How powerful is Foursquare? Let's see...
- Five months ago, I bought a smartphone for the express purpose of using it for Foursquare. What does that say about Foursquare, and what does that say about location-based apps and their ability to influence consumer's buying decisions? I paid X amount of dollars to play a free game. I know I am not the only one.
- About two months ago, I drove my son to daycare and checked in on Foursquare as I usually did. I got an alert that a car wash place was giving away free washes to Foursquare users who came by and checked in. I had no idea where this place was or whether it was in a good part of town, yet sure enough I made my way there and got my free car wash. Let's just say that the manager was beside himself that day (I could see the thought in his head - Gee, this stuff actually works!)
- I have purposely gone out of my way to check into different Starbucks locations so I could get the Barista badge. I don't think there are enough Starbucks locations in Tucson to even get it. I still haven't. And yes, that irritates me.
- I stopped playing Foursquare for several weeks and lost five mayorships, and it really ticked me off. I have decided to not let that happen again.
Some of you are saying, "but you're just one person." That's true, but my intuition tells me that just maybe, out of the 2 million other Foursquare users around the world who: are early adopters (well, me not so much with the late smartphone adoption thing...), bloggers, loud mouths, a little risky (privacy, much??)... there are probably more than a handful of other people like me out there.
(If you have absolutely no idea what Foursquare is, visit their website.)
Foursquare vs. Competitors
There are other, more sophisticated location-based games and applications out there. Some are even more fun (my 54 year old mom swears by GeoCache). But here's the thing: no one really talks about them. They have cult followings, much like Foursquare did before it completely blew up (in a good way). But they lack the local business marketing appeal that makes Foursquare such an impressive, simple yet profoundly effective application. And that's important. In fact, it's crucial, and it's the massive difference between Foursquare and it's ability to change the landscape of local business and all of the others; even moreso than Yelp, the highly-regarded local business review site (which also has a cult following).
Why Foursquare Is the Local Business's Best Friend
Why #1 - It's Free
This is where Foursquare becomes a local business's best friend. Right now, it's still free to get your business on Foursquare (or claim it, if someone has already added it).
Why #2 - Real Time Reviews
Which is better? A Yelp reviewer who visited your restaurant three months ago and hated the service is just now publishing the scathing review, or, three Foursquare users who visit your restaurant today and - while still there - send Shout Outs that say, "Never visit this place, the service sucks."
Granted, neither of those are what you would want to hear as a business owner, but the second is extraordinarily more helpful than the first. Monitoring reviews that are published in real time can help pinpoint an issue and lead to a better resolution.
Is Foursquare Right for Every Business?
Definitely not right now. Foursquare users (worldwide) are young and mostly male, and they are almost exclusively smartphone users since you can't play the game well without one. If you're looking to market to early adopters who fit that demo, however, it's a golden opportunity. See the slideshow below for Foursquare demographics. Demographics are going to vary based on location, as well.
How to Use Foursquare for Business
Click through the presentation below if you are just learning about Foursquare and want to know how to use it. If you know about Foursquare, you can skip to slide 30 and go from there, as that's where the Strategic Approach to Foursquare begins.
Will Foursquare Die?
My first thought is: of course. Unless they come up with something beyond badges, mayors, and swarms, the game won't be appealing anymore. That's not to say that it won't run its course over the next few years. It certainly does not appear to be going anywhere but up in the meantime. It's stupidly entertaining to those of us who play, and incredibly useful for local businesses.
Good Foursquare Read - Foursquare: Why It May be the Next Twitter (I don't agree with the title. The post is good, though).
What do you think of Foursquare?
What do you think of its potential? Is this marketing at its best??
Image courtesy Foursquare.
Local business owners: feel free to contact me to discuss whether or not you could benefit from including Foursquare in your social media marketing strategy.
How Powerful is Foursquare for Local Businesses? is a post from: WebbedInkInc.com