This presentation explores the Chinese location based platforms being used such as foursquare and Jiepang. It provides an overview of the services and how they aid marketers trying to promote products, services and companies using social media.

1. Location Based Social Network
Services in China
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2. Chinese Social Media Fast Facts
Up to June, 2010, the number of net citizens
in China has reached 420 million
The number of mobile net citizens in China
has reached 277 million
The weekly online time of net citizens is
19.8 hours
The number of net citizens who use social
networking websites has reached 210 million.
There have been 34.55 million newly-added
users in the first half of 2010.
26th Statistical Report on Internet Development in China (July, 2010)
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3. Marketers Location Based Social Networking
Services (LBSNS) helps the users to establish
wider and closer relationship with the outside
world and intensifies the relevance between
social networking and geographical location.
leverage Location Based SNS
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4. Examples of Location Based Social Network Services
Western Examples Chinese Examples
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5. Mostly, they work in a similar
way:
• Users check-in when they get to
How do these a location and earn badges,
points, recognition and rewards if
LBSNS generally offered at that location
work? • Tag friends you’re with so they
can be part of your update
• Discover others who else also
checked into this location in the
past and who may be currently
there
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6. What are the common elements?
Common Elements
Address/Venue
Check in & Points
Promotion
Friends
Tips & Comments
Additional Elements
Venue Photo
Create your own badge feature
Sort tips/comments by City
Venue Ranking
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7. A look at the Chinese LBSNS
http://wwere.l99.com/ http://www.bedo.cn/
http://jiepang.com/ http://www.mogutuan.com/ http://www.duolequ.cn/
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8. Marketers should leverage Location Based SNS
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9. 10 Ways for
Marketers to use
Location Based
SNS
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10. Tip #1
Venues get created by individual
members and can be missing
Claim your information, or be inaccurate. Claiming
a venue allows brands to update
venues venue information, give the company
access to extra data and provide
special offers.
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11. Tip #2
Brands can benefit by rewarding first
time check-ins to encourage new
customers to visit locations. While Offer First
most brands are focused on rewarding
repeat customers, there is an Check-In
opportunity to reward first time
customers.
Promotions
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12. Tip #3
Many Foursquare/Jiepang users are
also using Twitter/Sina. When you
click on their profile, drill into their
Follow your micro-blogging accounts and be sure
Visitors to “follow” them. If they reciprocate,
you have another way to get your
news and information in front of them.
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13. While some of your social media savvy Tip #4
customers will check-in and adopt
LBSNS platforms, a majority don’t
even know it exists. Therefore, it’s Market your
important to promote foursquare/
Jiepang deals and specials to your
Participation
customer base to increase
participation.
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14. Tip #5 Although the percentage of visitors
using Location Based SNS is relatively
small, having user’s check-in, and
Promote Check- share that check-in virally is a powerful
Ins marketing tool. Encourage each
check-in to be broadcast to that users
on Sina, Douban, renren (and Twitter
and Facebook account if they have a
VPN).
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15. Tip #6
One of the easiest ways to get started
in LBSNS is to utilize the Tips. For
example, a user who checks into a
coffee shop can get a Tip saying “Be
Utilise Tips
sure to check out the newest green tea
frapochino”. This helps to influence
and drive traffic to point of sale
conversions.
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16. Tip #7
Use LBSNS to identify your most loyal
customers and encourage them to
Identify your spread the word. Offer specials
targeted at Landlords, Mayors or
Influencers individuals who have a high number
check-ins over a specified period of
time.
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17. Tip #8
Develop a loyalty system for repeat
customers. For example, every 10th
check in gets a free small coffee or 5% Reward Loyalty
discount on a purchase. Starbucks
recently offered a dollar off to “mayors”
of the various Starbucks venues.
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18. Tip #9
Because of the viral nature of social
media it’s important that your audience
can access your company’s
Mirror your information through several channels.
Venue(s) on Many multi-location venues typically
have one Facebook or renren Fan
SNS Page. Think about a main corporate
page and multiple local pages. Publish
relevant info to one or both.
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19. Offer specials to mayors/landlords or
everyday visitors and even specify
Tip #10
how many check-ins are required to
achieve a special. In order to do this
you need to “claim your venue” (see Offer a Special
point 1.)
In foursquare, a new special will
include a “Special Icon” next to the
venue when it is listed in search
results.
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20. 6 Ideas for Location Based SNS Specials
1. Reserved parking spot for the Mayor
2. Escalating rewards for checking in and bringing
more friends along
3. The Mayor gets a free pass to the front of the
line.
4. Free bottle of wine during the week of your
birthday — worth your age in dollars
5. Free round of shots for the Mayor — and five
friends
6. Free hotel room upgrade for the Mayor
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21. Final Thoughts
In China, the percentage of those using LBSNS is very
small but like the micro-blogging platforms of recent
years, we can also expect to see an explosion in LBSNS
usage. Retail, media and entertainment outlets really seem
to be the first adapters of location based SNS.
Many marketers will ask, why does this matter? It matters
because of engagement and being where your customers
are, when they are. With the explosion of smart phones
and 3G networks, consumers will be using their mobile
devices like never before. Staying connected in the
mobile social space is a huge part of that and brands that
can figure out how to be involved by adding value, but not
being in the way, will be the big winners.
Moving forward, the savvy marketers are going to add
location-based services like Foursquare & Jiepang to their
social arsenal that already includes the basics such as
Facebook, Twitter, Youku, Sina and corporate blogs.
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22. Thank you
Dr Mathew McDougall | @sinotechian
sinotechgroup.com.cn | @sinotechgroup
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