“I purposely went to a particular Starbucks today because I’m competing for mayorship and I can’t even check in. Ah, my Foursquare woes.”
Jennifer chose one Starbucks over another because she wants to be the Foursquare mayor — and then shared this with her sizable Twitter network. (If you’re not familiar with Foursquare, it’s a game of sorts that “helps you meet up with your friends and let you earn points and unlock badges for discovering new places, doing new things and meeting new people,” according to their website).
Simply stated: She is spending her money at this particular coffee shop because an online competition caught her attention.
This is exactly why businesses should be paying attention to local search and services like Foursquare. If you own a coffee shop, what can you do to make being the “mayor” a more prestigious position? How about a free cookie with a purchase for the current mayor? Or, when you you “de-throne” the current mayor, you can buy one coffee and get a second for free? Incentives like this will generate excitement, and more importantly, increase foot traffic at your location.
There’s no shortage of coffee shops in most neighborhoods. Leveraging these kinds of opportunities can help owners cut through the noise, and hopefully convince people that traveling a couple extra blocks for a cup of joe is worthwhile!
This isn’t just about coffee shops, though. Any company — especially in the B2C market — that thrives on repeat business should brainstorm how they can take advantage of these fresh opportunities to interact with customers. With a little outside-the-box thinking, business smarts and an understanding of the news ways people want to interact, the possibilities are limitless.