Targeting Hyperlocal Locations


Check out our AdTech Academy Course to learn more!

Some mobile apps are location-aware, giving you the ability to target viewers based on their exact location using GPS coordinates. Hyperlocal options let you target or exclude these precise regions. One tactic can have up to 15,000 hyperlocal targets.

Setup

  • When you set up a hyperlocal tactic, you must also set conventional Location settings. Be sure to set an appropriately larger conventional geotarget that includes all of your hyperlocal targets. For example, if you are targeting hyperlocal points around the greater Chicago area, you might set the Location to Illinois. (Targeting only the city of Chicago might be a problem if some points fall into areas that are not technically classified as Chicago but rather adjacent place names like Cicero.)

  • Tactics must include mobile delivery to use hyperlocal targeting. Lat/long coordinates used in hyperlocal targeting are generally not available for desktop impressions.

Note:

When you run a hyperlocal tactic, you may notice that your tactic doesn't deliver on some exchanges.

Some exchanges don’t provide lat/long data that's accurate enough to be appropriate for hyperlocal targeting. For example, to protect user privacy, Google provides a polygon of geo location. This polygon can be up to 6,000 meters across, which can make targeting very inaccurate.

Hyperlocal campaigns are meant to target users within a radius of a very specific point, so tactic with hyperlocal locations doesn't allow the campaigns to target inventory on exchanges or apps that provide vague geo location data.

To access hyperlocal settings in the tactic editor:

  1. Go to the Tactic Editor, select Location, and then select Hyperlocal.

    Tactic editor hyerlocal location window.

  2. To select hyperlocal targets, you can enter coordinates and addresses, bulk upload coordinates, or select locations on the map.

  3. After adding hyperlocal targets, you can edit them on the Location Rules panel or on the map.

Entering Coordinates and Addresses

Enter specific coordinates and addresses to add to your hyperlocal targets.

To enter coordinates and addresses:

  1. Select Enter in the upper-right corner of the Hyperlocal tab.

  2. Enter the Default Radius, and select the Units: Meters, Feet, Kilometers, or Miles.

  3. Enter a list of comma-separated coordinates and addresses. Each location must appear on a separate line, and each set of coordinates must follow this pattern:

    latitude, longitude, radius

    The radius value is optional. If you don't set a radius, the Default Radius value applies.

    For example:

    	39.9598, -83.0070
	40.1538, -83.1177
	4850 W Powell Rd, Powell, OH 43065
	39.9644, -82.9878

  4. Click Target or Exclude to add the coordinates to your tactic's location rules.

    Tactic editor hyperlocal location window with example coordinates.

  5. Review your locations on the Location Rules panel, and update the targeting rules if necessary.

Bulk Uploading Coordinates

If you have a list of coordinates to enter, upload them all at once in a TXT file.

File Requirements

  • The TXT file can include up 1000 sets of latitude and longitude coordinates and addresses. If you need more than 1000 addresses, you must perform additional uploads. Each tactic can include up to 15,000 coordinates and addresses in total.

  • Each location must appear on a new line in the file.

  • Coordinates must be separated by commas, so each line follows this format:

    latitude, longitude, radius

    The radius value is optional. If you don't set a radius, the Default Radius value that you set in the Hyperlocal panel applies to these coordinates.

  • Addresses should be as detailed as possible, including ZIP or postal codes.

  • Do not include a radius after addresses. If you do, that location will not be successfully added to your hyperlocal targets. The default radius applies to all addresses, and you can edit them after you upload the file.

To bulk upload coordinates:

  1. Select Bulk upload in the upper-right corner.

    Tactic editaor hyperlocal location window hilighting bulk upload button.

  2. Enter the Default Radius, and select the Units: Meters, Feet, Kilometers, or Miles.

    The Default Radius applies to all addresses in the file and any set of coordinates that don't specify a radius. All of the coordinates and addresses use the selected unit.

  3. Attach the TXT file.

  4. Click Target or Exclude to add these hyperlocal targets to the tactic's location rules. If the file contains any formatting errors or invalid locations, you'll see an error message.

    • Click Copy to clipboard to enter these locations manually in the Tactic Editor.
    • Click Download TXT to download the invalid items as a TXT file that you can edit offline.

  5. Review your locations on the Location Rules panel, and update the targeting rules if necessary.

Using the Map

Find, select, and adjust specific locations on a map directly in the Tactic Editor.

To use the map:

  1. Select Map in the upper-right corner.

    Tactic editor hyperlocal location map window.

    The first time you use the map, your browser may ask if you'd like to share your current location. If you do, the map shows your immediate area by default.

    Exmaple browser verfication to share current location.

  2. Create hyperlocal targeting areas by selecting a location on the map or searching for a specific address. The location you select will be the center of the targeting area with a default radius of 5 miles.

    • To select a location on the map, click anywhere on the map to set a target centered on that location. Use the map's controls to zoom in on a location for more precise targeting.
    • If you enter a street address in the search box, include as much detail as you can, including the city, state, and ZIP or postal code for the address. A targeting area will be created at the address you select from the list of suggestions.

  3. Adjust the target area as needed.

    • On the map:
      • Click and drag the center of your target around the map to relocate it. You must select the exact center of the location, otherwise you will create a new target.
      • Click and drag the edge of the circle to change the radius of the target.
    • On the Locations Rules panel:
      1. Click the pencil next to a hyperlocal location to edit it.
      2. Enter the new Latitude, Longitude, or Radius, and select the Unit.
      3. Click Apply to save your changes.

  4. You can also In the grid on the Location Rules panel:

    1. Click the pencil next to a hyperlocal location to edit it.
    2. Enter the new Latitude, Longitude, or Radius, and select the Unit.
    3. Click Apply to save your changes.

  5. Review your locations on the Location Rules panel, and update the targeting rules if necessary.

To edit hyperlocal targets:

  1. On the Location Rules panel, click Hyperlocal to view the tactic's hyperlocal location targets.

  2. Select whether the tactic should Target or Exclude the location.

  3. To edit the location, click the pencil icon next to it.

    1. Enter the new Latitude and Longitude
    2. Enter a new Radius, and select the Unit.
    3. Click Apply to update the target.

  4. To remove a location, click Delete [].

  5. Save the tactic to apply your changes.

Hyperlocal Example

For example, if you wanted to target people who are heading to a local hockey game, you can set the center of your target on the stadium. If you don't want to include everyone in the hospital nearby, you can set up an excluded area within the targeted area. When coordinates overlap, excluded targets take precedence over included targets.

Hyperlocal location example.