Foursquare, Events & Online Experiences
There’s a great guest post in TechCrunch Check (In) Yo’ Self Before You Wreck Yo’ Self: Why Foursquare Users Check In “Off The Grid”. Besides the funny headline, it’s a great look at why people check in ‘off the grid’ or checking in without letting your friends see where you’ve checked in. I’ve done it when I go to church or the doctor’s. I just don’t think people need to see that intimately into my life. Plus, for the past 7+ months that’s about all you’d see me checking into. :)
But the article also references another idea related to Foursquare about adding Events. The idea is that when a specific event is going on somewhere people can check in at the venue and be associated with a specific event. I have thought about this from a PR/marketing perspective - it would be a great way for marketers to get create exposure for their branded event through Foursquare. It creates exclusivity and coolness to have badges for going to certain events. It also adds value to users - it’s boring to see your friend checked into the Tacoma Dome, but seeing they checked into Lady Gaga’s concert? I’d find that more interesting. This could also become especially interesting for meet-ups - you may be more willing to go meet up with a friend at an organized event than show up unannounced at a restaurant.
I’ve also thought about the idea of check-ins for virtual experiences - checkins for doing something online. This is a much more complex scenario because you wouldn’t want check-ins for everything. I also think it diverts from the core objective of Foursquare to connect to physical locations. I’m not sure how this scenario would play out, but could see it for something like watching major live events online, or checking in to Gap online to shop. It’s a natural extension to what we already share proactively online and could open up a lot of opportunities for brands and marketers.The naysayer in me says - what normal person would do this? But if the experience was fun and tap into that gaming culture, people might use it - I wouldn’t have thought people would want to show their location constantly either.
What do you think? Would you want event related check-ins available on Foursquare? Is checking in for online experiences going too far?
