Facebook recently launched its ‘Places’ feature, enabling users to tag themselves and friends at actual geographic locations. Everyone remotely interested or even aware of the situation instantly predicted the demise of ‘Foursquare’, the existing geo-location giant.
Speculation is rife that with Facebook having a gigantic people base, it would wipe out all other competitors in whichever segment it confidently enters. Foursquare loyalists also agreed, for them it was 2012 already.
Here is what Facebook places is all about: (currently only on apple devices)
- You go to a place, and tag yourself (announcing that you are there)
- You can write reviews et al about the place
- You can tag your friends (if they have allowed it) notifying all their friends as well (ah, let the privacy activists shout from the rooftops)
- That’s about it for now
Foursquare does all the same things already, and it is a separate network. It all looks set for the giant to crush the pioneer. Or is it?
On the day Facebook places launched, Foursquare achieved its highest ever single-day signups. Click here for proof. What does this mean? Actually, nothing much. If we go beyond the surface and think, this was bound to happen. People using Facebook Places would obviously be keen to check out other similar services to compare. Hence the increased number of Foursquare signups.
The above does not yet give us a clear indication of the impact on Facebook on Foursquare. I would be watching this space very closely to find out. If more and more people experience Foursquare as a result of being exposed to Facebook, and they like it, then who knows? This could turn up to be the biggest own goal in Facebook’s history.
More soon….
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