{"id":1045,"date":"2019-02-12T00:20:01","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T00:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tntdental.com\/blog\/?p=1045"},"modified":"2021-06-25T15:43:40","modified_gmt":"2021-06-25T15:43:40","slug":"geofencing-for-dentists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tntdental.com\/blog\/geofencing-for-dentists\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Geofencing for Dentists Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GeofencingDentists are always looking for ways to enhance their marketing strategy and outpace competitors in terms of both enticing new patients and keeping existing ones. As marketing veers more digital, with that comes new platforms and features that dental practices can use to capture those patients.<\/p>\n

We kick off the series asking how to make geofencing for dentists work, but first, let\u2019s take a couple steps back and learn about digital advertising, and more specifically, display ads. Then, we can delve into what exactly geofencing is and how it intertwines with the advertising.<\/p>\n

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Display Ads<\/h2>\n

\"DisplayYou know those advertisements that pop up on the side of your email box, on a webpage you\u2019re viewing or within your Facebook feed? They\u2019re display ads, and they do the very job you would think they would \u2013 displaying text, logos or images for a company. Otherwise known as the \u201cBillboards of the Internet,\u201d these kinds of ads don\u2019t happen by chance. As with any advertising, you want to make sure you get your message in front of the right \u201cbillboards,\u201d and strike a chord with your viewers. After all, good messaging = attracting viewers = increased conversion rate = new patients!<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all seen billboards as we drive down the road; just think of these as much more versatile. The reach on display ads can be global and at a fraction of the cost that it would take to put up a billboard in one small area of your market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So, What is Geofencing?<\/h2>\n

\"BestWith the expansion of advertising into the digital age comes new techniques to better support those efforts, which brings us to geofencing. This location-based digital marketing tool allows marketers to send messages to smartphone users in a defined geographic area (Data-Dynamix<\/a>). It\u2019s not just limited to mobile devices; geofencing can be used for tablets, desktops, laptops, etc.<\/p>\n

In this platform, you can virtually draw a line around any particular area you\u2019d like to highlight, and when someone crosses that virtual boundary, the GPS location signals they are in the area and those ads begin popping up on their device. Just remember, people can only view these ads if<\/strong> they happen to be in an active browser session or within an app; it won\u2019t work if someone is just texting or if their TV is tuned in to network channels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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How Do I Initiate Ads?<\/h2>\n

Now that you\u2019re up to speed on display ads and geofencing, let\u2019s look at how you can begin displaying these ads. There are typically three ways you can go about initiating display ads to target patients, all of which have their advantages.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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1) Behavioral<\/h3>\n

\"BehavioralNowadays, everyone seems to have an Alexa or Google Home device in their homes. Have you ever noticed that after having a conversation about a particular kind of shoe you liked, you \u201cmagically\u201d saw an ad for it the next time you were online? This is considered behavioral targeting. According to Lotame<\/a>, this technique \u201cinvolves gathering data from a variety of sources about the potential customer\u2019s online browsing and shopping behaviors\u2026(to help) create ads that are relevant to the user\u2019s habits.\u201d It\u2019s not merely a coincidence that ad popped up in your Facebook feed; your home speakers have \u201cears.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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2) Website<\/h3>\n

\"GeofencingOne of the most common ways you can get your display ad in front of viewers is through website targeting. When a potential patient visits your website, you can make sure you stay in front of them with your ad in other locations. By having that visual in their face over and over, it acts like a subliminal message, and maybe by the time they\u2019re ready to choose a dentist to use, they\u2019ll remember seeing your ad online.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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3) Geofencing<\/h3>\n

\"BestWe\u2019ve already covered what is geofencing, but what are some of the ways you can target patients through this technique?<\/p>\n