2. FOURSQUARE OVERVIEW:
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS – FOR INDIVIDUALS
1.Check in
2.Connect with
Friends
3.Go after badges
4.Rack up points
3. FOURSQUARE – WHAT IS IT?
Foursquare is a geo-based social networking website and software for mobile
devices.
Users “check in” at venues using the Foursquare website, a text message or
device app. Check ins add up in the form of:
•Points – Leaderboard standings
•Badges – awarded based on:
• Brand
• Event
• Frequency
• Geography
• Shouts or messages
• Volume
• Special purposes
•Mayorships – most frequent check-ins at a venue in a specific time period
4. FOURSQUARE FOR BUSINESS
Businesses can use Foursquare to engage with “mobile”
customers by offering Foursquare “specials” – discounts and
prizes (or badges) -- for checking in at their venues. Specifically,
Mayors frequently receive special discounts. Those venues that
offer specials for ANY check in can also use Foursquare venue
analytics to track how they’re performing over time (for FREE).
So, to begin:
•Create Mayor Specials
•Create Check-in Specials, also Frequency and Wild-card Specials
•Promote your specials (via the Foursquare Window
Cling) and on Facebook, Twitter, smartphone Apps,
etc. (*SWARM* = Foursquare Flashmob)
•Foursquare Venue Plug-in on Wordpress!
Local - You’ve
been at the same
place 3x in one
week!
6. ADVANCED BUSINESS MARKETING W/FOURSQUARE
1. Ask Users to Check in and Post Reviews about Your Venue –offer badges
or specials for reviews and tips to fellow users
2. Use Leaderboard Points to Support a Local Charity – assign a dollar value
(for example, $.03/point accrued at that venue) and then define a time
frame during which all point values will accrue toward a donation to a
venue-designated charitable organization (or maybe Mayor’s choice)
3. Use the “Mayor” Status as a Perk – Venues frequently offer special
discounts or “perks” for those who achieve the much-coveted status of
“Mayor”
4. Use the “To Do” List – to encourage users to check in and “post” or
“purchase” or “shout” (can be tied to a badge)
5. Encourage “Superusers” – able to edit company content on their business
site. Some businesses worry about this. Others embrace the opportunity
to get user feedback and opinion.
7. EXAMPLES OF CURRENT BUSINESS SPECIALS:
Tat's Delicatessen (Seattle, WA)
Free Sandwich for the Mayor on the 16th of every month! This offer is good
only on the specific date of the 16th, unless it falls on a closed Sunday, in
which case we'll honor it on Monday the 17th.
RadioShack (SEATTLE, WA)
Hi from RadioShack! Show this screen to an associate for 10% off your
qualifying purchase. Mayors get 15% & Holiday Heroes get 20% off! Valid
thru 12/31/10
Downtown YMCA (Seattle, WA)
Show us you've become the new mayor and you'll receive a FREE month of
membership! Exclusions apply. Ask associate for info.
Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC (Seattle, WA)
Free Ryan Swanson pen from Receptionist with every check-in!
8. WHAT’S IT TO YOU?
• It’s FUN!
• Venue descriptions are good – and frequently supplied
by your pals
• It’s cool to get stuff
• It’s good to be Mayor
• Badges are neat-o!
This is a game that takes the best of social media and
makes it meaningful. On Facebook you can tell your
friends what you did or will do. But on Foursquare your
friends will know that you’re at the Pub, and your shout
tells them to “come on down!”
Also, it allows you to track your own movements (hmmm…
what was the name of that great restaurant we hit last
weekend? If you “checked in,” it’s in your venue list!)
Of course, it allows others to do the same…
9. WHAT IF YOU JUST WANT TO “WIN,” BABY?
SECRETS TO BIG POINTS
Some users want to lead the Leaderboard for their City.
In order to do that, they need A LOT of points. Here’s how
they rack ‘em up:
•Check in. First check in of the day is worth 1 point and
each subsequent check in increments up by a point, so,
2nd
check in is worth 2, 3rd
is worth 3, 10th
is worth 10.
Obviously, if you make 30 check ins in a day, you’ll get
lots of points.
•Add to the Foursquare database – you’ll receive 5 points
for adding a venue.
•Sunday Night Special: The Leaderboard resets each
Sunday at Midnight. BUT each check in AFTER MIDNIGHT
on Sunday counts as points from Sunday’s number –
however, it also counts as points on the leaderboard for
Monday and the new week. So if you check in 20 places
during the day on Sunday, and after midnight, you hit a
few bars and check in 5 more times. That’s 110 points
that carries over to next week’s leaderboard.
10. FOURSQUARE HOLIDAY PROMOTIONS
• Holiday check-ins – stores giving away gift cards, etc. for Foursquare
check-ins on Black Friday
• Gap
• Toys R Us
• Apple
• Sephora
• Sports Authority
• Virgin America provides extra Elevate (Loyalty program) points to
users who check-in at gates or baggage claims through the holidays
• Radio Shack created the Holiday Hero badge. Follow Radio Shack,
check in at two hot spots and get 20% off your holiday shopping by
showing the badge
• Lots to come…
