Bryan Bell's List: localmarketmobile

• 1. Learn the Platforms
• Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, Brightkite, and Google Latitude
• Yelp and Facebook,
• 2. Determine Your Goals
• You may say, “I want all of those,” but to be effective, you need to set specific objectives
• 3. Establish Your Presence
• make sure the address, phone, and details are correct and current.
• 4. Customize
• 5. Implement Compelling Promotions

• Common promotions across various networks include the following:

  • Raffles
• Specials for the user who checks in most often
• First check in specials
• Digital punch cards

• Tips for developing effective promotions:

  • Advertise particular incentives, rather than your business in general
• On platforms that allow you create your own banner ads (such as Loopt), include your address and opening hours in the ad itself, when possible.
• Be creative. For example, Incase, the bag and protective case maker, recently ran a promo with Gowalla to put virtual versions of its products into the app to be collected and traded.
• 6. Engage With Your Customers
• 7. Track Everything
• 8. Be Prepared to Adapt
• Location-based social network technology may be the newest and grooviest incarnation of social media, but it certainly won’t be the last. And in a year it won’t look exactly like it does today
• 9. Avoid Common Pitfalls
• try to avoid:
• Don’t leave fake reviews or tips.
• on’t throw up poorly designed ads.
• Don’t forget to monitor activity. Carroll points out, “Chances are if someone has a gripe or praise with their check-in, it’s a real-time thing: The patron is probably still there … so the business has a chance to make the experience even better.”

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