Chicago Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing Events
A major shift is happening as users quickly adapt GPS enabled smart phones. New mobile Web sites and smart phone applications are being introduced at a fast pace to take advantage of the technology. According to the report "Quancast Mobil Web Trends", in 2009 the share of global mobile Web consumption was up by 148%. Google's new Android is responsible for over 12% of total North American mobile Web page views.
Tuesday Feb. 2, 2010
6:30pm to 7pm: registration and networking
7pm to 8pm: discussion
8pm to ?: Dinner (optional)
Includes: Complimentary Appetizers and Snacks. Cash Bar.
Cost: Online In Advance: $10, At the door: $20
Where:
Westwood Tavern & Tap
1385 N. Meacham Road
Schaumburg, Illinois 60173
(847) 696-9500
http://foursquare.com/venue/365775
http://www.pegshot.com/p/0182b7bhr
http://postabon.com/pc/deal?guid=1881
Foursquare is a location-based social networking website, software for mobile devices, and game. Users "check-in" at venues using text messaging or a device specific application. They are then awarded points and sometimes "badges." The service was created by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai; Crowley had previously founded the similar project Dodgeball, which Google bought and shelved in 2009. The website has about 200,000 members.
Foursquare allows registered users to connect with friends and update their location. Points are awarded on weekends and non-business hours for "checking in" at venues. Users can choose to have their Twitter and/or their Facebook accounts updated when they check in. In version 1.3 of their iPhone application, Foursquare enabled push-notification of friend updates, which they call "Pings." Users can earn badges by checking in at locations with certain tags or for check-in frequency. The company has stated that users will be able to add their own custom badges to the site in the future. If a user has checked-in to a venue more than anyone else, on separate days, and they have a profile photo, they will be crowned "Mayor" of that venue, until someone else earns the title. Users can create a "To Do" list for their private use and add "Tips" to venues that other users can read.
Harvard is the first university to work with foursquare to help students explore their campus and surrounding places of interest. Read the article here:
Harvard on foursquare - Harvard uses foursquare mobile app
Foursquare members may already be checking in to your business so why not engage them? Every business needs to encourage it's Foursquare customers to check in when they visit. This is free word of mouth advertising for you. Every time a customers checks at at a business that message is seen my that user's friends on Foursquare. Many users also have their Foursquare account feeding Twitter and Facebook. So friends of that user on those sites also see the check in. How cool is that? It brings exposure to like minded friends of Foursquare users. Chances are that if I like business, many of my friends will also like that place as well but may not know about it. If they see me checking in on a regular basis, my friends may take a closer look and visit as well. The Foursquare check in process is so easy for users and great word of mouth advertising for businesses.
Businesses should also encourage it's Foursquare users to post tips. With a Foursquare check in users can add a tip about what their favorite dish is at a restaurant or item at a retail location. For example The Spice House in Chicago has many hard to find ingredients. Users can post that The Spice House has True Cinnamon and not that fake stuff you get everywhere else, that you should try putting cinnamon in lamb stew, or that that they have "Moroccan Spice Mixture" which was made by special request of the Field Museum of Natural History Chicago and developed by Chef Dave Esau.
Gowalla is a location-based social networking game created by Alamofire. At the start of December 2009 it was reported that Gowalla had raised $8.4 million in a round of venture capital funding led by Greylock Partners.
Postabon specializes in saving users money by connecting them to discounts recommended by like-minded consumers in their area. People upload and vote on in-store discount recommendations in their area. Each post - uploaded through the website, iPhone app, or mobile web app - takes about the same amount of time as a tweet. They encourage creativity and only ask that each discount is categorized as Eat, Shop, Entertain or Miscellaneous. Deal finders earn Karma points, vie for the top spots on our Karma Board and accrue a following of users interested in the recommendations they make.
Pegshot is a photo/video service meant to help users answer the question "what's happening where you are?" The team is an active bunch and, until pegshot, they didn't have an ideal way to quickly show their friends and family what they think is cool, interesting, beautiful, disturbing etc. They love being outside, music, local businesses, great food/drinks, being active, travel & they love interesting people.
Foodspotters earn recognition for sharing foods they love enabling foodseekers to find whatever they're craving and see what's good wherever they go. Foodspotting is a visual local guide that lets you find dishes instead of just restaurants. It's powered by Foodspotters, who can share their food photos and expertise while building a rich collection of foods and where to find them.
Below is a short video by Tasti D-Lite that demonstrates
how their new Nearby Specials" function on Foursquare.
The full blog post is at: http://www.tastidlite.com/blog/?p=49
Lincoln Station in Chicago, IL joins Foursquare:
http://foursquare.com/venue/8958
We meet about once a month to discuss topics related to Chicago Social Media Marketing .
Meeting information is posted on our Events Page.