Have you heard of Foursquare yet? If you haven’t then you should read this,  Foursquare is a smart-phone social network of over 10 million users and growing. Chances are, some of your target audience is already using Foursquare.

What Is Foursquare?

Foursquare is a location-based application that is built for smart phones. It has grown to be the second largest location-based application behind Facebook Places.

How does it work?

When a Foursquare user arrives at a location (dry cleaners, restaurant, park, retail store, etc) that user checks into that location which broadcasts a message to their circle of Foursquare friends stating where they just checked in. There is also a feature that allows users to post their Foursquare check in on their Facebook and Twitter pages.  Points are awarded for various activities — checking in, making multiple stops in a day, adding a new venue, making a repeat visit, checking in on consecutive days, etc. The more times you check in, the more points you get. You can compare yourself to your nearby friends and Foursquare’s 10-million-plus other users on the leader board in your mobile app. The points don’t really do anything, but they’re fun to get an idea where you stand against other Foursquare users. “Mayorships” are awarded to the most frequent visitor at any location.  There are many other awards and badges as well.

Foursquare benefits both the user and the business. The reason is because customers want to be recognized and businesses want to know who their loyal fans are. Customers can give tips about a restaurant or a business and businesses have the capabilities to offer “specials” or perks to their Foursquare fan base by offering them discounts or gifts for checking-in to their location. It is a great way for a business to promote themselves within the smart-phone mobile market.

Foursquare Strategies For Businesses:

• Encourage Your Foursquare Users To Check-in At Your Location.
• Offer Discounts For Users Who Check-in At Your Location.
• Ask Your Users To Post Positive Reviews About Your Business.
• Make The “Mayorship” A Contest And Give That Person A Special Perk.
• Promote A Special For First Time Customers
• Plan An Around Foursquare
• Monitor Your Customers. Who Are They?
• Review Your Foursquare Analytics For Trends

Foursquare is a great tool to get to know your customers, both potential and current. To learn more visit: https://foursquare.com/business/