But firstly what is Foursquare?
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It is a location-based game in which people check into venues, are awarded points, scramble to earn badges, share tips, complete tasks and become recognised as the mayor for being the most frequent visitor.
It works best on location-sensitive phones, and especially on smartphones such as iPhones, “Droids” and Blackberry. However, users of less-sophisticated devices can always check-in using the mobile site.
- The first reason that it will kick ass is that it’s fun. The competitive element, the earning of awards, and the leader board all make it a “jol”.
- The big win is the location element. People know which of their mates are around, and venue owners can send out promotions and messages that relate to people on the premises or close by. So when someone checks into the coffee shop down the road, and up pops a tip to say Foursquarers who visit Doppio get free wifi, that may just swing a meal. But with like all social media, remember, no SPAM.
- Foursquare works with brick and mortar businesses. Businesses that have a physical presence such as stores, events, clubs and restaurants.
- Being able to identify and communicate with your real loyalists is of a huge benefit as they are your brand advocates, and Foursquare has made it very easy with Foursquare for Business. Also, remember that these are real fans, not just people who have joined a fan page.
- Many developers are using the API in their apps. For example, those who have discovered Stickybits, may already be checking-in videos, photos and brands into the venue.
- Foursquare is a real space to do customer research.
- It is a really practical example of how social media can integrate with the real world.
Foursquare is growing at an amazing rate and is being touted as the next Twitter. It has also been the subject of massive price acquisition speculation.
But unlike Twitter, it has real monetatisation opportunities, real marketing application, and most of all, it is a huge amount of fun!
