60 | OPP DIGITAL GeoSocial targeting OPP DIGITAL WORDS | Howard Moorey


www.opp.org.uk | FEBRUARY 2011


Getting it all geosocial


What does “GeoSocial Targeting” mean in the real world and how can it benefi t property professionals? The Internet has changed our world immeasurably over the last 10 years and it is now a rich source of marketing data. How can business leaders in the overseas property sector take advantage of everything that it offers?


W


e all use the internet and its infl uence is massive, not just on us as individuals,


but also as consumers. We now enjoy a greater level of


“FITO” than ever before. But what does FITO mean? • Freedom, to investigate the world from our PCs, laptops, mobiles, and armchairs. To share the results with others, instantly, at the click of a button; • Independence, to make those discoveries OUR way, from OUR perspective, and build new, transglobal, relationships as a result. What we share gives others a better picture of who we really are, and what we’re about; • Transparency, because our activities put us “out there” and make us discoverable, to make a name for ourselves,


Facebook and Twitter, places where we talk to each other, do research, and look out for each other. But what does this have to do with


property? Everything! “When it comes to property,


information really is power,” says Mark Stucklin of Spanish Property Insight Every single property, development,


venue & event has a location. And from that spins the client question “What is in the local area for me?” Getting to grips with your methods


of answering that question will establish your leadership position. And “GeoSocial Targeting” is the


to make a contribution, to tell


it the way we see it; • Openness, to connect with each other, make new friends, and share information with that growing band of “friends” and “followers”. As human beings we are social creatures, hence the exponential growth of social networks such as


way to do it. Geo-social targeting encompasses public relations, promotion, lead generation, customer relations management, and aftercare all-in-one! It assumes you already have the social


media infrastructure in place (which a specialist property internet marketing company like RGM Digital can help you with) then simply adds at least one extra layer: location. Geo-social targeting has changed the


Mobile Users > Desktop Internet Users Within 5 years. User projection. 2007 - 2015 estimate.


2,000 1,600 1,200 800 400


0 2007E 2008E 2009E 2010E 2011E 2012E 2013E 2014E 2015E Source: Morgan Stanley


marketing world … forever. Shoppers, buyers and consumers are, or can be, much more informed than ever before. And, with the advent of smartphones, that can mean information immediately and on the spot through location-based services, which track through GPS and / or the phone’s nearest cell. Local Search can “automatically” fi nd


“Make yourself the ‘go to’ source of information for an area or a development”


whatever you are looking for, based on what it can fi nd nearest to your actual location! It needs to fi nd your property or development or venue, and inform, easily. Recognising this level of sophistication, addressing it, and using it, are the elements of new marketing that are both vital and smart. The buyer of today is simply more savvy. “Buyer” is the operative word. In the


connected, global marketplace, attempts to “sell” are increasingly being met with derision. Organisations are struggling to come to terms with the fact they no longer “control” the message, or even their own sector. However, they can still “dominate”, but the approach has to be radically different. The consumer is king! By changing our mindset we are


Mobile Internet Users Desktop Internet Users


offered the opportunity to build a community from within our audience. A community who recognises us as providers of trustworthy, reliable, information that is of value to them. Through maps and networks we can provide them with locations they can fi nd (on their mobiles), and independent recommendations for not only our venue but for many of the facilities and amenities they might need or be


interested in around it. Tell them the date of your next open day, give them a link to a map, and show favoured local cafes, restaurants & hotels.


So what do you do?


Address this new marketplace with respect, understanding and professionalism. This will help to promote your brand, and, when handled properly, will make you the “go to” source of information for an area or a development. You should feed the need for


information by recognising that 60% of all US Internet access is now from a mobile device - laptop, iPad or phone - and that percentage will continue to grow around the world.


That access level brings with it another vital evolution of our times: we are not just social, we are geosocial. Location-based networks such as Foursquare, Yelp, and Google & Facebook Places, enable us to identify, and display, our whereabouts instantly, and fi nd out about the local scene, from just about anywhere. Expect that some of your clients and prospects are already using geosocial networks!


Learn & implement.


For a property business, the biggest bonus of “getting geosocial” is that it is a low cost source of ongoing, dynamic, marketing for both the business AND the property or venue you are promoting. It also offers a wonderful opportunity to build closer relationships with the local community because a burgeoning social network presence will inevitably help to promote local businesses and amenities as part of its natural growth. Invest in other people, and the


learning curve required to get this right. The idea is not going away, and


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