Digital and social media marketing, the advent of cloud computing and the explosion of mobile technology have all had a profound effect on the way marketers and consumers do business.

Marketers are tapping location-based services to compel customers to use apps to engage with the brand, product or venue via their mobile phone. They need to know the three R’s of LBS.

The Wet Seal Inc. and Target are the latest retailers to tap the location-based mobile rewards and offers craze to drive foot traffic, customer acquisition and loyalty.

What if you owned a small restaurant and I could generate $160,000 for you with just two location-based mobile campaigns?

CheckPoints, a mobile startup in the location-based retail category, closed a $1 million Series A financing round from the cofounders, brothers Mark and Todd DiPaola.

Apparel retailer Journeys is offering consumers mobile coupons through the location-based game SCVNGR to drive foot traffic to its 800-plus locations nationwide.

Chili’s Grill & Bar claims to be the first national casual dining chain to offer a free item for a check-in via a mobile social network to drive foot traffic into its restaurants.

Mobile loyalty card aggregation platform CardStar is targeting early adopters with check-in functionality via location-based service Foursquare.

Sanford’s Sharpie and Cadbury’s Dentene have partnered with location-based mobile social network Brightkite to enhance their respective loyalty initiatives.

Tribune Media Services is letting mobile application developers using the Placecast MatchAPI to integrate movie showtimes and theater locations into their offerings.