September 21st, 2009
Foursquare has a business model before Twitter
If Twitter is the what, Foursquare is the where, but now there is more incentive to use the latter. They have put in more work than Twitter on the business front, allowing local businesses to give discounts and specials for heavy users.
If you aren’t in the know, Foursquare allows you to “check in” to a venue and earn points, special titles (like mayor, if you are the person who has been to a particular venue the most), and even badges. It’s a game, and once you get started, it’s addicting.
Once it’s available in more cities, and more users are hooked in, this local business idea will surely become viral and even competitive. This is just the beginning.
Doing a quick scan of #foursquare on Twitter search, I found that a place a few blocks from my office is doing a mayor special.
Even though I’ve never been here, you better believe I’m going to try and become the mayor so I can get happy hour pricing on drinks all night. This, in turn, will make Blue Chalk more popular.
Do you use Foursquare? If not, move to a city that supports it. And cash in your mayor bonuses. Local businesses, jump on this link immediately, or you are missing out.
Andrew Mager is a web developer at Ning, Inc. in Palo Alto. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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