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What is foursquare? 

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Foursquare is a location-based social application that combines local city mapping, social interaction, and gaming.

Foursquare allows consumers to use their mobile phone to Check-In at retail businesses. Anyone and everyone can use foursquare.

Foursquare users check-in at local businesses that they frequent during their daily routine.

For instance, you can check-in at your local Target, Starbucks, the local tailor, or even a local flea market. If you go to check-in at a certain place, and it’s not listed in foursquare, then go ahead and add it yourself. By checking-in, users unlock badges, accumulate points, and also claim Mayorship over certain businesses. When you earn points for checking-in at a local business, those points accumulate on your Leaderboard, which is setup between you and everyone who you are connected with on foursquare.

The individuals with the most points are leading their network on foursquare. People can move up and down the Leaderboard based on their foursquare activity. Mayorship is earned if you have checked-in at a place more than anyone else over the past 60 days. Badges are accumulated by checking into various venues. Badges may be specific to a city, venue, event, or date.

Foursquare is also allowing a few select businesses to create badges, something that companies like Starbucks is taking advantage of in order to engage their customers. It’s pretty amazing to think that a mega-brand like Starbucks is using foursquare when foursquare is only a little over a year old, as of March 25, 2010. With that said, foursquare is quickly approaching ONE MILLION users. In fact, it looks like it was one year ago to the day that Jennifer Van Grove of Mashable wrote, foursquare is the Breakout Mobile App at SXSW®. SXSW® stands for South by Southwest®. SXSW® is a yearly Music & Media Conference in Austin, Texas. Last year foursquare was the breakout mobile application at the SXSW® Interactive Festival, and this year, foursquare again made waves at SXSW® Interactive 2010. Follow @RyanTaft on Twitter 

Still a little foggy on the whole foursquare thing? Picture this…you go to your favorite

coffee shop each day on your way to work, as you’re waiting in line, you whip out your

mobile phone, open the foursquare mobile application, find your coffee shop, and

check-in. Now, everyone who you’re connected with on foursquare, and even on Twitter & Facebook (which we’ll get into more later in the eBook), will receive a notification that you’ve checked-in at the coffee shop. There may even be a Special discount waiting for you if your coffee shop has created one. The more you check-in at your coffee shop, and other places you visit, the more points you earn, badges you collect, and Mayorships you accumulate.

Many skeptics say, “Why do people use foursquare? I don’t see the point”. I understand what they are getting at. On the surface, it doesn’t appear that foursquare offers anything of tangible value. That’s why the gaming aspect is so brilliant. These same critics probably question why so many young people play video games. For most, it’s a release. Video games are fun and entertaining. At the same time, games can be challenging. And games today, allow for social interaction. All of the reasons why gaming is popular can also be used to explain why foursquare has become so popular.

Foursquare users enjoy the mobile application because it’s fun, and it’s challenging, in that you’re always trying to earn more points, claim a Mayorship, and unlock as many badges as possible. Foursquare also allows consumers to share tips or input about a business.

Foursquare is a fun way to keep your network updated with your latest travels, shopping experiences, and tips you have about certain businesses. Because of the stir that this seemingly addictive mobile application has been causing, businesses, both large and small,

are starting to take notice.

Watch out for the Alabang Bulletin Foursquare Swarm!;p