Foursquare for Business: More than a Game

If you thought Foursquare was a game… well, you’re right… but not the game you think. These days, getting in on the game of Foursquare can translate into serious value for your business.

Foursquare is an increasingly popular location-based service, primarily used within the mobile application, which awards users with points, mayorships & badges based on the different venues where they “check in.” Basically, it’s your phone’s GPS at work, letting your friends know where you’ve been hanging out.

At first, Foursquare was a laugh, written off as some kind of stalker service. But in early 2009, it made a big splash with the social media gurus at SXSW (South by Southwest), and as more people have started to join in the game, businesses began to realize the service’s potential.

If you think about the fact that customers are already “checking in” to your location(s), it’s not difficult to see how Foursquare for business can easily be manipulated as your savvy new loyalty program. And don’t think Foursquare hasn’t thought about it either…

They’ve developed several tools tailored to businesses who want to engage mobile consumers, namely Foursquare Specials:

• Mayor Specials: unlocked only by the Mayor of your venue. Who’s the Mayor? It’s your single most loyal customer! (the user who has checked in the most in the last 60 days)
  (“Foursquare has deemed you the Mayor? Enjoy a free order of french fries!”)
• Check-in Specials: unlocked when a user checks in to your venue a certain number of times.
  (“Foursquare says you’ve been here 10 times? That’s a free drink for you!”)
• Frequency-based Specials: are unlocked every X check-ins.
  (“Foursquare users get 20% off any entree every 5th check-in!”)
• Wildcard Specials: always unlocked, but your staff has to verify some extra conditions before awarding the Special.
  (“Show us your foursquare Swarm badge and get a free drink!”)
• And more to come!

These special offers encourage your patrons to visit often and get them talking up your business to their friends. And with Foursquare’s Twitter integration, visitors are broadcasting their check-ins not only by word-of-mouth, but often to their entire Twitter network!

The potential is so great that giant corporations like Starbucks have already hopped on board, offering badges and nationwide mayor specials.

Keep in mind though, there’s no need to bet the farm. The littlest things get consumers excited. We’ll help you start off with small offers and track their performance within your venue, using Foursqaure analytics.

Still sound a little daunting? Don’t worry – we’ve done this before with a wide range of businesses. (We’ve even got a an “in” with the Foursquare staff to expedite the process for you.)

To discuss how Foursquare can best be leveraged for your individual business, give us a call at 770.655.8182 or send an e-mail to info@yepser.com.

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