Here are some ways check-in apps can help your marketing.

Here are some ways check-in apps can help your marketing:

1) They can drive branding. We all need ways to sand out within our market space. If you have interesting services and products, people will naturally want to follow you and learn more. You will have succeeded in gaining their attention and notice. Sometimes getting noticed in the online environment can be the hardest part. Once a business has the attention of potential customers a rapport can be developed and used for business transactions that can benefit everyone involved.

2) They can drive relationship building. The apps let you in on the daily routine of a person’s life and this can help you get to know them better and seek common ground. For instance if you see that friends are flocking to a restaurant or store you are more likely to check-in as well. Foursquare is really good and cost effective way to drive buzz for new services and products.  

3) People are attracted to movement and action. If they see you moving about the world, taking part in different events, different activities, you are automatically seen as a “mover and shaker” – this can position you for opportunities and contacts.  

4) You can build greater influence. You  can use your check-in status to make recommendations and suggestions for those on your friends list. These can help you be seen as conscientious and helpful.

5) Finally, they are fun. I love to see what other people are doing and to make note of the places I’d like to try too. Again, the first part of all marketing is to get attention- and the check-in apps can help you do this well.

So if you have been reluctant to start checking-in you might  want to reconsider. And yes, I’d love to be Foursquare friends.

Social Media Check-in Apps “Who Cares?”

Ok, It’s true confession time. When I first heard of the check-in applications, such as GoWalla or Foursquare, my initial thought was, “Who Cares?”. Now having used Foursquare for a few months, I'm actually enjoying it! And I believe there are some great reasons to use check-in apps as part of your Social Media marketing strategy.

So, for those who might not know, these check-in applications allow you to update your status with an indication of your current place and location. So, let’s say for instance that I’ve gone to dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant, I can “ckeck-in” here, and all my Foursquare friends will know that I’m there. You can, optionally, also choose to update your Twitter or Facebook status as well. And you can add a comment like great garlic bread.

On foursquare, you are awarded points for your check-ins, and they increase in value the more frequently you check in. You get +1 point for checking in, and +5 points for checking in from a new location. If you check in to multiple places in one day, you are awarded additional points. You are then awarded badges based on your activity. I have found that they are generally clever and fun. On a recent trip to Maui in checked-in at the airport and unlocked the swarm badge- which you get when 30 or more people check in from the same location. So the playful nature of this process is very appealing. It’s also fun to see what badges your friends have unlocked, and to use the application to gain a location and place based sense of what your friends are doing that Day.

Great, you say- sounds like fun. But how can this help me in my Social Marketing strategies…

In addition to the rivalry between Groupon and Living Social there is the problem of fatigue.

Is this couponing a trend or does it truly bring value to brands? With couponing there is a population of about 30-40 percent that are really interested in the discount. Other people have signed up to experiment or for the novelty of the experience. Some people are going to jump from restaurant to restaurant or from spa to spa. These customers don't really have loyalty to a brand. They are just motivated by the next big coupon. Does this process add value for the retailers once the novelty wears off? This process also dilutes the ability of retailers to do their own promotions. In the end the coupon business that survives the war could be left without much in the way of business partners.


 
When Groupon and Living Social first started they were hailed as ways to get local and enhance internet search in a local market. It was all about the local business and providing a way for retailers to enter locally. Now that Groupon and Living Social are big and in the super bowl things seem to be changing. The things that are being touted is Living Social's deal with Amazon and Groupon doing a deal with Barnes and Nobel. IT seems like not things have gone back to the big boys. In the end are Groupon and Living Social really effective at getting to the small brands locally?


 
As larger businesses figure out the couponing strategy will the reach that Groupon and Living Social have diminish? I certainly hope not. Both brands are an enormous help to smaller local retailers.


 

Are Groupon and Living Social in a race to the bottom? 

 

Both coupon services are trying to attract new users with better deals from bigger retailers. Does this create a classic race to the bottom? Groupon and Living Social are in a war and glutting the market with better and better offers. With everyone rushing in are Groupon and Living Social going to run out of people who want to buy coupons? From a business stand point that could be a real problem. 

 

Both Groupon and Living Social advertised during the super bowl. First Groupon reserved a spot during the big game. Then Living Social was a last minute addition for the pregame. The rivalry is turning into a full fledged Pepsi vs. Coke war. Both are cutting their margins to become the bigger player in the space. Eventually someone will win after the other goes out of business. Who will be left and what will they look like? This reminds me of

http://www.letsbuyit.com/ in the 1990's and Value America that offered items at a discount. Both had slightly different business models but the mentality was the same. Unfortunately, neither business really took off. And that was without stiff completion. 

After this fiasco should Groupon rethink its strategy with bigger retailers? Nothing like FTD jacking up the price on Valentine’s Day.

This topic has been rolling around in my melon for a while…

More to follow tomorrow...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- A day after Groupon offered $20 off of $40 worth of flowers and gifts from FTD, users are calling the deal a scam.

The coupon, which nearly 3,300 people bought, directed buyers to a special FTD website -- FTD.com/groupon -- to take advantage of the offer. The problem, users said, was that prices were higher than on the regular website, effectively diminishing the value of the deal. n fact, it appeared that a Valentine's Day bouquet would cost more if users redeemed their Groupon.

"What a scam. The ftd groupon site has a price $10-$20 more than their own site. So basically you didn't save anything," Joann L. wrote in the comments section of Groupon's site

"Yes -- groupon, refund my money! The ftd.com/groupon site has higher prices than the regular site," echoed another user.

Disgruntled shoppers also noted that high service and shipping charges further depleted the voucher's value. Others found that bouquets would not be delivered before Feb. 15, the day after Valentines Day.

In response to the negative feedback, Groupon closed the deal a day early.

"It was way too big of a headache for our customers and that isn't how Groupon treats people," Groupon's spokeswoman Julie Mossler said in an email to CNNMoney.

http://www.groupon.com/