Posts Tagged ‘location based services’

Posted on December 13, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

Location-Based Marketing/Application Survey

2010 is coming to an end and if one technology predication lived up to the hype it was the adoption and growth of location-based applications. There were check-in specials, swarm badges and various brands starting to take location-based applications main stream.

What will 2011 hold for location-based services? Only time will tell but you can help determine the success of your favorite application and future marketing trends by filling out the location-based marketing / application survey below. Thank you!

Posted on December 8, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

I just checked into your blog

At the core of location-based services is the term check-in. The act of checking in using location-based applications can announce to your friends and/or social graph that you are physically present at a location. From there a business/location owner can reward you for visiting the location or by publicly announcing that you’re at a location your friends may join you. The location could instantly turn into a hot spot with more of your friends joining you in a matter of minutes. Now, take the same concept and apply it to websites.

With most static websites there’s very little interaction. You read information and if the information is valuable you may email a link to a friend and the only interaction the website owner may have with you is a cookie or IP address. If you have a blog there are a few ways to interact with your visitors. They can leave a comment, like a post via, Facebook or Disqus and if they share a link via Twitter or other social networking sites you can enable social backtracks to see who they are.

Now playing off the success of location-based apps a new wave of web applications have launched or either added features to enable site visitors to check into your website. Some are calling it participation engine or add game mechanics to your website and others saying turn your visitors into loyal fans. Either way, here are seven web applications to allow your website visitors to check-in.

1. Badgeville

2. OneTrueFan

3. Meebo check-in bar

4. Marginize

5. Bigdoor

6. bunchball

7. Reputely

Bonus: You could create a location for your blog using TriOut World, give it a QR Code and let people scan the QR Code to check-in. For super geeks only. #TriOutShamelessplug

You may be wondering why would anyone want to check into a website? I’m sure the same question was asked four or five years ago about using a mobile device and checking into a businesses. By offering a way for visitors to check-in to your website or blog provides a way for you to reward them with badges, points and can increase time spent along with social sharing. Just like with a few popular location-based applications these platforms are building on the success of adding game mechanics to increase visitor loyalty and engagement. There’s always talk about moving beyond the check-in and rewarding customers, in this case you could reward your visitors if they check into your website or blog.

I’m currently using OneTrueFan on SocialWayne.com via hat tip to LouisGray. Have you check into a website or blog before? Would you add a check-in bar to your website or do you think the whole idea of checking into a website is lame?

Posted on December 3, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

The 8 roles of location based marketing

Yesterday I posted the tweet “For the record: There are no location-based experts. Everyone is learning. Brands are testing, agencies talking ROI & Devs. continue to code“. I was venting a little but the tweet reminded me of a slide in my Location Based Marketing in 2010 presentation from June of this year. The slide was a list of roles in location-based marketing. Here’s an update and description on the 8 roles in location based marketing.

The Location-based startup / app / company

The location-based startup creates mobile applications that allow users to check into location, search for nearby businesses, content, deals or information. The Location-based startup can allow users to see their friends check-ins, upload photos, videos, write recommendations, reviews or tips for everyone to see.

The Agency

To role of the agency in location-based marketing is to educate clients about various location-based applications, how they can be used with existing promotions or new marketing campaigns that will be valuable for both the business and the consumer. Other roles of the agency is to make sure their clients offer value deals/specials to customers in return of checking in. Also the agency works with brands/businesses to create various online and offline marketing strategies align with have access to location-based services dashboards to monitor the checkins.

The Business or Brand

The role of the a business and/or brand in location-based marketing is to create a valuable deal, special or reward for both the business and the consumer that increase sales, customer retention, word of mouth or social media presence, page views or highlight feature product and services.

The mobile location-based application user / consumer

The role of the a mobile application user is to take advantage of location based promotions, let their friends know where they’re at, write reviews about location, share their experience while at a location by posting photos/videos or use location-based services as a discovery engine to decide where they want to go.The check-in cheaterThe mobile user who uses location-based apps to check into places they are not physically at or close to. The check-in cheater may check into 10 places in 5 minutes or check into a location just to earn a badge or try to win a prize, coupon or something free while not at that location.

The location-based expert.

There are none. Although Foursquare & Dodgeball cofounder Dennis Crowley and Loopt cofounder Alok Deshpande have been in the geo mobile location space since 2005/06, they could be considered as location-based experts but both are more known as entrepreneurs. Others users who have been using location based apps for at least 3 years or launched their own location-based startup could go into this category too, but with all the excitement around location-based services it is too early to call someone a location-based expert. Location-based applications shouldn’t be treated as social media but as a feature and/or additional channel. The entire location industry is evolving as with the Gowalla news announced yesterday.

The fanboy

Check-in everywhere, collect badges, points, joins societies, try to look cool and eat/drink for free by being the mayor or key holder or duke.

The apathetic

This person who doesn’t’ care about checking in, allowing their friends know where they’re at and thinks location-based services are just a big waste of time and have very little or no value. They may use the a location-based application only if a brand or store offers a coupon they find valuable.

What category do you fit in and/or did I leave out?

Posted on October 6, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

Video from #GEOchat at SCVNGR HQ: What is SCVNGR, how is it being used & why it’s more than a scavenger hunt.

Yesterday while in Boston for #geoM, I had a chance to visit Boston’s location-based startup SCVNGR for another #GEOchat live show. For the show I sat down with @NickHerbold SCVNGR’s Guru & Recruiter and went on a tour of their amazing office space. You can watch the live show below.

Here are some of the questions I asked with Nick Herbold @NickHerbold

1. Tell us about SCVNGR, when did it launch and how it’s different from other LBS
2. Who is SCVNGR target business (small, b2b, large brands) ? and users?
3. Your title says, SCVNGR guru and Seth is chief Ninja, you like to have fun with titles what are some of the other titles here at SCVNGR and your role with the company
4. With SCVNGR you’re focus is all about the game play, do you see that is the leading way to gain more users and why?
5. How would you describe SCVNGR ‘s brand/identity?
6. Will game play lead to mass adoption outside of the early adopters/geeks?
7. What do you think will make LBS in general more successful? Will it be the game play, more coupons/rewards or something else?
8. SCVNGR works with various museums and universities. Universities are an ideal target but why museums and what have some of the most popular museums in terms of activity?
9. Are there any unexpected/surprised use for SCVNGR that you didn’t think you would see people using the app for?
10. How has being one of the google venture backed companies played a role in the success of SCVNGR ?
11. If you could implement one feature to make SCVNGR better what would it be?
12. What has been the most requested feature people wanting to see from SCVNGR?
13. I was walking the other night and saw the SCVNGR window cling and play SCVNGR poster, how does a businesses go about receiving one of those?
14. What advice do you give businesses to help increase the amount of check-ins / (play SCVNGR)?
15. Seth said yesterday at #GEOm that SCVNGR is already making money, what’s SCVNGR revenue model?
16. What would be your number one reason you would tell someone to use SCVNGR over other LBS?

Thanks SCVNGR & Nick for the interview.

Posted on October 4, 2010 - by Wayne Sutton

Announcing the 1st ever State Fair location-based scavenger hunt with QR Codes at the Deep Fried TriangleTweetup

Last year during the North Carolina State Fair my partners and I joined forces with the State Fair organization team to plan the fair’s first ever tweetup. It was called the Deep Fried TriangleTweetup with the theme “A Whole Lotta Happy”. We wanted to say it was the first ever tweetup held at any state fair but we were the second state fair to do so but by fare the largest with over 150 attendees last year. This year, we’re doing it again, bigger and better with more prizes, a live video show featuring @GregoryNG of Freezerburns and of course more deep fried food. The theme for the 2010 North Carolina State Fair is Celebrate What’s Great and the Deep Fried Triangle Tweetup is held on October 14, 2010, opening day. You can purchase tickets here at the discounted price of $5.00 that includes your entry to the State Fair and the TriangleTweetup.

Also returning is the State Fair Tweetup scavenger hunt. We wanted to make things a little better than last year and doing so the North Carolina State Fair partnered with TriOut to set up the 1st ever State Fair location-based scavenger hunt using QR Codes. The scavenger hunt will start October 14 at 3:00 P.M. and will end at 8:00 P.M. and if you collect all of the clues you’ll win a few prizes at the Deep Fried TriangleTweetup tent. To start the scavenger hunt you’ll scan a QR Code at the tweetup tent for your first clue and then you’re on your way scanning various QR Codes around the fair for more clues and other social sharing activities that will give you a new North Carolina State Fair experience. Also note to participate in the scavenger hunt you don’t need an iPhone, just a QR Code reader that is found on most smartphones but using the TriOut [iTunes link] will provide you with a better experience.

More details are to follow and we’re excited to be working with the North Carolina State Fair to host the first ever State Fair location-based scavenger hunt with QR Codes. You can find more information about the event over the next few weeks here onTriangleTweetup.org blog and over on the Deep Fried blog. If you haven’t already, you can also follow the NC State Fair folks on Twitter (@NCStatefair) for the latest updates on the 2010 N.C. State Fair.

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Update

Looking for a fast QR Code Reader / Scanner? Try my new iPhone app: CLICK HERE