Common Missteps Marketers Make with Geofencing—and How to Avoid Them
Geofencing holds serious potential for marketers looking to reach the right people at the right place—but only when it’s used strategically. If you’ve experimented with location-based marketing and felt underwhelmed by the results, you’re not alone. Many marketers fall into the same traps, which can quietly derail an otherwise promising campaign.
Here are some of the most common geofencing missteps marketers make—and more importantly, how you can avoid them.
Misstep: Targeting Areas That Don’t Align with Actual Behavior
It’s tempting to draw a digital perimeter around your store or event and assume that everyone who enters it is ready to engage. But proximity doesn’t always equal intent. The classic “if they’re nearby, they must be interested” logic can backfire if you don’t take user behavior into account.
Fix it: Use location data to identify where your audience spends time—not just where you want them to go. Think gyms for health brands, airports for travel services, or competitors’ locations for brand-switching campaigns. Match the fence to the behavior, not just the map.
Misstep: Sending Generic Messages with No Local Relevance
Geofencing offers a prime opportunity to personalize your messaging—but too many marketers squander it with one-size-fits-all creatives. A vague “Come visit us today!” alert won’t drive much action, especially when it lacks context.
Fix it: Customize your content based on the location or event. Are they near your restaurant? Offer a lunch special. Close to a concert venue? Promote a post-show deal. Tailoring your message to match what the user is likely doing adds value—and earns attention.
Misstep: Forgetting to Test Timing, Creative, or Performance
Like any digital tactic, geofencing needs optimization. Yet many marketers set up their campaigns and never revisit them, missing key insights on what’s working (or not).
Fix it: A/B test your ads. Try different call-to-actions, images, send times, or offers. Monitor performance by location, time of day, and device. Use the data to continually sharpen your approach.
Misstep: Not Integrating Geofencing with Broader Campaigns
Geofencing shouldn’t operate in a silo. When it’s disconnected from your brand’s overall messaging or customer journey, it risks feeling random or irrelevant.
Fix it: Sync geofencing with your other marketing efforts. If you’re running a seasonal promotion, mirror that theme in your location-based ads. Use geofencing to re-engage app users or guide in-store shoppers into digital loyalty programs. The more cohesive your campaign, the more powerful the results.
Quick Wins to Get Back on Track
- Audit your locations: Make sure your geofences align with where your audience actually goes.
- Refresh your copy and creative: Keep it specific, timely, and localized.
- Layer geofencing with other data: Pair location with behaviors, preferences, or past purchases.
- Analyze and iterate: Don’t set it and forget it.
Done right, geofencing can be a smart, strategic layer in your marketing stack. Avoid these common missteps, and you’ll turn passive pings into real results.