Is Your Business Taking Advantge of Virtual Graffiti?

Location based digital graffiti is absolutely a trend to watch. Foursquare recently announced that they added 1 million users in a single year. To put that in perspective, it took Twitter two years to reach 1 million users.

As users become comfortable with, and addicted to, location based social networking services such as Foursquare and Gowalla, users are going above and beyond the simple check-in.

At college campuses across the country, students are already leaving elements of virtual graffiti around campus. For example, at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, a student who goes by the Foursquare nickname Mock Redneck Jr. left this note at the library:

“The library has free wifi, barely legal girls, and a warm place to drop a deuce.”

While this may seem harmless, imagine what would happen if a prospective student and parent “checked-in” to the library and saw this note. Would it negatively impact their impression of the school? Absolutely.

Just as college kids across the country are leaving virtual graffiti on their campus, your customers are adding virtual graffiti to their check-ins at your place of business.  Check out Berry Chill, a frozen yogurt shop in Chicago, IL:

As location based social networking services get more sophisticated, your customers will be able to upload photos, and record videos, leaving powerful virtual graffiti that will impact the purchasing decisions of both current and future customers.

So, as a business owner, or marketer, how do you minimize the risk of virtual graffiti while still encouraging customer interaction? Here are 3 ways:

1) Reward Helpful Virtual Graffiti

Inspire your customers to create virtual graffiti.  Reward customers who upload helpful tips with their check-ins. A check in is not an endorsement of your business, but taking the time to craft a tip and leaving a little piece of virtual graffiti is absolutely an endorsement and should be rewarded.

2) Create a Virtual Graffiti Contest

Have customers vote every month on their favorite piece of virtual graffiti left on your businesses website, social media pages, or location based service profile. Offer the winner a prize. This will encourage folks not only to leave virtual graffiti, but make sure their friends vote on the tip/photo/ or joke they left, building brand awareness online.

3) Integrate Virtual Graffiti Into Your Existing Communication Strategy

If you send out a newsletter, post reviews in your place of business, or have an email marketing campaign, be sure to include great pieces of virtual graffiti that customers have left. Did you get a rave review in a Foursquare tip? Include it in your newsletter. Make a poster out of customer generated Facebook photos and put it up on your wall.

People have opinions, and they like to share them. Increasingly, with the explosion of location based tools, customers can leave their opinions in the form of virtual graffiti that is here to stay, and will only get more sophisticated.

How are you going to use customer generated virtual graffiti to your advantage?

To read more about virtual graffiti, you can read these articles from Debaird and Fast Company

Daniel Prager is a recent college grad, who is looking for the next great opportunity in advertising, digital pr, or marketing. Most recently, he was a social media strategist at an interactive marketing agency in Chicago. He loves to talk about the changing world of business communications, popular culture, music, sports, and craft beer.

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Is Your Business SmartPhone Ready?

Does your business have a mobile marketing strategy?  If you’re not interested in creating opportunities to market via mobile devices, you at least need to be prepared for them.  Nielsen expects smartphones to account for more than half of the US mobile phone market by 2011, is your business ready?

SmartPhone Quick Statistics

• Only 3% of smartphone users only use their phone for voice communications only
• 50% of smartphone users have Wi-Fi
• Slightly more males (53%) than females (47%) use smartphones
• 2/3 of smartphone users are personal users and 1/3 are business users

Get Your SmartPhone Game Tight (i.e. business ready)

Create A Mobile Version of Your Website & Blog

50% of Smartphone users have Wi-Fi, and that number is only going to increase.  As users utilize their cell phone for internet access, it’s imperative that your website and blog is mobile friendly.  If your site or blog is run on WordPress , there’s a plugin that does it for you. HERE

Get your site and blog easy to use via cell phones.  I recommend drawing back on Flash applications and any other format that cannot be viewed on most smart phones.

Is It Time For An App?

It’s time to  take a serious look at creating a mobile app for your business.  The IDC (International Data Corporation) is predicting this to be a banner year for mobile apps.  They’re predicting that iPhone apps will triple, Android apps will quintuple, and the Apple “iPad” arrives.  Obviously the mobile app business is big.

However, this does not mean that you 100% need an app.  ONLY CREATE AN APP IF YOU CREATE VALUE.  Simply creating an app that distributes content or blog posts is a waste of your time and you’ll find little adoption from users.  As app users grow, so does competition.  Without a compelling app, your will most certainly be lost in the vast void of noise.

Look Into Location Based Opportunities

Last week at SXSW, FourSquare added 100,000 users in 10 days.  If there was any doubt in your head before…get over it.  FourSquare is a player and here to stay.  If your company can take advantage of utilizing FourSquare for marketing purposes, do it.  Here’s a quick post how.

More tools will be coming down the pipe regrading Location Based, get your creative juices flowing for opportunities to take advantage of them.

Make It Easy To Buy Your Stuff

Make it easy to do business with you.  Offer a variety of options for customers to give you money.  Look into smartphone payment systems like Square or TabbedOut, and PayPal’s mobile App.

So even if a mobile marketing strategy isn’t a top priority for your business, you need to be prepared to meet users where they’re at…and they’re using smartphone platforms.  Get your business ready.

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a marketing strategist with a specialty in social media.  He is an avid blogger and active across the net.  He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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Can a Simple Like Button Change Advertising

I sat in a mobile marketing presentation at SXSW excited to hear the presenters vision of where the mobile space is headed.

On the surface, mobile advertisements are a marketers dream.  The advertising services are location based and activated via geographic location.  Sounds great, right…If I’m driving by McDonald’s, I get an ad for McDonald’s.

The crowd really got jazzed up with the results that mobile advertisements get.  Mobile ads get a 7% Click Through Rate (or CTR).  Meaning, for every 100 impressions, 7 people click on the ad.  Compare that to an averaged click through rate of 2% or less and mobile location based advertisements sound like a dream come true for marketers.

All hail mobile ads!

Judging by the thunderous enthusiasm at those results, the crowd agreed.  Unfortunately, the presentation and reactions let me know what I already assumed…advertising will never get better. (Insert deep sigh)

Am I the ONLY one who thinks 7% sucks!!

Is 7% really the future we can hope for?  Is it so glorious when a few more than 9 out of 10 people hate your ad?

Why Only 7%

It makes sense that mobile advertising gets a higher click through rate because they’re based on location.  If I drive through a McDonald’s, a coupon for the their new Latte pops up on my car’s GPS.  What more could I want?  I’m driving by a McDonald’s, and poof…an advertisement for McDonald’s.

But just as telling is why mobile advertising is only 7%.

What happens if I don’t drink coffee?  What if I don’t like McDonald’s?  As advanced as an ad that knows your location is…it’s not smart enough to know what you like.  And that is where things go downhill fast.  As much technology as we have available today, how can our ads not be smarter than that?

Shouldn’t Advertisers Be Better At Guessing What We Want?

How To Make It Better

At the very least…shouldn’t a user be able to select whether or not a particular ad hit the mark or not.  Why not a “Like” or “Dislike” button, such as what Pandora does.

The streaming music service allows its users to create their own radio stations based on preferences they select.  Every time a song is played, a user selects a “Thumbs Up” or a “Thumbs Down”.  As the Ups or Downs are selected Pandora’s algorithm can more intelligently choose a song you will like, and it’s amazingly accurate.

Why Can’t We Apply Preferences To Advertisements?

I understand that we’re always going to be living in a world where ads are everywhere.  But as the world of hyper-marketing allows brands to speak to the individual, why doesn’t this transcend to the advertising model in most mediums?

If I have the ability to select whether or not an advertisement is relevant to me…the more relevant the ads can be.

So while mobile advertisements are an advancement in the industry, there is still a long ways to go.

(Note:  This post comes from a conversation I had with @Pragerd)

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a marketing strategist with a specialty in social media.  He is an avid blogger and active across the net.  He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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Is Your Business Using Foursqaure To Reach Customers?

As Foursquare, the mobile location based social app becomes more popular to users, businesses are going to benefit from using it for marketing purposes.  As I explained in a previous post, 7 Quick Steps To Foursquare Marketing…a good practice is to check in to your own business to build awareness to your networks.

Note: If you’re a business where customers come to you such as a bar/restaurant/etc you don’t need to self-check in

However, as @northeastclng of Northeast Cooling emailed me and pointed out…it would be a big help to be able to add check ins to post not only to Twitter, but also to a brand’s Facebook Page.

Foursquare does not currently have an option to check in to a Facebook Page, only a profile.  So I had to get a bit creative to pull this off.

Here’s How To Post Foursquare Check-In’s To Your Facebook Page

1. Install the Selective Twitter Status App
   
2. Sync Your Foursquare & Twitter Accounts
3. Use #fb hashtag on your Foursquare Check ins

Step 1: Install Selective Twitter Status App On Facebook

• Log into your Facebook account
• Go to the Selective Twitter Status app
• If you’re taken to their Page select “Go To Application” (top left under logo)
• (default page should be “Your Profile”)  Add your Twitter handle and hit “Save”

• Go to the “Your Fan Pages” tab
• Add your Twitter handle to the choosen Facebook pages

• Select “Grant Permission“
• An “Allow Setting” tab will pop up…click on the pages you want added.
• Select “Allow Publishing” button

• Now you should see a “Yes” next to your pages
• Select “Save Changes“

And you’re all set!!!  That’s It.  Your Facebook Page or Pages is set to recieve updates from Twitter.  So now any tweet you send with a #fb hashtag will show up as a post to your selected Facebook Page.

Step 2: Sync Your Foursqaure Account To Update Twitter

• Login to Foursquare
• Go to the “Settings” page
• Scroll down to “Linked Accounts“
• Add your Twitter Handle

Step 3:  Foursquare Check-in With #fb Shout

• When ever you check-in to Foursquare select “Tap to add a shout!“
• If you want them to show up on your Facebook Page, include “#fb” hashtag to your shout.

Now, whenever your Foursquare check-in is posted to Twitter…your Facebook Page will recognize the #fb hashtage and auto post to your selected Pages.  There will be a slight delay in updates, but this is the easiest way to update your Foursquare Check Ins to your Facebook Page.

BOOM!  Done-zo…that’s it.

You’ve now successfully pimped your Facebook Page to add Foursqaure Check-ins.

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a marketing strategist with a specialty in social media.  He is an avid blogger and active across the net.  He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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foursquare marketing

Foursquare, the location based social game, recently announced that users can now check in anywhere in the world.  So how and why should your businesses take advantage?

If you’re unfamiliar with Foursquare, you can read about it HERE

Marketing using Foursquare is beneficial because although a small user base, they are loyal.  It also takes up almost no time, so the ROI can be high.  Foursquare marketing is most appropriate for brick and mortar businesses (people physically walk into your store to make purchases), but anyone can be taking advantage of Foursquare.  Here’s how:

1.   Add Your Business

If you’re located in a large city your business may have already have been listed.  If it’s not…simply add it to the network by clicking “Add This Place”.  You’ll need to fill out basic info like address and phone number.  Be sure to fill out and complete the entire form.  You’ll want to give users as much information as possible.   (If someone else has already added your business, make sure all of the information is correct and complete)

2.  Add Friends

Like any social network, you need people to communicate with.  Foursquare makes it easy to add your current contacts in your Gmail, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.  Although you should try all three avenues, the majority of your friends will come from Twitter followers because that will most likely be the highest % of folks using Foursquare.  Don’t be surprised if you only have a few friends, Foursquare is still in its infancy.  If you only have locations in one city, you may only want friends who live in that particular city.  A few people from outside your location may travel, but I recommend marketing to folks who can buy now.

You can add me HERE

3.  Get Active

Check in to your work each day.  This will let all of your friends know where you work, and also allows your business to remain fresh in their minds.  Along with checking in, add “Shouts” (profile updates) that are relevant to what’s going on.  Do you have events coming up?  Any promotions you’re pushing?

As you check in to your own workspace, make sure you check into other locations as well.  No one will appreciate it if you’re only on the network to only promote yourself.  Checking into other locations is also a great way to see what other businesses are doing and how their utilizing the network.

4.  Add Tips

On each location you check into, you’re allowed to add “tips”.  Be sure you add specials and promotions that are going on.  You can also add tips for ways to find easy parking around your business, website promotions, if you deliver, anything that you think users may find useful.

5.  Reward Those Who Check In

You should be rewarding Foursquare users who check into your business.  Sign up your business to advertise with Foursquare HERE.

Because you will be checking into your business each day, you’re likely to be the mayor fairly quickly.  So cater your promotions to anyone who checks in, not only being a mayor.

6.  Spread the Word

Link your Foursquare account to both your Twitter and Facebook accounts.  This will allow you to notify all 3 networks that you’re active on Foursquare, but also attach a “Shout” and let your networks know what specials you’re running.  Like any other social media marketing strategy, utilize all of your networks to spread the word.

7.  Outside The Box  / Events

As more Foursquare users begin to use the network in your city…get creative and have a little fun with it.  Announce specials that can only be seen in the “tips” portion of your profile.  Hold events for Foursquare users so they can all check in to your business.  Anything to show a little creativity.

Foursquare is in its infancy, and I am a proponent of not overwhelming yourself with network overload.  But these actions should take no more than 10 minutes to set up, and about 45 seconds to check in each day.  Because of the little time commitment, it is my opinion that the ROI is worth it.

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a marketing strategist with a specialty in social media.  He is an avid blogger and active across the net.  He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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