Foursquare Marketing
Foursquare marketing is also known as a type of location based marketing. This is becoming one of the largest players in the social networking game or world. How does it work? Check in to Foursquare.com from where you are and let your network of friends know where you are and what you are doing. This is called location marketing because your network knows where you are. You are social networking because you are still networking as well as giving your location.
So how does Foursquare marketing benefit the consumer? Well, there is more to it than just being social. By checking into Foursquare from certain businesses you are earning things. Many businesses have promotions to help push the location marketing from their business. Certain coffee shops may offer a free coffee after so many check-ins from the location; restaurants may offer a free meal after so many check-ins or updates.
Foursquare networking is a game and is also intended to be a marketing tool for companies. The great thing is that both the consumer and business owner wins.
Perfect scenario of location marketing:
Linda is out shopping for the day. Halfway through shopping she decides she wants a coffee and a quick bite to eat. She arrives at her favorite coffee shop and pulls out her cell phone and checks in to Foursquare. Friends on her network get the update and they are not far. Five of her friends show up at the coffee shop to have coffee and some food with her. Not only does Linda have her friends there but also the business now has more customers.
More businesses are just learning the advantages of location marketing and Foursquare marketing. Many are taking it a step beyond and pointing specials to the suture so that they will be announced through each consumer’s networks of friends. A special can be planned for the next week or next month and posted within the brick and stone business itself. Consumers go to the business, read the special and then pass it along through Foursquare. This is becoming a very fast growing trend; another is the “time savings”. For those customers that go to a certain establishment between certain times in the day, they will have extra savings. Viral and social marketing at its best at work here and both the business and customer have a deal.
Those consumers who use the Foursquare platform will also earn extra savings. Between becoming a “mayor” and earning certain badges the offers and savings get better. The trend seems to be growing according to the experts and businesses love it.
One word of warning to those who are new to the Foursquare marketing fun and this is serious. Be sure not to go into “social network overload”. As fun as it is in the beginning if you do too much of it in the beginning it can become tiresome. Choose those businesses and areas you want to check in from and stick to just those in the beginning. After time you can always add more. Nothing worse than finding a goldmine and getting sick of it and not want to take advantage of great savings.
