We’ve recently had a great deal of interest from franchise clients regarding mobile check-in apps—Foursquare and Facebook Places—also known as location-based services (LBS) or local-mobile-social solutions. We’ve been very involved with these services for some time and have been touting their advantages for brands, but did not see widespread interest. However, as user adoption of these apps begins to eclipse other local marketing channels (namely Yellowpages), and as consumers place even greater importance on personal recommendations, LBS is gaining influence and attention.

It’s not just for local mom and pop shops either. According to research conducted by Beyond, 63% of LBS users are more likely to interact with large brands compared to 37% with small businesses.

Leveraging these LBS channels doesn’t have to be a large undertaking. Franchises and other multiunit businesses can take advantage by following these steps:

1. Ensure Accuracy of Listings

It’s likely that your business already has listings on these sites, some of which may contain inaccurate information because they were created by users. Ensure that each of your listings contains accurate and up-to-date information. Include the basics: address, phone number and business category.

Facebook Places and Foursquare are the top channels (90% of LBS users are on Facebook Places and 22% on Foursquare, according to Beyond); others include Gowalla, SCVNGR and some 6,000 others. Our local search marketing division, Local Search Traffic, provides management of location data to a number of these sites.

2. Claim Your Listings

Have a manager or qualified representative claim each of your listings on these channels. A verification process, involving an automated phone call to a local number, is required by Facebook so it must be done manually. Claiming Foursquare venues can be completed in a more efficient fashion through one profile you have links to each location or have a representative at Foursquare that will assist you.

3. Enhance Profiles

Enhance your profiles with additional details that are helpful for consumers and provide additional avenues for engagement. Foursquare allows you to set a manager for each venue and add employees. Facebook Place pages function much the same way as regular Facebook business pages, and can be optimized with additional information, such as email, Twitter account, hours, custom landing tabs and more.

4. Add Specials

When check-in apps first starting gaining in popularity, they weren’t much more than a game—users could tell their friends where they were bee-bopping around town, vie for the most total points earned by checking in at various spots and receive fun badges to showcase adventures. The novelty of the game is starting to wear off now, and users are looking for more value, namely specials and discounts. According to the Beyond study, 54% of LBS users are motive by discounts or coupons. And why not reward these users—they’re endorsing your business and helping to spread the word at no cost!

Foursquare and Facebook Places allow you to add specials, which can only be unlocked after checking in a certain number of times or with a certain number of people. While the two companies have different names for the types of specials, they fall into these categories:

• Loyalty Specials – Reward consumers for visiting your store frequently; Mayor Special or “every X check-in.”
• Frequency – Reward consumers for checking in every X number of times.
• Check-in Special – Reward consumers every time they check in.
• Newbie Special – Reward consumers on first check in.
• Group Deal – Reward consumers when they check in together; Swarm or Friend Special on Foursquare and Friend Deal on Facebook.
• Charity – Facebook allows businesses to pledge a charitable donation when users check in.

5. Promote Specials

Tell your customers about the special both online and off: add in-store signage that encourages users to check-in and view the special; post it on Twitter and Facebook, and engage with users that share their checkins via these channels; and add details on your website.

6. Measure Success

Both Foursquare and Facebook provide basic stats on the performance of your special campaigns. Stats include checkin quantity, basic demographics, views of specials, unlocked specials and sharing data. This information helps you understand consumer awareness and interest. To understand fulfillment, you must include a unique discount code on the special, and incorporate into your POS system. Be sure every member of your staff at each location is trained on how to fulfill these specials.

Consumers have an overwhelming number of choices when it comes to products and services. They have the upper-hand in the marketplace, but that doesn’t mean businesses are helpless to their whims. By allowing your business to be found where consumers are looking, providing them with attractive deals on quality products and services, and making it simple for them to spread the good word about your company, you’re creating a marketing campaign that is practically self-sustaining.