The Niche Marketing Blog

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[Editor's note: OK, so maybe you've heard that location based marketing services (LBS) are gaining traction in terms of driving traffic to brick and mortar businesses. Maybe you've also heard that traditional marketing methods (e.g. yellow pages advertising, fliers, etc.) are losing ground to mobile applications (e.g. Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, etc.). So, where is all of this heading and, more important for the retailer or niche marketer, how do you get in front of the trend and convert all of this new technology into customers and increased sales? The following guest article focuses on six predictions for LBS in 2011 and beyond. What do you think? Let me know by leaving a comment below. ~Scott]

By Matt Bodnar

Here are six predictions for big changes in the location based services (“LBS”) space in 2011.

1. Location based services gain substantial ground – Foursquare, Gowalla, and Facebook Places will all see substantial user growth and more mainstream adoption as consumers start to see that these offer real value. Just like services such as Groupon that use social media to bring value to consumers, these services offer the same benefits. Soon we will see consumers start checking in with greater frequency.

2. Foursquare remains the clear leader – despite Facebook Places, Foursquare stays at the forefront of the LBS market. Privacy concerns are the main barrier for Facebook Places. Consumers identify Foursquare more with location and may not want their check-ins linked with their Facebook account. If someone checks in with Foursquare they don’t have to worry about that being broadcast all over their Facebook wall. This will play out being to Foursquare’s advantage.

3. Gowalla, SCVNGR, or another smaller LBS platform is acquired by a major technology company – one of these smaller platforms, combined with the larger infrastructure or user base of a firm like Google or Groupon, could pose a big threat in the LBS space. Smaller platforms are a better target as the acquiring firm doesn’t have to pay a premium for users (as they would with foursquare).

4. Location based marketing becomes a mainstream form of customer engagement – there is a very compelling value for businesses in using LBM through a platform like foursquare as a permission marketing asset. Once either the user base starts growing or businesses realize the potential of location based services, location based marketing will see a big boom.

5. There will be a growth in Third-Party location software – we are already seeing it with Flicksqr, Geotoko, Place Punch, and Placcess – but if Twitter is any indicator, location platforms will start to see a big proliferation of startups focused on using location platforms to engage customers and refining the location space from a business user’s perspective.

6. Digital wallets merge with location services – We will see a big boost in digital wallet technology and some form of that merging with LBS. Shopkick is already taking things in that direction and several cutting edge start-ups are working toward this goal as well.

Matt Bodnar is a restaurant entrepreneur with a passion for social media. Visit his blog http://www.LBMGuru.com to learn more about location based marketing and get the latest updates. Matt also offers tips and strategies for using location based marketing to grow your business with a free how-to guide you can download right now at: http://www.locationbasedmarketing.biz

(C) Copyright – Matt Bodnar. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Bodnar

http://EzineArticles.com/?Six-Location-Based-Service-Predictions-for-2011&id=5741368

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• Facebook Places, Foursquare: Social Media’s Tiny 2% Impact on Businesses (fastcompany.com)
• Changing Up the Location Game: Why It’s Worth Checking-In on Facebook Places, Too (ogilvypr.com)
• Silicon Alley Insider: QUESTION: Does Anyone Use Foursquare Anymore? (businessinsider.com)
• 17 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Foursquare (blogworld.com)

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Location Based Services meet Social Media

Presentation at “Locations and Beyond” Summit San Francisco, October 2010 music: “Where You Belong” by Faded Paper Figures & composed by Kael Alden images: Tokyo by OHASHI_Takashi San Francisco by Simon ChristenCopyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 …

Technorati Tags: Foursquare, Geotoko, Gowalla, Marketing strategy, niche marketing, SCVNGR, Shopkick

It’s been a while since I have posted a “round-up” of niche marketing videos. So, without further ado, here is a short collection of niche marketing videos for your education and enjoyment. The first three are from NicheTrends.net, while the last one is from the Headless Professor.

If you are new to the concept of niche marketing, these short videos will get you up to speed quickly.

Niche Marketing: Finding Hot Markets

NicheTrends.net If you’re stuck trying to find niche ideas for your niche marketing, here are some free tools that I use to find hot trends that may help you as well. You can also download a free report of the hottest niche marketing trends of 2008 a…

Niche Marketing: Finding Traffic

NicheTrends.net Need help with your niche market research? Here’s a nifty tool that can help. Visit our website at http for more ideas and a free report of the hot trends in 2008.

Niche Marketing: Niche Market Research

NicheTrends.net The key to niche market research is finding the needs of your target market. Watch over my shoulder as I dive into market research for a niche. Need more ideas? Download a free report on hot niche trends on http

niche marketing

How to target a niche based upon market segmentation: demographic, psychographic and benefit.

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• 3 Unique Niche Marketing Suggestions To Apply In Your Business … (worldmusiclebanon.org)
• Niche Selection Rules (marketersdaily.com)

Technorati Tags: market research, niche market, niche marketing videos

Image via CrunchBase

[Editor's note: Niche marketers are always looking for ways to improve their marketing strategy and increase their market share. An effective location based marketing (LBM) strategy is one way to do this. Many LBM strategies focus on platforms like Foursquare, or Gowalla, to drive foot traffic to a retail location. But, how do you drive traffic to Foursquare and Gowalla? Consider Twitter. Yes, if used strategically, Twitter can be a powerful weapon for increasing leads and sales. Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment, below. ~Scott]

By Matt Bodnar

Twitter is a core piece of any social media marketing strategy. It makes sense for online markets to use Twitter for a variety of reasons, but why should a local small business, a shop or restaurant for example, use Twitter?

Twitter is a very strong platform for location based marketing. Foursquare or Gowalla would be considered “primary” location based marketing platforms, while Twitter is more of a secondary location based marketing program. However, Twitter can be a vital tool and take your LBM campaign to the next level.

Twitter builds on the idea of “permission marketing.” Twitter can be used to create a follower list of customers who are passionate about your brand and your business. This Twitter follower list can be used as a “permission asset” of customers who want to see what specials and deals you are offering. Once you build up a significant twitter following (that is a whole different article!) you can market to those customers using Twitter.

What can you do with Twitter to juice up your LBM campaign and make some sales? Here are a few suggestions to consider for building your Twitter base and using that to leverage your LBM campaign.

Tweet about one-time specials and deals available through other location based platforms – send out a tweet to your followers and let them know to come check-in and unlock your special.

Use Twitter to get new followers onto your LBM platform – get followers to sign up for Foursquare or Gowalla and come in to your store for specials, discounts and deals, once they are on the platform – you can offer them more specials in the future.

Offer check-in specials exclusively for your Twitter followers – this is a great way to reward your twitter followers and encourage more of your customers to join twitter – this creates a virtuous cycle where you get more followers on both twitter and your location based service of choice.

Give your customers a small bonus for becoming a follower on Twitter – 10% off or a free beer will do – something simple but meaningful- this creates a win-win situation for both you and your customer because you are both providing each other with something of value.

Advertise in your store - let customers know if they follow you on twitter they can get access to free deals and specials that you will only post on Twitter – this creates a great incentive to get your customers on the platform, once you start offering them specials and deals then you can drive concrete and measureable foot traffic into your venue using location based services like Foursquare.

Use Twitter as part of your arsenal and you can unlock the real strength of your LBM campaign. What are you waiting for? If you already have Twitter followers, this is even easier as you can start to monetize your follower base and use your followers to drive foot traffic and ultimately sales into your business.

Matt Bodnar is a restaurant entrepreneur with a passion for social media. He offers tips and strategies for using location based marketing to grow your business with a free how-to guide you can download right now at: http://www.locationbasedmarketing.biz

(C) Copyright – Matt Bodnar. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Bodnar

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Use-Twitter-For-Small-Business-Location-Based-Marketing&id=5876395

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• HOW TO: Start Marketing on Gowalla (mashable.com)
• 17 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Foursquare (blogworld.com)
• Social Location Marketing by Simon Salt (blogs.forbes.com)
• Foursquare Isn’t Just for Fictional Mayors Anymore (clickz.com)
• Gowalla 3.0 Unifies Check-Ins, Places With Facebook, Twitter, And Yes, Foursquare (e1evation.com)

Technorati Tags: Foursquare, Gowalla, LBM, location-based marketing, Location-based service, niche marketing strategy, Twitter

Image via Wikipedia

[Editor's note: Even though reports indicate that the economy is slowly coming out of the current recession, many businesses have yet to see the bottom, let alone any kind of turnaround. Local business owners, and niche marketers alike, must continue to maximize every marketing opportunity, tool, and resource available to them. Today's guest article focuses on incorporating location based marketing strategies into your overall marketing mix. This is especially timely information for restaurant owners and retailers. ~Scott]

By Matt Bodnar

The economy has been very tough on small businesses across the board and in the last few years, retail stores and restaurants have taken an especially big hit in the recession. Only smart businesses that have been able to stay lean and keep their customers have survived.

The fast casual restaurant segment is an example of such a nimble businesses. This has survived and even grown during the recession by creating value for customers and having a smaller and more nimble business model than traditional casual dining.

What are some strategies businesses can use to keep their business afloat when facing tough times? One of the cheapest and easiest strategies to implement is Location Based Marketing or “LBM”.

Location based marketing is an excellent customer acquisition tool that can help your business survive these tough economic times. There are a few key ways that LBM can let you thrive even in a down economy.

With the economy in the dumps, customers are hunting for bargains and looking for ways to save money. Location based marketing deals are an excellent way to offer your customers real value. By giving your customers relevant deals and discounts, LBM lets you turn economic downturns into an opportunity to acquire customers. While the competition is losing business you can be picking it up.

You can also use location based marketing as a way to differentiate your brand during a tough economy. While your competitors are losing customers by the day, you can use LBM strategies to build customer loyalty and reward your customers. In tough economic times – keeping your core customers is an essential part of surviving. Location based marketing is the tool for rewarding loyal customers and keeping them in the store. The lifetime value of loyal customers, especially in a recession, is what keeps many businesses in business.

Location based marketing campaigns are also free to launch and cost very little to run, making them a great tool to deploy for businesses that are looking for cost effective ways to grow their customer base during a recession.

Matt Bodnar is a restaurant entrepreneur with a passion for social media. Visit his blog http://www.LBMGuru.com to learn more about location based marketing and get the latest updates. Matt also offers tips and strategies for using location based marketing to grow your business with a free how-to guide you can download right now at: http://www.locationbasedmarketing.biz

(C) Copyright – Matt Bodnar. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Bodnar

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Location-Based-Marketing-Can-Help-Your-Business-Survive-The-Recession&id=5774612

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• Rising Above the Recession: 5 Small Business Strategies for Beating a Bad Economy (smallbusinessbranding.com)
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• Local Mobile Marketing….Deliver Message More Sales (centexmobilemarketing.com)

Technorati Tags: location-based marketing, niche marketing strategy, restaurant marketing strategy