I’d like to emphasise the second point you make as far too many people release quotes and posts from other people without giving it any grounding in a way that can help others. If you know who your readers are and who you are trying to communicate too then using an article in the correct context will make all the difference to your integrity.

Great post guys.

Wired just done a beast of an article on Foursquare though and here’s an interesting graphic from it :

And finally, the importance of nurturing a culture of exploration rather than mistrust is a big one. Looking forward to Marks piece on it.

Agree with your comments about virtual currencies but also think that real world actions providing you with virtual world rewards could, for some, be just as exciting as real world rewards. That said, I agree with you a free cup of coffee on every visit would give me a reason to be the mayor at my local Starbucks rather than just a meaningless virtual reward.

I think these services are still finding their feet. However, these kind of interactions between social activity on and offline, I think, are very powerful and unlike many social media phenomenon they have a viable revenue stream in the form of consumer data.

Again, great post, keep it up mate!

K

Assuming I’m not the only one to get a bit bored with the first 2 apps, the idea of real world incentives, (and what could be better than a currency of some sort) really gives me a buzz.

The FaceBook / FarmVille connection is a clear winner for everyone involved as an example.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/20/facebook-farmville-five-year-deal

In the workplace, I can see how this can work with people working towards holiday incentives perhaps, or even product and service benefits… company shares even? What that virtual currency is exactly is purely down to the creativity of the organisation themselves. Who wins out of the virtual currency wars online currently is going to be some time coming – its already a proven model in the gaming sector, sooner or later we’re all going to be trading digital stocks once the leaders start emerging. Watch this space, I guess.

As for cultural growth, this is a big topic, bigger than this comment box will allow, possibly a blog post all of its own in future. It should definitely begin at the top of the company and be fed into the daily routine of all new employees. Getting to that point is easier said than done. If the CEO doesn’t understand and value the engagement, then it may not penetrate any further up the company structure than the guys at the coal-face. This is the challenge we face at Social Media For Suits, trying our best to educate the guys at the top, in order to bring real benefits for everyone in the building.

I will certainly be addressing the business culture in a future blog post.

Thanks for your comment.

Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts about how to grow a culture in a business that supports the use of these technologies as opposed to the culture of mistrust and fear about social media that most companies seem to have adopted.