This is an interesting infographic on the reality of marketers seeking to leverage social location-based check-ins, whether it's Facebook Places or Foursquare. There's been a lot of hype - mostly between early adopters it would appear - about check-ins. So, even though this is US data, what are the take-aways?
- Be realistic and targeted - smartphone's are still only owned by half of the population, and roughly half of those have privacy concerns or feel that there's no motivation to bother
- Provide a motivation - Check-in % is high amongst smartphone users and the three main motivations are to meet people, learn about the location or actively promote it
- Are you the right location type - People are most likely to check in at places to eat or drink - where others gather to socialise (restaurants, cafe's, pubs/bars and clubs)
- Play to your strengths - People are more likely to interact with large brands, yet they're more likely to share interactions with small businesses to friends