Foursquare – potential or hype? | The Electric Waffle

Right now, a lot of hype is the social space seems to be surrounding location-based apps. Mashable recently featured a post about Foursquare and how the author thinks it has Twitter-like potential. While I use Foursquare and think it’s a neat application, I disagree with the statement that Foursquare is a) a trending application and b) has Twitter-like potential.

The problem I see with Foursquare is that all it’s potential lies in the hands of businesses. I made an argument on Mashable’s site, which was replied with the thought that knowing where your customers are and knowing your customers are two invaluable pieces of information. While I agree, this statement is also a major issue businesses need to overcome.

Right now, very little is being done on Foursquare – in terms of business promotion, marketing, etc. A bar may offer the “Mayor” a free drink, or something along these lines, but that’s where the marketing stops. Knowing your customers and knowing where they are is one thing; knowing what to do with them is another. I may go to a bar for a free drink, but after I get that free drink, what’s my incentive to return? What’s my incentive to visit a place if I’m not the “Mayor”? How do you draw in people from the same business down the street from you?

In order for Foursquare to reach it’s “potential”, it will require businesses figuring out a way to utilize this tool. Until then, tracking customers and knowing who and when they “check-in” is useless.

Twitter didn’t have this problem. Twitter’s problem is figuring out a way to ensure people continue to use their service and figuring out a way to make money off their service. Foursquare has the complete opposite problem – figuring out how to make their product useful.

http://ariwriter.com Ari Herzog

Kasey, Kasey, kasey, I clicked into your blog post hoping to read something aligned with my thoughts; but, alas, no.

May I suggest you need to think out of the box and look at the big picture of location? Think satellites. Think GPS. Think barcodes and RFID. Think UPS and tracking packages.

Now, take those current applications in the manufacturing and retail and supply chain logistics worlds — and cross them with social media channels. Foursquare and Gowalla, the way they exist today, are not the future. Twitter is not the future. But the concept of an information network that allows people to collaborate and socialize — by location — is where I see it going.

Forget Foursquare. Look to the future.
kmskala

Ari,
By all means, I understand what you are getting at. With augmented reality and location-based apps all the buzz right now, this post was simply meant to display my disagreement with the Mashable article that talked up Foursquare.

However, even with the concepts you mentioned above, for any of them to really take off, it will require businesses to figure out how to implement these tools. All the technology in the world doesn't make a bit of difference if they aren't tailored for use.

Thanks for the comment!
kmskala

Ari,
By all means, I understand what you are getting at. With augmented reality and location-based apps all the buzz right now, this post was simply meant to display my disagreement with the Mashable article that talked up Foursquare.

However, even with the concepts you mentioned above, for any of them to really take off, it will require businesses to figure out how to implement these tools. All the technology in the world doesn't make a bit of difference if they aren't tailored for use.

Thanks for the comment!
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