"A business on Foursquare will be able to see more of their recent customers. Currently, a business using Foursquare (like your corner coffee shop) can see the customers who have checked in in the last three hours (in addition to the most recent and their most loyal visitors). This is great for helping store owners identify their customers and give them more personal service or offers. But a lot of businesses only have time to log in at the end of the day to look at it. So, with this change, we’re going to be showing them more of those recent check-ins, instead of just three hours worth. As always, if you’d prefer not to permit businesses to see when you check into their locations going forward, you can uncheck the box under ‘Location Information’ at https://foursquare.com/settings/privacy."
— Foursquare unveils new features for 2013. Strangely, the feature mentioned above was available previously for venues and went away for a year or so. Revolutionary.
(Source: mail.google.com)
"
Yelp, Foursquare is gunning for you.
The social network is adding to its iOS app and website a fairly minor yet hugely significant feature: Ratings. With the addition, Foursquare says that its service will tell users where people actually like to go, not just the places they’ve visited.
"— Foursquare’s new ratings feature should terrify Yelp | VentureBeat
8.3.12 - Foursquare Promoted Updates
With the new profit-seeking strategies that we’re seeing from Facebook, we knew it was only a matter of time before the other large social networks began following suit. Case in point: Foursquare Promoted Updates. Foursquare has grown its follower base since it’s launch in 2009, and now is looking to capitalize on its user base’s attention.
Once launched, Promoted Updates will live at the top of the “Explore” tab of the mobile app (the section used to find venues nearby), and will allow brands to send information to users. The Promoted Updates will be charged on a cost-per-click-type basis (determined by the action the business chooses to pay for — clicks, special unlocks, etc.).
Foursquare Promoted Posts are similar to Facebook’s Promoted Posts in that they are a paid version of the standard updates (referred to as Local Updates on Foursquare). Users who will see your Local Updates (without paying) are:
- Users who visit your center’s page on Foursquare.com
- Users who check in at your center (these users may see the update as a pop-up when checking in)
- Users who have checked-in at your center a certain number of times
- Users who follow your brand page
- Users who have “liked” your venue (a new feature that is now available after checking in at any venue)
Once Promoted Updates are available to the public (after its test phase is over), when you have an upcoming event, large promotion, etc., we can discuss which are appropriate to use as Local Updates and/or Promoted Updates.
Pricing for Promoted Updates has not been released, but when this feature and its pricing are released for public use, I will make sure to update everyone.
"Foursquare is rolling out its first revenue product as the company moves from focusing on user growth to generating cash."
—
Foursquare Launches First Revenue Product: Promoted Updates - Forbes
"The new Promoted Updates enables businesses to send promoted content to users. These updates will appear at the top in a prominent position in the “Explore” tab in Foursquare."
— Foursquare Launches First Revenue Product: Promoted Updates - Forbes
6.8.12 - #allnew4sq
Yesterday Foursquare released the #allnew4sq. If you’re a Foursquare user, this will surely be good news to you! After three years of observation, programming, and changes, it seems Foursquare discovered what its users want in a location-based social network and gave it to them. (It remains to be seen if Facebook Places will still has an advantage over Foursquare with these changes.)
The new interface includes new features like:
- An overall nicer-looking and simpler-to-navigate layout and interface
- A new “Explore” tab that allows the user to more easily see what is around him/her
- Users can also easily find what his/her friends recommend
- You can navigate your surroundings to find what you’re looking for with the ”Top Picks” button
- The ability to like/dislike a venue
- A more user-friendly photo interface
- The ability to follow brand pages from the app
- Previously, this function was only available if you logged onto foursquare.com
- This is great news to all of you as I have been creating each and every one of your centers a brand page
- The ability to delete check-ins (believe it!)
Watch a quick video about the improvements here: http://vimeo.com/43585926
Go ahead, give the #allnew4sq a whirl! Download the app here: https://foursquare.com/about/new.
4.12.12 - Foursquare Day is Monday!
The location-based game has celebrated every year on 4/16 (get it?) since 2010. Across the country, social media nuts (like yours truly) will check-in, meet up, and tweet up a storm just to get the new Foursquare Day badge (2011’s badge can be seen below), claim specials, and just be downright nerdy.
In 2011, Madison Marquette hosted a promotion in which one lucky winner across eight of its properties won a trip to Foursquare’s home, New York City. The promotion brought on an onslaught of check-ins and tweets from shoppers,media, and even Foursquare’s own head business developer!
This Monday, give your fans an incentive to celebrate Foursquare Day with a check-in special. Please see the attached information to detail what a special is, how it’s unlocked, and more. If you want to run a special at your center, give me a shout sometime tomorrow and we can discuss your options.
Happy almost Foursquare Day!
