SmallBusinessNewz

Mobile marketing is an increasingly effective way for small business owners to tap into a younger customer base according to the Better Business Bureau.

The BBB says small business owners should check out the marketing potential in geo-location apps like Foursquare, Facebook Places and Yelp.

As technology improves, cell phones continue to perform any number of functions beyond making calls. Many programs on mobile phones rely on geo-location and can tell you where you are and what’s nearby—including businesses.

This technology creates a new way to market your business to customers when they are literally right around the corner.  According to a recent survey by JiWire, more than 50 percent of mobile users would like to receive location-specific advertising; another 39 percent would like to receive location-based coupons.

“Lacking the time, know-how and money to launch an effective online marketing strategy can make many small business owners neglect the whole endeavor,” said Alison Southwick, BBB spokesperson.

“The good news about mobile marketing is that you don’t necessarily need to dedicate a lot of time or money into a campaign to reap some rewards.”

Foursquare is a mobile app that allows you to “check in” at locations—usually businesses—which tells other Foursquare users where you are. Some businesses have taken advantage of Foursquare by offering coupons to mayors or people who check in. Foursquare also provides a map to users so they can see what specials are being offered at nearby businesses. Foursquare prominently lists which businesses are the most popular, so an owner can benefit by encouraging patrons to check in.

Facebook—which now boasts over 500 million users worldwide—recently launched Facebook Places as a competitor to Foursquare. Facebook users can “check in” and their location is published on their Facebook page. They can then see which friends have also “checked in”.

Similar to Foursquare, a business owner can create a new place or claim a location that already has a profile in Facebook. You’ll be asked to verify that you can claim the location before you’ll be able to add photos and business details.

Yelp is a website that allows users to post reviews of businesses, services, locations and events. According to Yelp, 33 million people visited the site in June 2010. In addition to the website, Yelp also provides a mobile version with an interactive map and allows users to “check in” at locations.