“Geofence marketing” sounds like something a defense contractor invented to win a government bid. It’s actually the simplest idea in local marketing: an invisible circle around your business, and a deal that shows up on people’s phones when they walk inside it.
That’s it. That’s the technology.
But if you run a business in Denver, you’ve probably been burned by enough marketing tools that “trust me, it’s simple” doesn’t cut it. Fair. Here’s the whole thing, start to finish, in plain English.
The ten-second version
You draw a circle on a map around your shop. When someone with the OneMarket app walks into that circle, their phone shows them your deal. They tap claim, walk in, and show it at the counter. You just turned a passerby into a customer while your competitor’s Instagram ad was being scrolled past by someone in Nebraska.
Now the slightly longer version.
Step 1: You draw your circle
The circle is called a geofence — a virtual boundary around your physical location. You choose how big it is. A coffee shop might want a few blocks, because nobody crosses town for a latte. A gym might go wider, because people will travel for a place they visit four times a week. Either way, you’re only ever talking to people who are close enough to actually show up.
Step 2: You create your deal
This is the part you already know how to do, because you know what makes your customers light up. Free pastry with any drink. 20% off your first visit. Happy hour that starts in twenty minutes. The only rule: it should answer the question “why would I detour right now?” You write it once, set when it runs, and you’re done. No creative team. No campaign manager. No 40-slide deck.
Step 3: Someone nearby gets a notification
A person with the OneMarket app walks into your circle. Their phone buzzes. Your deal is on their screen.
Here’s the part that matters: they asked for this. They downloaded a deals app because they want to find deals near them. This isn’t an interruption — it’s the notification they got the app for. And the timing does the heavy lifting. They’re not on their couch across town filing your ad under “someday.” They’re on your block, right now, deciding where to spend money.
Step 4: They claim it, walk in, and you see everything
They claim the deal in the app and redeem it at your counter. Your dashboard shows real redemptions — actual humans who walked through your actual door. Compare that to the report your last ad campaign gave you, which said 11,000 people “may have seen” your ad. May have. Seen.
What geofence marketing is not
Worth clearing up, because the word “geofence” makes some people picture a surveillance van:
- It’s not spam. Everyone on the consumer side opted in by downloading the app.
- It’s not creepy tracking. The circle triggers the deal. Nobody’s data is being sold to anyone.
- It’s not Groupon. Your deal, your terms, your margins. No race to the bottom, no 50% haircut.
- It’s not complicated. If you can draw a circle and type a sentence, you’re qualified.
Why it works when other ads don’t
All marketing is chasing the same three things: right person, right place, right time. A billboard gets the place and blows the timing. A social ad might get the person and misses the place by miles. Geofencing is the only channel that gets all three at once — and the numbers show it. People who receive a location-triggered message are 53% more likely to visit the store, and proximity marketing performs up to 20x better than traditional banner ads.
Not because it’s clever. Because it’s close.
Try it while the beta is open
OneMarket’s beta is live in Denver right now. It’s free for businesses to apply, and early businesses get hands-on help getting their first campaign out the door. Draw your circle at joinonemarket.com/beta.