Geo-location social networks have great potential for future
Published July 28, 2010
While mobile geo-location applications such as Foursquare are rising in popularity, a new report from Forrester Research indicates many Americans are not yet using them, limiting their use as marketing platforms.
Wired relays 4 percent of respondents actively use geo-location apps while 12 percent are familiar with them, but don't use them. Meanwhile, 84 percent of consumers told the research firm they hadn't heard of the services at all.
Marketers frequently used geo-location apps to drive potential customers to their locations, rewarding them for "checking in" with virtual badges. While Forrester admits the geo-social platforms have potential, the audience for these apps is still small.
"Marketers need to know what audiences can be reached with these services, which companies - if any - are ready for prime time, and whether LBSNs [location-based social networks] align with business objectives," Wired quotes the report as saying.
Foursquare and other geo-location applications are growing rapidly, though. Earlier in July, Foursquare crossed the 2 million member mark. Additionally, Twitter recently rolled out its own proprietary geo-social application, Twitter Places, showing the platform is catching on with consumers. 