LocalResponse free 'check-in search engine' launches in beta

LocalResponse on Tuesday launched the beta of its platform that lets businesses search and instantly respond to customers who have "checked in" at their location using Facebook, Twitter, foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp, Loopt, Flickr, Instagram and more.

Social media has allowed companies to more directly engage with consumers and tackle customer service issues or even sales head on.

On services like Twitter, users need only mention a product or keyword, and companies will use that opportunity to start a dialogue. For example, late last year, I halfheartedly complained on Twitter that I thought I was developing carpal tunnel syndrome, and a company immediately contacted me about exercises I should be doing and their products that could help with it.

LocalResponse lets businesses take this aggressive approach with location-based "check in" services. When a customer posts on any of these social services that they are at a location, whether they have explicitly checked in or posted a photo with location metadata activated, or if they have simply mentioned where they happen to be.

The service is free and works like a search engine for location mentions. Users can simply go to Localresponse.com, type in the name of their location, and all the users who have mentioned the business or location on one of a dozen or more social media sites are shown. From within the Web interface, businesses can respond to these user posts with promotions or simple messages.

LocalResponse has been in private beta for the last six months with more than 2,000 active campaigns running to get a feel for how effective it would be to engage customers in this way.

The company said it's been averaging a 60% clickthrough rate and 15-20% redemption rates for promotions.