Why Should Your Business Be Using Foursquare?

Foursquare is a social networking service that provides a pretty interesting spin on location sharing, microblogging, and gaming. According to Co-Founder Dennis Crowley:

“I think Foursquare found some kind of sweet spot between the intersection of social utility (Hey, I know where my friends are), sharing/oversharing (I log everywhere I go/everything I do) and gaming/rewards (every check-in gives you a little piece of candy).”

The unique nature of Foursquare is what’s also addicting about it. Not only are you simply sharing your location with your friends, but you earn points for doing so. It becomes a friendly competition. You’re also able to easily hook up with friends who may already be out and get recommendations and To Do items that you should do at any specific venue. Foursquare has an iPhone app, but also works via mobile web browser and even SMS.

The key to leveraging Foursquare for your business lies in the way it promotes and advertises your business. A user visiting your venue on a regular basis can earn a Mayor badge for visiting more than other users. This is where the competition comes in and is only one example of the types of badges available. Not only is the user’s location broadcast on Foursquare, but users can link up both Twitter and Facebook. This increases the visibility of your business across the web.

The next step here is to take an active role in getting customers into your spot using Foursquare. The groundwork is already there, but what can you do to entice users to visit you more often? The answer lies in increasing the incentive for users to compete for your attention. Give them free stuff! It’s just that simple. When users see that the simple act of checking in at your business can win them free stuff, the game becomes more interesting for them. It also increases customer loyalty and gives them a sense of ownership.

If you take care of your Foursquare users, Foursquare will call attention to your business. Users who have checked in at nearby locations will be notified that your business gives special treatment to Foursquare users. Some examples of deals you could offer include:

• Simply acknowledge the mayor. Everyone loves to see their name up on a wall.
• Offer a free drink to a customer who has visited 10x.
• Give the mayor (the person who has visited more than any other user) a free order of fries.
• Provide a discount on an eyebrow waxing to someone who has visited for the 4th time this month.

I think you get the point here. The possibilities are endless and if you’re looking for a new and exciting way to promote your  business Foursquare might be just what you’re looking for.

Are you currently using Foursquare for your business? Not sure how you could leverage it to build your customer base? Leave a comment.