Where in the World Are YOU? What to Know About Foursquare, Facebook Places & More in 2011

I recently was asked to write an article for the Hoosier PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) enewsletter to help PR professionals get a better grasp of geolocation services like Foursquare, Gowalla and Facebook Places this year.

Check out my article to learn what you need to know about these tools in 2011 for marketing your business.

Social Media News of the Day: January 7, 2010

Mastering the Twitter Hashtag

I’m guilty of sending out a tweet and then thinking a minute later, I should’ve added a hashtag to that. Why? Well a few Mondays ago I added #mondaysmondays to all my tweets and found a ton of new tweeters with the same humor as me.

Sometimes a hashtag isn’t going any further than your tweet, but other times it really brings people together. My new tool is always to look at what hastags are trending on Twitter at this very moment and if applicable to my life or a client’s company, I will include it in the tweets. Boom! You have just hit thousands, maybe millions, of people you might not have if you’d left it out.

Here’s some more advice about #hashtags from Twitter themselves.

“GTL” is Back Baby!

If you’ve ever read any of my blogs, you’re well aware at this point that I still in fact watch MTV. It’s something I’m not proud of, but it’s the truth. Last night was the season 3 premiere of Jersey Shore, and they’re actually back in Jersey this season.

Yes, the episode was full of alcohol, fake tans, strong Jersey accents, fights and nudity, but it was also full of social media. Foursquare has teamed up with MTV yet again for the GTL badge. If you’re not familiar with GTL, it stands for Gym/Tan/Laundry, which is a permanent fixture in the daily life of a “guido” or “guidette”.

Social Media News of the Day: January 4, 2011

Another Year Another Movie

2010 was definitely the year of Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg being named TIME magazine’s Person of the Year and the continued success of “The Social Network.” I don’t think 2011 will be the year of Craigslist, but last night the Lifetime channel aired a movie based on the Craigslist killer.

I doubt the movie will be anywhere close to how excellent “The Social Network” was, but it is a tragic tale that continues to interest many. Philip Markoff was convicted of killing a woman he met on Craiglist in 2009, which led to the eventual take down of the erotica pages on Craigslist.

Did anyone see it last night? If so, what were your thoughts?

Who, What, When, Where, Why. WHY. WHY!

In the past few weeks we have heard a lot of social media fans discuss their predictions for 2011. I would say more than half these predictions included some mention of location-based apps.

You know when you decide to grow your hair out after having it short there’s always that awkward middle stage? That’s where location is now, that awkward middle stage between privacy and over-share.

Here is a great guest article on Mashable by Daily Marauder blogger Carolina Giegerich.

Social Media News of the Day: December 2, 2010

Jingle Bells and Angry Birds

Android and iPhone users have few things in common except the fact that everyone loves the game Angry Birds. I fully admit that this game is totally addicting and I’ve spent more than an hour trying to beat one level!

These famous birds will get some Christmas spirit very soon, and if you choose to download the new version, you’ll see plenty of ice, snow, presents and Santa hats. Enjoy!

Gowalla Update Makes Waves

Geolocation app Gowalla has added an updated version that integrates Foursquare, one of their toughest competitors. Users can post their actions in Gowalla to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and now Foursquare. You can also earn Foursquare badges through Gowalla and even get Facebook Deals.

This is a HUGE change in the location game, and it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out!

The All Stars of Food and Facebook

Last night was the premiere of Top Chef All-Stars, and for food lovers everywhere this season will not disappoint. What also came out yesterday was a Facebook game based on the popular game show.

Users will pick their favorite chef each week and also participate in challenges before the show. I’m not a huge fan of social media games, but I’ll probably crack and start playing this one. Will you?

Social Media News of the Day: December 1, 2010

Yes, We Are Still in High School

I think most people, whether they loved their high school experience or hated it, remember the dreaded rumor! Well, no matter how long you’ve been out of high school, I know rumors still pop up in your life every now and then.

This week a huge rumor has been circulating around social media universe: will Google buy Groupon? This would be a major merger for the two companies, and Google has put in a $5.3 billion bid to purchase the group-buying site.

Groupon’s board is meeting today to discuss the bid, and the social media world should know soon how this will all play out! Thoughts?

Holiday Get and Give

Gap will include the new “Add to Foursquare” button on all their online ads for the holiday season. When you click on the button, it sets your Foursquare account to remind you to visit Gap when you check in close to a store. If you go and check in, you’ll get a 30% discount on one regularly-priced item.

What makes this deal even sweeter is that if you use the Foursquare discount, Gap will donate $1 to Camp Interactive, the organization of choice for Foursquare! Why not get a good deal on what you want and help others at the same time?

Social Media and Social Causes

It’s great when social media can bring attention to social causes. Urban Ministries of Durham (N.C.) is doing just that using Foursquare.

When people in Durham check in to their favorite shops and restaurants via Foursquare, they’ll also have the option of checking in to such spots as a trash can behind the restaurant, a tent under an overpass or a trashcan in a vacant lot. Foursquare tips will highlight information about Urban Ministries of Durham.

According to an article about the campaign, people will be sharing the message about homelessness with their friends. An example: “UMD serves 220,000 meals a year. But we’d rather keep people from being hungry in the first place. Check in to raise awareness for our cause, or learn more at umdurham.org.”

I love this idea and hope to ‘check in’ (I couldn’t resist) on it in a few months to see how it’s working.

So this article got me thinking, how can other nonprofits use tools like Foursquare, Gowalla or Facebook Places to spread their mission? At Step Ahead, we help the Charleston Parks Conservancy with its Foursquare efforts. As people check in to parks they see tips about the park or upcoming events hosted by the Conservancy.

Surely there are other causes in Charleston that could benefit from Foursquare: literacy, hunger or even our city’s own efforts to curb homelessness. How would you use social media to solve a social issue? Have you seen other organizations doing this?

7 Ways to Score Deals With Social Media

Are you looking to save money this holiday season? Who isn’t?! Well, don’t forget about social media as a great tool to save you some bucks on your holiday gift list.

In this week’s TwitterMoms.com post, I’ve got 7 ways you can score some deals using social media tools like blogs, Facebook, Foursquare and more. Read on!

Social Media News of the Day: November 22, 2010

Who’s Ready for Thanksgiving?

I know I am! Thanksgiving is all about good food with family or friends and spending one whole day actually discussing what you are thankful for. I’m not a very mushy girl, but I am one of those people who like to take the time to let the people in my life know how much they mean to me.

So in honor of Thanksgiving I would like to say that I am very thankful for social media! It makes my life fun and changes so frequently that it also makes my life interesting.

For all of you who’ve not made plans yet for Thursday here are some great tips from Food Network’s Thanksgiving 2010 Guide (and yes most of them involve social media)!

Now, Who’s Ready for Black Friday?

I’m not a fan of Back Friday. Crowds give me headaches and honestly make me angry in general, but I do love a great deal! Foursquare and Best Buy have partnered up this holiday season to bring one heck of a checkin deal.

They’ll give away 20 $500 gift cards to random Foursquare users who check-in at any Best Buy on Black Friday!

Pepsi and JC Penney will also be running Foursquare holiday promotions as well, so keep an eye out for all the great location-based deals coming out this holiday season!

Social Media News of the Day: November 17, 2010

Highlighting Badges

Foursquare has made a few more changes to their layout this week, and it’s all about the badges. The Trophy Case is the new addition and it allows you to really showcase the badges you ‘ve received and also gives you a way to organize them!

They’re separated by partnered badges and Foursquare badges. A partnered badge is earned when you follow a brand, such as MTV, Zagat or Starbucks, and earn a badge produced by them. Another great thing about the Trophy Case is that you and your friends can now click on your earned badges and see how you won them!

This is important because I feel the continued success of Foursquare lies in the badges. People want to earn something for checking in!

Day 1: Internet Summit

This week, I’m in Raleigh, N.C., for the 2010 Internet Summit. Today was a really great time and I met a lot of interesting people. Beyond the happy hour and networking, there was a lot of learning going on. I don’t want to give away everything right now, because there will be a more in depth post later, but I did want to share some thoughts that I learned from the Geolocation Session.

1. There is a lot of room for growth. Think of it in terms of Twitter. In 2008, only  6% of Internet users were on Twitter, but now it is up about around 32%. So in 2010, only 1-4% of users are using geolocation but that could significantly increase in the next few years.
2. Facebook will not rule location. Facebook might have brought it to the mainstream but its main concern and domination is the social graph. It wants to bring all aspects of social media at a basic level to its users. For example, Facebook users upload thousands and thousands of pictures a day to the site but in terms of photography, Facebook is not dominant.
3. You must look at multiple platforms in order to see what customers are saying about you, but you should pick only one, maybe two, platforms on which to run a location campaign.

Off to the conference again tomorrow! Stay tuned for more info on all the social media wisdom I take away from this event!

Social Media News of the Day: November 16, 2010

The Ultimate Remote

Comcast. I usually cringe at the sound of this name simply because most of the time it is spoken in conjunction with my Internet or cable being down. This morning I woke up to talks about Comcast but in a totally different way! They’ve created an application that turns your iPad into a remote control that also contains an extensive TV guide.

The team at Mashable seemed to be impressed with Comcast’s effort to produce the Xfinity TV app, and I find it a relief to hear their name in a positive light! Way to go Comcast!

Social Media Gift of the Week

American Apparel makes some of the softest T-shirts around! My brother and I pretty much live in them year round. And ever since I got Foursquare, my parents can see just how much I really do love American Apparel when they see my bi-weekly check-ins!

So here is the perfect gift for that check-in fashionista in your life: the limited edition I Heart Badges T-Shirt! It’s great for men or women and includes some of the most coveted Foursquare badges!

« Previous Page — Next Page »