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Business Expert Asks: Is Your Business Taking Advantage of the Age of Mobility? The Lowdown on Social Location Marketing

By: WSI International |  0 Shares     108 Reads

Business owners have to actively participate in any social networking or location-based program.

COQUITLAM, BC, May 11, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With the number of smartphone users growing exponentially, ActionCOACH Master Licensee Peter Williamson wants small business owners to take advantage of the customer base of over 60 million users that accompanies this trend. But with social networking technology changing almost every day, it can be tough to stay on top of new developments, something that he teaches his clients to do.

Williamson believes it's a powerful marketing force, but that its success depends on the amount of time and effort small business owners are willing to put into it. As an example, the most popular location-based app, Foursquare's popularity is due to the incentives it offers customers. When users 'check in' to a location, they can amass points and badges which can translate into discounts and offers from business owners. But in order for a business to really benefit from Foursquare's capabilities they have to be willing to build in those incentives. And platforms like Yelp - a location-based review site - now offers businesses the opportunity to reply to reviews, an element of interaction with proven results.

"Each technology offers something different to its users, and it's important that businesses understand how they can benefit from the different programs. There's no one social location model that fits all," says Williamson. "And it's not enough for businesses to just 'sign up' and expect to see results; that's not how it works. Business owners have to actively participate in any social networking or location-based program. But with all of these apps, it's absolutely critical that business owners actively participate if they want to reap the rewards."

Location-based commerce is clearly here to stay, and it's important that small business owners understand the advantages and disadvantages of each platform. Social networking and social location marketing are key elements of Williamson's business coaching programs.

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