The Importance of Checking In

by on April 18, 2011 at 1:48 pm in Facebook, Foursquare

By Dan Bergeron

Social media has become more than tacky profile photos and ‘over-sharing’ status updates.  While geo-location is by no means brand new, it is finally catching on among everyday consumers and businesses.   While some consider sharing your whereabouts to be unnecessary, others see value in social geo-location.  The reality is, there is a great deal of value in using geo-location from both the consumer and business perspective.  Tools such as Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places, Scvngr, etc, are becoming more prominent as a method for consumers and businesses to connect and share with one another.

When I first created a Foursquare account way back in 2009, I was very intrigued by the idea but rarely checked into places mainly because I would forget.  One day I was chatting with my good friend Mike (@mikefraietta), who had been using both Foursquare and Gowalla for quite some time already.  Mike is a worldly traveler and has been to many different cities all over the world.  Mike described his checking in experience to me as a virtual tour guide.  Imagine yourself walking through the downtown area of a new city, flourishing with restaurants, coffee shops and pubs.  So many choices but you don’t have time to stop in and look at the menu of every single place.  Now would be the perfect opportunity to dust off that Blackberry or Iphone and look for Tips Nearby.  Foursquare allows users to leave tips at venues they check into, so that other users who have not been there know what’s good, what isn’t good, and perhaps a secret about the menu or venue itself.

If you are a business owner that has some type of retail storefront, it is absolutely pertinent for you to get your business on Foursquare/Gowalla /Yelp.  Consumers are sharing their experiences with others more and more.  Consumers are looking for tips or reviews about new places they go to, so they expect others to share their experience or tips and in return they will do the same for others.

There are many small locally owned businesses that are doing an excellent job of engaging in geo-location networks.  I’ve been to small coffee shops that offer a free daily cup of coffee to the mayor.  I’ve also seen delis reward the mayor with half off sandwiches.  These are great incentives for regulars and to get some new faces in the door.  It will also bring repeat customers, as they keeping coming back to check in to compete to be the Mayor.  Tee & Cakes, a delicious boutique cupcake shop in Boulder, Colorado held a cupcake eating contest between the 2 people who were competing back and forth as the Mayor.

Recently was the 2nd Annual Foursquare Day (4/16).  Millions of users gathered in meetups in large cities around the country.  The idea behind Foursquare and other geo-location apps is not solely to share your whereabouts; rather to be used as beneficial social to share information with other consumers about a particular business venue or place and to provide incentives to consumers.  So always remember the importance of checking in, who knows, maybe you’ll get a free coffee out of it.

Share your thoughts below!

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  • Margaux

    Hi Dan, great article! There are so many sites out there, which one is the best to use for check-ins? (FB, Foursquare, Yelp…etc?) Thanks!

  • http://4sqday.com Nate Bonilla-Warford

    While I agree generally that chick ins are alive and well, there is one glaring error that I’d like to correct. This sentence is completely inaccurate: “While this holiday is fabricated by the company Foursquare itself, many users still gathered in meetups in large cities around the country.”

    If you had been a part of 4sqday2010 or had done even cursory research at http://blog.4sqday.com/about you would have known that 4sqday was started, planned by myself and and other users. A a small business owner, I wanted to use foursquare to retain and attract patients and I found a way to do it – 4sqday. Other users felt the same way and rallied to the cause with no foursquare involvement. In fact other than a few tweets, foursquare had nothing at all to do with the first 4sqday. I was ENTIRELY user-driven.

    Did foursquare promote the event this year? Sure. They’d be insane not to do so. As I stated of foursquare this year in my “thank you post” (http://blog.4sqday.com/2011/04/thank-you-for-a-great-foursquare-day/) “They have worked hard to find that balance between being respectful of the grassroots nature of 4sqday and supporting the day.”

    But it is an insult to me and all the other 4sqday organizers that have never gotten a dime from foursquare (as well foursqure itself) by calling the event “fabricated.” Even without understanding the facts, you could have picked a word with a less negative connotation.

    As I see this is your first post for “Likeable.” I recommend you do more research and choose your words more carefully before posting more.

    With 3M checkins on Foursquare Day, I’m glad you agree the check in is alive and well!

    Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD

    @NateBW/@BrightEyesTampa
    Founder of Foursquare Day

  • Dan

    Nathan,

    Pardon my wording. I am a huge advocate of social media appreciation days and I actually did partake in 4sq day in 2010 and actually organized a local Mashable Meetup “Social Media Day” in 2010 as well. I have a great deal of respect for people like you and only strive to connect with others just like you.

    My apologies, appreciate the feedback and look forward to connecting in future conversations via twitter.

    Best,

    Dan

  • http://michaelfraietta.com Mike Fraietta

    Thanks for including me in your post, Dan.

    I still feel the same about these services as I haven’t looked at a menu (OK, a few) or had a bad meal (seriously) since using Foursquare tips for eating out. I’m often travelling, even if it’s within NYC, but always feel like a local thanks to these services. I also really must thank kind, thoughtful people who leave feedback behind for clueless visitors like myself.

    If you use any of these services, please pay it forward and leave feedback for others. Sure, your friends may already know the “go-to” is the Duck Lasagna, but the oblivious visitor may be pick the Fettucini Alfredo to be safe. Your knowledge is valuable…share it! :)