Location Based Programs

Recently social media has intensified the ability others have to stay connected through the use of location based programs. On Facebook it is common to see a specific location after a status. For example, one update might read, "Chocolate Shakes and French Fries!!! --at Bill's Burgers." Doing this is an easy way for people to recommend their favorite places to their friends.

Foursquare has combined this concept with Yelp, a site dedicated to recommendations of restaurants, places to go, and things to do in your local area. The difference with Foursquare is that you connect with your friends to see what they are doing, where they are eating and where their favorite places are. Because most people are more likely to trust their friends than a random stranger, this  review is more personal and incredibly more relevant. This is word of mouth, online.

A business should want to take advantage of this program for one big reason. Bonds are created on a basis of common interests and generally people enjoy doing what their friends do. Therefore, customers using this program will automatically hit your target market, no market research involved. By encouraging customers to check in when they arrive and rewarding them when they have done so, this word of mouth can be utilized to a business' advantage.

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/10703/The-Future-of-Foursquare-Understanding-Location-Based-Marketing.aspx