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Someone who is experienced in the use of geolocation tools is Daniel Gordon (on Twitter: @DanGordon), President of Samuel Gordon Jewelers in Oklahoma City. Gordon is a prominent figure in social media, and uses geoapps to promote his business, but also uses them to enhance his experience at other locations.
“I recently took my family to a Texas Rangers baseball game and checked-in on Foursquare and Gowalla,” Gordon said. “The ability to see whom had checked into what fan store and food venues the most gave me the information I needed to make the best decision on what vendors were the best for my attendance and therefore purchases.”
For those that are using these apps, what are some things that can be done to engage fans?
1) Work with your university
What better branding than to work with your university’s marketing/communications department to branch geolocation into a campus-wide initiative? You’ll both benefit in the long run. Foursquare recently launched its Universities campaign pilot program (http://foursquare.com/universities). You can register but not all schools will be accepted just yet. You can still go through the traditional setup process to add your schools until more schools are accepted. And, you may choose to go with a different geolocation provider.
2) Claim your venues
In order to take control of your athletic facilities; you need to claim your venues. Why? Again, you’re trying to establish a brand and geolocation presence. You really can’t do that if Super Fan is the one broadcasting behind your name.
3) Stick to promoting your venues, not specific events
Use geolocation to promote the venue and not every specific event happening at the venue. People need some consistency if you expect them to catch on. There’s an option to include text with check-in details. Leave it up the user to post why s/he is there.
4) Use specials to engage
Once you claim a venue, you have the ability to broadcast “specials” that may pop-up when a user checks-in at that venue or one nearby. Have a home volleyball match on the same day as a home soccer match? Cross-promote using this function. You can also use the specials function to provide discounts and/or other promotions for frequent users. You’d be surprised at the business already offering such discounts. Some of those may be nearby. Example: When you check-in at or near Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, a special pops up that encourages you to stop by the front lobby to pick up schedule cards and posters. Simple to do and gives people a reason to visit the venue.
5) The game aspect
One thing Foursquare offers that not all geolocation apps do is a competition aspect. Users can earn badges and become the mayor of venues. While this is intriguing to some, I really feel the use of specials and pop-ups with locations nearby is a better benefit. Some people are in it for the competition, but others aren’t. The best way to please both is to offer deals to both sides (reward after x-number of check-ins and/or reward for becoming mayor of a venue).
6) Align the brand with its belief(s)
I bring this up keeping in mind that some schools have affiliations that need to be taken into consideration if you decide to move forward with promoting check-ins on a specific geolocation platform. If you’re a religious-based institution, with badges like “bender” and “crunked”, Foursquare may not be for you.
7) Don’t spam and don’t become automated
Be careful that you’re not over-doing. All of us hate getting spam in our e-mail inboxes and the same holds true for geolocation apps. When you become automated, it turns into advertisement. While use of geolocation can be used as a form of advertisement, just making it generic and impersonal turns off users.
8) Connect with other social media
One of the things I love about Foursquare is the ability to send that information directly to Facebook and Twitter. Hopefully, your users are doing the same so others can see where they are and it promotes you (and your events). But you should be promoting what you’re doing with geolocation apps on those platforms as well.
9) Encourage your fan base to participate
Users have the ability to leave to-dos and tips, and you should encourage them to do so. More participation from fans allows them to feel more involved in the process. Plus, different individuals may provide difference experiences for others to enjoy.
10) Use public address/marketing/promotions to promote geolocation
People won’t know what you’re offering when it comes to geolocation apps unless you tell them. It’s just like promoting another event. Check with your geolocation tool developer to see if they offer any free signage or other promotional items.
11) Encourage local businesses to participate
Use your connections and local Chamber of Commerce to encourage local businesses to provide gameday specials or anyday specials and discounts via geolocation apps. Why? People are more likely to keep coming back (to you and them) and it’s free promotion for everyone involved without breaching sponsorship contracts. If that restaurant’s close to campus, chances of an athletic event special popping up are high.
12) Understanding the analytics and what to do with them
Foursquare provides analytics and it’s a great way to see a breakdown of your use of the app. But what does it mean for a business? Depending on how you want to use it, the analytics function provides you with a qualitative value to assess usage of the app. While statistics may not always tell the whole story, they offer invaluable insight that’s measurable.
Some believe 2010 is the year of geolocation, much like 2008 was the year of Twitter. It has great benefits, especially for athletics. You just have to develop a plan that works best for you and your school. And the best part? Fan interaction and customer service can be accomplished with little or no money at all.
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