Happy Foursquare Day

Foursquare, it is fun and merchants, it could be the perfect thing to connect with your community. More than likely, there are check-ins happening at your establishment, why not join in the fun and reward your Mayor.

Foursquare has officially declared April 16th as Foursquare (4SQ) day.

I am sure you can figure it out but basically, 4 squared = 16.

Foursquare is a social networking application that allows you to check-in to venues using your mobile device. Don’t worry, this isn’t exclusive to the iPhone,  apps are also available for Blackberry, Android and Palm Pre.

Those of us on Foursquare, love the game of it — you can earn points based on the number of times you digitally “check-in” at a location.

Getting in the know:

• The more you check-in at a venue, the more likely you will be rewarded with the “Mayor” badge. But don’t get too cocky, your badge can be taken away by someone who checks in more than you.
• Add new venues and you get points, check-in to a number of venues per day and you get points etc.
• Check-ins also give you the chance to see what others have said about the venue through tips and you can also find out who else might be at the venue at the same time.
• If you sign up for push notifications, you can see where your friends are checking in throughout the day. This is a great way to pop in and say hello if you notice that someone is right down the street.
• Badges are little rewards you earn for checking-into interesting places.  For example, staying out late on a school night or frequenting too many karaoke bars.

So merchants, listen up, for very little investment, you can connect directly with your customers through their mobile devices and reward your “Mayor” or provide special offers for check-ins. Direct marketing doesn’t get any better.

To hear what users are doing to celebrate Foursquare day, follow the hashtag #4sqday. Also, there may be events happening in your town. Many have organized “swarm” parties. The purpose of these events is to get a bunch of people to gather at one location and check-in on Foursquare. If 50+ check-in, you can unlock the swarm badge.

Here’s what is happening in Denver today. Also, I am helping with a Foursquare “swarm” party with free coffee on Monday April 19th at Cafe Options in Denver at 1650 Curtis. More info here.

Have fun and happy Foursquare Day!

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