How to Claim Your Venue on Foursquare

Foursquare, a location-based mobile and social platform, is growing globally, however, many local US based-businesses still do not manage their venues online.

The most important reason to claim your venue on Foursquare is to get access to valuable analytics called Venue Stats. In real time, as the owner of a venue, you will be able to view:

• Total daily check-ins over time
• Your most recent visitors
• Your most frequent visitors
• Gender breakdown of your customers
• What time of day people check-in
• Portion of your venue’s Foursquare check-ins that are broadcast to Twitter and Facebook

As the owner of a venue in Foursquare, you may create unique specials and offers for your business to attract more interest and customers, including mayor specials, frequency specials or customized one-time specials.

Recently, I was accepted into the Foursquare Ambassador program where I'm able to help businesses connect with their loyal clients and attract new customers. If you'd like to using Foursquare for free to claim and promote your business, check out http://4sq.com/jennyd to get started.

Insider Check-In at Foursquare HQ

While attending SourceCon in NYC, I had the opportunity to tour Foursquare's HQ. Co-Founders, Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai were there to greet me too. As an active user, I was simply thrilled just to check-in to this location.

Naveen and Jenny at Foursquare's HQ

The genuine passion of each employee is evident when the elevator opens to their offices. Although people are productive and focused on their work, you sense that they are motivated by a greater purpose. I talked with two outstanding employees, Carol and Eric. It was refreshing to hear about their responsibilities and sincere dedication to Foursquare's users.

Their offices include private meeting spaces with badges on each door, a kitchen, disco ball and lounge areas for their staff to work comfortably. Innovation, kindness and creativity are valued and on display. It is no surprise that Foursquare is hiring and growing. I'm hopeful that the collaborative core and culture will remain the same. Visiting Foursquare only reinforced my belief in this organization and its continued success.

Unlock the Mile High Badge on Foursquare

Foursquare has become a part of my daily routine. I enjoy checking into venues, learning from others' experiences, receiving special offers and sharing my own tips. It is also a way for me to keep up with colleagues while traveling.

Today on my Delta flight home to Atlanta, I finally uncovered the secret to unlocking the GogoInflight Internet Mile High Badge on Foursquare. Here's how:

1. Login your Foursquare account.

2. Just to be safe, add GogoInflight as your friend at http://foursquare.com/gogoinflight.

3. When you are above 10,000 feet, you will have to use the GogoInfight Wifi and this has a small fee, unless you have a promo code or offer.

4. Once you have access, search for Foursquare.com in the Google search box on the Gogo Inflight home page. I used my laptop to do this, not my smartphone.

4. In the search results, choose the other devices option under Foursquare.com which is located at http://m.foursquare.com.

5. Give a shout out to GogoInfight Wireless and you will earn your badge.

If you'd like to know how to unlock all of the other badges, visit http://www.4squarebadges.com/foursquare-badge-list.

Everyone Wins on Foursquare

During my childhood days in Iowa, I played Foursquare at recess and even indoors during the winter months. Now Foursquare has become a virtual game that I access on a daily basis with 540,000 other users.

The new Foursquare is a location based social networking resource that you access from your phone. Its users check into actual locations. You get points for checking into locations and may even become the Mayor of a venue. For example, I'm the Mayor of the Starbucks on 14th Street in Midtown Atlanta. Users are awarded badges for checking into certain venues or for accomplishing a certain task. If you check into 5 different Starbucks locations, you get a special badge and a free drink.

Here are some benefits of playing Foursquare:

1. In-Person Networking
Foursquare can find users that you follow on Twitter or your friend on Facebook who are also using Foursquare. You have the ability to also follow their checkins, as long as they approve of you as a friend on Foursquare. At SXSW, it was a great way to track which panels and parties people were attending.  I could use Google Maps, which is embedded into Foursquare to meet up with ideal contacts. 

2. Top of Mind Awareness
Maintaining multiple relationships over time is difficult. Foursquare allows me to show my contacts in other cities my activities when I check into venues, including my workplace. You can combat the "out of sight, out of mind" syndrome. You can connect your Foursquare account to Twitter or Facebook to update your status when you checkin, become the mayor of a location or receive a badge.

3. VIP Treatment
Many businesses offer specials when you check-in for the first time or as the mayor of their business. You also get to know other regulars that support that same local venue. Companies can create a feed of the checkins at their locations too. Your customers are announcing with pride that they are at your location. Wouldn't you like to reward them? You can also use a widget to highlight these visitors on your website: http://www.placewidget.com.

4. Real-Time Reviews
You can add tips and also read advice from others who have visited the same location. Users can also connect directly to Yelp to read additional reviews in detail. As a consumer, you will make informed buying decisions. Businesses learn ways to improve their operations and relationships with customers.

Dennis Crowley, Co-Founder of Foursquare at SXSWIf you are still in doubt, keep in mind these accomplishments that Foursquare achieved in the past year:

Over 500,000 users
Over 1,000,000 badges have been awarded
Over 1.4 million venues with 1200 offering specials
Over 15.5 million checkins

Foursquare and other geotagging options will continue to evolve and become a part of every company's social strategy.