Foursquare – Making Social Media Georgraphy Savvy & More Niche Driven

Back on February 3rd of 2009 I wrote a post that asked Will Social Media Become More Niche In 1000 Days? With the recent rise in popularity of Foursquare the answer to the question is yes. Social is far more niche than when I wrote that post.

The addition of geography to keyword and #hashtag search has allowed users to dive even further and businesses are able to derive even more:

1. Business Intelligence
2. Competitive Analysis
3. Direct To Consumer Marketing

In the coming months look for Foursquare to start segmenting industries even further. Also, rural America does not have much of a presence on Foursquare, so they might have to seed some content there. Ultimately, the day might come where you will be able to search for the most random of items or service based on your current location- and find it. I think it is safe say that Foursquare is pushing niche and the Geo makes traveling, moving or simply knowing your surroundings, that much easier.

I am sure there are other business drivers I missed. Feel free to bolt on your business drivers for Foursquare in the comments.



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5 Tips On How Business Professionals Should Engage Socially!

This question was posed to me on Friday night: “How does a professional ethically use Social Media effectively?” Then as fate would have it, an experience on how to not be socially active shined like a big flashing beacon – and here we are.

The following are 5 suggestions to consider when traveling social media channels:

Stay focused-I try to be as human as possible with my posts and talk about Social Media from a bird’s eye view. However it is important to be a real person and talk about hot topics (Bubble Boy, H1N1, Sports, Movies, etc). But for the most part, stay on task with at least 60% of your posts being on topic. However, don’t be a bot and beat your chest incessantly about your product, brand or what you are peddling. Find a balance between being on topic and a real live human. Warts and all!

Be humble– I think it is safe to say that self love is a very undesirable human trait. With a fair amount of success in the Social Media space it is easy to get a giant melon! Don’t do it. No matter how successful you are, be humble and stay accessible, even if you think someone is small potatoes. Social Media has leveled the playing field, even the smallest marketing budgets can be successful in 2009, and allowing your brand to be elitist is the kiss of death!

Be open to serendipity- say yes often –A few years ago Jim Storer used the word “serendipity” as a benchmark for Twitter. The amount of serendipitous business opportunities that land in his lap was how he qualified the amount of time he spends on Twitter. I agree. I have met some truly fantastic people. Most of which are open to networking and learning about new opportunities. While some, well let’s just say they have fallen prey to No.2 and have let their ego get in the way! So say yes often, meet people, share with people, send out opportunities to connect with complete strangers, most of them won’t be strangers any more.

Don’t be judgmental – The social space is still in its infant stages and not all professionals or businesses are going to get it right out of the gate. Don’t turn your nose up at them, and don’t force your opinion on them, help them! Be ready to answer questions when they ask.  It is really easy to judge in these channels and I can tell you it is also another kiss of death. Serendipitous business opportunities will close quicker than you can say “serendipitous” if you are judgmental.

Engage as much as you share– You need to comment, share and engage with others as much as you share your own unique content. I am guilty of this and have to actively make sure to not be a 2000 marketer. Making time to comment, read and engage is something you need to be cognitive of. Commit the time!

I hope this is helpful for new companies and a good reminder for the veterans out there. Feel free to share your suggestions in the comments. Happy chatting!

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Wiggio & Ideastorm Continue The Niche Social Trend!

I stand corrected. Followers did not fall off following Ashton Kutcher after the CNN battle. Apparently, Twitter really is being diluted by the mainstream that thinks Twitter is another push tool. It is a shame really. I started eagerly awaiting  an alternative to Twitter when I came across these tidbits:

1. Wiggio Comes Out Of Beta With A Yammer For College Students
2. Dell Goes Niche with Ideastorm for Healthcare

The two articles have very little to do with each other unless you read between the lines. The word “niche” crops up yet again. As I mentioned in a previous post, business is going niche – but so too is Social Media. I believe as the Oprah’s of the world invade and misuse Social Media channels, business folks are going to migrate to more niche Twitter like applications. Focus will allow users to..well..be more focused!

As it is-I find myself inundated with Twitter messages. They range from work, to baseball, to movies, to family members asking the supposed “social media expert” how their business can use Twitter. If I let it, I can become overly unproductive. But how nice would it be to be able to delve into focused Twitter areas where I don’t have worry about conversations outside of my focus? I personally would value that ability and not have to do a keyword search on Twitter and log that RSS into my Netvibes. Like it or not, the Twitter we know today is going to evolve into a 2010 version of old school AOL chat rooms. It has already started in the form of Wiggio which provides a Twitter-like message stream from all the group members. But it also includes a ton of valuable  features such as a shared calendar, mass text and voice messaging, file-sharing (including online docs and spreadheets) and polling.
Dell is simply burrowing down their Social Media offering to a niche of interest for their marketing team. I suspect this will be the first of many micro-Ideastorms on the horizon.Please excuse the silly metaphor.

What is your take? Are you an early adopter of Wiggio? Are you already tired of the mainstream media disregarding the real value (listening, learning, adopting, innovating) of Twitter? If you were Dell, what would be the next business area you would penetrate?