SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Social Media — tracks feedback from leading marketers about social media practices and issues.
Last week’s poll question: Do you check in with location-based social tools (such as Facebook Places, Foursquare, etc.) when you are out and about?
- Never — 56.00%
- Frequently — 13.54%
- Sometimes — 11.69%
- Rarely — 10.46%
- All the time — 8.31%
One article after another argues that location-based social tools are the hottest trend, but I am not convinced. I was starting to wonder if I was one of the very few not using location-based tools to check in when I am traveling or running around town. What a relief it was to see these results, which confirm that I am not alone.
I now know I am part of the majority and the 56% of SmartBrief on Social Media readers who said they never use these tools. Certainly, I see the hype and rapid growth around the location-based segment, but I am not quite sure if these tools are as popular as some people suggest.
According to November 2010 research paper from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, just 4% of online Americans use location-based services such as Foursquare or Gowalla. I am sure this number has increased since the study, but I still think relatively few have taken up social location-based social tools. I am also not sure we can say that location-based platforms like Foursquare are tried and proven as marketing tools, but that probably deserves another poll.
Aside from knowing how these tools work as a part my business, I personally think it is a waste of time for me to check-in every time I am out and about. If I ever decide to use these tools, it would be more like checking out instead of checking in for the sake of privacy issues. In addition from privacy, I don’t want my twitter feed and Facebook news feed to be flooded with real-time location updates. I know I am also not alone with this one.
It would be great to hear from poll respondents on how they truly feel about these tools. If you’ve never used location-based tools, what’s your reason for using them? And, if you use them frequently, what motivates you to do so?
COMMENTARY: People need to WANT to be tracked, and let others know where they are. The LBSN business model says "use me to find places to buy things and make friends with people who shop at those places" when there are so many other options for making friends and buying things. LBSN's are social networks on sterioids, taking the tracking element to an extreme. I just don't think that people wish to be tracked to that degree. The privacy and stalking issues are deal breakers for LBSN's. Females are simply afraid of being stalked. I have heard females call LBSN's "creepy", "intrusive" and even "dangerous". I think you get the picture.
Badoo, an online dating social networks combines both social networking, online dating and location-based tracking to enhance the overall user experience. Badoo has been able to incorporate a mobile location-based app to help its members locate members of the opposite sex and new friends living close to them. That is a great example of location-based tool filling a real need.
Courtesy of an article dated April 27, 2011 appearing in Smartblog on Social Media
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