Foursquare is not going to replace Twitter or Facebook but it is still transforming the social media space. In fact, you know a service like Foursquare has caught on if schools are writing articles on how students are embracing the new system. For example, Marquette has just done a wonderful piece on how students are using Foursquare to find new and exciting places to go. (Check out an excerpt from the article below.)
While the article focuses primarily on what Foursquare is and how to use it… there’s more to it. Read between the lines. Within this article is a story about how students are early adopters and using the latest technology to connect with each other. While this may seem like a ‘No Duh’ observation, it should be seen as a wake-up call.
Don’t Miss Out
Schools not currently experimenting with services like Foursquare and Gowalla are missing out on a precious chance to connect with students. As one of the people who identify and incorporate new social media strategies on a regular basis, I can say with at least a shred of knowledge that it’ll be important to find out how peer schools are harnessing new social media services like Foursquare.While not every social media tool should be embraced by an entire school, there should at least be someone within the institution trying it out. Why not you?
If you’ve never used Foursquare, why not give it a try? Add some mayor-related bonuses to school buildings (if you can) or at least set up an account other students might want to be friends with. This way you’re at least keeping this new potential channel of communication open rather than simply sticking to just Facebook or Twitter.
When To Adopt, When To Avoid
When is the best time to adopt a new social media tool for a school? While there is no specific date or time period, there is a definite answer. The answer is ‘whenever you can.’ In other words, I understand we are all very busy educating students and running schools but it can never hurt to set up a trial account on places like Foursquare to see if you can come up with some beneficial uses.
However, if you try a service like Foursquare and use it for a couple weeks and see no use for it… don’t hesitate to give it up in favor of another product. After all, there’s a new social network or social media tool available almost every day.
What Do You Think?
I want to know your thoughts on when you think schools should adopt new social networks, start their own, or simply change how they use them. Let me know in the comments as I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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From the Marquette Weekly
Kelsey Kowalewski, Arts ’08, isn’t just the director of Cobeen Hall. She’s also the mayor.
“Once I knew someone was trying to de-throne me,” she says, “I stepped up my efforts to maintain my position.”
No, there isn’t a coup brewing in Cobeen. Kowalewski is referring to the online social networking game Foursquare, which designates the title of mayor to the person who logs the most “check-ins” to venues like restaurants, coffee shops and, yes, even residence halls.
“It’s entertaining when you have a network of friends on Foursquare who visit the same spaces repeatedly,” says Kowalewski, who has clocked more than 40 check-ins at Cobeen in the past 60 days. “It builds the competition in a fun way and keeps the game moving.”
Marquette’s campus has embraced Foursquare, which awards its users business specials, tips and “badges” for completing challenges — along with the coveted crown of mayor. As a result, Marquette’s Foursquare profile has become the 10th most popular among universities with nearly 2,000 “friends,” according to FanPageList.com. Harvard and Stanford are the top schools, respectively, and Marquette is three spots ahead of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Since its launch in 2009, Foursquare has added four million users. Recently, Foursquare saw its first use by an astronaut in space.
Foursquare works by using a phone’s GPS to search for nearby businesses or buildings. The user then “checks in” by texting or using a Foursquare app, which lists user-submitted tips about the place. Foursquare participants can also choose to let their friends know their whereabouts by sending a check-in message to their Twitter and/or Facebook accounts.
On Marquette’s campus, Cudahy Hall is the most popular Foursquare venue with more than 1,800 check-ins by more than 130 people. The Alumni Memorial Union and Johnston Hall are also popular Foursquare destinations.
“Foursquare has definitely helped me with finding places to go in Milwaukee,” says senior Laurie Osman, who is mayor of Sweeney’s College Books and the Kensington apartment building.
Even though she’s very competitive about snagging mayorships around campus, Osman says her favorite part of Foursquare is following tips left by others. She finds it helpful to check into a new restaurant, bar or museum and see a tip about that venue or a venue nearby.
“The more tips you get, the better you experience the city,” she says.
Marquette Trinity Fellow Caroline Anderson had a similar experience. Anderson moved from Berkeley for graduate school, and she used Foursquare to get to know Milwaukee.
“Especially when you’re new to the area, the tips are like having an experienced guide along with you,” she said.
Of course, the friendly competition over territory is another incentive. “During the summer, it was much easier to become a mayor,” Kowalewski says. “I briefly held mayorships at the AMU, Wehr Chemistry, CampusTown West, McCormick Hall and Carpenter Hall. Now that students are back on campus, it’s more challenging to keep up. I’d love to regain my mayorship of the AMU, but Trent Carlson seems to have that locked down.”
Senior Kylie Bussie, who holds the title of mayor at six venues around campus, including McCormick Hall and the Weasler Auditorium, encourages new Foursquare users to try it out and keep checking in — but not to take it too seriously.
“Don’t forget to have fun,” she says. “It is a game, after all.”
This is a really great article and an inspiring example from Marquette University. When joining the social media space, schools should have a goal in mind and go where their audience is - whether it be alumni, current students, and prospective students. See more case studies on http://sm4edu.ning.com and discuss how you use social media at universities with other higher ed professionals!
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