It’s that time of the year again – the holiday shopping season that is! And if you’re a merchant, you know that festive shopping is a critical period for you to rack up your sales.
Mobile marketing may be the answer. After all, industry pundits are declaring 2012 as the year that mobile marketing hits an inflection point in holiday planning. And the numbers are pretty compelling too as more than half (52.9%) of shoppers who own smartphones plan to use their devices to research and make purchases and roughly four-in-ten (43%) will use a mobile device to redeem a voucher at in-store point of sale.
Foursquare has compiled a list of four ways to leverage the social, location-based service, and we’re sharing them here with you:
1. Create a special that provides a discount or freebie.
According to the National Retail Federation, the most important factor in 2012 in deciding where to shop is offers for sales and discounts. Create a special that rewards a check-in with money off select items or buy-one-get-one-free. Why? When a consumer checks-in, they are telling their entire friend network where they are. And when those friends use Explore on Foursquare (built for searching local businesses and points of interest), your store will index higher in search results.
2. Reward tips too.
Surprise and delight loyal customers that leave tips at your business. It could be a free cup of coffee or something as simple as a “thank you” for giving you a shout-out on Foursquare. Little things often go a long way towards engendering loyalty.
3. Reward the mayor.
The Foursquare mayor of your business is one of your most loyal customers. Be sure to offer your mayor special perks or rewards to encourage others to stop by regularly and compete for the title. Throw a party for the person that’s checked-in to your establishment more than any other customer or just recognize them with a special sign or a reserved table. It’s an awesome way to reward loyalty while drawing in new prospects that will be inclined to enjoy your products and services, too.
4. Push out a local update to draw-in and reward nearby regulars and prospects.
The 80/20 rule of marketing is that 80% of profits come from 20% of your customers. Give nearby regulars and prospects a heads-up that you just pulled freshly baked muffins out of the oven with a local update. It will geo-target customers that have previously interacted with your store on Foursquare. Not a baker? No problem. Any timely information serves as good content for local updates.
More information is available at https://foursquare.com/
