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Waze Local is a navigation app that allows you to target drivers near your business to drive more footfall through your door. In this article, we look at your options for advertising on Waze Local and the costs to advertise.
In 2013, Google bought navigational app Waze for $1.3 billion to bring its best features to Google Maps. Initially, the move brought accident reports, speed camera warnings and a bunch of features to Google Maps that we were more used to seeing from sat navs.
However, this all changed last year with the launch of Waze Local, which allows local business to target people with ads while they’re on the road. Larger brands have been able to advertise on Waze for years but the launch of Waze Local is aimed squarely at local businesses looking to literally drive more traffic to their stores.
Here’s everything you need to know about advertising on Waze Local.
Waze is a maps and navigation app that allows drivers to share real-time traffic and road information to others in their local area. Aside from the standard sat-nav experience, Waze has created a genuine community of road users consisting of more than 100 million active monthly users.
Waze Local is the company’s advertising platform designed for small and local businesses, making it possible to target nearby drivers with ads. So you’re delivering ads to people using Waze’s navigation app and they’re only going to see them when they’re driving in the vicinity of your business locations.
For example, coffee shops can target drivers travelling the motorway and provide them with an alternative to the usual Starbucks stop. If users click the ad, Waze can add the cafe to their journey and direct them right to the business. Users can also call businesses hands-free and Waze says its ads increase brand awareness for drivers who repeat the same journey. So even if you don’t get the ad click today, impressions can still bring customers to your door at a later date.
There are four ad formats currently available on Waze Local, three of which engage users while they’re driving in your local area. So let’s take a quick look at each format to give you an idea of what’s at your disposal.
And here’s what each ad format looks like in Waze.
Branded Pins appear on the map as users are driving. This means they’re limited to the section of map showing on-screen at any one time but the plus side of this means people who see your ads will only ever be a turn or two away from your business. In many cases, users will be able to drive right to your business without even engaging with the ad to get directions.
However, users can click on Branded Pins to “Drive There,” save your location for later or get more information about your business.
Zero-Speed Takeover ads appear as large canvases across mobile displays to grab user attention. Essentially, this takes the first click out of the equation, showing your best offers and allowing drivers to get directed to your business with a single click.
Nearby Arrows behave in the same way as Branded Pins except they show as directional signs on the screen allowing your ad to show, even if your business is “off-screen”. With Branded Pins, you’ve got limited horizontal space for impressions, whereas Nearby Arrows removes this restriction.
Promoted Search ads show at the top of results pages when Waze users search for businesses in the nearby area – eg: food, cafes, garages, etc.
Waze Local offers two basic packages with variable pricing, depending on what you’re looking for. You can get started from as little as $2 per day (you will be charged in USD) and prices for the Waze Local Plus start from $100 per day.
Starter
Plus
In practical terms, this makes Waze Local a relatively low-cost option. Perhaps, more importantly, the ROI potential is impressively high, due to the laser-focused targeting you get right out of the box by targeting drivers who are in your immediate vicinity.
Prices will naturally increase as Waze becomes adopted by more businesses but this platform is geared towards smaller businesses so we’re hoping future CPCs will reflect this. In most cases, the local aspect of advertising on Waze levels the playing field with the possible exception of Promoted Search ads where food establishments could be outbid by the likes of McDonald’s.
Even if that’s the case, Waze Local presents one of the best opportunities for small and local businesses to cut through the digital dominance of major brands.
There’s no denying that digital technology has been a major disruptor for small and local businesses. Online shopping has hurt the high street but 74% of Millennials say they prefer shopping in stores, which means more needs to be done to bridge the online and offline demand.
Waze Local provides a channel that has real potential to close this gap and provide smaller businesses with a bigger online presence. It’s going to work for certain business types more than others and it’s not going to solve all of the digital challenges local businesses face.
However, it provides something no other advertising platform does right now and allows local businesses to target a very specific type of audience. Combine this with a solid local SEO strategy and Waze offers up a crucial paid advertising channel that makes exciting things possible for local businesses.
If you’re interested to learn more about advertising on Waze Local or would like to improve your existing campaigns, talk to us today on 02392 830281.
Callum is a PPC Specialist and joined Vertical Leap in early 2019. He believes the future of commerce and business will continue to innovate online and no other industry is as exciting or changes as much day by day. Already in his career Callum has worked closely with many of the UKs top institutions, from a range of industries and successfully managed large projects from inception and nurtured throughout. Callum holds a Biology Degree from the University of Exeter where he’s worked with many of the country’s leading ecology, developmental and marine biologists. Now he applies his analytical and scientific approach to the digital industry. Callum is also Swindon born, obsessed with running, Tottenham Hotspur and the world of craft beer.
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