With this blog I've reviewed a number of different social media tools. This week I'd like to introduce Foursquare, the best location-app I've seen catch on in a major way. Foursquare is an online directory that detects businesses, restaurants and retail locations nearby wherever you are. The app detects your location and allows you to "check in" to a nearby location.
After over a year of consistent Foursquare use, I've put together a list of tips for potential new users:
1. Scrutinize who to accept as a Foursquare Friend- Foursquare users must "friend" you to be able to view your Foursquare posts. It is easy to fall victim to strangers reaching out through Internet cover-ups. Be careful who you accept as a Foursquare connection.
2. Use Foursquare as your go-to restaurant review- the "tips" section of a restaurant's Foursquare profile are reviews left by people who have visited that location. I've often used these tips to get the low-down on different menu options.
3. Careful where you post! Foursquare is integrated with a ton of Social Media tools- Facebook and Twitter most notably- so be careful of where and when you post. Do you want just your Foursquare contacts to be aware of your whereabouts, or your entire Facebook following? Figure out where to limit yourself to secure your desired level of privacy on the Internet.
Facebook Integration
You might have been using Foursquare on Facebook without even knowing it! When you select the "Place" icon when making a status update, you're using the Foursquare technology. Similarly, Foursquare was able to use Facebook as a major platform to generate new users. The Foursquare/Facebook integration allows for easy access between platforms- if you're on the Foursquare application you can post things directly to Facebook (with a one-click acceptance). Click here to read more about the Facebook and Foursquare integration.
Twitter Integration
Want to automatically update Twitter every time you check in on Foursquare? Foursquare has created the ability to show all check-ins on social media sites like Facebook (mentioned above) as well as Twitter. Read more on how you can connect your Foursquare account to these social media sites here.
There are a number of growing trends on the Internet that involve both social media and mobile applications. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest all have massive audiences spending a considerable amount of time on their website and mobile sites. With this blog post I chose to review the overall mobile and social trends through a few interesting articles I've found on the topics.
Mobile:
Mobile usage is skyrocketing. Don't believe me? Check out some of
the trending topics relating to mobile on CNN. The use of Smart Phones in particular has allowed
people all over the world to access the Internet without requiring a computer.
It is now commonplace to see young children walking around with
Smart Phones, or babies being entertained by an ipad or iphone.
One
thing I find ever more interesting is the growing number of mobile Internet
users in comparison to computer Internet users. According to a study previewed below, Internet usage through mobile devices surpassed computers in India in 2012.
Read more on this study at http://www.insidemobileapps.com.
Social:
The Conversation Prism is a visual representation of the growing number of
social media applications out there today. Like mentioned above, the most prominent social media applications are sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, but the number these sites grows every day! The Conversation
Prism does a good job of visualizing the complexity of social applications. One ways that it does is is through categorizing different social media platforms by topic.The Social Conversation Prism outlines a complex industry landscape in a way that is still easy to comprehend. Check it out below or visit https://conversationprism.com.
I first learned about GoPicnic when a close friend started working there as the Brand Communications Director. Known to some as the "healthy lunchable" GoPicnic prepares ready to eat meals that are predominantly vegan-friendly. The Brand Communications Director, Jamie Siegel, was hired to grow GoPicnic's digital and offline brand presence and often relies on social media to keep costs down and reach a wide target audience. More and more organizations are realizing the benefits of social media and the power of the Internet for both brand awareness and sales. Finding the right platforms and sending the right message has to be 100% customized to the company, so here's how Jamie utilizes social media for GoPicnic!
I sat down with Jamie and interviewed her about GoPicnic. She explained,
"I was brought into GoPicnic to build our social media presence online. In my year and a half at the company, I've build social engagement that rivals national brand competitiors. Facebook has been a very powerful tool for us recently. In just one year, I've utilized social media at GoPicnic to organically fans from 5,000 Facebook fans to over 21,000."
To give you additional background on how GoPicnic uses social media, here are the things Jamie thinks are the primary benefits to using Facebook and other social media platforms.
Building Brand Awareness
GoPicnic began as a start-up selling packaged meals to airlines. The company has expanded its products and relies heavily on social media to reach its nationally scaled audience. Facebook and Amazon are 2 platforms GoPicnic uses frequently.
Driving traffic to the website to boost online sales
GoPicnic uses social media to educate consumers on sales and promotions. They then use this data on consumers to help guide purchasing decisions by making suggestions of additional products based on past purchases and browsing habits. All links tied to social media are trackable, which helps GoPicnic learn more about which social media sites are working well and which aren't.
Educating Consumers
GoPicnic sells products both online and through partner distribution channels, but finding where to buy isn't always easy! GoPicnic can be found at local Target, your local 7-11 and a variety of other convenience store locations, so social media helps communicate where consumers can buy regardless of online or offline.
Check out GoPicnic's Facebook page:
Check out GoPicnic's Amazon page:
