If you’ve ever used Foursquare or “checked in” at your favorite restaurant via Facebook or Yelp, then you’re already familiar with location-based marketing strategies. This year, more businesses are using tactics such as offering discounts or free beverages to entice customers to check in – and bargain-savvy shoppers are looking for deals more than ever.
In a recent PCWorld article, Brad Chacos provides several ideas for using targeted marketing techniques to drive more traffic to your business. Check out some of these strategies:
- Offer bigger discounts when a large group of people checks in together. For example, you could take 15 percent off the restaurant tab when a group of five or more check in on a social network, or 1 percent off the bill for every person in a group of ten or more. You could also give everyone in the group a free nonalcoholic drink.
- Offer specials for nearby wanderers. Some location-based social networks, such as Foursquare, let you create specials that appear only when someone checks in at a location nearby. You’ll need to give something away—typically a discount or a buy-one/get-one-free deal—to entice foot traffic, but the offer could spark sales that you might have otherwise missed.
- Not every reward needs to revolve around money. Rather than offering a discount, you could reserve choice parking spaces or prime tables for users who check in. Other possibilities include letting them skip lines, sample new products, or order from a special “check-in only” menu.
Have you tried any location-based marketing techniques? Let us know your tips or problems below.
