Right Time, Right Place: What Is Geographic Targeting?

Think of all the places your listeners may be weekly: one may be having a night out at the ballpark in the nearest major city while another is a few states over watching the game on TV. When a listener’s geographic location changes, so does their environment and perception of the messages they receive. 

Since digital audio accompanies audiences everywhere (in-car, at the store, during work, on a walk), ad creative that aligns with where they are can give campaigns a boost. Geographic targeting allows advertisers to go beyond demographics and psychographics, using audience-supplied location data to deliver ads that are relevant to the listener’s location.

While traditional targeting may look for the right people, geographic targeting boosts your campaigns even further by zeroing in on the ideal consumers while they’re in the right place, at the right time. 

What Is Geographic Targeting?

Geographic targeting, aka location targeting, is an advanced solution that uses first-party data to find audiences based on their location. Brands can target listeners by their state, designated market area (DMA), or a zip code. And keep in mind, the type of geographic targeting a brand uses can also depend on whether they’re advertising on streaming audio or podcasts.

What Are the Benefits of Geographic Targeting?

Geographic targeting places your message literally where your listeners are, helping you find location-specific consumers without having to cast a wider net. But better ad spend isn’t the only benefit. 

When it comes to advertising, the more personalization, the better. Geographic targeting enhances the relevance of your ads, gives you real-time user data, guarantees your listeners are where you want them to be, and reaches them on the go. 

Enhancing Ad Context and Relevancy

By combining geography with demographic or contextual data (i.e., weather, mood, etc.), advertisers can create highly contextual messages that resonate with listeners in specific locations or situations. For instance, a car dealership can cater messaging and exclusive offers to audiences in specific DMAs in the northeast.

What Are Examples of Geographic Targeting?

Looking Forward to a Concert 

A major concert venue wants to promote upcoming shows to music fans in the state of New York. Combining point-of-interest targeting with Pandora’s mood and genre targeting, they deliver ads to happy and excited fans—reaching an audience already primed for live music experiences.

Making Food Choices Based on the Weather

An ice cream shop can use geographic targeting to deliver ads promoting their new flavors, specifically when temperatures rise above 90 degrees in their radius. Thanks to dynamic audio, messaging can be hyper-personalized. The retail store can combine location data with real-time weather information to reach local listeners who are most likely to crave a cold treat on a hot summer day. 

Which Targeting Method Is Best for Streaming Audio and Podcasts?

When you partner with the SiriusXM Streaming Network, you can leverage geographic targeting and reach Pandora and SoundCloud users by state or zip code. And when you partner with the SiriusXM Podcast Network, you can target by state and DMA for maximum campaign reach.

Meet Your Listeners Where They Are

Geographic targeting can take your campaigns even further by zeroing in on the right people in the right place. 

Ready to put your brand on the map? Let’s talk. 

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