Have You Checked-In?

Foursquare is a location-based mobile application that combines local city mapping, social interaction, and gaming. Foursquare allows consumers to use their mobile phone, along with the foursquare application, to “Check-In” at the retail businesses that they frequent. Anyone and everyone can use foursquare. Foursquare users check-in at local businesses that they frequent during their daily routine. For instance, you can check-in at Town Crier Bakery in Peddler’s Village the next time you stop by to buy a coffee from Roseann. You can check-in at New Hope Winery while you’re there stocking up on your local white & red wines. You can check-in at Central Bucks Family YMCA on your way in to workout. By checking-in, users unlock badges, accumulate points, and also claim Mayorship over certain businesses.

Why Do Consumers Use foursquare?

Consumers use foursquare because of its addicting gaming aspects like earning points & collecting foursquare badges, as well as, to collect Mayorships & receive discounts at their favorite local businesses. When you earn points for checking-in at a local business, those points accumulate on your Leaderboard, which is setup between you and everyone who you are connected with on foursquare. The individuals with the most points are leading their network on foursquare. People can move up and
down the Leaderboard based on their foursquare activity.

Mayorship is earned if you have checked-in at a place more than anyone else over the past 60 days. Badges are accumulated by checking into various venues. Badges may be specific to a city, venue, event, or date. Becoming the Mayor of your favorite local business appeals to a consumer’s ego. Many foursquare Mayors are known to visit their favorite local businesses even when they don’t have a pressing need. Why? Just so they can check-in and retain their Mayorship…Pretty powerful stuff if you’re the owner of a business where people are competing over how many times they can come to your store and check-in. This may be leading some of you to ask:

How Can Businesses Take Advantage of foursquare?

One of the biggest advantages of foursquare is that it is free for business owners to use for marketing your business. You can add your venue to foursquare, claim it as your own, and start running discounts and specials through your foursquare venue. Now,
everyone who checks-in will get access to your special offer. You can even create a special Mayor offer to elicit competition for the Mayor of your business. Simply by taking advantage of a free tool like foursquare, you can now engage your customers and
prospects and even drive new sales.

How Do I Get Started Using foursquare?

First you want to find out if your business is listed on foursquare. Foursquare is open to everyone, which means that anyone can add your store as a foursquare venue. If your store is already listed on foursquare, then you want to go through the “Claiming” process, which allows you to have full control over the information listed on your venue. It also allows you to run the promotions discussed above. If your venue is not listed, simply add your venue and claim it.

Once you’ve claimed your business the next step is to start doing a little research on the Web to find out the best ways to utilize foursquare for your business. Whatever you do, be sure to take advantage of foursquare for your business as it’s a free way to get your message out, engage your customers, and drive sales.

Learn more about utilizing Foursquare in Ryan Taft's FREE e-book.

Ryan Taft owns and operates Catalyst Marketers, a Social Media Marketing Agency in Bucks County, PA. Catalyst helps small business owners use online tools to reach more people, build relationships, and ultimately drive sales.