This issue of our Expert Corner is brought to you courtesy of Pete Kane, co-founder of iMediaMarketingZ, which helps small businesses maximize their online presence using video.
In just over a year, Foursquare has already grown to more than one million users. It now dominates the location-based social networks using a unique competitive point system for participants and is one of the best tools available for restaurants and other local businesses to engage with customers and grow their businesses. It’s enticing for customers because they accumulate badges and earn points as part of a competitive point system based on the number of locations they visit and check-in.
Many local restaurants and businesses have effectively and successfully used Foursquare. For example, a Milwaukee-based restaurant named AJ Bombers enticed more than 200 Foursquare users to earn a “Swarm Badge” for coming to a party at their establishment. Restaurant sales were up 110%, according to Owner Joe Sorge, marking their best business day ever.
Grow Your Restaurant Sales Using Foursquare with These Seven Tips
- Let people know about Foursquare using decals and promoting the mayor. Go to Foursquare.com/add_venue to sign up and get access to decals and other resources.
- Build a relationship with your mayor and people who check-in to your restaurant. Consider giving the mayor something special. Whole Foods gives each mayor free coffee and lunch on Fridays. Remember, you only have one mayor and people compete for that position. I knocked off my friend, Dr. Tim Langley, from mayor of Panera Bread, Marietta, GA. He is now determined to get the mayorship back by going to the restaurant more often.
- Manage the back end of your Foursquare account after you’ve registered your restaurant. This practice provides you with all the unique people who have checked in, and displays your current mayor.
- Start testing offers to encourage Foursquare users to check-in. You might select your slower days and offer a special for coming in. Wild Wing Café http://foursquare.com/venue/11124 Marietta, Ga. offers a free beer with 10 check-ins.
- Make sure you tie Foursquare into your website and other social media accounts. Make it easy for customers to sign up for your social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter by posting it on printed materials.
- `Word of Mouth on Steroids’ - Because you can tell how many unique users check-in, you can reach out and connect with them. Remember: the game has changed with word of mouth. For example, on my current social network I have considerable reach with more than 1,200 friends on Facebook, 1,600 followers on Twitter, 133 friends on Foursquare and 500+ connections on Linkedin. If you build a relationship with me, I can mention you to my social network and potentially drive more traffic to your restaurant.
- Get ready for some Foursquare advanced strategies. Founder Dennis Crowley said they are only using 10% of Foursquare’s potential. Possible for the future are things like check-in with three friends and receive a new badge or check-in with four new friends and the first drinks are on the restaurant. But the check-ins and badges are the means to an end, not the end itself. Explains Crowley: “We have a very specific roadmap about changing the way people interact with physical space. It is not just about the check-in. It is what happens after that.”
Foursquare offers a way for you to build sales by jumping in and using the tool. So have fun, interact and connect with your customers.
Pete Kane, co-founder iMediaMarketingZ- helping small businesses maximize their online presence using video. To get free video tips on marketing your business go to our blog at iMediaMarketingZ.com. Or email me at pete@imediamarketingz.com.
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