Foursquare for The Lofts at Roosevelt Collection: Social Media and Mobile Behavior

As part of our ongoing experimentation with how to use the tools of social media in interesting, innovative ways, Otherwise has come to understand that Foursquare is certainly an important weapon in our arsenal for Roosevelt Collection, a luxury residential rental property located in the South Loop.

Here’s what we’ve learned:

As a location-based mobile social media platform, Foursquare allows users to discover and explore their city by “checking-in” through a Smartphone application or SMS texting. Essentially, the platform has three main elements: discovery, gaming and rewards.

The discovery quality of Foursquare is the primary reason behind the development of the platform. Foursquare allows users to locate friends within a city, try new menu items at restaurants and create to-do lists that will be stored within the platform. All of this helps users explore and discover new things around one’s city including restaurants, bars, historical landmarks, shopping boutiques, etc.

Foursquare’s gaming dimension makes the platform fun. The more a user “checks-in” to different venues, the more points and badges the user collects to compete with friends. If users “check-in” to venues frequently, they’ll have the opportunity to become the “mayor” of that venue, which has a host of potential perks and rewards.

The rewards feature of Foursquare is becoming more popular by the day. Businesses have recognized Foursquare as an opportunity to build customer retention, brand loyalty and brand awareness by offering users rewards for “checking-in” at particular businesses – including specials, coupons and priority access to goods and services. This incentive-driven behavior has attracted both users and retailers, which is why more than ten million users have joined the platform in less than three years.

Now, how can this platform benefit a residential and retail property in Chicago’s lively South Loop? We decided to find out by implementing a Foursquare strategy for The Lofts at Roosevelt Collection. With a goal to show residents where to go and what to do in and around the South Loop, we are significantly enhancing the quality of life of The Lofts’ residents.

As part of executing our strategy, we built a Foursquare brand page for Roosevelt Collection to facilitate conversation and act as a recommendation list for both residents and the greater South Loop community so they can learn more about their neighborhood. Essentially, this recommendation list guides users to the hottest South Loop venues and suggests tips once they get there (e.g., best drink to order, food selections, navigation assistance, etc.)

Not only does our strategy create user engagement with residents at Roosevelt Collection, it also develops brand awareness for the property. For example, each time a user “checks in” to venues where Roosevelt Collection has placed a tip, users see it. If a user tries Roosevelt Collection’s tip or recommendation, they will engage with it by “marking it done,” similar to “liking” something on Facebook. The more users see tips placed around the South Loop from Roosevelt Collection, the more recognizable the property becomes with users. In effect, our strategy increases visibility both online and offline for the property throughout the South Loop and Chicago as a whole.

In addition, our strategy to build a Foursquare presence for Roosevelt Collection creates brand loyalty with users. By developing high-quality content, we’re branding Roosevelt Collection as an expert within the community, ultimately building user trust. As this trust continues to evolve, we expect to see users recommending Roosevelt Collection to their friends looking for a place to live.

At Otherwise, we believe that creating a relevant and engaging environment for online users is what it’s all about, and Foursquare allows brands to make that connection within the mobile world of social media. Otherwise has put Roosevelt Collection on the map as one of the first residential properties to leverage Foursquare for residential properties. We hope others jump on board and begin exploring this powerful social niche.

How are some of your favorite brands using Foursquare in unique and interesting ways?

Makenzie Davies is a Social Media Marketer for Otherwise Incorporated.
Illustration credit: Josh Epstein, Designer at Otherwise Incorporated.