Archive for January, 2010
Foursquare: please don’t unlock the annoying badge
What IS Foursquare?
You’ve probably witnessed the inundation of updates by your Foursquare-loving friends on Twitter and Facebook, and wondered why anyone would care/want to broadcast constant updates of their exact location.
Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai founded Foursquare–a location based social networking website–in 2009. It allows users to check in via their mobile phone and unlock badges to win points at venues like bars, cafes, restaurants and offices across the city.
Unlocking the “annoying” badge?
With over 100,000 users internationally, Foursquare is taking social networking to a new level, but not everyone is a fan. I was curious about people’s thoughts on the app, and I asked the Twitter community for some feedback. I got one positive review from @danielpatricio. He sees Foursquare as great tool to get the most interaction with his local community. On the other hand, Judy Gombita directed me to a great post on Ian Capstick’s blog Media Style detailing her reasons for not being a fan of Foursquare.
Appeal
Some users really just like the idea of “ousting” somebody as Mayor of a certain location. However, Foursquare has some really cool features. It will keep track of places you’ve been, and suggest new bars/restaurants to try within your locality. Users can check-in around the city and find tips that other users have left behind. For example, you could check in at a restaurant and “unlock” a tip suggesting the best appetizer on the menu. Similarly, you could check in at a bar and find that other users have left suggestions for which drink to order or where to go next.
PR Perspective
The best feature of Foursquare is the ability for restaurants and bars to connect and engage with their patrons in a more interactive way. Not only can restaurant owners see how often certain people check into venue, they also gain a competitive advantage by offering points and rewards to users simply for showing up and checking in at their establishment.
On the flip side, Foursquare is becoming an incredibly bothersome social app because of the constant updates clogging the Twitter and Facebook stream. Users have the option of whether or not to publish their check ins, and many opt to share their constant activity through these social networking sites. I agree with Judy Gombita‘s sentiment that these updates ultimately damage relationships with valuable contacts because not everyone is a fan of this app. When the majority of your Twitter profile has your Foursquare check ins, I think it tarnishes your personal brand because it takes away from quality tweets and useful updates. Does the head of a PR company really want to know you’ve become Mayor of the Brass Rail?
Essentially, Foursquare seems like a fun, user friendly way to discover different venues throughout your city. With the recent Beta release for Blackberry, it appears as though Foursquare will be here to stay for awhile. My advice? Foursquare can still be fun without having to update your non-Foursquare using friends. Turn off your updates on Facebook and Twitter!
My elevator pitch about Foursquare:
Check out my classmate Katie’s take on Foursquare.
Related Posts
Toronto Star: There’s a New Mayor in Town
Judy Gombita’s perspective of Foursquare
Metro Toronto Announces Groundbreaking Partnership
Committing Location Based Suicide
What a Delicious idea: How to…Use Social Bookmarking
What are social bookmarking sites, why do we care about them, and how do they differ from traditional bookmarking? Part of the reason I chose this topic was because I had no idea what their appeal was. My group and I set out to discover the best explanation for how to use social bookmarking sites in an effective manner from a PR perspective.
There are a variety of social bookmarking sites like Digg, StumbleUpon, and Reddit, just to name a few. We found an excellent video by Common Craft explaining the allure and nuts and bolts of the social bookmarking site del.icio.us. Known for their simple and entertaining approach to “How to” videos, my group members Sarah, Danyel, and Auravelia, all decided that it was the most effective and entertaining video that explained everything one would need to know about using social bookmarking sites.
The “How to” video discusses three main points:
1. The difference between online and offline bookmarks
Some people might wonder what the appeal of social bookmarking sites really is. What’s the advantage to using one as opposed to taking the traditional route of just using a bookmark from your browser? One advantage is that your bookmarks will be available online, as opposed to just on your personal computer. That way, you can log onto any computer to access your saved bookmarks instead of kicking yourself for not remembering the website you have saved at home.
2. How to use a social bookmarking website
The video explains how to save and organize your bookmarks into categories so it will be easy for you to find links in the future. Whenever you come across a website you want to bookmark, simply click the del.icio.us icon, and a screen will pop up asking you to enter more information, in order to classify it appropriately. For example, if I found a great website explaining Twitter, I would tag it under “Twitter” “Social Media” “HumberPR” “How to” so when I need to find this link in the future, I know exactly where to look. Similarly, other users who are looking for the same topic are able to search these tags, and will come across the website I saved.
3. The value of sharing bookmarks with others.
Having your bookmarks saved and organized online by tags for other users to see is beneficial because it allows for an exchange of content based on interests. Instead of having your own static bookmarks, you can search for a topic and instantly see all the relevant links other have posted that will likely be of interest to you. This sense of community and exchange of content adds great value to your personal and professional network.
The PR perspective
Using a social bookmarking site like del.ico.us contributes to your personal brand because users are able to see what kind of bookmarks you are saving and what kind of online presence you have. For example, in another video explaining social bookmarking, Michael Pranikoff (director of emerging media at PR Newswire), describes how he only bookmarks links about PR and technology, because those are his interests and how he wants to be represented online. So it is essential that you think about which bookmarks you are saving, as they are public and representative of you and your brand. You may want to think twice about saving a link to an inappropriate video or website if you don’t want it associated with your personal brand.
Overall, social bookmarking site have great advantages over its offline counterpart. The ability to access, exchange, and search for specific content is a useful tool to have for any PR professional.
Check out Sarah, Danyel, and Auravelia’s takes on how to use social bookmarking sites.
Related Links
Check out more “How to” blogs
Watch a more in depth explanation of del.ico.us
Watch a video explaining social bookmarking from a PR perspective
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