and platforms.
What do you need to set up Geo-Ads?
The main thing you need in order to launch geo-ads or mobile ads is a compliant network of sites and apps.
For most dispensaries, this is the hardest part of creating a targeted mobile ads strategy.
To make this easy, MediaJel has sourced its own network of cannabis-friendly sites and apps so that we can easily launch compliant ads for our clients.
Once you have your network of sites and apps, you can get your creative team working on the display ads themselves while your marketing team focuses on choosing the right attributes and locations to target.
If you want to create a new landing page for your ad, you’ll need to get your web design team involved in the process too.
Alternatively, when you do Geo-Ads with MediaJel, we handle all of this for you. We’ll work with you to create ads that will appeal to your audience and help you meet your goals.
How can you use Geo-Ads?
Geo-ads are targeted mobile ads that can be used to drive traffic to a landing page or to your menu.
By employing geographic targeting, you can ensure your ads are only seen when an individual is in or around a particular location. This can help you better reach your ideal audience and increase the likelihood of getting an individual to purchase from you.
You can use this geographic targeting in a variety of ways. For example, you can create a virtual fence around your dispensary so that your ads are visible to people who fit your demographic criteria within a particular radius around your dispensary. We call this proximity targeting.
You can also create fences around places that are popular with your target audience. If you know you have a lot of gamers that shop with you, for example, you can create fences around video game shops. Focused on wellness? Target yoga studios and natural foods stores. If you offer delivery, you can target the neighborhoods where you offer this service. We call this geofencing.
If you’re in an urban area with a high density of dispensaries, you can use geo-ads to target your competition. By creating a perimeter around competing dispensaries, you can draw their customers away and get them to shop with you instead. We call this geo-conquesting.
Are there any limitations on Geo-Ads?
As of writing, there are no regulations stating that you cannot do Geo-ads in the US. There are limitations, however, on the types of content that can be used for mobile ads.
For example, some states do not allow you to share the benefits of marijuana while others do not allow for the use of images depicting cannabis consumption. These rules differ between states. Check with your regulating agency to see if you have any rules surrounding what can and cannot be shown in advertisements.
Who designs the targeted mobile ads?
We can design your ads for you using your logo, brand colors, and more. We can also provide the necessary information regarding sizing to your designers if you prefer.
Who will see my ads?
Your ads will only display when certain conditions have been met: When someone meeting your demographic criteria enters your designated perimeter while your ads are set to run and they use their smartphone to access a site or app within our network.
Where will my ads show up?
We’ve built a network of cannabis-friendly sites and apps, including popular sites like ESPN. Your ads will only appear on these sites when individuals who match your parameters (both demographically and geographically) visit one of these sites or apps during the times when your ad is running.
For example, if you have your ad running between 10 am and 8 PM, people who are using an in-network app within your geofenced perimeter and who match your targeted characteristics will see your ad.
How often will the display ads run?
Ad frequency will depend on the different limits you put on your ad. We can help you determine the best time to run your ad by doing A/B testing. With our current service, you can get 150,000 impressions for $1,000.
Are there reports showing who has seen the ads?
We can share metrics to let you know how well your ads are performing.
We can provide information regarding the number of times your ads have appeared (impressions), how many clicks they’ve gotten (click-thrus), and how many sales they’ve generated (transactions and revenue). From there, we can then provide you with the ROI of your campaign and the customer acquisition cost.
How is the effectiveness of the display ads measured?
We are able to track three goals: SMS or email signups, store visits, or orders.
By taking note of the impressions and clicks your ad receives and linking your ad to Google Analytics eCommerce tracking, we can also note how many sales occurred because of your ads. We provide you with all of this information in our transparent reporting.
This is something that we do for our clients. We believe that marketing agencies should prove their ROI—and we gladly do.
Want to learn more about targeted mobile ads? Let’s talk. We also offer Google Ads.
