FAQ: How do I check in as a brand page?

You see foursquare brand pages like ESPN and Lufthansa checking in all the time, but how are they doing it? It’s a little different than a normal check-in; it doesn’t even involve using the foursquare app. Here’s a rundown of how it’s done.

There are two ways to check in as a brand page using foursquare’s official tools: desktop and mobile. The desktop option offers a lot more flexibility than the mobile version since you can check in to events and add photos, neither of which are available on the mobile site.

Desktop Version

1. Start by logging in to your account that’s an authorized manager for the page.
2. Roll over your profile picture in the upper right and choose “Page Management” from the drop-down menu.
   
3. Click “act as” next to the brand page you want to check in.
   
4. Search for the venue you’d like to check in to using the search box at the top of the page.
5. From the venue page, click the link at the top to “Check in at this venue…”
   
6. Enter your “shout” (a little bit about what you’re doing or what’s going on) and attach a photo (not required, but definitely recommended). The photo can be public (visible to anyone) or private (visible only to your followers). You can choose to share the check-in and photo to your linked Twitter or Facebook profiles. If you’re checking to a specific event, choose it from the drop-down box at the top.
   
7. Click “Check In.”
8. You’ll be taken to the check-in page, where you can add additional photos or comment on the check-in. These comments will be seen by your followers, but they won’t be able to comment themselves.
   

Mobile Version

1. Visit foursquare.com/touch/switch_accounts and tap “act” next to the page you’d like to check in.
   
2. You’ll be taken to the search page, where you can search venues near your current location or in a different city. Tap the venue you’d like to check in to.
   
3. Type your shout into the “check in” box and then choose whether you’d like to share it to Facebook or Twitter.
   
4. Tap “Check in.”
5. You’ll be taken to the check-in page, where you can comment on the check-in.

Other Apps

You can also use other apps, like Instagram, to check in as your brand page. When you connect a foursquare account from within Instagram, log in to your account as you normally would. Instead of tapping “allow” to authorize the app, choose “Act As” from the top of the screen. Tap “Act” next to the account you’d like to authorize. Be sure to add a location and turn foursquare sharing on.