The people behind Foursquare, I believe, have a hint of marketing genius. For those of you who are not familiar with Foursquare, it’s a location service-based social network-come-game. Basically, what it does is tell your friends where you are any given moment; such as your office, a restaurant, movie theatre etc. Right now, it’s just a game and a point of silly fun but it has potential to be a huge marketing tool.

According to Scott Hepburn of Mediaemerging.com these are just few of the possibilities.

Location-Based Offers: Imagine checking in at Starbucks and receiving an offer for a free coffee with purchase of a scone, or a coupon for 10% off at the neighboring bookstore. As a marketer, Foursquare could let you hyper-target your message to consumers at the precise moment they’re in your proximity.

Behavior-Based Offers: If you check in five times a week at McHooligan’s Neighborhood Pub, you provide valuable behavioral data to marketers. Expect a message (Promotion? Thank you note?) from Mr. McHooligan, and maybe an ad from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Shareable Promotions: This isn’t just mobile media — it’s social media, too. Foursquare could offer advertisers the option of letting you share a promotion with your friends. Think of it as a reward you can pass along, making your friends love you even more.

Loyalty Rewards: It’s nice to imagine all customers are equal. They’re not. Not to marketers, anyway. The customer who checks in from my place of business (and presumably spends money) most will be rewarded with better offers. Being Mayor has its perks.

I’m not a Foursquare user, but I do find the marketing aspect of it very intriguing. To all you users out there, have fun and hopefully one day all your visits to your favorite restaurant of coffee shop will pay off.