Geo-tagging is the new shiny object in the social media arena. Therefore, we should expect similar applications (apps) to appear in its wake. In line with that expectation an application called Shopkick has been developed for smart phone users. The app tracks customer movement from outside the store to various points within the store such as the dressing room, cash register and moving from floor to floor. Think of it as your virtual personal shopper.
Shopkick is similar to other geo-social apps in that users are able to accumulate points – called kickbucks – towards gift cards from the retailer. Retailers have found their marketing edge – a customized shopping experience as well as an opportunity to influence and analysis consumer behavior.
Personally, I enjoy the evolution of technology. My phone allows me to stay connected – email, Facebook, Twitter, the web – but I draw the line at allowing myself to be tracked at any given moment. What is the pay-off for that level of intrusion? A $5 gift card? Storage of my habits and preferences in the clouds?
What’s your opinion? Is Shopkick the natural progression to geo-apps? Are we exposing too much of ourselves in the world of Web 2.0? Please comment.
Being social comes naturally to most people. Before the popularity of the internet, socializing or networking was done formally – business conferences – or informally – meeting at the local pub. The development of social sites such as FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn has added another option to our ability to network, i.e. socialize.
Evolution is inevitable. Society seeks to improve upon existing technology – make it faster, more specific, more personalized, more available. This wave of progression ushered in the popularity of geo-social networking – the ability to advice your network and your network’s network about your whereabouts at any given time of day. This, in the moment, where am I, sharing can be done via a popular geo-networking site called Foursquare.
Foursquare is a location based social networking platform that allows users to “check-in” at venues using a mobile device. Users are awarded points and/or badges by checking in at locations with certain tags or for the frequency of “check-ins”. Users can share their location virally, via Twitter and Facebook, thereby blasting their location to their network and their network’s network and inadvertently to those with less than virtuous intentions for this information.
As a marketing tool, Foursquare and similar geo-tagging sites have their benefit. Some advantages are: promoting a sale or special for a specific area, determining the faithful followers of a specific business location and the ability to share comments about a specific location. I have not created a Foursquare account and after read the following post doubt that I will: please read.
In my role as a virtual service provider, I would use this service or one similar to it to promote my client’s business in line with their social media strategy. Personally, virally sharing that I’m away from home for 2 weeks or won’t be home until late is a level of sharing that’s better achieved via word of mouth on a need to know basis.
What’s your view on geo-social networking platforms?
