Many mobile users have tinkered with location-based social networking in the past 12 months. However, things are expected to get serious now – as Facebook enters the fray.
The location-based social networking space is currently dominated by Foursquare with more 2 million users. Foursquare is a mobile/web application that allows registered users to connect with friends and update their location.
Social aspects of Foursquare are slim — Users earn points and badges for checking into locations; they attach ’Tips’ to a locations; and they publish their check-ins to Twitter and Facebook.
Despite Foursquare’s hype, according to a recent survey from Forrester, 84 percent of web users are unaware of the application and its lesser-known counterparts such as Gowalla and Brightkite. According to the Forrester survey, only 4 percent of U.S. online adults use location social networks on their mobile phones. And, of these, only 1 percent use them more than once a week.
As Facebook offers location features, location-based social networking will become mainstream overnight. There are more than 500 million active facebook users. Of these, more than 20 percent already access Facebook regularly using mobile devices. Additionally, Facebook is expected to offer an API for application developers (including Foursquare, Gowalla, and BrightKite) to reach Facebook users directly.
Facebook’s entry into location-based social networking — and API offering – is exciting: it will drive rapid exploration, innovation, and widespread adoption of location-based social media using mobile devices.
Credits: Photo courtesy of handheldmuseum.com.
Where’s Waldo?
When Facebook integrates location services for its 500 million users, privacy settings will become EVEN MORE important.
About Troy Janisch
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