Foursquare, the location-based social networking service, might need to change its business model, argues “Is Foursquare’s growth boxed in?”

While the year-old start-up may end up getting bought by Yahoo! for upwards of $125 million, the idea of “checking-in” (with its accompanying badges) at various restaurants, bars, and city establishments is specifically urban. The article’s author argues that Foursquare doesn’t have what it takes to cash in on the “average American’s” habits, whether online or off, and must change or capitalize on that niche. While Twitter has effectively done that, Foursquare still has some work to do. A potential solution: academia. “[D]evelop badges pertaining to lecture hall, library, and frat-house check-ins.”  With a pending deal from a huge company like Yahoo!, many expect Foursquare to branch out and grab the “social desires of the audience that’s dropping off kids at school rather than dropping into 2-for-1 happy hour.”

The SSN Take: For many, simply using their phones to find things is a revelation. “Badges” can wait.

Samuel Hartman, April 28, 2010

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