If it feels like #ThrowbackThursday to talk about Foursquare, it may surprise you to know that the platform is not only still around, but evolving. After emerging in 2009 Foursquare had its moment of social media glory, but even after five years its user base remains relatively small at 45 million (roughly the size of Vine). Foursquare has made some bold choices recently so I thought it was worth checking in on Foursquare.
You probably remember you could check in to places you visited on Foursquare, but you may not recall the crazy badges and competition around mayorships that made the app so fun. Add to that the Yelp-like tips and info you could find on places near you and it made for an app that had some practically too.
So why did Foursquare never take off? Security concerns and the fact that Facebook, Yelp and Google all got in on the check-in game were likely culprits, but despite that Foursquare hung around with a small but loyal user base.
Checking In on Foursquare in 2014
Fast forward to 2014 and the whole of idea of checking in on Foursquare has changed. For one you can no longer actually check in on Foursquare.
This May Foursquare launched a new app called Swarm which champions the idea of Neighborhood Sharing and passive check in. While the feature is optional, the intention is for the app to track (and share) your location at all times so that your friends will know if you’re near and can find you for spontaneous gatherings.
Foursquare says that users forget to check in and thus they want to make it in an easier process to check in. I can’t wait to see how many users forget they’re being tracked and end up in hot water because of it – say hello to Jerry Springer!)
Whether or not you choose to be tracked at all times, you are still able to manually check in and are post an update, but gone are the gamification elements that originally made this app popular.
What’s more is to get the full benefits you now have to have both Swarm and Foursquare apps on your phone, which are meant to work seamlessly together.
The primary aim of Foursquare’s new and improved app seems to be a neighborhood guide driven largely on user generated content. While badges and mayorship are gone, they have introduced expertise. The idea is that if I leave tips and you like the tips than I can rack up points; if I get enough points in a particular subject or neighborhood than I am labeled as an expert. Once you gain expert status, you are labeled as an expert, but there doesn’t appear to be any other perks outside of that. You’re able to see how many people have viewed your tips and found them helpful, so if you’re into the idea of paying it forward or simply like the idea of being an influencer, this may float your boat.
I’m not terribly excited about Foursquare and I never really have been. It seems I’m not alone because even some of their users are making comments like:
Curious to know your take: is Foursquare a thing of the past or will you give it a try over Yelp sometime?
