What once was considered a fad for early technology adopters is now rapidly coming into mainstream social and mobile media. What is this massive opportunity getting so much attention these days? It is called location-based services (LBS) and now is the time to get involved in this game before your competitors do. Currently the majority of experts view foursquare as the industry leader. Now is the time to give foursquare some attention and learn how it can help your specific business needs.  Here are some tips to consider for your business:

 

If you have a business that uses a physical location to sell products and services to your customers (ideally, B2C), you should consider the following:

• Claim your venue immediately!
• Once you claim your venue, make sure that all of your venue information is correct and complete (ie address, pin on the map, Twitter handle, website link, phone number)
• Create a special or two in order to gain exposure and buzz for your business.
• Visit your venue page’s statistics in order to better understand who your foursquare customers are (ie who visits the most often, what time the day customers check-in)
• Check to see which of you recent visitors have a Twitter profile (tweet those who visit)
• Engage and respond to followers
• Follow-up to make sure your current foursquare (specials) campaign is working and meeting your overall marketing goals – adjust as appropriate!

If you have a company that does not have a true brick-and-mortar presence, you can still use foursquare to reach, engage, an influence your target market, you should consider the following:

• Create a foursquare brand page
• Fill out all of your brand information (ie name, add a suitable picture)
• Connect your social media profiles (Twitter and Facebook)
• Add tips to venue pages where your products are sold or services rendered
• Create foursquare lists to group your tips together and tell a story
• Check-in if you have an event that your brand is promoting / attending
• Share your lists and foursquare activity with your followers on Facebook and Twitter

By playing around with these evolving LBS tools, you will have a competitive advantage over those who sit back and remain inactive in this sector. Mobile is gaining a great amount of steam these days, and now is the time to jump aboard.

This post contributed by foursquare expert user Dwayne Kilbourne. Dwayne can be found at http://dwaynekilbourne.com.

More foursquare resources:

AboutFoursquare.com http://aboutfoursquare.com/

#4sqCHAT http://twitter.com/4sqCHAT