Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from the Compete Blog. Compete Inc. is a web analytics company that focuses on understanding how consumers use the internet.
Are you on Foursquare, Gowalla or any other check-in services? I use Foursquare and like many of my friends, I'm beginning to wonder, "What's the point?" So far, they're great in theory, but not in practice.
Gowalla boasts that you'll "find inspiration to explore the world around you while picking up rewards from local eateries, venues, and retail stores." Similarly, Foursquare says that it's "a mobile application that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore. It is a friend-finder, a social city guide and a game that challenges users to experience new things, and rewards them for doing so."
Instead of the original intent of rewards and explorations of new venues, what I usually find is random non-businesses, like "My Couch" or "Goldie Lock's Castle" (true venues within check-in distance from my apartment) and a mayorship that boasts no rewards other than a badge and proverbial pat on the back.
I'm an active Twitter persona (for my personal account and also oversee the social media for Compete and am the former social media person behind Bliss Spa) and have somehow accumulated about 25,000 random updates about nothing on my personal account alone. But where could I possibly check-in that people would care? Justin Beiber's house?
Although Foursquare and Gowalla are best used on mobile devices, their web traffic is seeing a steady decline.
So,
the obvious questions and thoughts arise:
- Who cares when I'm grocery shopping at my Whole Foods?
- Why do people need to know that I'm shopping at the mall?
- I don't want people to know that this is my third trip to 7-11 today. Hostess cupcakes, coffee, diet coke does not a nutritious diet make, but that is my dirty little secret.
- What's the point of being mayor if there's nothing in it for
me or my friends?
Badges are cute and nice (I have 20+), but they have a very flare-like feel a la Office Space.
Mayorships are generally useless. I fear the day that I'm out and the new pickup line is, "Hey, baby, can I buy you a discounted drink? I'm the mayor here." I may have to flee the country and abandon all social media if that happens.
Most businesses haven't figured that last piece of the puzzle out and with so many websites promoting deals and exclusive offers, how many more offers can a business provide to customers before damaging their profitability?
Discussion Questions: Are check-in services such as Foursquare and Gowalla providing enough value to attract consumers? How else besides discounts can retailers reward customer check-ins?