Today’s “Place” For Your Business – Get Your Business Found With Location-Based Services
Imagine being a restaurant owner who knows that Tuesday is a slow day . How can you reach people in your area that very day and remind them of your delicious Tuesday special? Location-Based Services can put your specials right in the palm of their hand (smartphone) anytime you want!
Would you like to offer a loyalty program to customers without having to print punch-cards? Location-Based Services business program keeps track of all the stats for you and even sends you messages to tell you who your most loyal customers are. All for FREE.
What exactly are Location-Based Services?
Location-based services allow users to connect with others based on their current locations and allow business owners to make special offers to attract new customers and reward their loyal ones. In most cases, people use their smartphones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry) to“check in” to businesses like restaurants, bars and stores they visit. These locations are then shared with online connections/friends.
In this article we are going to talk about the 2 most popular and FREE ones: Foursquare and Facebook Places
Foursquare:
Foursquare offers a free set of tools to help you attract new customers and keep your best ones coming back. No matter how big or small your business is, you can attract new customers or reward your most loyal ones by offering foursquare Specials – mobile coupons, prizes or discounts – which are presented to users when they check in at or near your venue.
Foursquare Specials can be tailored to fit your needs, whether it’s a unique discount for first-time customers or rewards for the 10th visit. In addition to driving business through Specials, signing up for foursquare as a business owner also allows you access to a “Venue Stats dashboard”, allowing you to track your customer foot traffic over time.
Here are some of the promotions you can offer:
So how does it work?
To help their users find Specials, Foursquare shows them specials near their present location. For instance, if a user is in your store, they’ll see your special offer presented within their foursquare app on their phones. But they don’t have to be visiting your place; if that user is nearby, they’ll also see your offer, and they’ll know that they can stop by to redeem it.
As an additional way of promoting your specials, Foursquare can also provide you with free official foursquare window stickers for the front window or door of your store.
Specials Redemption
How does your staff know if a customer is eligible for a Special? Foursquare users ‘unlock’ Specials when they meet the Special’s specific conditions. The Special also changes color when it’s unlocked, making it easy for your employees to determine if a customer has qualified or not. On the screen, Foursquare also puts the date and time the Special was unlocked. Finally, unlocked Specials are only available as long as the Special criteria is met, so you don’t have to worry about inappropriate usage.
The best way for you to track redemptions is to have your employees enter a code that is unique to your foursquare campaign. Simply include this code in the text of your Special so that when a customer presents their phone to your employees for redemption, your staff can easily process it.
What we like about this program is that it has a game feel to it. That makes it very appealing as your customer earn rewards or “badges” depending on how often and in how many places they check in.
Facebook Places:
FB Places is a mobile application that allows users to see where their friends are and share their physical location.
Facebook Places for Business:
As a business owner, you’ll want your customers checking in your business and sharing that with their friends on FB, producing “word of mouth” advertising.
There are 4 types of deals you can offer through FB Places (not to be confused with Facebook Deals, which is only available in a few cities across the US):
- Individual deals for a discount, free merchandise or other reward
- Friend deals where a user and their friends claim an offer together
- Loyalty deals for being a frequent visitor to a place
- Charity deals where businesses pledge to donate to a cause when a user checks in
Here’s a video overview of the program:
As a Place owner, you’ll also be able to advertise it just as you advertise your Facebook Page.
In order to set this up, all you have to do to get started is claim your Business in FB Places (or add it if it doesn’t show up after searching it) and after verifying you’re the owner, you’ll be ready to go!
So what do you think about these free services? Are they appealing enough to use in your business advertisement?
Note: What if you don’t have a brick and mortar business, but still want to use other online services to promote your business? Stay tuned (subscribe to our RSS) for a future post on how to use Google Places to promote your business.
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Hi Tim and Sole,
I don’t have a brick and mortar business so I look forward to your next post. I love the clarity you bring to the subject. I know many business are struggling with transitioning to social media. Your post is really helpful.
Debbie@Left Brain Right Brain would like you to read…Does Making Art Have Healing Power?
Thanks for stopping by, Debbie!
Aloha Tim and Sole,
I don’t have a brick and mortar business either, but this is very interesting information. Look forward to learning more about your business in future articles.
Marquita Herald would like you to read…Alone in a Crowd
Thanks Marquita!
Hi Tim and Sole,
This is an excellent idea for local business owners. These days if you want to reach your potential customers, you got to connect with them through their mobile phones and social network. I believe the older generation business owners are still ignorant about the power of social networks.
I am hesitant about the Facebook Places though. It may be great for business owners but I think it is personally not very safe to publicly tell everyone where you are. Bad guys may use that information to their advantage. Anyway, just adding my thoughts here.
Looking forward to more good stuff from you.
Lian would like you to read…Little Known Ways To Get Your Preschooler Reading
Hi Lian!
We do agree with you about Facebook Places. There’s a way though, under your privacy settings to select whom you want to share your “Check In” information with. So you can set it to remain completely private. That would be a way to protect that type of personal information.
Of course, if everybody had the setting for sharing the places they check in turned off, then it wouldn’t work as well for the word-of-mouth advertising.
Foursquare seems to be a more secure network that way.
Thanks for your comment, Lian!
Tim & Sole would like you to read…How To Turn Your Customer Database Into a Living, Responsive Buyer List
I had no idea Foursquare could be used for that, I always hear of people using it to “check in” where there friends are sort of a stalking app if you will.
I think any brick and mortar biz should take full advantage of the internet and what technology can do for their business. And if they aren’t tech savy they should do what they can do get up to date, because odds are they don’t know their true potential with various tools to leverage their time and maybe their money.
Hi CJ!
We believe it’s a shame that many business owners haven’t taken advantage of all the free online tools available to promote their business.
Of course it takes time to learn to use those tools, and “maintain” them as well. But biz owners would do well just to hire somebody out (like us:)) to have their “profiles” set up and maintained at least for a trial period.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Tim and Sole
Thanks for this good onfo.
The world is so small and make is so easy
to share info with Social media and modern Tech
This is so amazing.
regards
Theuns
Theuns would like you to read…By: Theuns
Hi Theuns!
Thanks for stopping by. Glad to see you enjoyed our post!
Tim & Sole would like you to read…Is Your Business Code A Secret?
If you own a brick and mortar business, location based services are beyond critical. Make sure that you have a presence. If you are digital entrepreneur, tell the world all the cool places you are checking out and visiting. It will help give a human side to yourself and branding your business.
Such and awesome posting! Seriously…
With more and more traditional business hurting out there in the market place, small little things like this can really make all the difference!
I know, that if more business focused on marketing to their existing customers more, things will prove to be just as powerful as Foursquare.
HUGE fortune to those who bring “REAL MARKETING” to the table for traditional business. Things like this spell HUGE opportunity!
Dereck would like you to read…iWowWe Review – Robust Email Marketing & Affordable Web Conferencing
This is an excellent overview of ‘places’ for facebook and foursquare. I was a little confused about what they were until just now!
So many brick and mortar businesses are struggling at the moment and I think that bringing these things to their attention will benefit them greatly!
I look forward to your next post!
All the best,
Emma
Emma would like you to read…So much to do, such little time!
Awesome post Tim and Sole, however I also do not have a brick and mortar business. Never the less it is good info and you never know when I might. Thanks for your post and keep on truckin.
Ross Joyner would like you to read…Link Juice and authority sites
Hi Tim and Sole,
I do have a brick and mortar business too! As an acupuncturist, I am always looking for new patients and ways to promote my preactice. These are some really good ideas that I am going to implement into my practice. I am in business with a massage therapist and am going to send her to you post so she can use some local marketing techniques too!
Joyce
Joyce Edwards would like you to read…Mother always said I was a late bloomer!
Happy to be of help, Joyce! Thanks for your comment.
Tim & Sole would like you to read…Today’s “Place” For Your Business – Get Your Business Found With Location-Based Services
Hi Tim and Sole! I really love the possibilities for mobile apps such as Foursquare and Facebook Places – Gowalla and Social Smack are also interesting additions to this rapidly growing segment of social media usage. Thanks for a great description of Foursquare and Facebook Places!!
Lori
Lori Tisot would like you to read…Backing Up Facebook Profiles and Fan Pages – A Few Solutions
I love reading all the local business ideas you have plastered throughout your blog Tim & Sole! Thanks for always bringing value to the table. I don’t come across many sites teaching about how to promote a local business.
Even though I do not have a local business, I really appreciate learning about Foursquare. I have some friends running local business and I plan on sharing this idea with them. The FB Places is also a great app idea for local businesses as well.
Thanks again Tim & Sole!
-Jaclyn Castro
Jaclyn Castro would like you to read…A New Understanding of Sponsoring & How to Make It Work for You
I have been teaching local business to do business on the internet, and this was so very helpful for me. I have been focusing on social and network marketing for them, and they have been growing. But now this gem that you gave me with help further enhance my brick-and-mortar clients. I’m getting right on it today!
Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. You have added another idea for my clients.
Blessings,
Donna
Wow, what a great post. I had ‘heard’ of Four Square and FaceBook Places but never really taken much notice of them and certainly hadn’t stopped to consider how powerful these apps could be for business owners. I love the practical ideas you give here for local businesses looking to promote themselves on and offline. I will definitely be sharing this, thanks
Mandy Swift would like you to read…What Colour Is Your Business?
Tim ‘n Sole – great article here. I had heard about foursquare and used facebook places once or twice but never thought about it from a business perspective. Now you really got me thinking! What a great marketing idea, and what a great way to integrate social media with mobile phones and bring users to an offline location! Thanks for sharing, great stuff!
Hans Schoff@Creating Wealth would like you to read…Creating Wealth – The Type Of Income You’re Making May Be Costing You The Most
Great information here! I have been on Foursquare for about a year and a half and Facebook Places since they started. They both have come a long way in services for consumers and businesses.
Andy Nathan would like you to read…The Importance Of OptIn Email Lists
Tim and Sole,
Wow, I had no idea these were offered or even available. I have a service I sell, an interior design business, but work from home, I guess this would work in a different way? Maybe for product purchased during a decorating consultation? If not, that wont be so far away anymore now that these services are available. Thanks for sharing this, I really learned something!
Great post! I enjoyed learning about Four Square and Facebook Places. I did not know that these places existed! I enjoyed your post and all of the information you shared.It is always good to find some more free things that work to help with our success. I will be checking these out.
Barbara
Barbara Harnsberger would like you to read…Network Marketing Success
Hi Tim and Sole,
Very informative… thank you!
Location based services are going to be play a huge role in B&M businesses and you provide a great overview.
I’m looking forward to and am very curious to see your next post on using this for online business…
Talk soon,
Kevin
Kevin Schmidt would like you to read…Could Honesty and Integrity be the Secret Key to Your Dream Business
Tim and Sole,
I don’t have those apps on my Phone, but I am sure this is very valuable information for many users out there, so I will share your article so others can see these useful tools.
Have a wonderful day!
Lynn Jones
Lynn Jones would like you to read…What’s the Real Secret to Success?
Thank you Lynn!
Tim & Sole would like you to read…Today’s “Place” For Your Business – Get Your Business Found With Location-Based Services
I have read many articles on why it is SO important to “go local”, but I have to tell you guys that this is one of the best explanations that I have seen yet on this topic. Very thorough!
Thanks your your comment, Adrian!
Tim & Sole would like you to read…Is Your Business Code A Secret?
Hi Tim and Sole,
the advances in technology is amazing…these are exciting times.
Wish Four Square and FaceBook Places were around when I had an offline business…would have helped with getting the word out.
i had not heard of these until this post … so thank you for enlightning me.
Great post.
Cheers
Bryan
Bryan McHeyzer would like you to read…Tribes-Groups-do-they-improve-your -bottom-line?
Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words, Bryan!
Tim & Sole would like you to read…Is Your Business Code A Secret?
Hi Tim & Sole,
These apps are indeed very helpful not only to users but also to local businesses. It can really make things easier for both parties.
Interesting. I didn’t know all this was available. But I don’t have a brick and mortar business, so I’m looking forward to your next post!
Pastor Sherry would like you to read…Reframing Painful Memories/Situations, Part 6-B
Hey Tim & Sole
Even though Facebook ended their deals program, they are still going strong with their version of Places.
The great thing about these programs is that they allow business owners to easily engage with their customers.
Peter
Peter Fuller MBA would like you to read…How To Hit Your Business Sweet Spot
Great descriptions of these two options. I have a couple of local customers who just don’t understand the importance of all of the “social media stuff”. As a result they don’t put much thought into how their business can benefit from it.
Going to send them to this post so that they can get it from someone other than me.
Foursquare really looks so useful.. Thanks for the info!
Sally Thompson would like you to read…walmart oil change
This is a brilliant idea to attract more customers. Nowadays, you have to interact with your potential customers and with our technology advancing, social media sites and local business listing are great way to attain that. This doesn’t only attract your customers but i guess this would also increase your site traffic. More power!
Hi Tim and Sole,i really enjoy reading your article about Foursquare and Facebook places.Sharing good information how to improve local businesses is a great idea.And its nice to know that your using social media to spread your knowledge. Thank you.
gold would like you to read…Thinking of bringing an Asian Arowana home?
Excellent article!! Facebook places are an excellent choice for expanding your business and attracting more customers!! Social media sites like Facebook offers small or large businesses an opportunity to attract new customers from the range of 25-45 year old millions of users who actively participate on these sites!!
It is just so interesting that we can know so much about our customers and they can know so much about us with such a simple idea. I know the technology is not so simple inside the mobile device, but as far as users go, it is a very simple thing to take advantage of.
And for the business, it is going to be even more of a goldmine for customers because more and more people are going to be using their mobile devices more and more. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Bea would like you to read…Shifting With The Flow
Hi Tim and Sole! thank you for the information on foursquare.it enabled me to get to know more people
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