You are at your favorite Sushi joint enjoying a delicious Avocado Roll when suddenly you forget the urge to eat, drink, or socialize with your dinner partner! You forgot to “check-in” using Facebook so you furiously search for your Smartphone, use GPS technology to determine your location and click “Check-In” at Cowabunga Sushi. Ahhh…all is well again.
Instead of asking why people bother to check in and share these details publicly, understand that times have changed as this becomes a natural procedure for the tech generation. As marketers, let’s understand how Facebook deals with these actions internally since they are making changes to terms and conditions:
- Previously, if someone checked into the business multiple times, each check-in was counted into your Page’s total check-in number. Now, if someone checks into your business multiple times within a 12-hour period, that action will be counted as one unique check-in.
- When customers tag their friends at a location and upload a photo, those photo tags will be counted more holistically. For example, if 20 photos were uploaded to an album at a specific location, Facebook will now count that as a single check-in. If Jessica checks into a location and tags five friends in the photo she uploads with her check-in, the total check-ins number will be six — Jessica plus her five friends.
Lol…when was the last time businesses of all sizes utilized a platform (Facebook) that changes so frequently?! It presents a unique challenge to “social captains” but the tides of change bring learning and excitement so we aren’t complaining! With these updates, be sure to integrate check-ins into promotional campaigns and continue to encourage patrons to share photos and tag locations and friends!
-Dan and Andy, TGPR
