How to Use Foursquare

Learning how to use Foursquare is a great way to draw crowds to your small business.  Some small business owners have complained that they’ve included their business on the site, but they haven’t reaped the rewards, and sometimes they’ve actually lost money.  In this how to use Foursquare guide, we’ll teach you how to avoid this situation and really make the most out of your Foursquare presence.

How to Use Foursquare | Create a Business Page

Its a good idea to go ahead and check out Foursquare’s FAQ on business pages to get some more information about how to use Fousquare and create a business page.  Here are some things to help you get started provided by Foursquare:

1. You must have a foursquare user account. You can sign up for an account here if you don’t already have one – https://foursquare.com/signup/

2. You agree to Foursquare’s Terms of Service.

3. You have a Twitter account which you can link to your new foursquare Page (as your foursquare Page will be foursquare.com/TWITTER_NAME).

Once you have created your Page, you will be redirected to your Page Settings page (https://foursquare.com/settings ). From here, there are just a few more steps to complete your Page and have it be featured in the foursquare Page Gallery:

1. Complete your Page Profile. This includes uploading your picture and banner images, writing a Page description and providing links to your other web destinations:

?name=Screen shot 2011 07 27 at 4.24.08 PM How To Create a Foursquare Business Page
2. Link your account to Facebook, so you can share what you post on foursquare with your followers there. This should be done right from the Settings page.
?name=Screen shot 2011 07 27 at 4.19.40 PM How To Create a Foursquare Business Page
3. Leave Tips at at least 5 places for the foursquare community to discover. Do this by visiting any venue page in the foursquare.com database and typing a Tip in the “Tips” box on the left side of the Page.

?name=Screen shot 2011 07 27 at 4.25.36 PM How To Create a Foursquare Business Page

After you have completed these 3 steps, navigate back to your Settings page and checking off the “Feature me!” checkbox to be featured in the Page Gallery.  Next we will learn how to use Foursquare’s Check-Ins to your small business’s advantage.

How to Use Foursquare | Make the Most of Check-Ins

If you don’t know how to use Foursquare, then you will probably find that even though you may have a lot of check-ins, your sales are about the same.  The problem is that you may not be setting yourself apart front the competition, this is key for success and knowing how to use Foursquare correctly.

You don’t want to have the same offer out there on Foursquare for months and months, because your diehard customers will have already unlocked it and its just going to get old and boring.

If you’re a marketing guy you already know this, but switching it up is a good way to measure the value of your campaigns.  So turning learning how to use Foursquare correctly means being fresh and innovative with your offers.

Of course this depends on your business, but you’ll also want to offer some good information for your customers even if it’s not directly driving them to your store.  For example if you are a pet shop, offer some tips about where to find wildlife or zoos in your community by typing in the name of your business.

Also, remember that it takes a good bit of time and trial and error when learning how to use Foursquare, if you are patient and aware of what works and what doesn’t then you’ll learn how to use Foursquare in no time.

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