Is FourSquare just a Flash in the Pan?
You may have noticed I’m a bit obsessed with very interested in FourSquare at the moment. Someone even accused me of being a FourSquare addict… I’ve been asking around for other peoples opinion’s on FourSquare. Here are guest blogger Kazia Mullin’s thoughts on FourSquare:
The other evening I was having dinner with a friend and the conversation turned to social media and mobile marketing.
“Foursquare is a flash in the pan,” my friend said. “No one will be talking about it this time next year. Why would anyone care to tell the whole world where they are?”
But what my friend is missing is that Foursquare is about more than just a medium for broadcasting where someone is hanging out for the evening, Foursquare is a social network for sharing; sharing business reviews, sharing tips, sharing community. And it’s this sharing that makes Foursquare a new powerhouse in the social media game.
Foursquare users are predominantly young, educated and predominantly single (data found at http://www.quantcast.com/foursquare.org). And, as made evident by the nature of Foursquare, they are also big smart phone and social media users. Every time someone on Foursquare checks-in using their mobile phone, they are not only looking for local deals and tips but they’re also sharing their location with their friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter. With every check-in a business or location gets a mention and a little buzz out in the social media sphere.
But Foursquare works best when businesses get involved too. As a business, log onto Foursquare to see if anyone’s added you to the Foursquare location database. If they have, great! You’ve already got a Foursquare following! Next, claim your business location as its owner using the straight forward four-step process to manage your Foursquare business listing. The set up also walks you through how to encourage an active Foursquare following and ideas on how to turn Foursquare people who have only heard of your business into customers.
If your business isn’t listed on Foursquare yet, not to worry. It’s easy to add your business to the Foursquare directory. Also, this should be a signal to examine the effectiveness of your business’s social media strategies.
Once your business is listed, you have the opportunity to reward your loyal customers, to broadcast events, and to monitor how your customers are experiencing your business.
It’s true, Foursquare isn’t for everyone. I don’t foresee a time when the majority of people will be checking into Foursquare every time they come through a business’s doors. However, the power in Foursquare lies in the building of customer loyalty and encouraging one of the oldest forms of social marketing, the word of mouth endorsement. Someone who takes that extra 30 seconds to check into Foursquare and recommend your business online, will certainly be the person who will tell his or her friends about one of their favorite places.
Kazia Mullin is currently the Foursquare mayor of her favorite supermarket, coffee shop, Merritt Visitor Centre and the Coquihalla Highway Summit. She is also one of the partners and Director of Strategies at Advantage West Marketing, a marketing firm specializing in Strategic Community Marketing for small to medium businesses. Kazia also blogs about small business marketing strategies on her blog Kitchen Table Marketing.