A few years ago, Hyperlocal search was a hot term. However, it’s taken over by a new social label—SoLoMo. Hyperlocal is basically a localized search engine platform for PC users. Meanwhile, the rise of smartphones and tablets with integrated location-based technology gave birth to the term Social Local Mobile Search or simply SoLoMo.
As shared by Greg Sterling, a senior analyst of the San Francisco-based consultancy firm Opus Research:
‘Hyperlocal’ search maybe dying, but the phenomenon is evolving and becoming more mobile. SoLoMo is a more mobile-centric version of the same concept with greater local precision. It’s about getting nearby information on demand, wherever you may be.
Localized PC Search vs. Mobile Search
Search engines have focused on improving local search and advertising on PC in the recent years. An advertisement posted on a search engine’s homepage can target a user based on his or her IP address. However, this information is not always reliable. In fact, a user’s IP address can be associated to a remote PC. If compared to mobile devices, the geo-location technology on smartphones and tablets is far superior. That is why businesses have incorporated SoLoMo to their marketing campaigns.
SoLoMo and the Business Sector
Service providers like Groupon, Yelp, Foursquare and other brands have embraced the SoLoMo tactics in the form of apps. Oftentimes, the application detects a signal coming from a user’s mobile device located near a participating store. It will then push coupons or deals that are occurring within the store in real time. In turn, this will encourage a user to visit that particular store.
SoLoMo’s Geofencing Technology
In relation to SoLoMo’s marketing is the Geofencing technology. It is basically a virtual parameter for a particular area, which picks up a signal from a mobile device of a user who recently walked in a specific store. The user will then receive notifications about sales and promotions that are happening inside.
Sterling added, “Concepts like this bridge the gap between the in-store and the online world, and allow retailers to better learn where their shoppers are coming from.”
With the integration of SoLoMo to businesses’ marketing efforts, it is now part of the companies’ strategies to connect, measure, and expand their consumer base. As people want a more personalized experience, the demand for this type of marketing strategy gives the technology its natural progression and integration with the industry’s marketing campaigns.