How Consumers and Businesses use FourSquare

FourSquare is popping up across major cities. Load it on your mobile, go to your favourite hang out, “check in” and start collecting virtual points. Its cool, it’s fun, and it’s a huge opportunity to for businesses to lure and attract customers.

Consumer Usage:

• Gives a quick list of businesses around you – coffee shops, printing shops, pubs, malls etc.


• Announces to your friends where you are – maybe they are around too!


• Network with people you don’t know – if you are in a new city or at a conference announce where you are and see if anyone else is around to be-friend


• Appeases those that are competitive – by giving virtual awards or “badges” (like Mayorships) foursquare hits a cord with the competitive type and encourages us to get out and “checkin”. When I become the Mayor of my local Starbucks I got a kick out of it!
  

Business Usage

Coupons
Businesses in the States are offering coupons and deals when FourSquare users check in., just show the server your mobile device screen that displays the deal.

Secret Coupons
Consumers are being lured in the US by businesses offering secret coupons via foursquare. When a user is about to check in, there will be a drop down that says “Special Nearby”, encouraging them to head to a certain business, check in and unlock the secret code.

Raffles
Businesses can offer raffles to consumers who check into their venue – and we all like free stuff don’t we?

To Do Lists
Businesses are creating to do list for users that visit their venue, these lists can engage your customer even further.

Specials
As customers check into your venue – encourage them with Coupons.

In the future?
Maybe we will see “Groupons” for groups of people that check in together!

Have fun FourSquaring – is that a word?

SBK (Shannon) http://www.mondaymarketingtools.com/
Photo by Scott Prince

www.inthepitchblack.com

Additional Notes:
FourSquare is encouraging businesses to tap into this app. http://foursquare.com/businesses/

According to TwitterCounter (www.twittercounter.com) @foursquare has 19,363 followers.

Stuart Crawford’s Blog on FourSquare http://stuart.calgarybloggers.ca/