Geolocation (geography and location) is being re-defined in the social media space by a few key players, one in particular that I use is
Foursquare.
http://gowalla.com/ and
http://www.rummble.com/ also avail, but have not used them (yet)
I have been using Foursquare for a while, and have found it to be fun, an element of my social media footprint, outreach to my fellow sm friends and a while back, I even heard I may get a free beer if I checked into a corner bar near my office. Oh I’m sorry, not sure what I’m talking about… don’t yet use it…? What is Foursquare?
Real quick:
You need the app on your phone (and/or mobile device)
Then when you’re out and about – you “check in” to places with the click or touch of your finger.
Share these “check-ins” with your friends, followers, fans, where you may get a “tip” from a fellow foursquare member of what to do at the particular location.
You can also earn points, and unlock badges. This I get, but am not personally into. (I guess because I am not 14 and wanting to earn virtual/digital graphic representations of a badge.) But some do, and thats cool with me.)
Now listen to this – if you check in to a location more than others, you become the “mayor” of that location. And this is where it gets interesting. Check into a restaurant more than others, and you may get a free meal out of it. Ahhh HA!!! Potential here – right!?
In fact here is a list of “freebies” http://foursquare.com/businesses/
Still confused? Not to worry. Here is the scoop- straight from their site.
We’re all about helping you find new ways to explore the city., We’ll help you meet up with your friends and let you earn points and unlock badges for discovering new places, doing new things and meeting new people. [Learn more!], If you own a bar or restaurant, foursquare can help you find new ways to connect with your customers. If you’re a developer, check out the foursquare API.
The HELP section goes into details. http://foursquare.com/help/
Those of you who use Foursquare, know what I’m talking about, those who don’t – you should try it out… and
find me on Foursquare.
http://foursquare.com/user/johnayers
Hey another thing, I was actually at a meeting last week at Los Angeles City Hall, and decided to “check in”. As I was doing so, I thought I would see who the virtual/Foursquare “mayor” was… it Was NOT LA’s Mayor Villaraigosa.
This interested me too.
I was at a local restaurant today having lunch. I decided to “check in” and then a little green prompt (advertisement) came up on the screen. (see image)
But NOT for the restaurant I was at, but rather a burger joint just around the corner from where I was. Now this is very interesting from a marketing standpoint. Own a business in a mall with 350 stores. Anyone who checks into ANY of the other stores, and you can run an ad on Foursquare… hmmm…
Future of Foursquare:
http://tinyurl.com/29e9c6k and
http://tinyurl.com/y8bn7zn and
http://tinyurl.com/ykakhey
NOTE:
Foursquare, Inc. folks; please keep me updated on future news and plans. Would love to know your next steps into monetizing, incentivizing and utilizing your geo-location tool(s).
Finally, and maybe most importantly, when you/we come up with a plan to use geo-location “for doing good” – we may really “have” something.
John
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John Ayers 