Comments on: Location, location, location? Sure, but WIIFM?

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5 Tips for Using Twitter in a Generous Way — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:30:12 +0000

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Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:56:01 +0000

[...] channels. My blogging, Twitter and experimentation with emerging mobile trends – such as location based services – have all been a part of my continuing media eduction. To be honest, its also about [...]

By: The Disclaimer Revisited – An Opportunity for Employer Brand and Personal Brand to Coexist and Prosper

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:18:11 +0000

By: Ken Camp

Ken Camp — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:33:59 +0000

Thank you for some great cogent points Otto. While you sayWIFFM isn’t zero, I think we agree and you make my points in really positive ways. The return (what’s in it for me) must be more than badges or points for the general public to find a value. You and I find value in our networks today, but my relatives and many friends simply don’t see any value at all. They aren’t wrong. The value proposition for them just hasn’t been addressed yet.

Thanks again for great thoughts.

By: Otto

Otto — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:26:48 +0000

Slight problem with your argument: WIIFM is not zero. I get large amounts of value through 4sq, simply by virtue of knowing where my friends are around town.

I have a group of perhaps 60 local friends whom I associate with frequently, at restaurants, bars, events, etc. We keep in contact more or less continuously, through various means (Facebook, Twitter, etc).

About 20 of those friends are on foursquare, and regularly update their location. So when I’m going out for an evening, instead of sending text messages or calling people to know where they are, I simply check foursquare and see which local place my friends are hanging out at. Then I go there and meet them. Easy.

Location services make random meetups far easier. There is also other potential value there in determining where friends shop and what events are happening and such.

But here’s the keys to making that happen, which I don’t think these services all quite get yet:

1. “Badges” and other rewards are a great introduction system, but not the primary value. If the system revolves around the game (MyTown, Gowalla), then people will lose interest in the game eventually. The game needs to exist only to introduce people to the concept. The value comes from the networking.

2. The friend networking needs to have value. You need to encourage people to “friend” only those people they already know. Random friending of strangers on these services diminishes their value.

3. To this end, it needs to be easy to not only see where your friends are, but to get your friends using the service on a regular basis. If my friends didn’t check in, then it would be useless. However, in 4sq’s case, the competition for badges is enough to keep them doing it.

4. Check-ins need to be policed. Too many bad locations on 4sq, or too many ways to game the system, and people will lose interest. Moderators need to control it, or the system needs to be resistant to this sort of spammination.

I think 4sq is closest to the case of achieving value here. Gowalla is getting there, but they need to ditch the icon trading thing. Yes it’s pretty. It’s also confusing and annoying to newcomers.

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:24:46 +0000

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