Testing out Foursquare
(Inspired by the WSJ Mossberg solution)
Over the last four months, I used foursquare on my Blackberry. I thought to share my thoughts for anyone considering foursquare – personally or for business.
How it works?
foursquare enables people to “check-in” at different locations (mostly businesses), using the GPS in their smart phones. In the “check-in” process, people can comment on the location with a “shout out.” foursquare doles out points for visiting locations and as users accumulate points, foursquare gives out badges (e.g. explorer). The person who visits a location most is dubbed its “mayor.”
Is it useful?
Yes, in two ways.
First, foursquare replaces Yelp or other Web sites that list user-generated reviews. For example, I can come out of the subway in New York City, open foursquare and search for coffee. The Blackberry application will list coffee locations and their respective distances from me. That’s helpful. It’s much faster than calling up the browser, navigating to Yelp, searching, sorting and reading. The reviews seem of less quality than the major Web sites, but the access is fast. It’s also faster than launching Google Maps and accessing reviews Google relates to specific locations.
Second, foursquare is a consumer-oriented marketer’s dream come true. There’s a “specials nearby” button that provides micro-coupons to the smart phone. That’s great. I bought two-for-one strawberries at Whole Foods with a foursquare special.
I don’t really care about foursquare points, badges, or mayoral appointment (but a very socially competitive person may).
Can foursquare help my business?
I don’t envision foursquare selling mutual funds, annuities, or other investments, but insurance comes to mind. For instance, Allstate could run foursquare specials that tie closely to the “Mayhem ” ad campaign. Allstate could place a foursquare “special nearby” when users are near select agent offices, discounting for any qualified driver switching car insurance to Allstate.