On October 28, the tech term, Location-Based Service, was the topic for Social Media Club in Gothenburg. I said in a video clip that you could use Foursquare, Gowalla and other Location Based Services (LBS) for:

• Having spontaneous meetings with people in the nearby area.
• Getting information about places you want to visit.
• Receiving special deals on stuff.
• Creating a memory journal for your whereabouts.
• Collecting ”points” and become a ”mayor” of different places.

The big thing is that you develop your personal brand with your ”shout-outs” and check-ins.

How could a business use a check-in application like Foursquare? John Jantsch is listing five things, in his post, Getting Creative with Foursquare for Small Business:

1. Target the hot spots.
2. Make referrals.
3. Flash specials.
4. Friend specials.
5. Create a swarm.

Here is an excerpt from M.P. Mueller’s post, Location-Based Services Can Put Businesses on the Map:

Mr. Reed is an enthusiastic user of social media, but he says that in terms of generating walk-in traffic, the location-based services trump Facebook and Twitter. “You can have a great Twitter account and Facebook page,” Mr. Reed said, “but if people don’t know where you are located and can’t find you, it’s really not doing you much good.” On average, he said, he gets four or five check-ins a day, but that number can jump to as many as 30 or 40 a day when Mississippi State’s Bulldogs are playing. And it doesn’t cost Mr. Reed anything, save the value of the discount.

(Blogs.NYTimes.com, October 14, 2011.)

Do you have an idea how you could build your clout score and become a thought leader in your area, by placing your business on the geolocation map?