Onboarding and Engaging with Location Based Services

Next Wednesday, I'm speaking at a very cool event in Chicago called the Bricks + Mobile Conference. If you're in the area, you should absolutely plan to attend (I may even be able to finagle you a discount). I mention this because I'm on a panel with some very smart people including:

• Tim Hayden, CMO 44Doors (moderator)
• Adam Beaugh, Director of Social Media, Jackson Family Wines
• David Javitch, VP of Marketing, Scanlife
• Jessica Rotnicki-Magaro, Vice President Ecommerce North America, Estee Lauder Companies

The reason I got asked to be on the panel (I think) is that I am now the head of location based marketing at global agency, WCG and am also co-authoring a book called Location Based Marketing for Dummies. In the book, my co-author, Mike Schneider, and I are focusing on how businesses -- large and small -- are tapping into the power of location based marketing. This starts with goals and offers and ends with platforms, measurement and analytics.

One of the main things that Mike and I are focusing on in the book is how businesses can derive real business value by engaging with their customers using location based services. To that end, loyalty is a major outcome that many of the companies like McDonalds, Neiman Marcus and USA Today are seeking as they engage using platforms like foursquare, SCVNGR and Whrrl.

But before companies get to loyalty through regular (hopefully fun and/or educational) interactions with their customers, is there role that location based services can play when it comes to on-boarding and engaging their customers? Of course there is.

For starters, any company that is engaging in location based marketing should consider offers that are not only universal (mayor offers are somewhat overrated), but also that encourage initial and then repeat behavior. There is a local coffeeshop/theater here in Austin, TX called the Hideout that does a nice job on this front. Their offer gives you a 2 for 1 ticket to the theater on your 1st, 5th and 10th checkins (and free admission for the mayor). This provides immediate value the first time you checkin but also keeps you checking in (and ideally coming back) to continue to get your discount.

Where the Hideout (and many other companies fall down) is not letting their customers who aren't using location base services that there is an offer. Why not have a poster up on the wall, a sign on the front door and a trained barista that asks you if you've checked in? Creating a compelling offer and then letting your customers know about it is key.

Another thought when it comes to on-boarding is what if you could check into your new television? Or laptop? Or box of Cheerios? And what if when you checked in you got special instructions (plus a reward)? Well, there are services that are starting to provide this type of functionality like GetGlue. And as of two days ago, GetGlue just announced a partnership with Lionsgate offering 40% off the Blueray DVD set of AMC's popular tv show, Madmen. While this partnership doesn't do much by way of "on-boarding," they are creating fun, excitement and engagement with Madmen fans.

Is your company using location based marketing to on-board, engage and create loyalty with your customers? If so, post about it in the comments section below.