Business Networking with Location-Based Services
Where Are You Now?
Location-based services like Foursquare, Gowalla, and BlockChalk are all the rage these days, possibly because they’re still so new, but probably also because they offer users the ability to turn their mobile phone addictions into something that can have very tangible real-world benefits in terms of building and maintaining relationships. And while a lot of the attention has been on how these services can facilitate impromptu run-ins with your friends, there is also a huge opportunity for business networking. Here is a brief run-down of the aforementioned location-based services and suggestions on how to use them to your business advantage.
Foursquare
Foursquare allows you to “check in” to various locations and earn prizes and awards for doing so. One example is how you are able to become “mayor” of a location if you are its most frequent visitor. This can have some great implications for business networking, albeit haphazard ones: say you are at your favorite coffee shop and you see from Foursquare that a local business person you’ve been dying to introduce yourself to is nearby. You would then have the opportunity to meet them and buy them a coffee.
Gowalla
Gowalla is a lot like foursquare with one key exception: Gowalla’s check-in is totally GPS-based, meaning that you can only check into a place when you are actually there. With Foursquare, you have the ability to check in after you’ve left. There are pros and cons to this GPS-only method, but the business networking benefits to Gowalla are basically the same as those of Foursquare.
BlockChalk
A simpler model than either of the above location-based services, BlockChalk lets you leave location-based messages anywhere you go. (Much like leaving a chalk signature on a sidewalk.) This lets you give your favorite businesses and hang-outs a shout-out, or alternately allows you to voice your complaints about an inferior meal or customer service experience. This could be a boon for brick and mortar businesses (at least ones that don’t receive a lot of complaints) and a way for them to get some passerby traffic from people who wouldn’t otherwise know about them.
One Response to “Business Networking with Location-Based Services”
I am a huge fan and user of Gowalla. To me it is another extension of my social media involvement. I have friends on my Gowalla account that are no where else in social networking today, but I also have friends on Gowalla that are on several sites with me; LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
I can understand where some people may say, “Too MUCH!” . But I also love having a little friendly competition to see who can; Create, Found, and Tag the most number, or biggest variety of spots. For me and my friends, Gowalla is the app of choice.
What say you?
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