As Foursquare and other location-based networks grow in popularity, both in terms of users and businesses, Mayor and checkin specials are becoming more and more ubiquitous. Local coffee shops offer a free shot of espresso with each checkin, while restaurants offer free appetizers, desserts or discounts off each purchase to the top Foursquare users. But beyond free food and drinks, some businesses have taken their Foursquare presence to the next level by thinking outside the box.
At Miss Shirley’s Café in Baltimore, MD, the Mayor never waits for a table. The restaurant draws quite the crowd for its weekend brunches — often an hour-long wait — so there’s fierce competition to become the Mayor. And data from Baltimore ad agency MGH shows that Miss Shirley’s has seen a 427% increase in checkins since the special began in early 2010. But with some users checking in to the same businesses almost daily (I’m looking at you, Jeff Janssen), how do businesses give value to Foursquare users who don’t come out on top?
Milwaukee-based AJ Bombers has the answer: a “Loyalty Royalty” menu created by not just the Mayor, but all of its top Foursquare users, designed to dispel “checkin fatigue.” Each month, AJ Bombers’ top three Foursquare users create a menu of their own, naming the special dishes and even tweaking the recipes. They can also choose one day each month to make their special meal available to all AJ Bombers patrons. And with other specials for dethroning the current Mayor and for adding tips and to dos, AJ Bombers puts Foursquare deals in the hands of more than just the Mayor.
Interested in taking your business’s Foursquare specials to the next level? Check out these other creative specials for inspiration.
