Location-based promotions are almost in Place

I admit that I haven’t jumped on the bandwagon of using services such as Facebook Places or Foursquare to ‘check-in’ everywhere I go. I don’t feel I go to that many places here in Fargo, ND that would be considered interesting to others.  Now, if there was some other incentive available to give me a reason to check-in I may do so, and Facebook once again seems to be leading efforts to do just that.

Facebook is rumored to be testing a location-based deals service as part of Facebook Places that would give businesses the ability to provide discounts and specials when a customer checks into a physical store. I have been a frequent user of Groupon, in which I am provided a daily deal to a local business. This takes that premise, but applies it to a business I am physically frequenting, not marketing to get me to visit said business. An example of this, as suggested by Nick O’Neill at All Facebook, states that a promotion would give a free product if a Facebook Places user checks-in and tags three other people as being at the same location. This type of promotion would provide the incentive for users to check-in, and encourage others to also check-in at that store location.

This is one test that if it becomes reality, I may finally join the ranks of those “checking-in.”