Colleges: fill seats with students using Foursquare
The big topics this week have been Facebook and Foursquare. Our privacy has disappeared thanks to Facebook, but thanks to Foursquare, users are getting discounts at their local Starbucks–so it all kind of evens out. We’re going with Foursquare on this one.
Foursquare understands how to connect stores and brands with users using their mobile application check-in game (see Starbucks). Looking to expand even more, Foursquare? Tap colleges and universities, as soon as possible.
Here are two reasons why colleges and universities should consider educating organizers about Foursquare:
1) One of a college’s biggest problems is lack of student involvement. College administrations want their students to step away from the keg and go to college-hosted public speakings, concerts, fairs, and campus club events. The problem is, rarely is there ever a good turnout for events unless you’re bringing in a musical act like Lil’ Wayne.
Enter Foursquare. With companies like RiotVine leading the way in event check-ins, colleges could follow the example and have students check-in to their events and reward students them with a coupon to the school store or extra dining dollars, all sent straight to their phone.
2) Foursquare will help college administrations get a better idea of who there students are. Transcripts show grades; they don’t tell colleges what kind of music a student listens to, their political stance, their values, and what they like to do during free time. By monitoring which events and venues receive the most Foursquare check-ins, colleges will have data for what events students like and dislike–meaning less money spent on worthless events.
Colleges are battling with how to get involved in the social media world. With Foursquare, they’re upping their cool factor with the student body, fostering a stronger community, and getting some important data about their students. Tools like Foursquare are made for communities; they just need to be deployed.
Foursquare has partnered with Harvard and created customized badges for Harvard, but they’re lacking in student incentives.
Proposition: What better place to launch “Foursquare University” than Boston? In other words, why not launch a Foursquare project collaborating with colleges? There are so many colleges in Boston and the surrounding areas — Boston is the perfect beta city for Foursquare!
Do you think “Foursquare University” is a good idea? Would colleges find it worthwhile to invest in? Let us know in the comments.
Interested in learning more about geolocation and mobile? Follow the mobile topic on Pinyadda.
Tags: facebook, Foursquare, Harvard, Op-Ed, RiotVine, Starbucks
