Foursquare is a great way to find new places in your city, but it’s also getting spammed more and more often by smart asses people who want to hijack your business.
You see, Foursquare’s democratic nature is also what makes it easy to manipulate.
Here’s a real life example from my home in Burlington, VT:
A local restaurant that’s been around for over a decade is listed on the geolocation site, but someone added a duplicate listing called ‘[This Restaurant] Service Sucks’. No, I’m not going to advertise the real name of the restaurant — shame on you.
Optimize Your Location — And Keep Up With Threats
Don’t let your business location get turned into a joke, because it’s no fun having to contact Foursquare. So here’s what you can do:
- Get Listed — Make sure your business is listed on Foursquare
- Add Tips — Tips can be shared with people visiting your company or surrounding businesses (via check-ins)
- Be Proactive — Reach out to people who share good and negative reactions, you might build some lasting relationships
Of course, it could actually be good for business if someone was motivated enough to hijack your brand — providing you know enough about PR and can get in touch with the local press or some interested bloggers. Let’s say you notice a rip-off listing. You could publicize the hell out of it, write blog posts condemning your Foursquare hijack and even take ‘breaking’ photos to share (you know, like the whole Gizmodo iPhone fiasco).
I’m not saying this will work for everyone, but there’s opportunity in every setback.
I mean, for the sake of argument, you could also add tips at all the surrounding businesses with mentions about your own company, essentially driving traffic to your place. Keep things white hat and you’ll stay on the good side of your friends and neighbors. In the meantime, don’t let anyone hijack your business!