Some would say that  Foursquare has blasted into the scene of location based social networking applications with a vengeance. From the Foursquare site: People use foursquare to “check-in”, which is a way of telling us your whereabouts. You’ll find that as your friends use foursquare to check-in, you’ll start learning more about the places they frequent. Just so we are clear… I have realized the full potential of Foursquare in my personal business and I have seen it being used across a multitude of different users… from power users to newbies. per point). MORE >>

Sorry, Foursquare, MySpace, Orkut, Gowalla, etc.). Social Media Uncategorized 2011 Social Media Predictions 2011 Social Media Trends Social Media TrendsFacebook will go public and make the current $50 billion dollar valuation look like a bargain. Mark Zuckerberg remains as CEO rather than hire someone with more experience like Yahoo and Google did in the past. The Federal Trade Commission (unfortunately) will adopt privacy rules in the hopes of protecting the people. Innovation will be stifled. Social search will flex its muscle. Social commerce will flex its muscle. MORE >>

Over at Fast Company, there’s a post about the American Express partnership with Foursquare. According to Fast Company, the AMEX/FourSquare deal  “…might finally give us some hard evidence as to whether social media is a worthwhile investment for merchants and marketers.&#. Why the AMEX / Foursquare Deal Isn’t All That. For instance, according to the article, one of the “big wins&# with the deal is that Foursquare will “…help merchants foster customer loyalty.&# American Express and Foursquare – So What? Example. MORE >>

No question that Foursquare’s continued usage growth makes it the most talked about location-based services for brands. It’s Foursquare’s customer focus that makes it truly appealing – customer focus from the standpoint that (a) you can focus on giving customers incentives, and (b) your customers can focus on you through their tips. Some other benefits (beyond content through tips) that Foursquare offers include: Engagement – especially effective when they’re done in real time or fairly quickly. Read it here. MORE >>

It’s all and well that Foursquare membership grew 3400% in 2010 but if people aren’t using the location-based service at venues where thousands of people converge, how notable is that statistic? Mathew Ingram elaborates : While 3,400-percent growth is nothing to sneeze at, there are still indications that Foursquare — and location-based services in general, including Facebook Places and Gowalla — have yet to make much of a mark on the public consciousness, even with regular Internet users. Related articles you may enjoy: Why I Deleted My Foursquare Account. MORE >>