Foursquare | Internet Marketing Blog

Foursquare, kickbacks and consumers as media

Foursquare's founder Dennis Crowley has an idea: turn influential social media users into affiliate marketers.

At a panel discussion the other day, he suggested that if you mention a brand, or one of its products and services, and that mention generates revenue for the brand, "you should get some kind of referrer’s fee." He predicted that within a year, "there will be some way for [users] to get kickbacks" through social media platforms.

by Patricio Robles 29 October 2010 11:13am 2 comments

The rocky road ahead for Facebook Places

As a big fan of location-based applications (I'm currently 'checking in' at various locations on five different apps...!) I have of course been watching the launch and subsequent spread of Facebook Places with great interest.

Now that the first batch of dust has had a chance to settle, I wanted to look in a bit more detail at some of the hurdles 'Places' may face in the coming months, if past experience is to be believed.

by Henry Elliss 13 October 2010 10:47am 10 comments

Can brands trust social media platforms?

Brands are increasingly spending real money building up and maintaining their social media presences. From Facebook to Twitter to Foursquare, questions over ROI remain, but many brands have come to the conclusion that social media is an important part of the marketing mix.

But should brands bet too much on platforms like Twitter, which often have spotty performance records but are constantly trying to cozy up to brands? The answer might just be 'no.'

by Patricio Robles 05 October 2010 08:47am 14 comments

Case Study: McDonald's ups foot traffic 33% on Foursquare Day

McDonald's may be a large brand, but it doesn't always want to invest large budgets in marketing. With a little help from Foursquare this Spring, the fast food chain increased foot traffic 33% in one day with an investment of less than $1,000.

Rick Wion, head of social media at McDonald's, is a big fan of such pilot programs. As he says, "the bigger your budget is, the harder it is to scale."

by Meghan Keane 15 September 2010 16:12pm 18 comments

FourSquare and security: I know where you live...

As individuals become more and more accustomed to sharing personal information with social networking sites, it’s easy to see how this free and easy exchange of information can be abused.

FourSquare, though entertaining and potentially useful for tips on the places around you and figuring out where your online friends are, does raise some security issues.

by Eliza Dashwood 27 August 2010 12:22pm 4 comments

How beneficial is Foursquare for businesses and individuals?

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you might have seen that I recently joined Foursquare, admittedly to try and find out what all the fuss was about.

In actual fact I think it could provide great value to a lot of businesses, as well as certain individuals trying to promote a cause or product.

by Kevin Gibbons 24 August 2010 11:10am 2 comments

Will Foursquare check out now that Facebook has Places?

Five years ago, one of the last things an entrepreneur with a hot consumer internet startup wanted to hear was "Google is launching a new service just like yours." It's 2010, and that has changed to "Facebook is launching a new service just like yours."

But that's precisely what Dennis Crowley, the founder of the increasingly popular location-based service Foursquare, recently heard.

by Patricio Robles 23 August 2010 09:07am 4 comments

Should Facebook let others check you into "Places"?

Facebook's foray into location-based services launched last night. And while Places borrows heavily from existing services available on Yelp, Foursquare and Gowalla, one difference is the way that Facebook plans to grow its new product.

Facebook Places check-ins will be shared with users' entire network of friends. And if users wish, they can check other people into locations. Perhaps predictably, there are some privacy issues with this approach. But it ensures that people who may not otherwise interact with Places are sure to know it exists. And unless objections arise, Facebook's appraoach should be great for user adoption.

by Meghan Keane 19 August 2010 18:43pm 2 comments

Fast food chains are learning the benefits of mobile

Much has been written about the benefits of location-based services for small businesses, but national chains are no stranger to mobile technologies. And Fast food chains are taking note as consumers adapt to new mobile practices.

With mobile apps, text to order service and location based marketing messages, fast food companies are learning that mobile is very good for business.

by Meghan Keane 18 August 2010 23:12pm 3 comments

Location-based services are more than the sum of user numbers

According to Forrester Research, a service is only as powerful as its reach. And considering that only 4% of U.S. online adults have used location-based mobile apps, marketers should keep away.

Even if these services were approaching their adoption limits, that would be bad advice. As it stands, location-based services are just getting started. And smart marketers are getting in now.

by Meghan Keane 27 July 2010 23:41pm 3 comments