Foursquare has become my latest obsession. The location-based social media phenomenon has started to take off, and I have to admit — I am part of the frenzy.
For those of you who have decided not to jump on the bandwagon yet, the gist of this new tech trend is to use your smart phone to check in whenever you visit your favorite local establishments — restaurants, bars, retail stores, etc. You can also see where your friends have checked in. Once you check in, you might find a great special or discount, or, if you check in more times than anyone else, you could even become “mayor” of a business, which might offer extra rewards. In addition, you can earn and unlock badges based on where, when and how often you check in with businesses.
Sounds fun, right? Well, a minor problem is that these fun applications can become time-consuming and even exhausting if you are busy like I am. Also, the discounts can be few and far between. Although some big-brand stores have signed on, such as Gap, local businesses have been slower to embrace Foursquare. I have only come across a handful of local discounts, and the majority of them seem unattainable.
The most recent example of this was during a night out last week. When I went to check in on Foursquare, I noticed the magical green button on my screen notifying me that a special offer was nearby. My curiosity was piqued, and I immediately clicked through. I quickly became discouraged and disappointed, though; the discount was only offered if you were the store’s mayor, or if you had checked in 10 or more times that month. Way to rain on my money-saving parade.
The purpose of Foursquare is to drive consumers to your business and reward loyal customers — not to make it nearly impossible to receive discounts. This particular venue missed a great opportunity to earn some new business and local fans. Luckily, things started to look up when, less than a week later, I came across a great offer from a similar establishment offering no cover charge for anyone who checked in. That offer had a value of $5. Now, that’s the way to do it. I immediately grabbed my group, headed across the street and proudly displayed my blackberry to the door guy. Finally, all of this madness I had ensued over the last few weeks had paid off.
What about you — have you joined location-based social media?
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