The Importance of the "Check-In" on Facebook
What is a Check-in on Facebook? It's the user simply sharing with their network, using a Geo-tag, where they are and what they are doing. For some of the "cooler" orhip places in the world this is a common activity among Facebook users. And it's an excellent way for places and businesses to get some free advertising. So if you're getting a lot of "check-ins," you're getting a lot of exposure.
But what if your business isn't something that most have the urge to check into? How can you drive more check-ins and get your business shared out to your current customers social networks?
There are a few ways to get this done effectively. They all come down to having a proper incentive.
How to incentivize your current customers?
When a customer walks into your store you have an immediate opportunity to discuss your social media initiatives with them openly. If you're trying to grow your social media, it's always smart to give something of value away for free or at a discount in exchange for a direct call of action.
This could be a review, a check-in, or a page like in exchange for a coupon, a raffle ticket, or a free prize. Restaurants may give away a free appetizer, retail stores might give a 20% discount off a future purchase, and services may do free shipping in exchange for one of the above interactions.
Recently we received free Edamame in exchange for a Yelp Check-in. Typically we wouldn't check-in on Yelp, but this particular restaurant understood the value of the Check-in while we saw the value in an equal sense. There was a direct call to action and a direct and simple reward in return. If the restaurant or business delivers the exchange the customer leaves as a happy customer and potentially, after checking into Yelp, then go one step further and leave a positive review. This is one simple example that can be replicated in a multitude of ways.
The more check-ins and coverage your business receives the more eyes and attention your business receives from those customers networks. These networks general trust each other and their decisions and typically live within a radius that can potentially shop your store. All this adds up over time and for a small cost your business can gain a big impact.
The key is figuring out exactly what works for your brand and your customer base and then executing the above. We can help make this process make more sense. Feel free to reach out to one of our social media experts to find out how to do this today!