1st Mariner Branches & FourSquare

by Admin 6. April 2010

I've been busy with Social Media!  I've used Social Media sites for several years now to service our customers, add transparency, and reinforce our core values so, one would think that I've used all the sites and know all the tactics...  Not even close.  The landscape of the web and Social Media is constantly changing.  In my opinion, they aren't even separate anymore.  It's no longer Social Media, it's the Internet.  Due to the change I'm constantly testing out new and interesting tactics and sites.  Most recently, I've uploaded all of our branches to FourSquare.  Not sure what FourSquare is?  Check out the short video below.

So, what do I hope to accomplish with FourSquare and why is 1st Mariner Bank there?  Well, almost a million people are using FourSquare and that means it's important for the bank to have a presence.  Wherever the customers are, the bank should be.  Also, traffic to our branches has been declining over the past few years while the use of online banking and digital communication has been increasing.  I'd like to reward those who remain dedicated to their local branch.  In other words, that "Mayorship" to your local branch might be valuable in the next few months.

Next time your at a 1st Mariner Bank branch, grab your iPhone, Blackberry, Android or Palm and be sure to "check-in" on FourSquare and leave a comment/tip for others. Remember, that's what this is all about - sharing and engagement with 1st Mariner and others.

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Social Media

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Comments (6) -

Jason Sherrill
Jason Sherrill
4/6/2010 7:54:56 PM #

Steve,

I'm thrilled to see you trying Foursquare. It's a fun and interesting way to get to know more about your branch visitors than you might have the chance to do otherwise. It may also create opportunities for you to establish a more one-on-one relationship with some of your most loyal customers and create some buzz at the same time.

I wrote about how another bank recently began using Foursquare to reward certain customers and you might consider doing something similar.

www.inetsolution.com/.../...to-Use-Foursquare.aspx

-- Jason

Luke Owen
Luke Owen
4/6/2010 7:56:20 PM #

What a coincidence.  I just got of the phone today with North Shore Bank in WI and IL about their experience so far with Foursquare.  They've been using it for just over a month and have had some good feedback so far.  What I found interesting was how they reached out to Foursquare to see if they would include them in their coupon offerings.  At this point, Foursquare is only interested in experimenting with more recognized social hangouts such as coffee shops, bars or nightclubs.  But I think a case can be made for banks to be in the mix for their experimentation.

Steven Kruskamp
Steven Kruskamp
4/6/2010 8:02:42 PM #

Luke,  

I, too, had a conversation with FourSquare about marketing several months ago.  I was told the same thing.  They want to focus on venues where people hang out for extended periods of time.  Also, badges are extremely pricey for a local bank.  Eventually they'll open it up but for now, it's going to just be a lot of work on the back end.  

Let me know how it works out for you.

Steven Kruskamp
Steven Kruskamp
4/6/2010 8:09:21 PM #

Jason,

That's funny that you commented.  I read your post last week.  Having lunch with a manager was something I am considering, its just going to be a little difficult to manage.  Plus, there will be a lot of explaining and hand holding with our managers who are not familiar with FourSquare.  

I'll be sure to keep you informed if I use your idea.

Jason Sherrill
Jason Sherrill
4/7/2010 12:57:28 AM #

Steve,

Great, I truly hope that you have success with that. Do any of your branch managers currently use Foursquare?

I'm definitely an extrovert, so it may be easier for me to envision taking a "stranger" out to lunch than for others. One idea would be to encourage the managers to view the purpose of the lunch to learn about Foursquare. Who better to evangelize Foursquare than the current mayor of the branch? This also allows the manager to ask questions rather than have to do lots of talking, which not only makes Dale Carnegie smile from the grave, but also takes the pressure off the manager to carry the conversation.

I also can relate to the challenge of explaining Foursquare to people. As I was checking in at a breakfast meeting this morning, I was explaining to two colleagues I was dining with what I was doing and why. These men are about 20 years my senior and neither are very tech savvy. The reaction I ended up with was akin to "Oh, that's a cute little idea." Smile

I'm anxious to see what you do with this. Have fun!

Jason Sherrill
Jason Sherrill
4/7/2010 1:00:30 AM #

One more note, Steve. If you, like me, are an extrovert and like meeting like minded people, then checkout this Foursquare add-on http://meetgatsby.com.

Rather fun!



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