Ah, the heady days of San Francisco in 2003 when the flash mob phenomenon began to take hold. It wasn’t long before what allegedly started in New York City by a senior editor with Harper’s Magazine swept the country and then the world.
Today, flash mobs have died out to a great degree, with the mobs turning into flash riots being partially to blame. But, through the use of Foursquare, it’s possible for small- and medium-sized companies to use the same concept to promote their business.
One of the most coveted badges (emblems that users can earn through checking into participating venues) is the Swarm Badge. The requirement seems simple enough: Be one of 50 or more people who have already checked into the same place within three hours. However, outside of checking into concerts or sporting events, being someplace with that sizable number of Foursquare members can be tricky. That’s where you step in by creating an event at your company almost guaranteed to draw you dozens and dozens of customers.
A case study can be found here, and below are the instructions.
Step 1 Pick a time and date. You’ll want it to be during a period when your business is typically slow but also when it will be convenient for people to show up. If you’re a bar, for instance, 1 p.m. on a work day is bad but 3 p.m. on a weekend could be ideal.
Step 2 Pick a charity. Yes, it’s great to have your cash registers go ring-a-ding-ding (to paraphrase Frank Sinatra) but giving part of the proceeds to a worthy cause is not only a great thing to do but will serve the dual purpose of encouraging fence-sitters to show up and generate great word-of-mouth (and maybe even some publicity).
Step 3 Add an extra inducement. Yes, earning the Swarm Badge is exciting but create some added value by offering two-for-one drinks or a discount on purchased items during those three hours.
Step 4 Promote the event. If possible, have some print collateral produced to advertise the swarm in-house, such as tent cards for counters and tables or flyers you can slip into customers’ shopping bags. Create a page on your website and a custom Facebook tab. And be sure to use your other social media assets such as Twitter.
Step 5 Hold the event.
Step 6 Capture the information. If you have any sort of customer loyalty program, now is the time to get people to sign up. Set up an Internet-connected computer for the public to use to “Like” your Facebook page, follow you on Twitter and so forth.
Step 7 Document it. Have someone videotape the event, both for your own promotional use and for the charity’s. If possible, set up a Web camera to stream it live on the Internet. Finally, after the event, be sure to let everyone know how successful it was and how much money was raised.
If this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. But, with the right social media marketing company as your partner, you’ll be sure to not only have a great event but also raise your business’ brand and reputation.
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