Over the first 6 months of 2010, FourSquare — a geolocation-based service that’s designed as a game — has become the latest and hottest social media tool.  But if you’ve never used it, you might be in the dark.

Here’s how it works:

  • FourSquare allows users to “check in” from wherever they are, physically, in the real world — say, Central Park, or their local deli.
  • The person who checks into a location more often than anyone else does becomes the “mayor” of that location
  • Being the mayor may entitle that person to certain coupons, benefits and freebies, if the location chooses to play along.
  • Depending on where you check in and how often, users can unlock “badges” that signify their accomplishments within the game.

In essence, FourSquare is a service that rewards users for sharing their geolocation information with the world.  Its game-like design is spurring rapid adoption among new users.  And businesses are quickly catching on to the service’s potential.

Here are 5 resources that might pique your company’s interest in FourSquare:

All these new opportunities get a marketer’s gears turning, don’t they?

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