Tag Archives: Foursquare

Facebook now a bigger “Deal” for local businesses
 in Wichita

Posted on January 31, 2011 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

FAcebook Deals, Foursquare, Google Places, gowalla, JuggleMedia

Facebook’s newest location-based service aptly named “Deals” can have a huge impact for 
local businesses struggling in a down economy. As a social network with more than 580,000 users within 50 miles of Wichita, Deals was released late last year just in time to encourage interaction amongst consumers during the busy holiday season. Now that it is over (except Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter and Mother’s Day AH WHEN DOEW IT STOP?!?) Facebook Deals can help even the smallest of companies reel in customers.

If used in the right way, Deals can help businesses “generate awareness, encourage in-store traffic and build customer loyalty” the social-networking giant said. This is due, in large-part to the four different kinds of Deals a business can use.

First, a business can offer an individual deal like “receive 20% off your entire purchase” or “show this deal and receive a free cup of coffee.” It’s an opportunity for the business to simply entice the people at the location to spend more, or it can become a promotional opportunity to generate in-store traffic.

There are also loyalty Deals like “after 5 visits, we’ll give you a free appetizer” or “after 20 visits, you’ve reached VIP status. Enjoy 20% off.” These are easy-to-use loyalty program opportunities that bring people back time and time again.

Third, Facebook offers Charity Deals to allow not-for-profits and different causes an opportunity to make money from other business traffic. They gave an example of Starbucks donating $1 for every Deal to go to Conservation International. It’s a way for people to feel empowered and connected to different causes while generating a running-tally or goal for a campaign.

Finally, and what I think makes Deals ultra-powerful, is the Friend Deal. When people shop, chances are, they are not doing it alone. Friends Deals allow a business to use the power of the social networking giant to spread the deal. Imagine going to a retail location and receiving a deal for you and five of your friends. The catch is, you just have to tag (Facebook’s way of connecting people to information) up to eight friends and they will receive the Deal as well. It’s an incredibly powerful tool that, when used correctly, can help a business expand it’s social outreach, increase sales, and make more money from simply posting the Deal and letting their customers do the promoting for them.

So how does Deals work? An individual heads to the location of the business and “checks-in” using a mobile device like their cell phone. When they do that, Facebook Deals pop up either at that specific location or, if say somebody is in Old Town Square, you can see which Deals are near-by and decide to shop there.  All a business has to do is set-up the Deal, promote it a little bit and encourage others to use it. Because it is social and Facebook is so connected, people will see the Deals in their feed.

Facebook Deals isn’t new. Sites like Foursquare and Gowalla have been offering location-based incentive programs for businesses for quite some time. However, due to the size and popularity of Facebook, Deals becomes a front-runner in connecting people to businesses. Combine Deals with a business Facebook Page, and you have a robust business connection tool that can essentially be a businesses entire customer-loyalty program. It’s a distinct opportunity to connect with customers on  a personal level, making repeat visits or purchases socially driven.

It’ll be interesting to see which businesses throughout Wichita use Deals to entice more customers to head their way. Better-yet, maybe you’ll get a Deal from a local business you’ve never heard from simply because your friend wanted to share it with you. That’s the power of social networks.

6 Social Hopes for Wichita in 2011

Posted on January 3, 2011 in JuggleMedia Wichita, Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Facebook, facebook places, Foursquare, gowalla, social media wichita, Wichita Kansas

With 2011 finally in full-swing, I wanted to add my hopes for social media around the Wichita area. Notice I said hopes. These aren’t predictions. These are just 6 simple things that I hope happen in the next year.

1. Location-based social networks will draw me in

Many people are using popular location-based social networks like FourSquare, Gowalla and even Facebook Places, but in terms of businesses utilizing these as business opportunities, I feel Wichita could benefit. I WANT a restaurant to target me and use my location to market to me. I WANT to know what your special is on a night I’d like to take my wife and I out to eat. I personally WANT businesses to use this. It shows that you are thinking about your customer and you WANT me there. Not wanting me to stumble in.

2. I’ll know why to “like” you or follow you

I’ve seen so many more businesses create a Facebook Page or join Twitter (of course, I’m a little sensitive to this market) and then start to yell “FOLLOW ME,” “LIKE ME,” “LOOK AT ME!.” I’ve even see some companies using traditional streams to market their social channels, which I applaud. I believe many forget to answer “WHY.” Why should I follow you? Why should I join you Facebook Page? Why? Why? Why?

I hope that 2011 bring on the year of answering WHY!

3. My friends will tweet

I have friends on Twitter who have joined up and have yet to tweet. Bummer. I actually want to know what they are up to. What things they are interested in. I want to know where they are. I want to see all of their Christmas Pictures.

I see more and more and more businesses joining Twitter. It’s a great channel to spread short-burst communication with people if use effectively. Along with the “Why” question, I want to know what they are going to offer me. I know that sounds selfish, but it doesn’t have to be a free soda every time.

4. We’ll see businesses work harder to create creative content

Cool. You joined social networks and have an email newsletter. What are you going to say? Again, why am I here. Adding a social media component is like adding an entire multimedia department. Creativity wins and in a world of short attention spans, it vital. It’s important to record your CEO’s latest message, but I also want to see real creativity flourish. I’m looking for Flash Mobs, creative YouTube videos, fun Facebook Promotions, engaging tweet or best yet an email that entices me to buy. I hope that many Wichita businesses jump on the creativity train and show me some awesome stuff!

5. I hope to learn from other successful LOCAL social media campaigns

What Skittles and Old Spice do in the social world with millions of followers is sweet, but what about the local business with 2,000 followers on Facebook? What about making actual money with this stuff. More and more of our clients are having success with social media because we built an awesome foundation with them. We’ve engaged their audiences and we’ve had a lot of fun! I want to see more of these successes that allow us to be successful here. Successful now. Successful in Wichita Kansas.

6. Businesses focus on their true strengths

Being all things to all people is overrated. Thankfully small is the new big. JuggleMedia doesn’t want to be a website company. We can do it, but that takes us away from social media. I want to see more businesses saying no because its not their specialty.

The same holds true in social media within a company.  Sometimes Twitter is best, sometimes Facebook. Sometimes YouTube. I want to see more businesses using each technology effectively specifically for their business. No two social campaigns are the same, so I hope to see less and less copying and more and more creativity.

I hope each and every one of you can also use these technologies to better connect to your customers and activate them more frequently to purchase more often, making it a prosperous new year for you!

All the best in 2011!

Facebook “Likes” plus location-based features makes powerful marketing

Posted on May 7, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Facebook, Foursquare, location-based marketing, mobile marketing, Wichita Social Media

Imagine the power (or fear) of some business owners harnessing the fact that tools like Foursquare and now even Facebook are adding location-based applications to their bag of social media marketing tricks.

Now, I can sit down at that restaurant and check-in to see who else is around, been here or suggest is delicious. If I check in more than anybody else at a particular location, I can score some free food, a sweet discount and you bet your tail if I lose that prestige, I’m gonna come back as many times as possible to regain it.

But what happens when the world’s largest social media unit, Facebook, with almost 500 Million people (read, HALF-A-Billion, 1-twelfth of the world’s population) adds the ability for me to sit down at the same restaurant, check in, like it, read the menu and here’s the kicker- COMMENT ON THE SERVICE, FOOD, PRICES and MANAGEMENT. Sure, many people only update if negative things happen in their experience, but imagine how easy Facebook is making it to comment and put all that info out there. Scary, especially if your in the service business.

Location-based networking is the wave of the future. It’s bringing that human interaction component to a stodgy old business. If I am “connected” to the business because I’ve been there, I “like” the business on Facebook and I’m now following them on Twitter, how positive is my perception of the business? How much more likely am I going to just show up and buy something just simply based on the communication given to me?

Think about it. It’s not coming, it’s here. Businesses need to start processing what’s happening and harness the tool. Today would be a good day to start. Download Foursquare or Gowalla on your smart phone and play around with it. You’ll see what I mean.

JM adds text and Foursquare help

Posted on March 30, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Foursquare, Wichita Social Media

Hey there, Ryan here!

At JuggleMedia, I’d say about 20-50% of our time is used keeping up with the latest in non-traditional marketing. I find that it is super important to be on top of these tools to ensure that our clients use the best medium to communicate with people.

Notice: businesses need to meet their customers where they are, not where they want them to be.

“Traditional marketing” (in my mind, things like billboards, radio, television and print advertising) aren’t outdated, uncool or unnecessary. Using these tools can be very effective to the overall message success, if that is in fact where the audience that one if trying to target is hanging out.

However, it’s important for people to meet people in their comfort zone. Technology that is currently updating can be overwhelming for some to keep up on and understand, thus why I find it important to try to stay up on it for you.

Take Foursquare for example. This location-based “game” can have some awesome traffic-driving initiatives built into it for businesses that are built based off of their location, like bars, restaurants, shops or even housing developments. The ability for a person on foursquare to know and understand what’s happening at a certain venue is an awesome tool to drive customers. I have yet to see a bar, restaurant or store offering me an incentive on foursquare to come into the store. It’s a very cool and important technology to harness.

But what about other tools like text-message marketing? We do that too. If you have somebody outside your location, how are you going to communicate to them? Big signs? Fliers? What if it was a lot cheaper and more personal? Text-message marketing offers a HUGE opportunity to communicate with people on their own terms, with their most intimate device. People wake-up to their cell-phones and many can’t live without it, so using it as a primary tool to communicate would only benefit both parties. Think about it.

From restaurants to funeral homes, our clients use us at the way to connect ideas to people. Messages to sales. Sales to money. Money to success.

How can we help you? Give me a buzz directly at 316.747.9266 or rcole@jugglemedia.com. Let’s chat about the things that we do and the problems that you have. Who knows, we may be able to help.

Thanks

JM> Social Media help for “normal” people.

Posted on March 12, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Engadget, Facebook, Foursquare, Google, Mashable, Purpose, Twitter, Wichita Social Media, Wordpress

At JuggleMedia, we like to put together articles and write about relevant social media problems that effect “normal” people. There are things that are happening that are fundamental shifts in communication, technology, marketing, business and interpersonal relationships. We want you to be a fan or follow of ours so we can pass along this awesome information to you.

There are several different sources of social media greatness that we follow. From Mashable to the very technical Engadget, we look at all the articles and highlight the best and simplify them for your consumption.

Of course, if you ever have any problems or questions specific to social media, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Google, WordPress or any other platform, just drop us a question in the comments section. We’ll get right back at ya!

We hope to strengthen our relationship and help you learn this “stuff” better. Happy Friday!