So maybe it’s a little ironic, I’m using a social medium to write about another social medium. Maybe that’s clue number one of the power social media truly has.
Recently, a new fad in the chattersphere of social media has developed; location-based social networking. Or maybe it isn’t a fad at all. It just may be here to stay. I think it is. This concept, which I will explain in detail in a second, is extremely fascinating to me. It should be to you too. Foursquare is the primary contender in the realm of location-based social networking. All a customer needs is a smartphone. As soon as said customer arrives at a location, whether it’s a concert venue, coffee shop, bar, boutique, or restaurant, they “check-in” via their device. Their “check-in” can then be broadcast to both their Twitter followers and Facebook friends. It tells their exact location including the city and a map provided by Bing.
So as I sit here writing this blog, I’m having a “hello festival, welcome to the chattersphere of the world wide web moment.” Foursquare has a couple million users, 2.4 million to be exact. And it’s growing in monstrous strides each month. These are 2.4 million young, tech-savvy consumers at your fingertips. So… use them. Again, 2.4 million users who broadcast their exact location to the millions of users on Facebook and Twitter. Has it hit you yet? This is huge.
Maybe you have a colossal advertising budget, I’m not sure. Regardless, isn’t your ultimate goal to get more people to purchase tickets? To get more people through that front gate of the festival? Encourage them to check-in the moment they arrive at your venue. And reward them for doing so. Offer them anything from a t-shirt to a discount on next year’s ticket for “checking-in” upon arrival. Use them as a source of free advertising. As cliché as it is, the word-of-mouth advertising they can provide for your festival or venue is invaluable.
You may just find that location-based social networking is much more powerful than that billboard you just spent two thousand buckaroos on.
