A Sevans Strategy whitepaper on getting started with Foursquare.

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Get Started With Foursquare
Signing Up
Step 1: Go to http://www.foursquare.com to create a free account.
Step 2: If signing up online, on the home page, click “Join Now” to be redirected to a
user form to join the service.
To sign up on a smart phone, download the application from the phone’s designated
application store. Foursquare offers the application on all major phone operating
systems.
Step 3: The first screen asks that you chose from two options: “Join Now” or “Log In.”
Selecting “Join Now” takes you to the sign up form where you will enter basic information
and select a picture for your profile.
Step 4: Once signed up, new users receive a confirmation email with an activation link.
Once activated, when a new user opens their Foursquare application it asks to search
various outlets to find potential friends using the service.
Locations, Checking-In, Leaving Tips, Badges and Mayorships
Step 1: Go to a location
Foursquare creates a robust system through crowd sourcing. Each location, at some
point, was entered in and created by a user. This means a new user can create his/her
own or “check-in” at any existing location.
Step 2: Check-In
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A check-in means that a user is confirming his or her location on Foursquare. To check
in, hit the “check-in” button at the top of the home screen on the mobile application or
tap a “place” via the “Places” page.
The “check-in” page automatically aggregates locations based on your phone’s GPS
system. Once you see your location on the screen, tap it to “check in.”
Any given location “check-in” screen tells you the address, the mayor, how many tips and
an option to see more information (an exact address and map of the location).
Hitting the “check in here” button opens the “check-in confirmation” page where users
can leave comments with their check-ins. Users also have the option to share locations
through other networks (such as Twitter and Facebook) or check-in “off the grid.”
Step 3: Leave a Tip
Users can leave tips or recommendations to others visiting that location on Foursquare --
for example, suggestions on what to order off the menu at a restaurant.
Left: View tips
from the
navigation bar
Right: Tips by
location
To leave a tip, a user must be on the “check-in” page at that location. On the bottom
right in the tool bar, a small icon depicts a light bulb with a plus sign (Figure 3). When
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clicked, it brings a user to another page with a dialogue box to leave tips (max of 200
characters) and then confirm with the “Leave Tip” button
Step 4: Earn Badges
Similar to a Boy Scout or Girl Scout’s merit badges, Foursquare offers badges as perks
to individuals who achieve a certain required task within the social network. Not all
badges require the same pre-requisites. For instance, you receive a “newbie” badge at
your first check-in. Other badges are harder to obtain and some are only available for a
limited time. Best advice would be to maintain a regular habit of checking in.
Step 5: Become a Mayor
Unlike any other social network, Foursquare rewards users for exploring their city by
awarding “mayorships” to the person who “checks in” the most at a location within a 60-
day period. To increase your chances of becoming the mayor of a particular place,
simply check-in every time you visit.
Left: From
location
Right: From
profile
NOTE: Foursquare has provisions in place to deter false check-ins and keep cheaters
from stealing mayorships, so make sure you are at the correct location before checking
in if you intend on earning a mayorship. Also, a user must have a profile picture to
become a mayor of any given location.
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Tips
1. Be weary of adding users you do not know.
2. Be aware of where and when you check-in. As this is a social network others may also
see your locations as well.
3. Do not create your home as an exact location. If a user must make their house make
it vague, maybe a street or a false address.
4. Leave tips regularly.
5. Make use of the “specials” that companies offer on their Foursquare location pages at
unique locations.
Glossary
Check-in: When a user confirms his or her location in the Foursquare application.
Mayor: The individual who “checks-in” the most at one location in a 60-day period.
Off The Grid: Implies the checking-in and not sharing the information with anyone on
Foursquare or any other social network.
Tips: Leaving comments or words of advice on a specific location.
To-Do: A feature of foursquare that allows you to keep track of all the tips and tasks
you’ve completed within the network.
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