At VisitApps, we always preach the message of reaching your audience whenever and wherever they are via mobile. But never has mobile technology been so precise as to target users based on their exact location-until now.

For the first time, we're able to offer this functionality to VisitApps customers through message regions as a part of our latest product release. But before you press send on that geotargeted push notification, there are a few things you should know about managing your message regions.

Refrain from Changing Geofence Locations

Changing your geofence locations is possible, but we don't recommend it and it shouldn't be done often. Why? Once your locations are set up in the Mobile App Studio, your users will have to open their app for our system to start tracking their location. If you change your locations frequently, chances are, there won't be enough time for the majority of your users to open their app for the location to be activated on their device.

Though locations shouldn't be moved often, it is possible to create a message region strategy that will benefit both you and your app users. Here are five ways message regions can be used in your tourism app.

1. TARGET VISITORS IN THE CITY
Is there a large festival going on in your city or a flash deal that people need to know about? Sending a notification to your users who are already downtown gives them the information they need and want. Targeting users that are currently in your city can also be of use if they need to know of a traffic update or emergency situation.

2. TARGET USERS OUTSIDE OF CITY LIMITS
App users outside the city should receive different messaging than those within. Make them aware of events going on in their area or draw them into the city with information about events that pertain to them. By tailoring your message to the specific regions your message is targeting, you'll get a bigger return from your users.

3. SPORTS ARENA OR CONCERT VENUE
If you have a large venue that hosts games, concerts, or other events on a regular basis, it may be beneficial for that location to have their own message region. Sending out reminders, scores, or upcoming event announcements can be a great way for your users to stay informed and engaged in your community. Do you have a park that regularly hosts farmers markets, movies on the lawn, or a yearly festival? You might consider these as message regions as well.

4. RADIUSES OF NEWS
Do individuals in the heart of the city need different information than those on the outskirts of town? Draw an imaginary circle around the epicenter of your city. Then draw a region around the first circle that encompasses the city limits. Finally, draw an even larger circle around the previous two that includes all of the suburbs where your app users may be staying while in town. Incorporating different amounts of people while still using the same center hub allows you to target different levels of people with relevant information.

5. REGIONS OF AREA
Message regions can also be used to target different neighborhoods. If your app serves an entire state or county, you could target a couple of large cities or towns that would benefit from receiving their own notifications.