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Social MediaWho’s the ‘mayor’ of the local coffee shop?
The last time I heard someone excited about the game four square was several years ago when my daughter was in elementary school. So imagine my surprise when I saw a 20-something young man touting the virtues of foursquare.com at the recent Inman Real Estate Connect conference.
Foursquare is yet another social networking application for smart phone users. Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley said the site was designed to “make life a game.”
Designed for the truly competitive, it’s all about earning points. Having been raised on the theory that “she who has the most shoes wins,” I definitely get the competitive aspect. Foursquare encourages users to log where they are. Users earn points and badges based on their visits to locations and activities. People who frequent places the greatest number of times are crowned with the title “mayor” of their favorite local bar, coffee shop or shoe store. Restaurants and local establishments are getting into the game, offering free coffee and appetizers to frequent visitors who log their visits through Foursquare.
Now while this might be fun if I led a more exciting life, chauffeuring my daughter doesn’t take me to many fun locations. And I’m not sure I want to be dubbed “mayor” of my local grocery store, dry cleaner or heaven forbid, McDonald’s.
The upside of this social game is the incredible amount of data it tracks. Crowley and his company will be able to provide information to potential real estate developers, showing them where they see trends. Interested in placing a billboard in a neighborhood? Foursquare will be able to show you where your advertising will be the most effective for the age group you’re targeting. That’s the incredible ability of the newest technology.
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About Kim: Kim Shindle is the Communications Specialist at the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS®. |
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Very interesting concept for data mining. However, the game itself sounds like just another way to spend time looking at your smart phone or computer instead of looking your kids in the eye and talking to them! I know, I know – that is so “old school”!
Have connections with some people using this. Very interesting idea and certainly a part of data-mining type data as Melanie said. There’s a part of me that still wants to travel around “unrecorded” without leaving info on my travels, whereabouts etc. Maybe it’s my age or independent streak?
Kim
Pretty awesome! But, that ferrying of your daughter is actually data-mine type data–you see people who have kids the age of your daughter; you are all in the same (roughly) demographic, so if I’m a REALTOR(R) seeking to sell homes to that demographic, they I know where you are…Gymboree, soccer, Mickey D’s, etc.