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Debra's Blog
I’ve been procrastinating about writing this post ... knowing that others are far more knowledgeable than I on the subject of FourSquare. But I keep getting asked about why anyone in business would be bothered with a game...
Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start... (sorry, couldn’t help myself - recently went to the Sound of Music Sing-a-long). Check out this introductory, short video on FourSquare (and don’t roll your eyes at some of the cutesy expressions... just persevere!) It's on the right hand side of the page.
So what is FourSquare?
This relatively new social broadcast application can help your business promote deals, get the attention of savvy early adopters of technology, or simply to increase foot traffic.
It's a game.
It's a mobile social network. It's an urban exploration app. And it can be a tremendous new way to lure in new customers while encouraging loyalty. The system awards points and virtual badges to players depending on how often they go out and which places they visit. Users who frequent a particular place enough times are crowned “mayor” of that particular location.
It is a social media application designed to bring people together in the real world, using geolocation and other social media apps. After you register (for free), you can “sign in” to locations around town and it’ll notify your friends (and other FourSquare users) where you are. If you register your Twitter or Facebook account, you can broadcast your location using those as well (it will also scan your list of friends to find out if any of them are on FourSquare).
The business concept here is that users are publicly sharing recommendations of the businesses they frequent. [Word to the wise: publicly sharing recommendations includes sharing the good, the bad and the ugly...]
I was recently in Numurkah (northern Vic) visiting The Flying Muffin – the business and location of which I’d entered into FourSquare a couple of weeks prior. So I “checked in” at the Flying Muffin (FourSquare app on my iphone and also broadcast the message across my Twitter account) and within a couple of minutes my telephone rang. A fellow tweep and FourSquare user was in Shepparton. We arranged to meet for coffee in Yarrawonga later that afternoon... along with two of our mutual clients! But – before he got to Yarrawonga he visited The Flying Muffin and tried their raspberry and white chocolate muffin ... just as I’d recommended on my initial checkin.
Love your Mayor and Encourage Loyalty
If your business has a storefront, you might have a new mayor. Who knew? If you've listed your establishment on Foursquare.com and more than a handful of Foursquare users have checked in, chances are the "mayor" is a regular customer and early adopter whose loyalty you'll want to keep.
You can see who that individual is (or at least their picture, if they have one, and username) on the Foursquare site – or, if someone mentions it while buying, cordially ask if you can view their account on their screen. Plenty of businesses are offering VIP perks to their mayor – anything from a 15 percent retail discount to a free beer. Others tack up signs or promote mayoral specials. Anything goes, really, so if you're going to show your mayor they matter to you, do so in a way that reflects your business' personality – creativity might just earn you an extra shout-out on Twitter which plenty of users sync with their Foursquare account.
Attract New Customers
For businesses and venues that have a presence on Foursquare, it is (for now) free to post "specials nearby," which can include giveaways or simply a one-time offer. When a user checks in at a nearby establishment, they'll be alerted to your special offer, too. And if your happy hour two-for-one martini special is a sweeter deal than your neighbour's, well, you might just find your bar a bit more crowded.
Now that I’ve gotten this far, I realise there is more. I’ll write another post within the week ... promise. And I'll share some of the ways I've found FoundSquare to be such an invaluable tool [aside from the games and badges].
Debra Templar
Retail Marketing
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