Four Ways To Use Gowalla in Your Marketing Strategy

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Location-based marketing tool Gowalla offers businesses powerful ways to drive exposure and customer engagement. Lior Levin shows us how to make the most of it.

Gowalla is quickly becoming one of the top location based services, allowing users to check-in to wherever they may be visiting via a mobile device. Gowalla doesn’t just stop with check-ins though, it offers a world of other features and opportunities for businesses to be seen and increase their reach.We have seen it work very well for a psd to html service I was recently involved with.Through various features like Stamps, Trips, virtual items, and Spot claiming, business can receive free exposure and gain even more customers.

Let’s look at the top four ways that a company can use Gowalla to drive its marketing strategy

Stamps

There are many sites that allow users to earn badges and rewards to showcase what they like or have checked into, such as allkpop. Gowalla is no different; users receive Stamps whenever they check into a Spot. Since these stamps can be customised by the actual businesses that they refer to, this is a perfect branding tool. Whenever a user checks into your Spot, everyone will be able to see your Stamp on their profile. What better way to increase your reach and pique the interest of other users?

Virtual Items

Just like people carry backpacks when going on hikes or camping trips, Gowalla users carry virtual packs where they can store virtual goods. These virtual items can be earned by checking into a related location like a restaurant, store or even a school. For example, you could offer virtual pens for your company logo to anyone that checks into OfficeMax. Offering virtual items related to your brand is a great way to engage with users and really get involved in the Gowalla community. Virtual items are especially beneficial to businesses who are primarily online and do not have a physical office.

Trips

Users who are traveling or just want to showcase their favorite places can create a Trip, which is essentially a list of places where they plan to visit from point A to point B. Often, users will even have their check-ins auto-posted to other social sites like Twitter and Facebook. If users are able to add your business to their Trip, this can lead to a large increase in viewership of your brand. Trips can also be a great way to promote special events and make your brand more transparent.

Claiming Spots

If your business has a physical location, it’s important to claim your Spot on Gowalla as soon as possible. This is a great opportunity to add more details and incentives to your business. Additionally, you’ll be able to create customised check-in messages, monitor check-in activity, and offer special promotions for those who check into your location. The more care and creativity you put into your Spot, the more users will be willing to check-in, leave positive remarks, and share it with friends. The more that people can read about your Spot, the more interested they’ll be in learning more about it and possible visiting. While many people would probably never think to use a site like Gowalla for marketing, you’ll see that it’s actually more useful than many other social sites. Now that you know how to get your business noticed on Gowalla, it’s time to take advantage of these useful features. As location-based services are quickly growing in popularity, now is the time to jump on the bandwagon.

Article by Lior Levin

Lior Levin is a blogger and a marketing consultant to various online startups. He advises to 123neonsigns and also works for an MA in Israel Studies program at the Tel Aviv University.

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