Geolocation based social networking is just now beginning to mature past the “Fad” stage and becoming a serious marketing tool for businesses. If you have a business that relies on local customers, you need to at least be exploring what some of these geo sites could be offering from a marketing perspective.
Many local businesses like bars, restaurants, etc. are currently utilizing the power of geosocial networking to drive traffic and revenues for their locations, however many commercial brands and chain retailers/restaurants have yet to realize the potential.
Mobile applications like foursquare and gowalla provide so much more than “I’m at Starbucks.” The addictive gaming element providing users with badges or crowning someone the ‘Mayor’ of a specific location is what appeals to users, especially those key spenders in retail demographics. It becomes a simple numbers game, the more people you have coming into your shop, the more opportunity you have for sales.
Compared with expensive billboard, print, and television advertisements, making your business geo-social friendly could be another low-cost method to drive revenues.
Want to get started? Check out these great resources:
How to make your small business geo-location ready
Checking in with hyper-local marketing
5 Ways to leverage Foursquare for business
