SM + irl = geotagging 05/22/2010
In my never ending quest to understand social media enough to explain the "why" of it to audiences {Large: National Speaking or Small: My Husband} I've uncovered a new, and quickly growing, trend. GeoTagging GeoTagging is where a "customer" lets those patrons who come after them know what they can expect at a Brick & Mortar location. Thus, Social Media {SM} + In Real Life {irl} = Success or Failure for business owners. Now, I need to digress for just a moment: I live in a small town that is known for it's tourism. Many of the shop owners are generations in the making. I should also note that we live in a geographic location that calls to the outdoorsy type. Thus, rendering the concept of a "virtual" connection on deaf ears. In the meantime, those who travel from far & wide are utilizing the ability to be in the know when they arrive from others who came before them. Virtually. Enter sites & apps such as FourSquare, GoWalla & BrightKite. Each offers their reasons for utilizing their app, but for the purpose of examples I'm going to continue to refer to FourSquare. I like them the best, they seem the easiest to use for the "middle" generation {those of us old enough to remember computer usage BEFORE the internet}. The most important message I can give any Brick & Mortar right now is to pay attention to GeoTagging, it's the megaphone to "word of mouth" advertising. So the concept is simple:
What happens next: those who pay attention to me, my friends/followers, know that I'm at Starbucks {desperately in need of caffeine}. Privacy Note: if I don't want people to know where I am ~ I don't check in. So, now let's imagine I'm at a restaurant & the service is VERY slow ~ or the waitress is over the top rude. I can add "tips" to my locations. Either "must order the Veggie Eggs Benedict" OR "avoid Jane Doe waitress ~ she clearly doesn't love her job" This is about the time when owners of the Brick & Mortar begin panicking. {insert image of Ostrich burying head in sand}. But listen up folks, this is going to happen to you whether you like it or not. Educate yourself now, understand how to leverage it for increased foot traffic and subsequent success. I'm sorry to make it so blunt, but traditional marketing practices are becoming as extinct as the dinosaurs. So, take that deep breath and get familiar with the logistics of these sites. FourSquare rewards the users with "badges". One that seems to be easy to unlock is the Mayor of a location. This is what used to be considered "A Regular". Engaging in this relationship is as easy as giving the Mayor some sort of recognition, think "free beverage" or "25% off purchases". What happens next, the folks who frequent the location can steal the Mayorship from one another. Guess what? You now have an organic marketing campaign & all you had to do was recognize their loyalty. Oh, did I mention it's all FREE? Now do you see why traditional marketing strategies are on their way out? Side Note: Customers are done with "force-fed" marketing. As a matter of fact they are annoyed by it & ignore it regularly. So, what is one to do?
And finally, have fun with it! Social media has finally evolved to include you! This can lead to success unlike any you've imagined before. Best of luck! april CommentsLeave a Reply | 
AuthorApril Welch is a Certified Professional Organizer with specialties in ADD, Chronic Acquiring, Children/Families and Social Media. Grab the badge & share some love:
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