According to Jana Levinson, on Twitter, users may subscribe to other author’s tweets – this is known as following and subscribers are known as followers. Generally, on Twitter ordinary individuals follow celebrities, magazines, restaurants, television programs, or any other pages related to popular culture. Interestingly, on Foursquare, users can follow celebrities or a variety of brands to unlock badges and find interesting tips around their current location.
For example, I am following VH1 and Walgreens. According to Foursquare, the VH1 Foursquare page “[…] can help you find your city’s best music venues, restaurants and bars with tips from VH1’s celebs, bloggers and producers.” Conversely, the Walgreens page offers users “[…] exclusive health, product and photo tips – from how to take the best nighttime pictures in Times Square to simple ways to avoid getting sick this flu season.” By following different brands, Foursquare users receive unique tips about their city.
Fortunately, there is the option to follow venues specific to your current location as well. In Madison, Wisconsin, Foursquare users can follow the DoIT Tech store, Underground Printing, Logan’s Madtown, Ian’s Pizza, Sconnie Nation, State Street Brats, Four Star Video Heaven, and more. Every time you check-in at one of these venues, you earn Foursquare “specials,” including discounts and prizes. For example:
1) DoIT Tech Store - Free pink highlighter with proof of check in at the DoIT Tech Store during October.
2) Underground Printing – Free shirt for the mayor!
3) Logan’s Madtown – “Buy 1, Get 1” on all food items with proof check in.
4) Ian’s Pizza – Free drink with a salad/pizza for the mayor.
5) Sconnie Nation – Free shirt for the mayor!
6) State Street Brats – Free brat basket and soda per day for the mayor.
7) Four Star Video Heaven – Rent one video and get one free with proof of check in.
On the Foursquare website, consumers can search for specific venues' pages. On these pages, individuals can contribute/get tips, see who the mayor is, and discover the venue's special offers (Ian's Pizza Foursquare Page).
Evidently, location-based services are changing business models around the country. Here is an interesting article about the business potential of Foursquare: http://techcrunch.com/2009/07/16/foursquare-shows-the-business-potential-of-location-based-services/
I've never heard of Foursquare before but it sounds really interesting. I'm surprised how many of my friends are connected. It's a great way for local businesses to get their word out since Facebook and Twitter isn't always the best for localized sales. I'm confused by what the purpose of the website is and how people become "mayor." Is it interactive with the people that follow certain pages? Like any rando could be the mayor of the Ian's Pizza on Frances Street? It's strange and I'm not sure I understand the motivation. Do the businesses not have that much control over the pages?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great overview of Foursquare. A lot of people are saying, and I agree, that Foursquare - or the idea of incentive based mobilization - is the future of social media. At the same time, they do require some effort and it might be a while before they are commonplace.
ReplyDeleteWe are certainly seeing this already with a dramatic increase of these types of applications - groupon, loopt and shooger to name a few.
Something I think Foursquare does particularly well is promoting the incentive to participate. Other similar services allow you to get coupons, find places or see where the specials are; however, Foursquare really brings it all together in on one platform.
Did you notice any barriers to entry with Foursquare? Was there a certain degree of technological literacy required to participate?