Page 19 - AeM_May_2014
P. 19
BEST PRACTICES & STRATEGIES
Making best use of
location-based services
(LBS)
Location-based services (LBS) of- The "Check-In" is the most im- update it too often. It should not
fer users the ability to share infor- portant function of Foursquare. sound too commercial. Much
mation or special offers in their im- Every check-in to a location in- more important is that promo-
mediate environment. In order to be creases the status of the user and tions, offers and badges can be
able to do this, the location of the the attractiveness of the incentives created. The brand page also
user is detected via the smartphone and offers. Depending on the num- provides access to the statistics
using GPS and based on the loca- ber of user check-ins, companies of Foursquare.
tion data, the user then receives can award "Badges" which provid- Do not use the automatic link-
information on offers in his immedi- ed special privileges at their discre- ing of Foursquare in conjunc-
ate environment. In addition, tion. A standard badge of Four- tion with your Facebook or
friends can see where their friends square is the "Mayor" which is au- Twitter account. Information
currently are currently at. tomatically assigned to the user that you are presenting on
with the most check-ins who then Foursquare is enough - rather
Thus, the benefits of LBS services generally gets rewarded by compa- than having constantly double
for businesses are obvious: you nies that use Foursquare in particu- or triple the content on different
can lure potential clients in your lar. networks, which is annoying.
area directly and virtually for free A particularly important point is
with targeted offers and also retain Tips: that you inform your employees
regular customers through special of your marketing campaigns
offers. Always appear as a person on on Foursquare, such as a dis-
Foursquare, even if you are a counst, because first of all they
As the name suggests, LBS ser- company, and add only users need to be aware who they are
vices are suitable for all companies to your circle of friends who you facing when it comes to the
that offer a physical point of sale, really know. Also make sure to point of sale. If a user has diffi-
which means sell at least at one use your user account like a culty in actually redeeming a
location offline. Therefore, pure "normal" human being, mean- coupon or discount code on the
online retailers do not benefit from ing do not check-in only into spot, he will most likely not
LBS services. your own business. And please come back.
ask your colleagues or employ- By the way, check out from
Overall, the current use of LBS is ees not to check-in with their time and time what is written on
based on three different motiva- own private users account at Foursquare about your busi-
tions: service, entertainment and your own company. Your cus- ness and how the statistics de-
information. The convenient shop- tomers otherwise never have a velop. Particularly interesting is
ping and local savings has so far chance of becoming "Mayor". who’s visiting your business as
played only a subordinate role. But Before you create your compa- you'll learn a lot about your tar-
obviously, from a marketing per- ny as a location on Foursquare, get audience. Whoever is
spective, that’s the most interesting check first if it perhaps already checking-in automatically is
aspect. exists. If your location indeed recommending you to all his
already happens to be there, friends and therefore deserves
Foursquare is one of the few LBSs you can claim it as "owner” and your attention, especially if they
that is combining information and create marketing campaigns for are recurring visitors and obvi-
recommendations with sales tar- the site. ously become regular custom-
gets – and that’s why I would like to Create a brand page and then ers. ◊
take a closer look on this specific fill it with life, for instance by
location-based service as an exam- adding tips and pictures. How- By Daniela La Marca
ple: ever, make sure not to include
too much content and do not
MediaBUZZ Pte Ltd - Independant ePublisher for Asia
Making best use of
location-based services
(LBS)
Location-based services (LBS) of- The "Check-In" is the most im- update it too often. It should not
fer users the ability to share infor- portant function of Foursquare. sound too commercial. Much
mation or special offers in their im- Every check-in to a location in- more important is that promo-
mediate environment. In order to be creases the status of the user and tions, offers and badges can be
able to do this, the location of the the attractiveness of the incentives created. The brand page also
user is detected via the smartphone and offers. Depending on the num- provides access to the statistics
using GPS and based on the loca- ber of user check-ins, companies of Foursquare.
tion data, the user then receives can award "Badges" which provid- Do not use the automatic link-
information on offers in his immedi- ed special privileges at their discre- ing of Foursquare in conjunc-
ate environment. In addition, tion. A standard badge of Four- tion with your Facebook or
friends can see where their friends square is the "Mayor" which is au- Twitter account. Information
currently are currently at. tomatically assigned to the user that you are presenting on
with the most check-ins who then Foursquare is enough - rather
Thus, the benefits of LBS services generally gets rewarded by compa- than having constantly double
for businesses are obvious: you nies that use Foursquare in particu- or triple the content on different
can lure potential clients in your lar. networks, which is annoying.
area directly and virtually for free A particularly important point is
with targeted offers and also retain Tips: that you inform your employees
regular customers through special of your marketing campaigns
offers. Always appear as a person on on Foursquare, such as a dis-
Foursquare, even if you are a counst, because first of all they
As the name suggests, LBS ser- company, and add only users need to be aware who they are
vices are suitable for all companies to your circle of friends who you facing when it comes to the
that offer a physical point of sale, really know. Also make sure to point of sale. If a user has diffi-
which means sell at least at one use your user account like a culty in actually redeeming a
location offline. Therefore, pure "normal" human being, mean- coupon or discount code on the
online retailers do not benefit from ing do not check-in only into spot, he will most likely not
LBS services. your own business. And please come back.
ask your colleagues or employ- By the way, check out from
Overall, the current use of LBS is ees not to check-in with their time and time what is written on
based on three different motiva- own private users account at Foursquare about your busi-
tions: service, entertainment and your own company. Your cus- ness and how the statistics de-
information. The convenient shop- tomers otherwise never have a velop. Particularly interesting is
ping and local savings has so far chance of becoming "Mayor". who’s visiting your business as
played only a subordinate role. But Before you create your compa- you'll learn a lot about your tar-
obviously, from a marketing per- ny as a location on Foursquare, get audience. Whoever is
spective, that’s the most interesting check first if it perhaps already checking-in automatically is
aspect. exists. If your location indeed recommending you to all his
already happens to be there, friends and therefore deserves
Foursquare is one of the few LBSs you can claim it as "owner” and your attention, especially if they
that is combining information and create marketing campaigns for are recurring visitors and obvi-
recommendations with sales tar- the site. ously become regular custom-
gets – and that’s why I would like to Create a brand page and then ers. ◊
take a closer look on this specific fill it with life, for instance by
location-based service as an exam- adding tips and pictures. How- By Daniela La Marca
ple: ever, make sure not to include
too much content and do not
MediaBUZZ Pte Ltd - Independant ePublisher for Asia
