Social Media Diary

I officially “checked in” for the first time using Facebook places this morning. I checked in at work- Ottawa University.  So far, as social media specialist for the school, I haven’t jumped on Foursquare as a strategy for us yet. I have been using it personally. Checking in at work to see if others will as well. So, far I am the mayor and only check-in of our traditional campus and Kansas City campus. Foursquare hasn’t proven to be a valuable part of our plan yet. Our students haven’t jumped on the Foursquare bandwagon. However, Facebook places is different. Facebook has been our most valuable social media tool. So, in the immediate days this is what Ottawa is going to do with Facebook places. 1. We are going to make an update on our website encouraging people to check in to their respective campus. We might give away prizes for those that do, but I’m leery of that as I have no been able to look at the names of the other people who have checked into a location I’m at.  2. I’m having our admin reps check in. They each have tons of friends as students.   3. I’m claiming our location.  4. Encouraging check ins on our Facebook and Twitter pages.  Overall, I just want to see if our fans will check in. I want to see if it will work. 

I have been on Foursquare for about six months. I have been using Facebook Places for a week. Foursquare really proved its worth to me this weekend and it made me realize the current differences between the two services. Every Friday, my hubby and I got out to eat. We choose Houlihan’s this particular evening. I walked in and noticed the “Foursquare Special Here” sticker on the door. I pulled out my phone, checked-in and we got a FREE!!! order of Frites. My husband, our money saver/worrier (I’m the spender, LOL), was very pleased. Also, as I checked-in, I got a pop up recommendation for a near by restaurant, North, by Simon Kuo. I have always wanted to try North, so I think we will on a special occasion. Foursquare was also really helpful when I was in NYC. Every time I checked in at a restaurant, I got a pop-up recommendation about what to order. Each recommendation was fab.    Facebook Places - Facebook Places is a lot different than Foursquare. Facebook is using it as an additional way of staying in touch with friends and family.The point of Foursquare, to me, is to score deals, become a mayor, be a part of a city-wide game.   -With Foursquare I feel like I can go check-in crazy. But, I don’t want to irritate my Facebook friends with tons of check-ins. So, I’m not as willing to use it so willy-nilly. - As a marketer, Facebook hasn’t even allowed me to claim our locations yet. (Hello, Facebook! I sent in all the requirements you asked for!) So, I don’t even know what is possible with it. But, I am currently hosting a check-in party with our Facebook fans. And, I have noticed that I can’t even see who has checked in at our location. It simply gives me a number- 20 check ins. I can’t see who, or when.  I really like Foursquare right now. As a consumer and traveler, it has proven to be valuable to me. 

I have been totally on top of the Facebook Places launch. Ottawa was not going to miss any opportunity to be up on the latest aspect of Facebook. I was curious to see if anyone would check in at OU. My idea to take advantage of Facebook Places was to host a Virtual Check-In Party. I wanted all our fans and followers who were on campus yesterday and the rest of the week, to take out their phones and simply check-in on Facebook, Foursquare or Gowalla. I created a Facebook event for it and we posted an update on our website. Anyone who checks in can leave a comment on our Facebook wall and they could win a t-shirt.       This was not the raging party I envisioned.  - I kept tabs on our number of check ins on Facebook and Foursquare (I don’t have a Gowalla account), the numbers did not increase.  - No one wrote on the Facebook wall announcing they checked in. Day one, not a success. I don’t really see it getting any better either.  At least we tried. We will always try.   

Wow! All is I can say is that I’m not sure I’m ready for this responsibility. The responsibility of owning our Facebook Places page. There was one thing I did not realize. I heard rumors, but actually seeing it in person…these Places pages are just like Fan pages. They have photo albums, status updates, video apps, notes, discussions, and the kitchen sink that it stole from the traditional FB page.   Am I supposed to promote this page? Am I supposed to abandon our main Facebook page? Am I supposed to update this page daily like I do the other one? I have no answers right now.  OU’s Places Page The status update area Status update in my newsfeed that I wrote on our FB places page.