Why I Love Foursquare

Super Mayor Shoutout on Foursquare

Photo courtesy of Flickr user cambodia4kidsorg

At the recent Phoenix RE BarCamp, I did a breakout session on Foursquare, and a few people just couldn’t wrap their thoughts around it. But then there were others that I could literally watch the lightbulb go on behind their eyes.

Social media platforms may have you scratching your head wondering if they are a waste of time or a cool new way to generate business. FourSquare  is one of the newest ways to enagage and connect that has caught on. It currently has over 1 million people checking in!

So…what the heck is it?

Foursquare is an application to download to your smartphone that enables you to:

  • Check in when you go someplace.
  • Have your check-in posted as you have set it: to your friends, your Twitter account and/or your Facebook account. (You’ve probably seen the postings on your Facebook page of the little map and comments.)
  • Add a comment (shout) about where you are.
  • Give good (or bad) feedback about the place where you are. (“Enjoying a great steak and yummy Flemings potatoes at Flemings!”)
  • Be competitive. You can get points, become the mayor of a location and earn badges.

You may think, “Why do I care?”

So here is my thinking on some ways this site could help you as a REALTOR®:

  1. Connect with the businesses (I call them “social partners”) with which you have clients in common.
  2. Show the business owners what it is all about. (You become their educator helping them get more business.)
  3. Become the mayor of your company and set up specials for people!
  4. When you become the mayor or a frequent visitor somewhere, you establish yourself as someone who engages in the community and shares about it.
  5. Set up “meet-ups” like “tweetups” taking the online offline.

The Law of Reciprocity is what this is all about. (And having fun!)

Here are two other explanations why you might consider Foursquare:

Jay Baer’s Blog: Ignore Foursquare at Your Peril!  

Janie Coffey: Be a Local Hero (Arizona REALTOR® Magazine)
Includes suggestion for checking in to your listings and adding tips to them on Foursquare.

Chuck Reynolds Explains Local Marketing

Have the lightbulbs started flashing yet?

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