In 2010, Ogilvy Melbourne got on the Foursquare bandwagon in a big way. We organised what we hoped would be a record-breaking check-in, or 'super swarm' (read our
post about the event).
Since then, I’ve been checking into Ogilvy Melbourne from time to time, but the buzz of the swarm wore off fast, and it didn't take long before my occasional check-ins earned me Ogilvy Melbourne’s Foursquare ‘mayoralty’.
New competition from New York
About a month ago I noticed I had been decisively knocked off my mayoral perch by a new arrival. Stephen Thomas, a UX designer who recently moved to Melbourne from NYC, clearly saw value in frequent office check-ins.
I asked Stephen what inspired him to stay connected on Foursquare. Here’s what he told me:
"A lot of my dedication is due to the similar dedication of my network and the large following it has in New York. I have about 50 friends on Foursquare. We've used it to track each other down without needing to call or text. Similarly, when meeting someone at a crowded restaurant or when running late, it's helpful to know they've already checked in so you know to look for them once you're there.
There's a definite sense of competition – which Foursquare obviously capitalises on with points, badges, and the "Leaderboard" feature – to check in to cool, new, recognisable, or even comically awful places. Once you start using the app, you feel compelled to continue to check in to show your network how active you are.
Foursquare is also fantastic for insider tips. Especially in the States, Foursquare has become a living city guide. There are at least a handful of "Tips" left at any given restaurant or shop, and several dozen at more popular establishments. I've saved many Tips as "To-Dos" and generally find them reliable and helpful. The heavily location-based focus of the app also makes the "Explore" functionality really helpful when in an unfamiliar area to find popular or recommended shops or bars nearby. Check-in history is useful as well, as I often forget the name of that great restaurant I went to last week but can refer to my history in the app to find it.
I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who worked in the US for a few years, and we agree that Foursquare is much more popular in the US than it is here in Australia. Due to the nature of the app, the more users in a given city the more useful it becomes, so perhaps Foursquare will start to gain popularity here in Melbourne, and Australia as a whole, as more people start using it."
Stephen sounds convinced, but is Foursquare?
"One of the biggest hurdles about Foursquare is you need to remember to use it," Crowley said. To address this, the company recently launched
Radar, which, once you turn it on, collects information about where you are, where you're going, etc.
Crowley describes Radar as, “a little bit of an experiment. We couldn’t do this stuff before iOS 5, without killing your phone (draining the battery).”
Along with Radar, there’s a new emphasis on alerting users to local events and offers. Eric Friedman, Foursquare’s Director of Business Development,
recently told Forbes, “Our first priority is creating a great user experience within the Events platform by giving users more context about the things going on around them. We also want to ensure that any time we work on a promotion with a merchant or a brand, we’re providing real value to our users.”
But is the reward big enough in the Foursquare Skinner box?
As social media companies like Foursquare and their venture capital backers pursue growth and revenue, they’re playing a balancing game between user and commercial utility.
Like behavioural psychologist
B.F. Skinner, who invented the
‘operant conditioning chamber’ (better known as the Skinner box), managers like Crowley are tinkering with their sites and apps, testing stimuli and rewards to induce desired behavioural responses.
The challenge for Foursquare is that the novelty has worn off. For most of us, the rewards of clicking on the app simply aren’t enticing enough, so 'real value' is likely to be management's mantra for driving Foursquare’s growth.
Focusing on value reflects what many users want from brands using social media.
Nielsen recently reported that the top reason for following or liking a brand or company on social networking sites is to receive discounts and special offers. Only respondents under the age of 20 and 55-59-year-olds didn't put this reason first.
For brands hoping to earn the ongoing loyalty of their fans and followers, exclusive social media offers, compelling stories and great service are the 'real value' that will keep their communications relevant. From a user's perspective, liking a brand on social media is likely to be less about the brand than what the brand can do for its friends.