Thanks for stopping by, Nancy. Appreciate the comment. After some discussion here, I think there is some value to the Twitter check-in (Tom makes some interesting points), but I continue to think it's pretty minimal.

Arik, thanks for this post. First, I must admit that I have not adopted Foursquare so my humble opinion is definitely a bit skewed here. That said, I do find the inclusion in Twitter annoying and I still don't understand how this would impact brand loyalty. Engagement, yes. Conversations, yes, Customer service, yes. "I'm at brand x", um, no. I'm sure there are others who swear by this and could prove me wrong in a heartbeat, and I would believe them! But it's also really comforting to know that I'm not the only one who finds it annoying! As always, thanks for your great info...

A Foursquare check-in is not unlike a positive or negative tweet, Facebook post or blog comment. By itself, probably doesn't mean much and could be seen as annoying -- although I think that's on the person and not the brand.

As David, Jeff and others said, the value is what the brand does with the post. Do they engage, ask how the service was, request feedback on the product? Basically, are they listening enough to take advantage of the opportunity? Which, IMO, is really true with most social media.

Interesting post, Arik. And shout out to Nan Palmero -- good dude and Blackberry guru.

I see your point, David. I live in a relatively small community, and I have checked out many places (particularly restaurants) after seeing another local check in there. I've also tweeted my Foursquare check-ins at community events, and have had the opportunity to meet some really good people through circumstance. I'm sure it is relative to where you live, or how connected you are on a local level.

I think the benefits from a business development perspective are great. Where I live, we're still trying to get businesses up on the usual suspects like FB and Twitter. Foursquare will have an impact eventually here, I'm sure! :)

Here's my take. Any business would want to see their customers sending out Foursquare check-ins via Twitter just for the branding benefits of frequency and reach. But that's not really what your post was all about.

From an individual perspective, I believe that each person has the opportunity to create their own personal brand. By strategically choosing which check-ins to send out via Twitter, we have a chance to build/show off the personality of that personal brand.

Too many check-ins become annoying IMHO, but a few here and there help add personality to any brand.

I think that loyalty point is the one Tom and others were making, too. A chance to open up the discussion with your customers. And it's a good point. Thanks for stopping by, David!

I don't know... For the people saying that it will increase the chance of them visiting the location: Does it really? I can only speak from my experience, but I've never seen anyone check in to a location and think "man I should check that place out". In fact, I usually forget the name of the place shortly after reading the tweet.

I think if anything, it's valuable from a biz dev perspective. By being able to see who's checking in and responding to them, you can increase loyalty. "Hey, saw you checked in to our restaurant. Next time, ask for Joe and I'll get you some free drinks".

David, Scribnia

Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Danielle. I'm starting to think differently about this, but it's the context piece that still drives it for me. Without that, I think it's little more than a billboard (which you could argue still has value).

You hit on it with the trust piece--that's what Tom was alluding to, too. That's interesting. The question is by merely checking in (again, without context) is that seen as an "endorsement"? I might argue "not necessarily." But, I think you're saying it is, right?

Also, I love your idea about brands checking the tips for complaints and addressing it. What I'd love to see is a brand that uses the tips to improve/reframe/launch a new product. Say someone leaves a tip that they love a particular sandwich, and this person is fairly popular/influential online. What if the brand renamed the sandwich after that person for a week? What kind of loyalty would that inspire? And, a chance for the brand to have some fun... ;)

Right--clearly the brand needs to be listening for any of this to be effective. I'm just not sure about the basic check-ins, that's all. But, Mr. Martin has me thinking now (damn him).

Good point, Kasey. But, how do you know just because they're checking in that they're a "fan" of your brand? What if someone's at a restaurant and they check-in. Then, they order and get terrible service. Suddenly, they're not such a big fan anymore. And you're well-intention outreach now gives them an additional opportunity to talk about poor service.

It's probably an opportunity either way, because you can address the service issue, but it does give me pause. Thanks for stopping by!

Tom: Good point about content the brand can use. I've seen that work well for smaller brands, especially. I'm not sure about the testimonial angle--that all depends on the "adding context" piece. But definitely, if folks do that, it's a no-brainer that it adds great value. No argument there.

I guess what you're saying has more to do with trust than it does the actual check-in, right? For example, if you're checking in at a restaurant, I'm probably more apt to check it out since YOU are there--not just any schmo. My trust in YOU is dictating that decision process. From that standpoint, you're right. Even the most basic check-ins would have value.

Thanks for the comment!

I definitely think it adds value for brands. As a consumer, I've seen people that I respect, people I think are 'cool', checking in places and in turn, it inspires me to try the place out. I trust that person's opinion. If they are there, it is probably a place I should check out. How can that not help a brand? I see their name associated with a person I like and it makes me want to go there. They didn't have to put up an ad or make up a special for me. Like Tom said, it is a free ad.

Plus, like you mentioned, the opportunity for people to add tips is of great value for brands. You have an easy way to see people's complaints and praises about your business.... and capitalize on it.

Brands also have the chance to find out more about their visitors than ever before. You can see the tips they leave so you know what they expect from you. You can see the other places they go so you get an idea of their lifestyle and what they are looking for. Like kmskala pointed out, you have a chance to connect to potential brand advocates because you see they are checking in. In my opinion, a brand that reaches out to connect with a customer is pretty much guarenteeing a more loyal relationship.

-Danielle, Atomicdust
St. Louis, Mo.

Arik, I would say that the broadcasting of the store won't help a brand unless they utilize the platform. It may add awareness, but if the business doesn't have a social platform or isn't embracing customers in the social scene - it is worthless.

The thing I like about Foursquare is that it allows me as a brand, the invitation to attempt to open dialogue with a potential advocate. If the person adds context to their check-in, even better.

Would I respond to every single check-in? No. But a random selection with a reply of "Thanks for stopping by" or "Hope you enjoyed.." I think helps add a little human touch.

Ari

I do think broadcasting adds value for a couple of reasons.

First as you note, it's a free "ad" or maybe a better word "testimonial" if there is positive context added like "home of the best margarita in the world." People do see these tweets and I have found often folks will respond to me when I share my 4sq location -- especially if they are a fan of the location -- often they'll respond with a testimonial of their own. So now the brand has 2 ads "testimonials" and what did it cost them? Nothing.

Second, it creates content that the location can use in it's own socme efforts. RT'ing a great check in with context and added a "thanks - glad u liked it" msg is the low hanging fruit of a small biz socme campaign.

Third, it gives the business an opportunity to engage in a public conversation with that person, which not only may help turn a casual visitor into a fan, but also creates a lot more "ad" or "testimonial" type tweets that can further increase the digital footprint of the business because anyone can see them vs just your "friends" on 4sq.

My 02.@TomMartin