Businesses 'must decide which social media sites to invest in'

14:00 20th May 2010

Business owners must decide which social media websites are worthy of them spending time developing a presence on.

According to website developer Michael Gray, social media tool Foursquare could be one worth using for many businesses.

He explained that it connects to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter via the user's GPS-enabled smart phone to verify and broadcast their location.

Foursquare users who do this regularly win rewards such as being named the mayor of a certain location if they have visited it more than any other user over a 60-day period.

Mr Gray explained that businesses could utilise this if they regularly see customers using smart phones on their premises.

Writing for Search Engine Land, he said businesses could claim their property via Foursquare, which then allows them to offer incentives to people who visit the building.

He said: "For example, a business can offer a discount or free item to anyone who proves they are the mayor, or to anyone who visits a certain number of times."

Mr Gray added that businesses that depend on foot traffic from local consumers could get the most out of using the social media tool.

Patricio Robles of Econsultancy recently warned digital marketers that giving away products via social media websites is not a sustainable model.