Damian Holmes

Seems shanghai tweeple are starting to use foursquare more after a prompt on twitter by @chijs last sunday and when Scott Ballantyne(shanghai twitterville member) mentioned that it may be used for his coffee – Flying Turtle Coffee.

So what is FourSquare? Its a social networking + game play in your city(or cities) website. Not actually an Amazing Race speed but its more hey I’ve been here with points and a leaderboard.

So how do you play? You register on the website http://www.foursquare.com via your laptop or desktop or phone and then when your wandering around Shanghai going to your favourite places you log in via your laptop/phone to foursquare.com or your iPhone or Android app. You then ‘check in’ to the location and get points for checking in. Some places like Malones, Citizen Cafe, Bar Rouge, KABB, etc, have already been added. If the place has not been added yet you get extra points for adding it to the city list. Although this may become a problem as places change so often in Shanghai I wonder if there will be any moderation?

So whats the point you ask? Well its like when we all started using twitter and were following people and trying to get followers – which turned out to be mostly spammers – Its addictive, checking in or adding places for points to try and get up the leaderboard. Although adding places can be a little tedious but once its added its will be easier every time you checkin.

You can also add friends from twitter, gmail, and other social networking sites – so that when you check in to a place you can add a shout-out so that if someone is near by they can join you or you can let your friends know if somewhere is good or bad. Also when you check-in to a place more than twice you become Mayor and gain badges for different things.

From a marketing point of view it has a multiple possibilities with promotion or specials for websites, products, hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes.

I think that it will be as addictive as twitter and have the same sort of uptake as twitter with some people trying it and getting addicted and others using it once or twice but finding it not exciting and others who’ll try it – forget it and then go back when its in newspapers and tv.

Who will the celebrities be in Shanghai on foursquare?
Who will be on top of the leaderboard on New Years Eve?

I am Damian.H on FourSquare – add me as a friend

CROSS POSTED AT SHANGHAI TWITTERVILLE