Thursday, July 1, 2010

Location Based Social Network "Foursquare" Builds Customer Loyalty! By Harrison Painter

I would like to share a really cool platform with everybody! It's called Foursquare and is all about helping people find new ways to explore a city. It can also help build your business through innovative promotions, building brand loyalty, and earning social capital with your patrons. Check it out!
People use Foursquare to "Check In", and that means sharing with others where you are in the city, think restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, museums, fundraisers, the zoo, and/or a coffee house to name a few. It is a great way to learn about some hot spots in your area, and an amazing tool to meet people in the know. The creators envision Foursquare as an "urban mix tape". Not only can you let people know where you're at, but offer them tips on what to eat, drink, see, or talk to while they are there.
Now for the fun part. You can earn points and badges. Here is an excerpt from the foursquare website explaining this:
Every foursquare check-in earns you points. Find a new place in your neighborhood? +5 points. Making multiple stops in a night? +2 points. Dragging friends along with you? +1.
And as you start checking-in to more interesting places with different people, you'll start unlocking badges. There are badges for discovering new places and for traveling to far away places. Spending too much time singing karaoke or been hitting the gym consistently? Yes, there are badges for those too!
Another very cool feature is this: If you frequent an establishment the most, you become the Mayor of that location.
Now, you are probably wondering what is the point of all this, it seems kind of silly!
THIS PLATFORM CREATES A MARKETING ARENA THAT CAN EXPLODE YOU BUSINESS!!
Many businesses are already offering Mayors awesome freebies for their loyalty like free coffee, meals, tickets, and even hotel stays! As the Mayors create social influence, more people will start showing up and the owners will see increased revenue!
I can also see foursquare becoming quite powerful in the art community too. Special announcements about gallery events, fund raisers, and VIP "Artist Experience" ticket promotions could build more buzz and stronger communities.
Foursquare is currently set up in 32 US cities, as well as Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Amsterdam and London. Phone apps currently available for the iPhone and Android models, with a Blackberry version in the works. As you can see, there is plenty of room for growth as a global platform, and another slam dunk idea for bringing the world closer together and making great things happen!
The fact that Twitter inventor Jack Dorsey is one of the investors in foursquare doesn't hurt either!
foursquare has just been launched in my hometown market of Indianapolis, IN, so I am extra excited to see how this grows on my local level.
Let's get out there and GET SOCIAL!
LOVE IT!
Harrison Painter
Social Media & Business Development Consultant
Indianapolis
317.871.1000
http://CoffeewithHarrison.com

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