Why GeoSocial Networking sites could soon be a thing of the past.
GeoSocial Newtorking Sites such as foursquare, Gowalla, and Brightkite could soon be the fad that came and went. If you are not familiar with GeoSocial Networking, you might have seen them on occasion on someone’s Facebook update or twitter feed. They are geotagged status updates that pinpoint (with a small margin of error, IMHO), the location of where you are in context to your update. So say if you are at Yankee Stadium and update that you saw an amazing play, your feed would tell everyone where you are at a certain time.
Recently, the popularity of these sites has increased tremendously, however with the advent of Facebook starting their own check-in addition to the plethora of features for mobile users, it’s becoming clear to me that I see what may happen next. Even as I write this, my presumptions have been coming true. I have said for a long time, that as soon as the bigwigs of Facebook or Twitter come up with their own solutions, that the beginning of the end of GeoSocial sites is all but imminent.
Think about it from a realistic point of view. Why would you use a third party service when you can do it all from one spot? When more and more people are connected with Facebook and Twitter…the idea of using yet another social networking site takes up more time and more effort to keep up. You might say, well the effort is a few seconds or a few clicks on your iPhone or BlackBerry, but reality should dictate the easiest and simplest solution should and will prevail. If you are already on Facebook…why wouldn’t you use Places to check-in? If you say, I check in on foursquare for the Mayorships and badges, then I say give Facebook time and effort and they will create something even more intrinsic to their overall experience.
It pains me to say this, as I am personally a HUGE fan of foursquare and GeoSocial Networking sites, but the end is near. It’s may not be today, or tomorrow, or next month, but will wind up happening is that some other social networking site will purchase foursquare as their geosocial network of choice. Reasoning behind this is simple, to gain market share. Currently Twitter & Facebook have their own Geotagging, but what about Linkedin? Linkedin is more of a professional social media network, but it’s a thought.
Think about it…in the long run I’m pretty sure I’m right. What say you?
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Social Media Experiment: Pet Portraits by Andrew David Baron
Many of you know me as an Internet Marketer with an emphasis on Social Media Consulting. I am all about niche marketing and pinpoint analytics for local businesses and people. But, what you may not know is that, I am a classically trained and a highly skilled draftsman, painter, print-maker, etc. I earned my BFA in Studio Arts and have a huge affinity for Art History.
I started a side project as a way to demonstrate how an effective Organic Social Media campaign could really take root and become something from nothing. With the economy the way it is, I know businesses are hurting. I know it’s not easy out there. This entire campaign will illustrate the power and incredible potential of Social Media. This literally started with absolutely nothing, except raw talent and imagination. I have not spent a penny on any PPC advertising or SEM marketing. Whatever profits I receive from the this art odyssey will solely be the result of my Social Media and Social Networking efforts.
Read more about my Pet Portraits.
*UPDATE* – Now accepting PayPal!
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August 2010 Linkedin Poll: Which Social Media site is the most effective tool with the highest ROI for your Business?
For August 2010, I thought it was appropriate to create this Linkedin Poll. There are many, many different Social Media sites out there that can be considered effective for their business model. Twitter seems to be more effective for B2B rather than B2C. Linkedin, which is hosting this poll, is an amazing Social Network for B2B, but not really B2C. Facebook, it seems as if it currently is the king of connection for B2C.
Don’t get me wrong, B2B is just as important as B2C, ultimately most businesses are looking to reach new audiences of consumers. Yes, businesses are consumers as well, but on a completely different level. It could be that Twitter is the way to go to effectively communicate to your customers, but I personally highly doubt that Twitter alone will help a business turn a profit. The key strategy is to know the perfect balance of (SMM) Social Media Marketing, (SNM) Social Network Marketing, and (SEO) Search Engine Optimization.
Once you have a great Website and Marketing campaign plan setup, then you can properly gauge how effective any Social Media will be for your business. 
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