If you stopped by the Social Media Road Show table at this year’s Celebration, you probably saw us showing people how to set up their phones to use the geosocial networking site Gowalla. You may have read our earlier post on Gowalla, and how to set it up on your phone.
Click to see the Gowalla Winners Gallery on Facebook
So why did we do this? There are a couple of reasons. The easy one is that it’s fun. A number of attendees were able to share with their Twitter and Facebook followers where they were, what they were doing, and even pictures with their check-ins.
The larger story, however, is that geosocial networking is an emerging online media tool. With Foursquare becoming one of the top social networks in it’s own right, and last month’s unveiling of Facebook Places, you should be aware of how these tools work.
And like any other marketing tool, it’s use is largely up to how you want to use it. Let’s say you’re planning to do a product demonstration at the park. You create a check-in for others, letting them know you’re in the area. When they get near your position, they will be able to see you as a nearby checkin point. So instead of only attracting people who are walking by and see you, you can reach out to anyone in the park who’s connected to Foursquare or Places or Gowalla.
These tools are growing in active users each month – so the possibility of people finding you like this is improving every day. Remember, it’s only been a few years since Facebook opened membership to everyone, or since Twitter was the exclusive playground of the geeks.
Geosocial is just social media’s latest incarnation.
