Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network
Posted by Matt Singley on October 21, 2009 under Social Networking, Social Networks, Technology | 
62 Comments to Read
If you’ve been following me on Twitter for any length of time you’ve recently seen some funny updates like, “I’m at LAX Terminal 3″ or “I just became the mayor of Finnegan’s Wake on @foursquare”. Some people know what this is, most do not. These updates are being pushed over to Twitter from the new social network Foursquare, a service that I signed up with a couple of months ago. I believe it is the next service to watch, and I want to tell you why.
First of all…I referred to Foursquare as a social network, but inside the business walls I’ve been calling it a “location aware ad platform”. There are implications and advantages for both the average user as well as business, and I’ll break it down for both after a brief introduction.
What Is Foursquare?
It looks like a social network that you use from your phone. The premise is simple: when you are out on the town you can “check in” to different locations in selected cities (although soon to be available everywhere) and it will push an update out to your friends. ”Friends” can be represented by several groups, the most intimate of which are those that you have friended on Foursquare itself. You can also link your Foursquare account to Twitter and Facebook to send updates to your friends/fans/follower and associates there. Once linked, you don’t necessarily need to ping these networks, I opt to keep about 2/3 of my Foursquare check-ins within the Foursquare network.
After you have checked in at a venue several things happen. First, it will allow you to click through to some more information about the venue…showing tips that are added from other users, people that have been there recently (or are there currently) and a link to a map on Google. It also shows nearby tweets, which is kind of cool for finding people in your neighborhood. The crowning glory of Foursquare (pun intended) is in the form of mayorship…if you check in to a venue more than anybody else you become “mayor” of that location. It will automatically ping Twitter that you have become mayor, and if you are stealing the mayorship from somebody it names them as well.
There are currently apps for iPhone and Android and “other devices” but really these are the two biggies. If you have one of those phones, download the app now, add me as a friend, then read on. You can also find answers to most of your questions directly from the fine folks at Foursquare here.
For Users
If you want a fun, active social network to be a part of, Foursquare will fit the bill for you. It’s really easy to add friends, and the home screen will show you updates about where your friends are and what they are doing (if they are putting up tips). The best part? The competition. By nature I think most people like to compete, and becoming the mayor of a venue, especially a favorite neighborhood haunt, gives you some cred. It’s a lot of fun to constantly be fighting for mayorship (I’m trying to stay on top of M80 but am currently ousted….dang….) and a good way to keep tabs on your friends. A bit stalker-ish? Perhaps, but it’s fine if you keep your friends list restricted to people that you really are friends with.
For Businesses
The possibilities for a tie-in with businesses are restricted only by your imagination. There is a pretty cool program that you can opt in to for special offers to users of Foursquare, and honestly I think it’s effective. I was in San Francisco recently eating at a local Thai restaurant. I checked in on Foursquare and was greeted with a small message that let me know there was an offer nearby. I ended up going across the street to Froots and checked in for the first time…and received a free bowl of frozen yogurt as a reward. Another example…I checked in to the a small restaurant and was told about an offer “just around the corner” from a theater that was going to give me a drink for free, just for showing the screen.
If you are a business, big or small, think about what this means to you…you now have the ability to not only know who your customer is, but where they are. Wouldn’t it be nice to know about a potential customer in your neighborhood? Wait for them to check in, then give them an offer they can’t refuse.
Why You Should Join Foursquare
I have no association with Foursquare, but I can recognize a good thing when I see it. They have created a service that combines some key ingredients to be a viral-like social network (it’s easy to use, and it allows you to share information with your friends) and have built it upon a platform that can be beneficial to regular users and businesses. Honestly, that is rare. Banner ads are dead. Sponsored tweets are treated like the plague. Location aware ads that are recommended by your friends…now that is something that can really get some traction.
Give it a shot and let me know what you think. Add me as a friend, and if I’m in your city, let’s try to connect! After all, social networks are just an extension of our real lives, and I look forward to meeting you face to face…
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Tweets that mention Why Fourquare Is The Next Social Network » Matt Singley | Social Media Optimization -- Topsy.com said,
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Matt Singley, Keith Jenkins and Oracio Alvarado, Keith Jenkins. Keith Jenkins said: RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT [...]
Scott Hale said,
You offer some valid points, but FourSquare will not become the next big social network until it can work out a few bugs.
First, FourSquare is already only worthwhile if you have a Blackberry or iPhone – I have a Pre and it is too much hassle to update via web.
Second, cheating is too easy. People will get tired of a game that will never be played fairly. From where I am sitting right now, I can update my status from any location in any available city.
Check out GoWalla. As an iPhone user, I think you will be completely impressed. There is no web-based cheating possible and you can collect items left behind at certain places by your friends along with the competition and collection of badges.
I agree with you that the idea behind FourSquare will catch on and become huge – but FourSquare specifically doesn’t have the glitches worked out. Users and business will benefit from such a service and can easily see it becoming commonplace as technology catches up.
Ryan davis said,
Doin it soon. It is amazing to think that I know the mayor of lax. Hope all is well with you and Ali
Why Fourquare Is The Next Social Network | Daily Tips for You said,
[...] original here: Why Fourquare Is The Next Social Network You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a [...]
links for 2009-10-22 : The ChipCast || by Chip Mahaney said,
[...] Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network » Matt Singley | Social Media Optimization (tags: foursquare socialmedia) [...]
Tyler said,
After my studying of this I really don’t think it will become big. If the main point is to let people know where you are, well then Twitter has plenty of functionality to let you do that through location aware tweets.
The whole game element of foursquare seems a bit like a lame facebook app to me, or like a twitter mafia game. I don’t get it, and I don’t want to be a part of it.
Matt Singley said,
@Tyler…good comment. Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t point out one thing….didn’t you say pretty much the same thing about Twitter?
Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network « Joe The Flow said,
[...] Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network If you’ve been following me on Twitter for any length of time you’ve recently seen some funny updates like, “I’m at LAX Terminal 3″ or “I just became the mayor of Finnegan’s Wake on @foursquare”. Some people know what this is, most do not. These updates are being pushed over to Twitter from the new social network Foursquare, a service that I signed up with a couple of months ago. I believe it is the next service to watch, and I want to tell you why. First of all…I referred to Foursquare as a social network, but inside the business walls I’ve been calling it a “location aware ad platform”. There are implications and advantages for both the average user as well as business, and I’ll break it down for both after a brief introduction. [read: Matt Singley] [...]
Fortuitous Bouncing « Man of Depravity said,
[...] Have you heard of Foursquare? I’ll be the first to say that I don’t think it is all it is being cracked up to be, but here is a good post on why it just might be. [...]
Social Media Predictions for 2010 | Peer Marketing Group said,
[...] Related: see Matt Singley’s post on Why Foursquare is the next Social Network. [...]
Social Media Predictions for 2010 | Social Media Marketing said,
[...] Related: see Matt Singley’s post on Why Foursquare is the next Social Network. [...]
Marketing Wednesdays: The Top Six Indications Your Social Media Expert Is Full Of Crap | Usability Counts | User Experience, Social Media said,
[...] out where your audience is, and talk to it. For some, it’s Foursquare. For others, it’s Facebook. For even other people, it’s Etsy. For every audience [...]
Foursquare: La red social geolocalizada | Nativo Digital said,
[...] | Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network [...]
Top 10 China Social Media Predictions for 2010 | China Digital Engagement and Marketing said,
[...] Related: see Matt Singley’s post on Why Foursquare is the next Social Network. [...]
mattsingley said,
Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
velvetescape said,
RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
velvetconnect said,
RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
oracio said,
RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
ugabev said,
RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
J_Lab said,
RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT – Because competition is awesome!
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
chazcruz said,
Just joined, its a lot of fun! RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
michaelyung said,
Wanted to join Foursquare but not yet available in town http://bit.ly/3SD3ro (See what you can do for a 3 people company)
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
sjhalestorm said,
Do you agree? RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
weileycoyote said,
RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
wordpost said,
Why @mattsingley believes “Foursquare Is The Next Social Network” http://bit.ly/oDpvC
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
shiraadatto said,
If you’ve been wondering what @foursquare is, read @mattsingley post & why he thinks it’s THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Migs2k3 said,
I love foursquare! Matt nails it perfectly. RT @mattsingley: Why @foursquare is THE next social network http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
emozePushEmail said,
RT @mattsingley Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network http://bit.ly/1E9Ua
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mattsingley said,
Are you on @foursquare yet? This is why I think you should be. Do you agree? http://bit.ly/zXJCq
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
zaellen said,
RT • mattsingley Are you on @foursquare yet? This is why I think you should be. Do you agree? http://bit.ly/zXJCq
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omarbitar said,
just read an interesting article on @foursquare. The next big thing? http://bit.ly/2gcSAm
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mobilematters said,
@mattsingley started a great conversation re: foursquare! CHeck it out: http://bit.ly/2IWN2R
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ShellyKramer said,
RT @mattsingley: Are you on @foursquare yet? This is why I think you should be. Do you agree? http://bit.ly/zXJCq
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
lirons said,
RT @mattsingley: Are you on @foursquare yet? This is why I think you should be. Do you agree? http://bit.ly/zXJCq (Yes, mostly)
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
PoochClub said,
@foursquare ‘ the next social network’ & why …http://bit.ly/2IWN2R
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
JulieMorgan said,
If you’ve been wondering what @foursquare is, read @mattsingley’s post about why he thinks it’s THE next social network: http://bit.ly/DongT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
socialmediapal said,
Social Media Tips! Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network » Matt Singley | Social … http://tinyurl.com/yj2phdb
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davidweinfeld said,
RT @tweetmeme Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network http://retwt.me/1gzq9
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courtenaybird said,
Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network http://bit.ly/eLiou #mobile #iphone #apps (RT @mattsingley)
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AtlantaPR said,
What is FourSquare – is it the next social network? http://tinyurl.com/yj2phdb
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jonathansaar said,
RT @AtlantaPR: What is FourSquare – is it the next social network? http://tinyurl.com/yj2phdb
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DLWilsonsWorld said,
RT @ShellyKramer: RT @mattsingley: Are you on @foursquare yet? This is why I think you should be. Do you agree? http://bit.ly/zXJCq
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feritae said,
RT @AtlantaPR: What is FourSquare – is it the next social network? http://tinyurl.com/yj2phdb
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CCHBA said,
RT @AtlantaPR: What is FourSquare – is it the next social network? http://tinyurl.com/yj2phdb
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gussvendsen said,
RT @mattsingley Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network http://bit.ly/1E9Ua (thx @ShellyKramer)
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mattsingley said,
Why I think @foursquare is *the* next social network http://bit.ly/zXJCq
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mawkus said,
RT @mattsingley: Why I think @foursquare is *the* next social network http://bit.ly/zXJCq –>starting to get it, but still skeptical
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onyxdog said,
Great explanation, matt. RT @mattsingley: Why I think @foursquare is *the* next social network http://bit.ly/zXJCq
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JeffreyBreen said,
RT @mattsingley: Why I think @foursquare is *the* next social network http://bit.ly/zXJCq [me: interesting mobile advertising angle]
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julito77 said,
RT @tweetmeme Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network http://retwt.me/1gzq9 from @mattsingley and it’s true
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terilg said,
Great post by @MattSingley about Foursquare, and why you should be there. I know you’re curious: http://bit.ly/2nAuLo #fb
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KellyKapowsky said,
RT @mattsingley Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network http://bit.ly/1E9Ua
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doterati said,
Were you wondering what Foursquare was all about? Me, too! This should help. http://bit.ly/rssy3
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DisneyEC said,
RT @doterati: Were you wondering what Foursquare was all about? Me, too! This should help. http://bit.ly/rssy3
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JoshuaCJohnson said,
RT @doterati: Were you wondering what Foursquare was all about? Me, too! This should help. http://bit.ly/rssy3
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milenaregos said,
Interesting social network: RT @mattsingley Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network http://bit.ly/1E9Ua
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DaniBurns27 said,
Why Foursquare Is The Next Social Network » Matt Singley | Social Media Optimization http://bit.ly/rssy3
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Kyle Reed said,
I use Gowalla which is the same thing as foursquare. I just know more people using gowalla then foursquare, and that is why I would not switch.
This comment was originally posted on man.of.depravity
ash said,
i disagree w/ the idea that it should be our “aim” is to convert people. jesus told us what our “aim” is: love the lord your God w/ all your heart, soul and mind …and Love others as you love yourself. ….in his commission of “go to all the world and preach the gospel”…he wasn’t saying, “try to convert” no, he was saying “proclaim what the Lord your God has done”…but simply doing this: there will be many who are compelled to his kingdom, as He can reach their hearts, and for those who are not …it’s not our place to push them or “try to convince them” or “get them to come to Christ under the their ‘own’ volition”…b/c then it’s not their own choice, it’s our trying to prove we’re right. live as the LIGHT in the earth and people won’t be able to resist HIM.
This comment was originally posted on man.of.depravity
ash said,
i disagree w/ the idea that it should be our "aim" is to convert people. jesus told us what our "aim" is: love the lord your God w/ all your heart, soul and mind …and Love others as you love yourself. ….in his commission of "go to all the world and preach the gospel"…he wasn’t saying, "try to convert" no, he was saying "proclaim what the Lord your God has done"…but simply doing this: there will be many who are compelled to his kingdom, as He can reach their hearts, and for those who are not …it’s not our place to push them or "try to convince them" or "get them to come to Christ under the their ‘own’ volition"…b/c then it’s not their own choice, it’s our trying to prove we’re right. live as the LIGHT in the earth and people won’t be able to resist HIM.
This comment was originally posted on man.of.depravity
BZalasky said,
@mattsingley on why Foursquare Is the next social network… http://bit.ly/2NBCmT #socialmedia
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
ShannonAlbert said,
@DreamintheLife Here’s a blog post about @foursquare written by @mattsingley. http://bit.ly/rssy3
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
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