MGH’s clients are constantly asking us, “What’s the next big thing in social media? What should I be looking at next?”
Our answer: Foursquare.
Foursquare is what’s considered a location-based social network, meaning that its users connect based on where they are at that current moment.
Users use their mobile phones to “check-in” at certain locations through Foursquare, and are awarded points and digital badges for doing certain tasks.
For example, you’ll receive 5 points if you check in to a place you’ve never been. Or you’ll earn the “Adventurer” badge if you check in to 10 different locations.
Also, if a individual user checks in to a certain location more than any other user, he/she becomes the Mayor of that location.
Once you check in to a location, you receive a notification of how times you’ve visited that place, how many points you earned by checking in, and the name of that location’s current Mayor.
Foursquare users use the social network to compete against one another for points/badges, to find the “hot spots” around town, and to collect tips which others leave at certain locations. For example, if you check in at a restaurant in town, you may receive an alert on your phone that reads, “Try the salmon.” You can also view tips close to your current location.
Foursquare gives you the ability to see tips for locations that are close to you. If you’re in a foreign town trying to figure out where to grab a bite to eat, this tip section could come in very handy.
After a strong showing at this year’s South by Southwest Conference (SXSW), and subsequent media coverage and online buzz, Foursquare is primed to join the ranks of Twitter and Facebook as a top online social network.
So how are businesses taking advantage of Foursquare? We’ll save that for the next entry. And, don’t worry – we’ll be talking about Foursquare for a while.
