In this 5-minute read:
- Why list your business on Foursquare
- How to create and claim your business listing on Foursquare
- What to do next
Foursquare is used by more than 50 million people each month. Consumers join Foursquare to find the best local businesses and share what they love about their favorites.
Attract and keep customers with reputation management software. Learn more, plus get free reputation monitoring and customer insights when you sign up for Womply Free!
Still not sure how Foursquare can help your business? Read on to learn how you can help improve your online visibility by listing your business on Foursquare.
Why should you list your business on Foursquare?
First, we just want to express how important it is that you list your business across multiple online directory sites. These directory listings, also known as citations, help search engines verify your business information from a bunch of trustworthy sources.
The more directories you have your business listed on (with the correct information), the better opportunity your business has to rank well in the local search engine results.
Go deeper: 15 free tips for better local search rankings
Foursquare is a popular directory site that you should list your business on, not only for potentially better search engine results, but for the other benefits that it can offer your business.
Benefits of Foursquare for your business:
- Foursquare users love sharing information about their favorite businesses, from tips for other customers to reviews that promote what they love
- You can send offers and promotions through Foursquare
- You have the ability to track customers’ behavior and give them rewards for engaging with your listing on Foursquare
- Foursquare turns its platform into a game by rewarding users with badges or naming them the “mayor” of a hot spot for engaging with different businesses
- Foursquare syncs with other social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook
How to create or claim your business account on Foursquare
Get started on creating and claiming your business profile on Foursquare with this step-by-step guide.
1. Create a Foursquare user account
The very first thing you’ll need to do is create a user account on Foursquare. Go to the Foursquare login page and click “Sign up for Foursquare.”
Create a new user with at least your email, first name, birthday, password, and gender, and click “Sign up.” Or sign up with Facebook or Google.
Once you’ve completed the signup process, proceed to the next steps.
2. Check to see if you already have a Foursquare listing
Directory sites like Foursquare often collect data from other sources and could already have your business information listed on their website. Before you create a Foursquare listing for your business, it’s important to check if your business is already listed so you don’t end up with two potentially conflicting listings on the same platform.
Go to business.foursquare.com to search for your business on Foursquare. Type in your business name (or previous names if you’ve ever gone through a name change) and the city where your business is located.
When you click “Search,” Foursquare will show you whether or not your business is listed. If they did find your business, you’ll see a screen like the one below. You can then click “Claim My Business” to get access to your listing. If the business displayed isn’t yours, then select “Not your business? Click here.”
If the business listed is not yours, then do another search with a variation of your business name, and if it’s still not there, that means you can start fresh and create a new listing.
If the business displayed is your business, after you click “Claim My Business” Foursquare will take you through a three-step verification process.
3. Claim your business on Foursquare
First, you need to check that you are the owner or working on behalf of the owner to claim the listing. Check this box, then click “Get Started.”
Next, you’ll need to validate ownership by entering your business phone number. Foursquare will use this number to verify that you are a real person who is connected with the business.
The last step of the verification process is to pay $20 to get immediate access to your business profile.
Please note: Foursquare allows you to list your business for free (see #4 below), and if you’ve been in business a while it’s likely you already have a listing created by customers or by Foursquare importing data from other platforms. However, if you want full control of your listing you need to “claim” your business, which Foursquare currently charges $20 for. This is optional, but once you’ve done this, you will have full access to edit your listing, add photos, update your info, add links to your social media pages, and use Foursquare’s marketing and customer management tools for your business.
4. Create a new listing
If your business is not on Foursquare, then go to business.foursquare.com to get started on creating your listing. Log in to your account and click “Get started now.”
Foursquare will take you to another page to search for your business once more. They just want to make sure you don’t create two listings. Enter your business name and city and hit “Search.”
When your business doesn’t show up, you’ll be given the option to add your business. Click “here” to get started and you’ll be taken to a page like the image below.
Enter all of the required information. Even though it doesn’t require you to add your address or phone number, these are important items of information to add if you have a physical storefront where customers can reach you. And you will need to select a pin on the map for your location.
Click “Save” and, if you wish, go back to step 3 of this section to complete the “Claim your business” instructions. These are the same whether you are claiming an existing listing or creating a new listing.
What next?
Now that you’ve created and/or claimed your business listing on Foursquare, what’s next? As we mentioned previously, it’s important to list your business across as many online directories as possible.
Check out this list of 25 free listings sites for small businesses. This will help you improve your online visibility and rank better in local search engine results.
Keeping track of all of these different listing sites is a lot of work, so Womply has come up with a solution to help small businesses like yours manage their online listings and customer reviews all in one place. Learn more about our reputation management software, plus get free reputation monitoring and customer insights when you sign up for Womply Free!