| SPARK PLUG: Play the Foursquare Game to Market Your Business |
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Foursquare. You've heard the buzz, people are checking in all around you, and some business owners are even using it to attract sales. But what is it? Should your company use it? Here's how to get started. |
How it works
Foursquare is a location-based social networking website, software for mobile devices, and also a game. The way that it works is users check in at venues using a mobile website, text messaging or a device-specific application. The app encourages people to explore their neighborhoods and rewards them for doing so. It does this by combining its friend-finder and social city guide elements with game mechanics, so users earn points, win Mayorships and unlock badges for trying new places and revisiting old favorites. |
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Use it to Gain Brand Exposure
As a business owner, you can use foursquare to engage your increasingly mobile customers with Specials, or discounts and prizes that you offer your loyal customers when they check into your venue using foursquare. This is a great branding opportunity that helps attract people to visit your business and motivates them to compete with their friends to get there. You can also track how your venue is performing over time via foursquare analytics. |
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Become a Foursquare Success Story Like these Brands
1. Host a Swarm Badge Party
Milwaukee Burger join AJ Bombers restaurant recently attracted a flash mob of 161 customers to a foursquare party they threw. They came to earn the highly coveted and elusive foursquare Swarm Badge, something you can only get when 50 or more foursquare users check in at the same place at the same time. |
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2. Leave Free Tickets at an Unknown Location
The New York Nets used foursquare to hide free pairs of virtual game tickets throughout New York City sports related check in spots, like sports bars, parks and gyms. The virtual tickets could be exchanged for real tickets to a specific game, which 15% of people did. Attendees won T-shirts and the chance for other prizes. |
3. Organize a Treasure Hunt
Famous shoe designer Jimmy Choo used foursquare to create a real-time show treasure hunt in London. Jimmy Choo chose to check-in objects (pairs of shoes) at various locations and those who followed the campaign and arrived at a venue before the shoes received their very own pair of Jimmy Choos. |
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Jump on the Bandwagon
Foursquare has a lot to offer any type of business, including yours. Not only do foursquare campaigns drive direct and future business, but they also introduce brands to new consumers and increase brand loyalty with existing consumers. So what are you waiting for? Go sign-up for your foursquare account! |
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