Happy FourSquare Day!

Chances are good you don't know it, but Friday is "FourSquare Day" and I want to be the first to wish you a happy one. You can learn more about this event, which is being billed as "the first global social media holiday" by clicking this link.

Before I get too deep...know that Friday is the holiday because of the play on words. FourSquare = Four, Squared = 4/16 = April 16.

So are you confused yet? I think it is a pretty safe bet that most of you have not had any interaction with FourSquare, which is a new social media tool based on the idea of location-based connection. I have been using it for about six months, and I know there is one agent (maybe two) who are experimenting with it too. The idea is simple; when you are in a location you do a "check-in" on your handheld device that records your location and shares it with other FourSquare users. Additionally you can force your FourSquare updates to twitter, extending the network even further. If you believe the FourSquare hype, the tool allows people to see where you are, offer you tips & suggestions while you are there, and perhaps encourage "meetups" based on your location - the ideal social networking concept.

So should you FourSquare yet? Probably not. Keep maximizing the tools you have been working with first. Get twitter figured out first, start up and run your fan page with efficiency. More importantly, learn the elements of your handheld device so that when the time comes you can manage an application like FourSquare with ease.

Why is FourSquare important? Well, many reports have targeted the mobile social media (that being done with your handheld device) as next area of social media to have major impact. There are a number of ramifications for real estate but none of them have been fully worked out just yet. Every company out there, including our brand and the others you know, are trying to come up with the "cool thing" that is powered by mobile social media. I know someone will figure it out, and within two years I am pretty confident tools like FourSquare will have a major impact in our industry.

For now, just remember that you knew about the first ever "FourSquare Day". Use it as an opportunity to visit the FourSquare site, maybe as a chance to add the FourSquare app to your mobile device...perhaps even to get your "newbie" badge! If you do, be sure to friend me...as I'll be out tomorrow checking in around our towns.