So you don’t need a bouncy ball and a court to play foursquare?

Foursquare??

What’s the deal with Foursquare? Why you no longer need a bouncy ball and a court to play…..

When our slew of Miller Brooks employees head out to lunch on any given day of the week, I’m usually on my phone within the first few minutes after we sit down at the table. My co-workers, who know me well, don’t need to ask what I’m doing. They roll their eyes because they know I’m “checking in” to our to our favorite lunch spots on Foursquare.

The growing location-based social media application trend is led by Foursquare, a service that provides real-time user location updates specific to a venue. Location-based services (LBS) like Foursquare are expected to really take flight in 2010 — providing they aren’t beat out by location-based features being added to Twitter and Facebook.

Much like the case with Twitter before it mainstreamed, many have heard of Foursquare, but very few actually use it or understand how it works. So if you’re among those who still think Foursquare is a playground ballgame played on a court divided into quadrants, I’ll help you out.

Let’s start with a quick breakdown of the application, and then I’ll give you my two cents.

What is Foursquare?

Foursquare is a location-based social networking application for mobile devices.

How does it work?
Users go to a venue (whether it be a restaurant, bar, park, retail store, office, etc.) and check in using their mobile application. When you’ve checked in, you are awarded points. Foursquare adds up the number of times you’ve been to that location. You receive more points at certain places, and when you are the person who has checked in to that venue the most, you become the mayor.

What is a badge?
When you become a regular user, and start checking in at multiple venues, you will receive badges for your check-in. From the start, there are a slew of beginner badges you receive for becoming an active Foursquare user. First, you’ll receive the newbie badge, then the adventurer badge, then the local badge, and so on. Badges and points aren’t really connected; badges are more of a reward system for interesting check-ins.

My two cents

Now that you know how it works, let me tell you what I think about Foursquare: it’s awesome!

I see two main arguments for the use of Foursquare, whether it’s for fun, for work… or simply because you’re starting to feel left out!

• Competitive gaming quality: I’m convinced that the competitive nature of the application makes it quickly addicting.  (It was for me!) I’ve only been on Foursquare for 5 months, but as a person who’s new to Indianapolis, I’m always sure to check into my new favorite hangouts.  I don’t want to miss out on the points or badges I might receive that will document the discovery of my new city. To help keep the application competitive, most mobile Foursquare applications feature a “LeaderBoard,” which shows you the amount of points you’ve earned on Foursquare each week – resetting every Sunday evening.
• Networking: The “check-in” aspect of Foursquare creates a stream of content that contains all your daily travels. Other users can then follow your stream and engage you in conversation about your favorite places. It’s another way for you to connect with someone and get to know him or her better. You can also follow other people’s check-ins to see where they have been. If your friends are using Foursquare, you can locate them in the city without ever making a single phone call. Also, as you watch your friends check in, you may discover some great restaurants and shops that you never knew existed!

Foursquare’s Challenge

The application clearly has the “cool factor.” As of early 2010, it claimed about 725,000 members — and it has only been around since early 2009. But the question is, can it be proved useful? Besides being fun, Foursquare was launched for business — and participating businesses say yes. Here’s why:

• Foursquare allows venues to provide deals and discounts to the Foursquare users who check in. Some even offer special deals to mayors. It’s another way for businesses to engage their patrons.
• As a business owner, you can learn a lot of valuable insights about your customers by monitoring their activities on Foursquare. You can find out where else your customers go, as well, to learn who your competitors are.
• Businesses can monitor their brand presence across social media mediums. You can identify both your biggest supporters and people who might be unhappy with your company. You can then engage these people and make sure they continue to be supporters of your brand, or right the wrong and gain back a customer.

As Foursquare becomes more mainstream, the application is rapidly gaining users (adding almost 100,000 in a 10-day period during SXSW in Austin, TX). But as the fan base builds, questions arise as well. One in particular: with people checking into (and out of) their homes via Foursquare updates (which can push out to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn), is personal privacy at risk? This, no doubt, will be a hot social media topic throughout 2010.

Can you really weigh what you think about Foursquare if you don’t give it a try? Sign up at Foursquare.com and tell me what you think!