Qype, which claims to be Europe’s largest consumer reviews site, has launched a ‘Follow Us’ feature that is designed to help companies keep in touch with their customers. By clicking on ‘Follow Us’, consumers will receive a round-up of the latest news and activity from their favourite places on Qype, in one weekly email.

Qype says the feature is the first of its kind, and will give businesses the tools to interact directly with their customers through the social networking site. Businesses with Qype’s Premium listings will be able to use the weekly communication to send out additional information to their followers, including e-vouchers and invitations to events.

“Qype is leading the way in creating live, online relationships between retailers and consumers,” says Qype chief marketing officer, Richard Dennys. “We expect ‘Follow Us’ to take consumer loyalty, interaction and response to an entirely new level.”

Qype attracts 22m monthly visits and features over 1.9m reviews, spanning 166,000 towns and cities worldwide. It is accessible via a website (including mobile-optimised version), and a multiplatform mobile app.