Foursquare vs Facebook Places

I remember reading a couple months ago how facebook made and offer to buy foursquare but they declined their offer and decided not to sell. All I could think about was how stupid foursquare was for not taking the money. I thought to myself.. facebook will just go and build an integrated application for this and it will be the end of foursquare. And sure enough a couple months after, facebook rolls out facebook places. A tool that lets users notify their friends and check in their friends of their whereabouts.

This was the foursquare killer! So what happened?

In the last 2.5 months foursquare has doubled their check in numbers and has grown their users in dramatic numbers.

I got to admit I was wrong… but how?

Over the weekend I saw the movie The Social Network and I remember a part where a young Mark Zuckenberg (ceo/founder facebook) refuses the idea of advertisements on facebook due to its uncool factor. Well this is where foursquare outshines facebook places. It’s cool! You can earn badges, you can become the foursquare mayor of places, and you get specials at certain locations.

The Opium Group the leader in the nightclub and nightlife in Miami has already jumped on the foursquare bandwagon, I noticed the other day that once you check in 3 times at Mansion Nightclub (one of their clubs) you receive a free shot at the lobby bar. These types of promotions and offers from the bar and nightclub industry are expected to increase. Of course The Opium Group being the innovative leaders in anything that has to do with internet marketing jumped on it first. But keep an eye out for more and more venues offering deals like this.

Also keep an eye out for big news coming this week….stay tuned in!