We all know by now that Foursquare is the “it” thing for businesses in the F&B industry.

It is not only useful in building a connection between the place and the people, it is also a great tool to reward loyal customers and give them the power to spread your word.

So, here are the typical and the not so typical ways that businesses can leverage on Foursquare.

1. Encourage Shout-Outs

A simple check in by a user can help publicize your business to his/her friends on Foursquare. But it can go a long way if users do a shout out on their Twitter profiles too. The word of mouth can be amazing.

Tasti D-Lite, a frozen dessert chain rolled out a rewards program called TastiRewards, which gives extra points to users who connect their Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare profiles to their account, which means they will update their Twitter and Foursquare accounts each time the card is swiped and points are earned or redeemed. That’s really cheap but effective marketing!

For businesses who are really into going social, having a “Check in or Tweet” counter can also motivate customers without smartphones to do a shout out there and then!

2. Have a Fun and Rewarding To-Do or Tips List

Create a To-Do and tips list for Foursquare users with items that are fun, quirky or totally embarrassing, and customers who complete one or more of the tasks would be rewarded.  This can help show the fun side of your business and let customers know that they can relax and be themselves at your place.

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