Last Updated: January 13, 2019
Bringing proximity marketing as a solution to clients as a proximity marketing reseller can be quite a daunting task. This step-by-step guide will help you cover all the bases, understand what you should focus on and how to manage client expectations.
A potential client who is new to proximity marketing or has limited knowledge of it will rely on you to present the facts. They will be brimming with questions like, “Does proximity marketing work?”, “Do I need to know how to code?” or “How can beacon technology help me?”
Explain what proximity marketing is and the future of proximity marketing. Demonstrate why it is better to integrate proximity marketing as a strategy along with other traditional marketing tactics. Pacify their questions about beacon technology by presenting them with use-cases that are being used all around the world.
If your client is interested in an app-less solution, explain how QR codes and NFC tags work. Most Android and iPhones natively support both these technologies and do not require an additional solution.
Here is a list of resources that will help you answer your client’s questions-
11 compelling Eddystone and iBeacon use-cases from 2018
NFC, QR and BLE beacons for SMBs
Now that you have laid down the groundwork, explain the Beaconstac platform briefly and how the end-to-end solution works seamlessly. A short demo to show how and when the platform is used to create a markdown card or an interactive form will further solidify your stance.
If you are pitching to a client on iOS or Android, make sure to have the NearBee app downloaded on their iPhone and explain its features to them.
Setting up a campaign requires a lot of forethought and a hack-it together marketing strategy is not recommended.
A small business vs. a medium or large business will require different marketing tactics. The vertical that your client’s business belongs to must be fully studied prior to a meeting. Sit down and understand the challenges that the business is currently facing. Understand the possible use-cases that may be applicable for the business and map solutions with BLE beacons.
One of the most crucial things that needs to decided as a proximity marketing reseller is the beacon deployment. There is no right answer to where the beacons should be deployed. What works for a car dealership may not work for a retail store. However, based on our experience, here are a few general guidelines –
Beaconstac has 5 different beacons that can be used by proximity marketing resellers. Once the deployment location and use-cases are finalized, decide which beacon fits the bill.
The following table covers the range –
| Type of Beacon | Beacon Range |
| Keychain Beacons |
Up to 25 m or 82 ft
|
| Pocket Beacons |
Up to 50 m or 164 ft
|
| Indoor Beacons/Outdoor Beacons |
Up to 80 m or 262 ft
|
| Long Range Outdoor Beacons |
Up to 300 m or 984 ft
|
The range of the beacon should be decided based on the use-case. If a beacon is placed outside to promote the business, be sure to set it at its maximum range and a low advertising interval. In-store beacons, when tied to a product, should have the minimum range so that consumers only receive contextual information. You can experiment with the range and advertising interval on the Beaconstac app.
As a proximity marketing reseller, you must study the target audience of your client’s business. If the majority of the consumers own an Android phone, then targeting them through Google Nearby should suffice. The same can be achieved on iOS devices as well through NearBee. You will want to take extra measures to incentivize customers to download the app.
However, if you offer app development as one of your services and your client wants more functionalities, consider integrating the Beaconstac SDK to their existing app or the one you build.
We also encourage building a Progressive Web App(PWA) instead of building a native app as PWAs have been enjoying tremendous success.
Related: What are Progressive Web Apps and how to deliver them using BLE beacons
You may find these resources useful when trying to run an effective proximity marketing campaign.
Unique ways to send messages to customers
Secrets to beacon-based messaging
What kind of content is not allowed on Nearby?
Running an effective campaign can be boiled down to just one thing – ‘Will the customer find it relevant?’
It may be tempting to just start sending one campaign after the next, bombarding customers with offers but try to refrain from doing so. Instead, try a laddered approach. Send one campaign and link it to the second and so on. This way you can keep your customers hooked and they get to decide which offer to avail of.
Say, the business has a blooming Facebook business page or has stellar ratings on Google listings. You can direct customers to a particular URL or an app using App Intent.
Related: Using App Intent to direct customers to a Facebook Business Page
Beaconstac also allows customers to be retargeted online on Facebook. All that needs to be done is to insert the Facebook Pixel Code in the dashboard.
Related: Watch this video to understand how Facebook retargeting works
Beaconstac offers an extremely neat feature called ‘Schedule’. This allows campaigns to run automatically for when they are scheduled. Study the peak hours of the business and schedule campaigns accordingly. For instance, if a cafe has a lot of people lining up in the morning, schedule a campaign for the morning vs. late afternoon when there are only a few people around. Apart from peak hours, you can also take the holiday season into consideration and come up with holiday-themed campaigns. Another factor that you may want to take note of is the weather. Subway recently increased its foot traffic by 31% by tailoring advertisements based on the weather.
Related: How to schedule campaigns on Beaconstac
Often, clients can get carried away and expect a high click-through rate (CTR) based on the number of customers who received the notification. CTR is based on a lot of factors and it is highly likely that a large number of people did not find the campaign relevant to them.
Based on our data, here is a rough idea of what CTR one can expect based on the vertical –
| Industry | CTR |
| Entertainment | 2% |
| Automotive | 2.30% |
| Real Estate | 2.30% |
| Health | 2.93% |
| Education | 3.24% |
This is, of course, not set in stone. Read this article ‘How to improve CTR’ to find out what more you can do.
The aforementioned points are also applicable to white label proximity marketing resellers. In addition to this, if you are a white label proximity marketing reseller who does not manage the campaigns for your clients, be sure to include enough information to help your clients start their beacon journey.
This information should include –
Interested in becoming a proximity marketing reseller? Check out Beaconstac’s reseller plans that let you manage all your clients with a single login.
Learn how to restrict your content with a password or age, design colourful coupon QR Codes, download scalable SVG QR Codes, and customize the QR Code frame.
Maximize your QR Code and NFC marketing campaigns with these feature updates.
How an image consultant leverages Beaconstac’s QR Codes and you can too!
How to add logic jumps, use the calculator and trigger SMS notifications with Beaconstac’s forms.
Enable contactless menus with a one-stop solution: Restaurant Menu QR Code. Host all your menus with your branding in multiple languages
This blog was originally published on October 4th, 2018 at 10:28 am
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