Facebook already has one, Twitter is trying to build one, and now Foursquare is the latest social media company to introduce an ad platform that will allow small businesses to buy ads without having to talk to a human.
Yesterday, Foursquare rolled out a self-serve ads feature that will allow small businesses to create and run automated ads on its social check-in platform. Local bars, restaurants and other venues looking to get their name out there can simply create ads through the Foursquare and choose how they will display, much like Facebook.
Here’s how it will work (from Foursquare’s blog):
How It Works
Pay for actions. You only pay if someone acts on your ad – either
by tapping to see your business details or by checking in at your business.
Reach people ready to buy. Make sure they visit you, not your competition
— 78% of people who search locally on their phone make a purchase.*
Attract
customers that should be yours. We show ads to people nearby who are searching for something related or
have been to similar places
And here’s the accompanying video:
While this definitely makes life easier for smaller businesses that don’t have a lot to spend on advertising, the question remains, how many people are still using Foursquare? It isn’t quite what it used to be, and the kind of service it is looking to give customers (recommendations based on location) is already done by platforms such as Yelp.
