This document discusses mobile social networks and location-based services. It defines mobile social networking as connecting with others using mobile phones. Key areas of focus are social networks extending to mobile apps and native mobile social apps using location data. The document reviews check-in services like Foursquare and Gowalla and how brands can engage users through special offers, rewards and incentives for checking in. Challenges discussed include fragmentation across many players and low app adoption rates. Sample brand campaigns using check-ins and rewards are provided.

1. Mobile Social Networks
Social Media Club Kansas City
June 22, 2010
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2. DEFINITIONS
Mobile social networking is social
networking where one or more individuals
of similar interests or commonalities,
conversing and connecting with one
another using the mobile phone.
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3. AREAS OF FOCUS
• Web based social networks extended to mobile
Facebook, Yelp
• Native mobile social networks
Location-based services (LBS), augmented
reality (AR): Foursquare, Layar
Lines are being blurred
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4. USER POLL
How many people:
1. Have a smart phone:
iPhone
BlackBerry
Android
2. Browse the mobile web
3. Use applications
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5. USAGE
As of March 2010 (comScore):
30% browse the mobile web
20% of interacted with social networks via
mobile device
Social networking users are showing the highest
gains with 80% YoY growth
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6. ADVERTISING VS. MARKETING
Marketing: delivering requested promotional
messages directly to potential customers who have
opted in to receive them. Primarily used by marketers
as retention tool.
Advertising: delivering text or images attached to
desired content on mobile web pages or in
applications where user views ads in exchange for
free/subsidized content. Used by marketers to
acquire new customers.
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7. LOCATION TECHNOLOGIES
• GPS (foreground: iPhone; background: BlackBerry,
Android, Palm, iPhone 4)
• Triangulation (active, passive)
• User designated (check-in, zip code)
• IP address reverse lookup
• Wi-Fi
Note: companies such as AirSage offer predictive algorithms based on
movement and speed.
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8. LBA VS LBM
 No opt-in  Opt-in
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 SMS delivery;
 Mobile Web/ may include
App Delivery mobile web
Advertising growing from Marketing growing from
$600M in 2009 to $5B in 2013 $6.4B in 2009 to $14.2B in 2012
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9. Apps Social Networks (Check-in)
M C
A O
R Local Augmented N
K Location- based Discovery Reality
SMS S
E U
T M
E E
Networks
R R
S S
White-Label Navigation
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10. ENGAGEMENT MODELS
• Direct / white label vs. platform
• Media buy vs. rewards / incentives / coupons
• Brands interact with users who check-in vs.
managing locations within platform
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11. CHECK IN SERVICES
• Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt Star, Whrrl, Brightkite,
MyTown
Mashable:Which App Does Checkins Best?
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13. USAGE
• Foursquare: approaching 2 million global
• Gowalla: 250,000? (150,000 in March)
• Brightkite: 2 million global
• Whrrl: 300,000
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14. FOURSQUARE
• Can check in to location through “around me”
search or venues can be added with address or
just lat/long
• Venue tagging (but no rating)
• Minimal website functionality
• Growing user generated venue database
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15. YELP
• 32 million unique website visitors in May 2010
Top 100 website
• 1.4 million unique iPhone users
27% of all Yelp searches come from the
iPhone app
500,000 phone calls
1 million point-to-point directions
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16. YELP DETAILS
• Users & businesses can build profiles
• Rewards, leader board, incentives
• Social sharing & integration
• Sales team to support
• Declined $500 million Google buyout
• Augmented reality functionality (Monocle)
• Analytics
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17. INTEGRATION
Friends can be invited through Twitter integration
(friend search), Facebook integration, email address
book integration, basic email invite
Check-ins can be private, shared within the network
or sent to other networks (Twitter, Facebook)
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19. BUT ALSO
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20. GETTING STARTED
• Research competition & trends
• Install mobile applications
• Claim venue: add / validate Twitter handle, location
address, phone number, categories and tags
• Test specials, tips, trips & rewards
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21. PICK A NUMBER
1. Who has been on Twitter the longest?
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22. SPECIALS
• Mayor: user who has checked in the most
• Check-in: unlocked when a user checks in to your
venue a certain number of times
• Frequency-based: unlocked every X check ins
• Wildcard: always unlocked but store staff has to
verify some extra conditions before awarding
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24. BBQ ROADTRIP
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25. WEREWARD
• Mobile incentive platform that pays consumers for
actions
• Sharing experiences through Facebook, Twitter
& Foursquare
• Sponsored CheckinTM
• Purchase
• Pictures
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26. CHALLENGES
• Fragmentation
• Many small, disjointed players deploying different technologies
• Challenges to scale
• Still very tech-focused
• Many startups lack the resources to work effectively with brands
& advertisers
• Only about 18% of mobile subscribers across all
devices and carriers download apps (comScore,
Dec. 2009)
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27. SAMPLE CAMPAIGNS
• Brands, small & large are testing
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28. TASTI D-LITE
Point based loyalty
By automatically sharing your Tasti experience
with friends and followers through Twitter &
Foursquare, you can earn extra rewards
toward free Tasti
You earn a point every time you make a
purchase for each social network connection
you setup
When you accumulate 50 points, you are
eligible to receive a free medium Tasti cup or
cone.
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29. KEEP IT INTERESTING
• http://wheretheladies.at/
• http://kansas-city.snacksquare.com/
• http://www.fourwhere.com/
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30. CONTACT
Dustin Jacobsen
Director of Social Media & Technology, Barkley
Email: djacobsen@barkleyus.com
Phone: (816) 423-6063
Twitter – http://twitter.com/dustinj
Facebook – http://facebook.com/dustinjacobsen
LinkedIn – http://linkedin.com/in/dustinjdotcom
Blog – http://shakegently.com
Website – http://barkleyus.com
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