How to Set Up Your Business on Foursquare

Foursquare is a location-based social media site for mobile devices and smartphones. It's designed for people who are looking for local businesses offering the products or services they need when they need them. For example, a company worker may use Foursquare during his lunch break to find a slice of pizza nearby.

Foursquare has business listings that offer information about businesses as well as ratings and reviews from other users. As a business owner, you can create or claim your listing and use it to edit information, manage reviews, and connect with your customers through the site’s special features.

Before you can create or claim a business listing, you need a regular Foursquare account. If you don't already one, create it first.

Search for Your Venue

Foursquare calls its listings 'Venues.' Before you fill out information on your venue, search the site to see if your business is already listed. If it is, you can claim the listing.

Foursquare's search function is case sensitive, so don't type in lower or upper case only. If you find your listing, click the link that says 'Do you manage this venue? Claim here’.

Foursquare will then lead you through the steps to verify that it's your business, which involve agreeing to their terms and receiving a call to verify your claim at your location phone number.

Adding Your Business

If you don't find your venue on Foursquare, scroll to the bottom of the main screen where it says 'Add this place’.

Here, you can input your business’s basic information. Enter your exact company name, which your customers are familiar with. Add your address and if you're located at a corner, you can include cross streets. This is another way users find venues. Make sure you spell your city fully and correctly, and use the abbreviated state name in all caps – for example, MO for Missouri.

Choosing a Category

Before you click ‘Save’, select which category you want to put your business in. Categories include things like Food, Nightlife Spot, Outdoors & Recreation, Travel & Transport, and so on. Once you choose the appropriate category, you will be given a list of subcategories to choose from.

Business Tools

Once you’ve added and claimed your venue on Foursquare, you will be able to use their free Business Tools. These include posting Updates about your latest products and event.

You can also create Specials for rewarding customers or attracting new customers. These could include offers of a free item or a special discount after a certain number of purchases.

Foursquare even provides you with Analytics based on the check-in data that your customers submit. Be sure to check that data and use the information when deciding what updates and specials to offer.

Integrating with Facebook and Twitter

Foursquare offers a number of special features that are useful for businesses. One of the best features is the site’s integration with other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

When you integrate your Foursquare profile with these sites, your social media followers will see your Foursquare updates and reviews on your other social media profiles. In turn, Foursquare users will see your other social media activity on your Foursquare profile. This integration across platforms allows you to leverage all of your social media for more exposure.