If you’re even the slightest bit social media savvy, you know that ‘checking in’ is all the rage. Millions of people every hour are checking in to businesses and other places using Facebook Mobile, Foursquare, Gowalla, and more to update their friends about where they go on a day to day basis. Checking in at ‘Steve’s House’, ‘Liberty Dental’, or ‘Starbucks’ might not sound super exciting, but think about it like this… if you’re my friend on Facebook, and I check in to my favorite coffee shop, I just displayed to all of my friends that I approve and endorse that business – and not only have given them a personal word-of-mouth recommendation for that place, but also a map, location, hours, reviews, and more at the touch of a button. Now my friends have my favorite coffee shop in the back of their mind for the next time they want coffee – they know where it is, and they know that their friend(s) like that coffee shop… so it must be good, right?

So what’s the best way to leverage this for marketing purposes? Mobile Marketing via Social Media Marketing is actually really easy, and FREE! Here are some how-to tips on getting started…

• Get Your Listing. First, check to see if your business is on the main mobile services (Foursquare, Facebook Places, Gowalla, Google Places, and Yelp). On some of these sites, any user can add a location, so you may already be on these (and may have duplicate entries). If your business is already on some mobile sites, then you must claim your business so you can control the listing (every site is a little different in how you do this. Search that site’s help center to find specific directions). If you don’t find your business on these main sites, then add a listing on each and fill out the information with as much detail and accuracy as possible. Don’t forget to add photos and primary information about your business when possible!
• Create A Deal. Many of these sites (mainly Facebook Mobile, Foursquare, and Gowalla) allow you to create ‘check in deals’ if you’re a customer-facing business (unfortunately if you’re a strictly online company, you may not be able to do this). Check-In Deals are discounts based on pre-set check-in parameters (for example, “10% Off One Entree Upon First Check-In at XYZ Cafe” or “Free Bottle Of Wine When You Check-In With 3 Or More Friends at XYZ Wine Bar” or “Free Oil Chance Upon Your 10th Check-In at XYZ Gas N’ Lube”). You can set the parameters of your discount (first time check-in deal, group check-in deal, loyalty special, etc), its fine print details, a cap on how many people can claim the deal, and the length of time in which you want to offer this deal. These deals also show up on a pop up list when someone is within a couple miles of your business, so they can know about the discount and learn about your business even if they’re not looking for it already!
• Announce Your Mobile Presence. Announce your mobile presence and all of your check-in deals on your social media sites, your website, and in your newsletter if you have one. Make sure people know to look for you when they check-in so their friends will see your listings faster.
• Maintenance. Periodically keep an eye out for duplicate listings, and try to acquire them and delete them. Also, keep a note about when your check in deals expire so you can create new ones, and continuously offer new stuff to keep people engaged.
• Check In Yourself. Drink your own Cool-aide so to speak. If you expect people to check in to your business, tweet, post, or blog about you, and share you with their friends, you have to do the same. Be sure to play with these services yourself to see how it feels from a user-perspective, and continually refine your marketing efforts from there.

Hope this helps! If you have any questions, feel free to Contact Me!