Geospatial data visualization for targeting local markets is an audience-targeting strategy growing at an impressive rate.
Don’t believe us?
Take this. Location-based services were valued at US $ 22.16 billion in 2022, with a projected 20.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2023 - 2030.
Geomarketing and advertising take the cake for the highest CAGR within the location-based services.
But what is geospatial data visualization? How is Geospatial data visualization used for targeting local markets?
Let us unpack it in this blog.
What is Geospatial Data Visualization?
Geospatial data comprises information related to a geographic location over a given duration.
For example, news about natural phenomena such as earthquakes or tornadoes includes the location (name and geographic coordinates), the event, an earthquake or tornado, its attributes, intensity, date, and duration.
Representing geospatial data in the form of a map is called geospatial data visualization.
An easy example is our daily weather updates in the news that show the map of a country, state, or county with information about daily temperatures and other weather phenomena.
Several types of geospatial visualizations represent data. These include;
- Point Map - it shows location data in the form of points, varying in color and size to denote their differences.
- Cluster Map - it groups close data points in the form of clusters and represents them using a similar marker on the map.
- Proportional Symbol Map uses map symbols that vary in size according to the variable’s value.
- Choropleth Map - it shows data in the form of geographic or political boundaries with shading used to represent the intensity of the relevant data (income, disease, crime).
- Isopleth Map - It uses isoline lines that share similar data for representing variable data. Values are either higher or lower on one side of these lines than the values on the other side of the line.
- Heat Map - it represents the varying values and intensity of data across a geographic region with the help of a color gradient (it shows data according to the intensity of the variables instead of geographic boundaries).
- Cartogram - it changes the shape and size of an area to match it with the value of the variable it is depicting.
- Topographic Map - it shows the features on the surface of the earth, drawn to scale, including elevation, portraying data as closely as possible to reality.
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Geospatial Data Visualization for Targeting Local Markets
Using geospatial data visualization for targeting local markets involves using geographic information system (GIS) to maximize your marketing capabilities.
It involves tying (visualizing) business data analytics with location data and implementing factors like color psychology to understand the target market, identify trends, and aid decision-making for targeting local markets.
It means running data analytics and representing it with geospatial visualization.
For example, in Google Analytics 4, you can find a choropleth map in the report snapshot representing the number of visitors from each country.
It is a rudimentary example showing how looking at visuals can quickly enable you to comprehend data and make decisions.
Coca-Cola used geospatial data visualization to target local markets by building interactive dashboards showing real-time sales data across regions.
Relying on this visualization, they quickly identified trends, optimized inventory management, and made data-driven decisions.
Benefits of Using Geospatial Data Visualization for Targeting Local Markets
But what do you get by using geospatial data visualization for targeting local markets? Let us explain below.
Customer Segmentation
Geospatial data visualization as a tool for targeting local markets is a customer segmentation technique.
It relies on geospatial and data analytics involving location, demographic, and behavior analyses and then displays it for easier comprehension.
Marketers end up with customer segments based on:
- Geographic location
- Demographics like age, income, and interests
- Location-specific customer behavior
Trends and Patterns
Geospatial analysis and visualization reveal trends and patterns otherwise hidden in large tabular databases.
Critical data points displayed on a map transform raw data into actionable insights.
For example, geospatial data visualization can enable a business to identify that sales of DIY tools and outdoor furniture spikes in upper middle-income neighborhoods in summer.
Targeted Marketing
Using geospatial data analysis and visualization enables businesses to be precise with their audience targeting.
By analyzing the location data, they can identify prospective customers within a radius and target them with personalized content and promotional offers.
Content tailored to a target audience within a target location can reach an audience interested in your product or service, driving traffic and conversions.
Proximity and Relationships
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Geospatial Data Visualization is effective in displaying the proximity and relationship between entities.
It may come in handy as a way to communicate with your users or customers.
Displaying information like your presence, unique services, and customer support in a locality via geospatial data visualization in your ad copy is a great way to target local markets.
Decision Making
Geospatial data visualization helps marketing and sales teams, senior management, stakeholders, and users better understand data.
A combination of mapping, infographics, and charts enables them to quickly identify trends and patterns in a spatial context and facilitate decision-making.
Data visualization for customer journey facilitates understanding customer behavior and decision-making about optimizing the customer experience.
Similarly, data visualization for targeting local markets facilitates decision-making about ad campaigns, personalized messaging, removing bottlenecks, and positioning oneself as the best option for the customers.
Optimization
Insights driven from geospatial data visualization with overlaid business data analytics facilitate targeting audiences in a local market by offering opportunities for optimization.
For example, geospatial and data analytics visualization can identify foot traffic, nearby buildings, and transport routes to find the optimal site for the physical presence of a business.
This information can help make data-driven decisions to;
- Optimize product and service placement
- Optimize user experience and satisfaction
- Optimize store location
- Optimize distribution and logistics route
Types of Tools and Softwares for Geospatial Data Visualization for Targeting Local Markets
So far, we have covered what is geospatial data visualization for targeting local markets and its benefits for businesses.
Let us now explain the types of tools and softwares one can use to visualize the geospatial and business data.
Geographic Information System (GIS) Software
These are specialized desktop (or web) softwares with the most extensive mapping capabilities.
Some of these could be generic, while others are particularly suited to specific industries, such as small or enterprise businesses, healthcare, and natural resource management.
These are suited for large-scale, complex geographic data analysis.
The following GIS softwares are great for businesses;
- MapInfo Pro
- ArcGIS Pro
- QGIS3
Online Mapping Platforms
These are exclusively online mapping (geospatial visualization) platforms.
Several popular desktop GIS softwares offer cloud geospatial data visualization and data analytics services.
Like GIS softwares, they may have uses in several industries, including businesses of all sizes.
Some online geospatial data visualization platforms suited for business analytics include;
- Mapbox
- Carto
- ArcGIS Business Analyst Web App
Data Analytics and Visualization Tools
These are specialized business data analytics tools of varying degrees of sophistication, with added capabilities for geospatial data visualization.
They perform complex business analyses, sometimes augmented with AI and machine learning capabilities.
The data is then layered over geospatial data to generate meaningful infographics and maps that tell a detailed story and help decision-making and communication.
Some of the popular Data Analytics and Visualization tools include;
- Tableau
- Power BI
- Google Looker Studio
How to Use Geospatial Data Visualization for Targeting Local Markets?
Let us now discuss using geospatial data visualization for target local markets.
Target Group Analysis
As a first step, use a combination of publicly available and your proprietary customer data to perform geospatial data analysis.
During the analysis, you identify geographic locations with considerable frequency of the characteristics of your target audience.
They may include demographics such as age, gender, location, preferences, attitudes, and buying power.
Proceed with an overlay analysis to identify the target location rich with your target audience characteristics and zero in on your preferred target location and audience.
Competitor Analysis
Running a competitor analysis is crucial for market research. For the sake of continual improvement, it serves as an ongoing process for marketing.
Geospatial data visualization can facilitate competitor analysis, especially for targeting local markets.
Geospatial Data Analytics tools and GIS softwares allow you to add data in layers.
Overlay your target local market with your competitor data, such as location, customer preference, and market share, to gain meaningful insights.
These insights could feed your ad campaigns, including tone and messaging, local slang, and approaches for targeting local markets.
Target Audience
Using geospatial analysis equips businesses to identify their target audience with great precision.
Once you have your local target audience identified, launch the marketing campaigns. The local market targeting may have several aspects.
Geotargeting
Targeting local markets by relying on geographic data is referred to as geotargeting.
Geospatial Data Visualization gives a precise and effective way to segment audiences by location.
Create ad campaigns around the target area identified and displayed in your geospatial data visualizations.
Run demographic analysis by employing data and geospatial analytics and identify user behavior. Then, use this information for optimal ad placement on both digital and social media.
Geofencing
Using geospatial analytics to draw virtual boundaries around locations of interest is called geofencing.
When using geospatial data visualization for targeting local markets, you can benefit from creating geofences and triggering localized ads to users within the boundary.
Chances of engagement with such ads increase since the users are within the target areas.
Proximity Marketing
Using technology to send discount codes, notifications, or product offers as users pass by a physical store is called proximity marketing.
Other options to implement proximity marketing include Wifi, Bluetooth low-energy beacons, radio frequency identification, near-field location, and QR codes.
Using this technique can increase foot traffic and conversions.
Conclusion
Geospatial data visualization refers to mapping and representing attribute data of a physical location.
Using geospatial data visualization for targeting local markets involves displaying business data analytics on a map to understand the target audience and make data-driven decisions for location-specific targeting.
Its benefits include better customer segmentation, identifying trends and patterns, and the ability to show proximity and relationship to the target audience.
Other gains from this approach include targeted marketing, better decision-making, and optimizing targeting local markets.
Types of tools and softwares used for geospatial data visualization for targeting local markets include GIS softwares (e.g., MapInfo Pro), online mapping platforms (e.g., Mapbox), and data analytics and visualization tools (e.g., Tableau).
Businesses can use geospatial data visualization to target local markets by following a three-step process.
First, perform a Target Group Analysis to identify the audience they wish to target.
Next, go for Competitor Analysis by overlaying your data from the previous step over competitor data.
Finally, use the insights from the previous steps to target local markets.
Use methods like geomarketing to target audiences in locations of interest. Set up geofencing to trigger ads for users when they are within the virtual boundary.
And use techniques like Wifi, geofencing, and RFID for proximity marketing.
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