2 Many Stripes

Are you still rolling your eyes at Foursquare? It’s only as interesting as you are

I’m currently trying to consolidate things I’ve written professionally from their various presences across the Web to one main hub. I was going through the Ad+Geek blog that I contributed to while at JWT and found this little gem from Josh:

In the category of “things most people learned in 2009,” it turns out that Foursquare is only as interesting as you are. The second your check-in list tips in the direction of work, fast food restaurants or (god help you) your apartment, it’s over. The corollary is you’d better have interesting friends or… I’m not naming anyone, but honestly, I don’t really care about your Applebee’s check-in.  Joe.

It made me LOL, maybe because I know him and could hear his voice as I read the post, but regardless, it’s a great post about the value of Foursquare. He basically argues that the service really is what you make it- and he’s totally right. 

People still roll their eyes and say, “what do the points even do!?” If you’re approaching Foursquare based solely on the points factor, you’re doing it all wrong. Here’s what I use Foursquare for and how I get value from the service:  

-Recommendations at restaurants. I have a really hard time picking what I want to eat when I go to a new place. When I find myself between 2-3 dishes that I want to order, I just go to the tips section of Foursquare to see what other’s have recommended. Nine times out of ten, this makes my decision for me. 

-Stay in touch with friends. I’ve literally logged into Foursquare to see that friends were in my neighborhood and have gone to meet up with them. It almost feels serendipitous, but it always feels fun. 

-To make memories. I don’t have to sit here and tell you that most people my age document their life in a away that no other generation has, thanks to technology. With tools like Timehop, I can be reminded where I was and what I did exactly a year ago based on my Foursquare check-ins. 

Anyways, if you’ve tried Foursquare in the past and gave up on it, try again with these tips in mind. Feel free to follow me on Foursquare here, and don’t forget to read Josh’s post.