What is Foursquare & Why is it Getting So Much Hype?

Foursquare is the leader in a new generation of "find a friend" applications.  According to their website, Foursquare "is a cross between a friend-finder, a social city-guide and a game that rewards you for doing interesting things."

To use Foursquare you simply tell the application where you are and comment in some form.  This is called a "check-in."  Foursquare targets mobile phone users and the vast majority of check-ins are done using smartphones. 

Below is an example "check-in" that I grabbed off the Foursquare feed:

Graham W. in London, United Kingdom:

wrote a tip @ Thai Aubergine: Try the chef's special Salmon. It was awesome.

As you can see, a "check-in" is very Twitter like but focused on location.  Check-ins can contain any information, but I chose this one to illustrate Foursquare's growing use as a local review and recommendation site.

 

Foursquare rewards usage by awarding badges and points to active users.  For example, people who check-in the most at locations are declared Foursquare Mayors for that location (they get a mayor's badge).  The game play features are designed to encourage use.

 

The Foursquare business model is not yet fully fleshed out, but it is clear that lead generation and advertising are going to play major roles.  Businesses are already starting to use Foursquare check-ins and related information to reward people who frequent their location. 

 

Hubspot has a good post on adding Foursquare to your marketing mix and the Foursquare website has examples of how small businesses are using their service.  Small business use so far mostly consists of loyalty programs based on Foursquare status.  For example, some retailers reward mayors and/or multiple visitors with free goods or discounts. 

 

Foursquare is getting a lot of hype for several reasons.  First, it sits at the intersection of a number of interesting technology trends: location-awareness, mobile computing, social media, social commerce, the real-time web and social games.  This is an exciting mix for the geeks that hype these things.

 

Foursquare is also easy to understand, is fun to use and has the potential to add value to both consumers and businesses.  It also benefits from the "shiny new object" syndrome - the tech field has a non-stop need for new things to talk about. 

 

Foursquare is not without competitors, big and small.  Twitter is adding support for location data, Google plays in this space, Yelp has added competitive features and a number of start-ups are targeting this area.  So while Foursquare is the flavor of the day, long term success is not guaranteed. 

 

As a consumer, I like Foursquare.  But the vast majority of small businesses do not need to worry about Foursquare for now.  Just be aware and be ready if and when it does become important to your customers. 

 

But if your customers are serious techies - a bar targeting 20 somethings in the SOMA area of San Francisco, for example - then it is well worth investigating. 

 

***Update:  Good overview presentation on Foursquare for businesses from We Are Social***

Comments

[Mac keylogger]

I like Foursquare

[Jordan Spizike]

yes, we are alike. I do notice errors and weaknesses in writing. But I am glad to say that I often read books and articles with no noticeable errors. I simply enjoy them, without seeing them as topics of future blog posts!

Thanks for commenting.
now link my name to see my website,we can know each other from the blogs.

[Water Damage Restoration Procedures]

Could be the next great social media marketing savior.

[New Balance Shoes]

Not stubborn careful work, even the talented person will become useless embroidered pillow similar trinkets.Do you think so?

[Water damage]

I have Foursquare on my i-Phone. The social online game Foursqaure encourages you to explore your city, connect with other Foursquare friends, and compete for “badges” while doing so

[Nicholas Norton]

We are become a little lost in front of all these networks, I hope that this last one brings something new.

[Eric]

Could be the next great social media marketing savior.