Weekly Wrap #15
Websites strike back! A blackout of several major websites took center stage this week, but read on to see what else is keeping the Internet buzzing!
Safety and the Check-In Feature on Social Media
Don’t get me wrong; I play my part in the social media check-in craze. I enjoy the occasional restaurant or venue display linked to my Facebook and Twitter accounts, even more so when I score a deal or promotion. However, when you become a serial “check-in” user, not only are you bombarding our mini-feeds, you’re broadcasting your every move via Foursquare or Facebook Places [Ed. Note - Facebook recently changed their location-based tagging.] for the entire social networking world to see. Not only are these social media overloads exhausting to watch, they are extremely unsafe for those participating.
Checking in and out of places allows a large audience of people – some you may or may not know – to not only figure out your physical location, but also learn your every day routine. Patterns can allow for an easy crime target. Since the launch of these types of networks, there have been a number of reported burglaries associated with the information victims projected into the social media atmosphere.
For instance, John tweeting about his upcoming vacation and then checking in at his local airport, allows every follower he has to know exactly when he has left his home. Those checking into other people’s houses could also put their friends and family at risk. A simple click on your Foursquare app sends out a detailed map of exactly where “Mom’s House” is, allowing her to potentially fall victim as well.
So, the next time you’re mentioning your next moves, keep in mind the risks associated. Privacy settings can only restrict so much – do you really know those 1,423 friends? For information on Foursquare privacy loopholes, check out an article from ZDNet.com.
Only Burger showcases great food – and social media marketing
What do you get when you combine delicious burgers with Twitter?
Here in the Triangle, the answer to that equation would be Only Burger, a local food truck that just narrowly missed winning a recent Food Network contest. (“The most delicious lunch hour ever” would also be a viable answer.)
What these trucks lack in terms of brick and mortar, they make up in taste and social media savvy. Jess Redman, Sarah Findle and I – three fourths of the HM&P social media team – always have an eye on Twitter for our clients, which is how we caught that @OnlyBurger would be at a Raleigh office park two weeks ago. In addition to tweeting out its daily stops, foodies can also check in at the different stops on location-based services such as Foursquare.
UNC-TV also dropped by during our lunch visit as part of a story the station was developing around the food truck trend. We took a breather from downing our food to talk about what influence social media has had on the food truck trend:
Special thanks to Rob Holliday over at UNC-TV. Follow him on Twitter at @robreports.
Foursquare: Adding Value for Enterprises
For individuals, Foursquare is an application most commonly accessed on a smart phone that allows users to check-in at specific locations, earn points, show customer loyalty, and share the information with other Foursquare users. However, there is more to it than meets the eye. More »
Geocaching: Location-Based Technology Treasure Hunt
Interested in travel, networking and treasure hunting? Do you have a GPS device and Internet access? If the answers to these questions are yes, then geocaching is the location-based game for you! More »
Social Media Day: Why Not Celebrate?
Start the countdown to June 30: Mashable has decided to celebrate the revolution of social media by organizing Social Media Day.
In cities all over the U.S., Mashable staff will be organizing meetups to celebrate the day. For more information, visit the Meetup Everywhere site. If there is not a scheduled meetup in your area, organize one through Meetup Everywhere. These meetups connect social media enthusiasts in the area and encourage people to get together and talk about their love of and experience with social media. Since social media has had such an impact on our lives and the ways we communicate, share news and conduct work, Mashable asks: why not celebrate? More »
Twitter Launches Places Feature
This week, Twitter announced the launch of a new Twitter Places feature that allows users to tweet their exact location. With this feature, users have the ability to tag their tweets and add new locations. Users can also view public tweets from nearby and a list of local points of interest. More »
The 2010 FIFA World Cup: A Social Media Event
The month of June is a time of anticipation and celebration as fans watch their favorite soccer teams (Go USA!) represent their home turf in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Even though these events are being hosted in South Africa, social media has enabled viewers around the world to be updated and involved in every aspect of the game.
Location-based Apps Picking Up Steam
It seems like the location-based social media apps like Foursquare, Gowalla and BrightKite are finally beginning to pick up steam. Starbucks was an early adopter of Foursquare, and now I’m starting to see more and more small businesses take advantage of the opportunities that are being afforded by this new medium. In fact, our social media group is currently working with several clients, including O2 Fitness, to roll out location-based promotions. More »
Checking in with O2 Fitness
O2 Fitness is one of our clients here in the PR department at HM&P and we have had a lot of fun helping them spread the word about their seven (and growing!) locations around the Triangle.
O2 Fitness already runs their own Twitter account, Facebook fan page and blog. A new avenue of social media marketing we have explored with them are location-based applications. One of the new growing trends in social media – location-based applications – allow you to share your location with others by ‘checking in’. More »
