Location-based services are becoming more popular for businesses and consumers. These services offer benefits for both parties: Businesses can use geographic information to formulate better marketing strategies and consumers can be rewarded for their loyalty to a specific company by “checking-in” to a location. Checking-in to locations is a trend that has taken the social media space by storm. Foursquare is one of the pioneers of this service in the social sector, and the platform is now taking steps to streamline its location-based services.
Platform aims to streamline its practice
Foursquare has announced changes to its terms and conditions documents, which will take effect on January 28, 2013. The social media platform is looking to better streamline its services for businesses and consumers. For years, Foursquare has been one of the most prominent names in social media marketing and location-based services, but other social networks have begun to encroach upon the platform’s virtual turf. In an effort to stay relevant with consumers and businesses, Foursquare is taking steps to provide better service.
New policies could be of benefit to businesses
One of the changes being made to the platform’s privacy policy involves the names of its users. Foursquare will begin showing the full name of each user across its entire platform, allowing this information to be seen by anyone. Users can, of course, opt out of having their full name displayed without being faced with any penalties in terms of service. Another change involves the check-in history businesses can see. Traditionally, businesses could only view check-ins over the most recent three-hour period. After the changes go live, however, businesses will be able to keep better track of their traffic.
Foursquare manages to stay ahead of the competition, for now
The changes may help businesses provide better rewards for consumers that check-in frequently, while also allowing these businesses to access information that can be used for marketing campaigns. In 2012, Foursquare reported more than 15 million new users and celebrated the 3 billionth check-in. While several other social networks are pushing new location-based services, Foursquare continues to hold a solid lead over its competitors.
Social media marketing offers many new opportunities for businesses
Social media plays an important role in the lives of millions of people around the world. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter have shown that consumers are very interested in keeping in touch with their friends and family online, while also sharing their interests with others and promoting companies they like. Social media offers many opportunities to the marketing sector, especially in terms of mobile marketing. A new report from NM Incite, a social media and market research firm, highlights the opportunities that social media marketing represents.
Report highlights the growth of social media platforms
The report, titled “Social Media Report 2012,” details the ways social media can be used as a communications tool for advertisers. The report highlights the growth of several social media platforms, noting that Facebook remains the most popular platform among consumers and businesses. Blogger and Twitter continue to be rising stars in the social media space, with marketers eyeing Twitter for its potential in social media marketing. Pintrest, a relatively new content sharing website, has seen the most aggressive growth this year, in terms of users.
Consumers showing more interest in mobile devices than in PCs
According to the report, more consumers are making use of their mobile devices to stay connected to social media platforms. The report shows that the amount of time consumers spend on these sites with their mobile device has gone up 21% this year. More consumers are showing favor for their smart phones and tablets than they are for their PCs, presenting an opportunity for advertisers to establish a constant connection with people no matter where they go. Businesses are also responding to this by making themselves more available to social media sites, encouraging consumers to share these sites to their friends and families.
Social media marketing presents its own challenges
The report notes that social media marketing presents several challenges, despite its beneficial prospects. Mobile consumers have shown that they are interested in visits that are marketed to them, but only 14% of these people actually purchased products that they looked up through social media marketing campaigns. Moreover, constant connection with consumers opens businesses up to more scrutiny, increasing the need for comprehensive customer service on a 24-hour cycle.
