Social networks provide marketers with an effective medium to reach consumers. With a whopping 6 million users Foursquare can transform the way your business interacts with its clients, given you use it correctly.

Foursquare is a location-based service which helps business’ promote themselves and build brand awareness. It allows businesses to connect with new prospects and stay relevant while not alienating their existing clients. Social networks tend to draw a younger, smartphone-using crowd, making it easy to connect with them wherever they are and to build the platform for future sales and referrals.

Since this channel is so new businesses get to be creative in their marketing efforts as well as connect with clients on a more personal level. Making use of mobile and social to connect with prospects broadens the field. Popularity, online visibility, customer loyalty and an increase in sales are just some of the possibilities Foursquare and similar networks offer your business. Business owners can promote upcoming events and promotions, receive instant feedback from consumers or even reward loyal customers with mobile coupons. In addition, Foursquare pages rank well on search engines resulting in more online visibility for your business which in turn can lead to more foot traffic.

“Foursquare takes on the brand imagery of the company it is helping promote,” said Jamie Turner, Atlanta-based chief content officer at The 60 Second Marketer and co-author of How to Make Money with Social Media. However, the brand and business’ target audience determines what type of social media they will use to interact with consumers and generate as many leads as possible via the interactions.

Many of the big brands are making use of these new tools as a way to interact with consumers. Pepsi, The New York Times and Mercedes-Benz established themselves as some of the more forward-thinking, innovative brands in today’s competitive market via their social network campaigns. A restaurant called AJ Bombers previously held a Foursquare party which increased their business with 110%!

Interact with clients and new prospects and reward loyal clients, don’t miss out on the many opportunities Foursquare and other social networks alike can provide your business.

According to a study done by ChannelNet there are more than 440 000 mobile sites and 500 000 mobile apps available worldwide with the automotive industry leading the pack and the category for auto parts coming in a close second.

Mobile device usage has seen rapid growth over the last few years, especially in the automotive industry. Mobile devices have made the buying and selling of cars easier than ever and this is proven by the statistics – 38% of all vehicle searches are done via mobile phones.

Having a mobile-optimised website can increase your business’ visibility and generate leads. Many consumers are looking for information on the go and having an easy-to-use mobile site for your business can increase your competitive advantage.

According to MobileMarketer.com 90% of shoppers end up at a car dealership after doing online research. This emphasizes the importance of focusing your web resources to attract clients for sales. Your website’s usability plays an important role in converting leads to clients. Remember, your website in many cases is clients’ first point of contact with your brand. Easy access to information regarding your business is critical, especially on your mobile website.

According to Quattro Wireless ‘mobile has the reach and the ability to take someone from consideration to purchase’. It sure comes as no surprise that various automotive companies are taking advantage of what mobile has to offer, with great success as a result:

• Harley-Davidson extends brand loyalty through mobile, using text messaging to inform customers about sales and promotions.
• Volkswagen AG (AdMob Case Study) uses mobile marketing aggressively and smartly.
• Land Rover used Admob which drove 73% of the traffic to their mobile site. On the mobile website, Land Rover had over 45,000 video views, 7,400 custom wallpaper downloads, 128,000 gallery views, 5,000 dealer lookups, 800 brochure requests, and 1100 and click-to-calls.
• Toyota’s motion sensitive iPhone App for Hybrid models: The less water you spill out of the glass, the more economical you are driving
• Peugeot 3008 global mobile site: Enhanced touchscreen functionality
• BMW Mobile Video Companion Ad (Rhythm NewMedia) achieves branding success.
• Mobile case study: Jaguar XF Pre-launch (Yahoo!)
• Steering Mazda customers (iCrossing)

Read more about these case studies on MMAGlobal.com.

William James Adam Junior, better known as the Black Eyed Peas front man Will.i.am, was introduced as Intel Corp.’s new Director of Creative Innovation at their sales and marketing conference in Anaheim, California.

According to Will.i.am his work is already quite similar to that of the Intel employees. “Nearly everything I do involves processors and computers, and when I see an Intel chip I think of all the creative minds involved that help to amplify my own creativity,” he said in a release. “Teaming up with the scientists, researchers and computer programmers at Intel to collaborate and co-develop new ways to communicate, create, inform and entertain is going to be amazing.”

The six time Grammy Award-winning artist signed on for a multi-year contract where he’ll be hands-on with the development of new technology such as laptops, smartphones and tablets. Intel is the world’s largest computer chip creator and they want to forge a more emotional bond with their consumers. While some may find it hard to believe that a partnership with a celebrity will have an impact on the company’s future product offerings, Intel is confident that will.i.am’s ideas could eventually affect Intel chips in some way.

Will.i.am’s first task appears to be to rewrite the Intel Inside Jingle, which hasn’t changed since its first release in 1992. If Will.i.am’s track record is anything to go by the new version is not going to sound anything like the old one!

Earlier this month Will.i.am launched a mobile app development company called will.i.apps. The first app, BEP360, released for Apple Inc. iOS platform, allows users to view music videos with augmented reality features using HD digital cameras on smartphones. The illusion created will seem as if the music video is happening all around them, for when they turn their phones around 360-degree axis, as the name suggests, the perspective will change.

One of Will.i.am’s ideas for his partnership with Intel included transforming his smartphone into a microphone. When performing, he can simultaneously record everything he sees and hears, uploading it later for fans to relive the experience. According to him, how will this be made possible? “The only way is with powerful chips.”