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IP targeting is all about using a user’s IP address to deliver personalized content, no cookies required. Whether you're targeting specific companies, households, or geographic regions, it gives you laser-precise control over who sees what.
IP Targeting is a powerful form of digital marketing that allows businesses to serve personalized content to users based on their IP address. IP targeting has become a go-to strategy for both B2B and B2C for a long time, but even more lately as trends shy away from cookies.
No matter who you are trying to reach - specific companies, households, or physical locations - IP targeting is a great way to deliver personalized content with surgical precision. Learn what it is and how to leverage it below!
An IP address, short for Internet Protocol address, is a unique string of numbers assigned to every device connected to the internet. An IP address is just like a digital home address. But instead of physical mail, it tells websites and online services where to send the information you're requesting, whether that's a web page, video stream, or email.
IP addresses are assigned by your internet service provider. Internet service providers are companies like Comcast, Spectrum, etc. Every smartphone, laptop, desktop, or smart TV on a network shares the same outward-facing IP address if it's connected to the same router.
IP targeting is a marketing technique using the user’s IP address to decide which content is dynamically shown on a specific device or network of devices. But in laymen’s terms, IP address targeting is using IP addresses to identify where someone is visiting your website from.
Every device using the internet has an IP address, and many of these IPs can be mapped to physical locations. Whether that location is a home, office, university, or hospital, you can isolate specific IPs and deliver ads knowing you are optimizing your ad spend effectively.
You can even isolate IP address with offline data like a street address, company name, and more. Utilizing IP targeting you can serve highly relevant ads without relying on cookies or mobile location data.
IP addresses function like digital mailing addresses. Marketers use IPs to bridge the gap between offline customer data and online ad delivery. If you have a list of business locations or residential addresses, you can find the IP address that matches those physical addresses and locations. Then using the IP, you can serve content specific to that location.
IP targeting is incredibly powerful for improving conversions, improving the user experience in terms of ensuring they have the right numbers for local representatives, accurate information regarding local events, promotions, and more.
IP targeting works by using physical addresses, matching them to IPs, and sending personalized ads once the match has been made. Typically this process starts with a physical address. The address can be a home address, business or institution address. Next that address is matched to an IP address utilizing proprietary data from mapping providers.
Once a match has been made, advertisers can deliver deeply customized and personalized content to devices connected to that network. One of the benefits of this form of targeting is that it is privacy-compliant, highly accurate, and incredibly effective for reaching B2B and B2C consumers. In addition to these benefits, it will also cause users to spend more time on your website because it allows you to dial in the messaging to speak directly to their needs.
IP targeting is used to get highly personalized and relevant information in front of prospects in specific areas. This type of targeting is used in all industries, whether the campaign is focused on B2B or B2C. Because this method of targeting doesn’t use cookies, IP targeting is also becoming more popular as a replacement for more traditional retargeting strategies.
Businesses leverage IP address marketing to improve precision, reduce wasted ad spend, and personalize messaging based on factors like physical location. Instead of spreading a wide net with ads, you can target specific cities, neighborhoods, and even streets.
IP targeting is typically part of a larger data strategy that helps to connect offline insights with online ads. It also helps you ensure consistent messaging across different devices.
There are several types of tools involved in IP targeting, ranging from CRM onboarding platforms to IP mapping databases and personalization engines. While some businesses use multiple tools to build an IP targeting strategy, many modern platforms combine these capabilities into a single, streamlined solution.
One of the most common tools for IP targeting is website personalization software. These platforms use IP address data to dynamically change content based on a user’s location or organization, helping businesses deliver more relevant messaging and improve conversion rates.
Geofli offers a geo-targeting solution that goes way beyond standard IP targeting. With our comprehensive suite, you can leverage IP-targeting, geo-targeting, geo-fencing, and more, all in one place. Wanting to optimize your ad-spend, tailor your content by location, audience, behavior, and more? Fill out the form below to get started!
IP targeting is a strong fit for any business or organization that can define its target audience by physical address, business name, or geographic location. This includes B2B companies using account-based marketing, B2C brands with localized customer segments, healthcare and education providers, political campaigns, and real estate professionals.
If your strategy involves delivering specific messages to known groups of people in identifiable places, IP targeting offers one of the most efficient ways to do that at scale.
If you are running campaigns, IP targeting can help your business make a great first impression by displaying the content most likely to lead to conversions. Unlike websites that don’t utilize IP targeting, your website isn’t going to say the same thing for all users. Dynamic content that changes based on geographical location is much more effective at capturing the attention of an audience because the user will instantly connect more with the copy and assets on your website.
You’ll see benefits like improved responses, conversions, bounce rates, reduced reliance on third-party data, and if implemented properly, it’s GDPR approved. Not to mention, if you have mailing lists, IP targeting makes that data actionable online.
It’s also one of the most future-proof strategies available, especially as privacy regulations tighten and cookie-based solutions continue to phase out.
IP targeting and geo targeting are often used interchangeably, but they serve slightly different use cases. Both rely on location data, but while geo targeting uses GPS or mobile signals to deliver ads based on real-time device location, IP targeting focuses on the network or internet connection used to access the web.
Geo-targeting is ideal for mobile campaigns and on-the-go engagement. IP targeting, on the other hand, is better suited for stationary environments like homes, offices, or campuses.
For example, if you wanted to market to event attendees, you would use geo-targeting. But, if you wanted to market to a specific network of devices belonging to a specific prospect, you’d use IP targeting.
IP targeting gives businesses a powerful way to connect with their audience using one of the most reliable data signals available: the IP address. Whether you're trying to reach key accounts, specific households, or strategic geographic areas, IP targeting can deliver your message with focus and efficiency.
As digital marketing continues to evolve toward a more privacy-conscious future, strategies like IP targeting will only become more valuable. If your business relies on location, CRM data, or personalized outreach, now is the time to make IP targeting part of your marketing mix.
If you want to take advantage of IP targeting, use the form below to provide questions, comments, or partnership possibilities for our personalization tools.
