If your business relies on walk-in customers, you can now use social media tools to find local customers on the internet. Thanks to smart cell phones and the growing dependence on the mobile internet, it’s easier than ever to find people in your neighborhood online.

• Before You Start: You have a business that relies on walk-in business.
• Learning Level: 1 | Social Media Basics
• Article Last Updated: Saturday, August 11, 2012

Geolocation Means Business

Social media is turning the world upside down. The old real estate adage “Location is everything” has taken on a new meaning with the latest trend, geolocation. It’s a big word and it means several related things, but the bottom line is this: Your business can benefit from adding information about your business’ physical location to various internet services.

Cell Phones And The Internet

In the early days of the internet, businesses grew because they could reach out to customers in distant locations through an online connection. Today, the internet is helping businesses that rely on walk-in traffic to connect with the users located in the neighborhood. You can pin-point your geography online and target people who live and work near your business, include people whose daily commute takes them past your business.

The reason for this change? Cell phones, especially smart phones. Cell phones are always tracked for location because they rely on cell phone towers to send and receive messages. In other words, your cell phone always knows where it is located on the planet. People today use their cell phone to connect with the internet while they are mobile. The marriage of cell phones and the internet means that your business build your local customer base through the internet.

Geolocation Services

Your business has an opportunity now to jump into the social media tools that use geolocation to help local customers. Here are some things you can do this week to start tapping into the local customers through social media tools.

• Get your business listed on Google Maps. Update you listing to include important customer information like your hours, services, products, and even photographs.
• Find local people who use Twitter. You can follow them, and even schedule a meetup at your business with your local Twitter community.
• Check out the various check-in services like Foursquare, Gowalla, and MyTown. See if your business is listed with each service. Start making a list of people who regularly check-in at your business and meet them on their next visit.

Want to learn more about the check-in services? We’ve got a series of articles to help you tap into them to build and reward your local customer base.

Your turn: Are you already aware of these check-in social media tools? Are you using them to connect with your customers? Share your experience here.

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• Foursquare And Your Business
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