With the popularity within social circles to report on “What you are  doing?” (via Facebook and Twitter) and “What you are seeing?” (via  Flickr/YouTube), the next social web interaction evolution is reporting  on “Where are you?” How are people doing that? Location-based services  (LBS), Geo-location and Geo-fencing applications. John Battelle interviewed Marissa Mayer of Google as she announced Google's entry into the location-based app space today. (See streaming video of this at: Www.usream.tv/FMSignal )

Location-Based  Service marketing applications, like Foursquare and Gowalla, focus on  geographically relevant social customer interactions. An LBS marketing  campaign invites an appropriate audience to participate in an experience  that rewards them through the serendipitous connection to their friend,  followers and brands at geographically relevant locations. There are  now more than 6,000 location-based iPhone apps, 900 Android apps and 300  BlackBerry.

With the volume of social interaction  applications (apps) expanding exponentially, the ability to keep current  as well as apply them in a business context demands a new type of  expertise to choose the right LBS application. And as established social  networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google, are  aggressively adding LBS features, the choices are even more complex. And today at SXSW Google just announced Check-ins, deals, and coupons.

HOW ARE COMPANIES USING LOCATION-BASED SERVICE SOCIAL NETWORKS AND MARKETING APPLICATIONS AND GEO- APPS?

Search  engine and social media marketing allow brands to provide online offers  and advertisements to customers based on a customer’s search terms  and/or on a customer’s social graph. In contrast, businesses are using  LBS’s and GEO-apps to interact with customers at physical locations.

Companies  are using a combination of search and LBS/geo. Location-based/geo apps  are changing SEO. Google's search engine was built on showing you the  most relevant result, not the most relevant result at the exact second  you search. But Google is working to make real-time search more relevant  and using data from the social web as well as data from  location-based/geo applications.

What types of brands are using  LBS applications? For B2C, consumer product goods, to entertainment  properties to universities to sports teams to national newspapers have  found unique ways to integrate LBS into their businesses.

In the B2B  category, uses     range from private location-based networks for teleworkers, field sales  and after-sales service, asset tracking and management and workforce  management.

Properly designed location-based marketing initiatives offer good business value if they provide:

•       Convenience: User adoption of LBS/geo is accelerated if the interaction is effortless and serendipitous.

•       Relevance: Users engagement is directly related to their interests.

•       Reward: Users prefer interactions that reward them for their engagement;  rewards range from a tangible product or a more abstract benefit, like  social capital.

•       Satisfaction: User participation increases when the expectation of satisfaction outweighs the effort.

An example is SCVNGR. It's a game and a gaming LBS platform where businesses and individual users create games for others to participate in, taking the check-in model and expanding to a “challenge.” People play SCVNGR by going places, doing challenges, and earning points. Challenges range from solving location-based riddles, snapping photos, scanning a QR code or taking part in an activity.

Here's a list of Location-based, geo- and geo-fencing based-type apps you might want to check out: Scvngr, Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, Ditto, Whrrl, NeighborGoods, Archrival, SimpleGeo, Geomentum, JiWire, SpiceWorks, Ignite, MondoWindow, Waze, Yelp, Pelago, Automatic...

If you want to learn more check out the streaming video from John Battelle Conference: Signal Austin...

Www.usream.tv/FMSignal

And you can view and download presentations at: www.slideshare.net/fmsignal

(and yes, I am posting this with permission from John Battelle)

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@drnatalie Learn. Share. Grow