Foursquare Review: Why You Should Check In

When I’m traveling around town, sometimes I like to stop in a coffee shop, and get something to drink, or stop over at a local restaurant for a bite to eat. I don’t mind eating alone, but it would be great to meet up with some friends from time to time. That’s easier said than done. Here is why you should check in on Foursquare.

It’s rather time consuming to send a text message to various friends asking if they are close by or not. Plus, you have to figure out which ones may possibly be in the area. It would be so much easier if there was one site that I could let people know where I am. Having just one place to check in at would make meeting up with friends so much easier. Well, that’s the basic premise behind Foursquare.

Foursquare is a social networking website that works off the location of its users. Keeping up with the whereabouts of your friends has never been easier than with Foursquare. After logging into a Foursquare account, people can check-in at different venues either from a computer, laptop, or mobile device. They are then awarded points that can be used towards things on Foursquare, or possibly towards discounts at that venue (ex. 10% off a Starbucks coffee after 2 check ins). You can even earn badges giving you bragging rights for that venue. Plus, if you check in to a place more than anyone else during a 60 day period, you can be crowned the “Mayor” of that venue. While bragging rights are nice, oftentimes the Mayor gets even deeper discounts than the norm, and sometimes really cool free stuff just for participating. There are even apps for the iPhone, and other smart phone devices to access the Foursquare website while on the go.

Foursquare has great potential as a way for businesses to better connect with their customers and client base. Not to mention, its a great way for people to find friends to meet up with at various restaurants and hang outs. If you wish, you can even post your check-ins on Facebook, and Twitter, but that’s entirely up to you, and is NOT a requirement.

Overall, Foursquare is definitely a game changer for the social media landscape. I’m not sure how far all of it will go, but you can definitely bet that companies that take full advantage of the potential of Foursquare will come out on top in the social media arena.