From my post earlier in the week, Part I: Foursquare from a User’s Perspective, I explained what the point of Foursquare is for the user. However, I feel that most users are missing an important point of the game. 
Receiving Mayor Specials or other discounts are great perks, but think about what you are really doing for a second when using Foursquare. When you check-in to venues you are freely giving important data away, which marketers can then use in order to better market toward you. Let me give you an example- Say I check-in to every venue I visit on a daily basis: Starbucks in the morning, work, Dunkin Donuts during my lunch break, the gym, and a restaurant for dinner. If the venues I visit decide to give me a free coffee or other discounts for frequent check-ins or for being the Mayor, that’s enough of an incentive to check-in every time!
Keep in mind that the whole idea of marketers gathering information about you is not a bad thing. TV commercials for products you do not care for are irritating. However, Foursquare is location based, which personalizes the ads and promotions that are geared toward you. How can that be annoying when this type of marketing can save you money or get you discounts at your favorite venues?
I bet you are wondering how it is possible for anyone to gather information about you through Foursquare. Foursquare API is one answer. According to Foursquare, “The Foursquare API enables developers to build applications that interact with the foursquare platform. You can use the API to create new ways to check-in to foursquare or visualize the data generated by the foursquare community. Our API is still a work in progress and we look forward to your feedback and suggestions.” Foursquare is all about massive data collection and processing, but remember, this is not always a bad thing!
Stay tuned for Part III: Foursquare from a Business Perspective
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The Discovery Communications Group is an award-winning, fully-integrated marketing agency located in Salem, NH, that specializes in professional web design, search engine optimization, and social media marketing strategy. DCG also provides printing and mailing services to meet every advertising need, servicing clients throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
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