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Be there or be foursquare - localized marketing

Posted by Sarah Pierce on July 9, 2010 at July 9, 2010 6:52 AM

Last week, shortly after I "checked in" at a Minneapolis restaurant (while celebrating my brother's 21st birthday), I received a text from a friend who was at a restaurant just a few blocks away. Announcing my physical whereabouts via foursquare, Twitter and Facebook paid off - not only did I get to see a friend later in the evening, but the restaurant she texted from was running a special: a free drink for everyone who "checked-in" using foursquare. Works for me!

Thanks to GPS technology in our smart phones, location-based social networks have become increasingly popular. Websites such as foursquare, Gowalla, Google Latitude and others make it simple to post your location to the web and even earn rewards (besides badges).

In April, foursquare announced it will allow businesses to claim their venue by clicking here. Why? Much like Twitter's verified accounts, claiming a venue provides the owner with access to venue control features. Providing a business with data surrounding their customers, statistics about people who check in and the opportunity to create special offers, allows for customization to meet the needs of their customers.

So where's the marketing opportunity for businesses?

For services businesses, it's a no-brainer: they can engage with their customers no matter where they are and can target them without significant investments of time or media. If their customers aren't on yet, chances are they will be soon, with an estimated 100,000 new users every week on foursquare. And foursquare's promotional tactics, such as digital punch cards and specials for the "mayor", are paying off.

Customers are discovering that "checking-in" may be just as good for their social life as it is for their wallet.
As seen in my experience last week, I took advantage of one of foursquare's "first time check-in specials" when I moved the birthday party from our original location, to the restaurant serving up the special. While "checking-in" afforded me a free drink, I was inadvertently fulfilling a major goal behind this restaurant's motive to use location based marketing-- increasing traffic to their venue.

So, what's next?

Competition, if we're lucky. Other social media companies are rolling out their own versions. Google now shares foursquare tips and check-ins on Google maps, and social media giants Twitter and Facebook recently unveiled location-based features. How could you envision using foursquare in your marketing program to engage your business customers or consumers?

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