Gage, a member of the CoSIDA New Media/Technology Committee, outlines use of college athletics geotagging/geolocation apps.
by Cassie Gage, Assistant Athletics Communications Director (University of Oklahoma)
Please note most of these suggestions are based on my personal use of Foursquare, which is my geolocation app of choice. The suggestions listed may vary by app and some apps may not offer them at al. For more information on how to setup Foursquare to benefit your school, visit
http://foursquare.com/businesses/ or
http://foursquare.com/universities.
There’s been much discussion regarding geolocation applications such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Facebook Places to name a few. While the use of these apps on a personal and business level is common, the question remains how these geolocation tools can be used to benefit athletics. The answer is simple really and lies within functions already provided.
The best way to formulate a plan for using geolocation to benefit athletics lies within business marketing models. Money should never limit you from providing the best customer service experience possible. And while sure, there are options out there to really personalize what you want to accomplish, don’t feel turned off by the notion that you need to throw thousands of dollars into this.
Does it take time? Sure. What doesn’t these days? Is everyone in your department going to jump on board? Absolutely not. Will your fan base take to it immediately? Some more than others. Is everyone going to participate? Nope (and we’ll get into why later). Bottom line is, as with everything else, you have to start somewhere.
Will geolocation be the tool of choice in 10 years? Maybe not. Something better, greater and cooler might come along. So, why jump on it now?
It’s all about brand establishment and getting in the game early – before the school across town beats you to it. Let’s face it, in an age where social media can make or break your brand in a matter of seconds, being reactive makes you come across as disengaging or uninterested in your fan base.
Someone who is experienced in the use of geolocation tools is Daniel Gordon (on
Twitter: @DanGordon), President of Samuel Gordon Jewelers in Oklahoma City. Gordon is a prominent figure in social media, using a variety of platforms to convey his personal and professional messages.
“I use it as a promotion tool for my business,” Gordon said. “If someone is in the nearby vicinity, say for instance across the street at the mall, they can see that I am adding a valuable incentive to at least stop by and check-in on Foursquare. That attracts people to see what we have to offer.
“Checking in is the next layer built upon the social layer and it helps businesses and venues get endorsed if they are places that add value and are of interest to peoples' lives. It can attract attention to an otherwise unknown event and be a great tool for a person to see something they would like to attend they might have otherwise not known about. It's a win-win for everyone because in the end you are creating more value to your potential audience you haven't even discovered yet.”
Getting Through the Technological Jargon and Making a Plan
Go ahead, search business geolocation tools and see what comes up. Over 375,000 results show up on Google. There’s a lot of information out there, and some of it, quite honestly, is over our heads. So how do you read through all of the technological jargon there and decipher what’s best for your department?
First, you have to develop a plan. What’s your goal? Fan experience and interaction should be at the top of that list. Who should be involved? If you have a marketing staff, they should definitely be on board. When it comes to geolocation and how it’s used, sometimes what you want to accomplish solely falls on the marketing/promotions side, but I’m of the belief that for it to be effective, communications needs to do its part to help promote. How much time are we willing to commit? If you can’t give it the time it deserves, it may not be for you. You’ll lose users if you fail to commit to the project. How should geolocation be used in regards to student-athletes? Very carefully.
While it may seem like a great idea on the business side, you can’t ignore that the other end of the equation is personal. And, that’s where things can get tricky. Why? Not everyone likes the world (or even just their friends) knowing where they are all the time or when they’re not at home. It doesn’t matter if it’s the biggest game of the century. Some people are just not interested in providing such information.
College sophomore Ben Coldagelli (on
Twitter: @BenColdagelli) was first turned on to Foursquare in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wis. The benefit of using the tool was great in a city where geolocation apps were used to their full potential – providing business patrons with kickbacks. So, why has Coldagelli’s participation in geolocation declined?
“I’m to the point where I feel like checking in somewhere without a reason is a little too “big brother” for me,” Coldagelli said. “I don’t need people, even my friends, to know where I am all the time.”
Student-Athlete Use of Geolocation/Geotagging
This also ties into student-athletes use of geolocation. While most apps provide the ability to turn-off the broadcast function, it’s usually a setting that has to be done with every check-in. I’m of the belief that student-athletes have to make their own decisions regarding social media. Does it cause all of us headaches sometimes? Yes, but as a Generation X-er right there on the Generation Y line, I feel the pros of social media out-weight the cons. Some schools completely ban it altogether, and maybe that’s what’s best for you. But, if not, education is key.
Student-athletes need to know that even with that function turned on; it may still be possible for people to know where they are. At the doctor? No one needs to know. Superstar football player eating out at a restaurant? Does he want to be signing autographs for two hours? There’s a time and a place for checking-in and it applies to all of us (I don’t check-in at home or at the bank or anywhere that I consider extremely personal).
Simply put, checking in is a personal choice.
You also have to remember that much like social media; geolocation usage is based on demographics. In an article on Mashable, one study by Forrester showed location based service users are more likely to be 19-35 year-old, college educated males who are influential among their friends and family. But, don’t just target that age group because there are plenty of people outside that demographic that use geolocation apps.
Why Use Geolocation Apps?: Engage Fans
So, what exactly can geolocation apps do for you? Take it from Gordon, who not only uses it to promote his business, but uses it to enhance his experience at other locations.
“I recently took my family to a Texas Rangers baseball game and checked-in on Foursquare and Gowalla,” Gordon said. “The ability to see whom had checked into what fan store and food venues the most gave me the information I needed to make the best decision on what vendors were the best for my attendance and therefore purchases.”
For those that are using these apps, what are some things that can be done to engage fans?
1) Work with your university
What better branding than to work with your university’s marketing/communications department to branch geolocation into a campus-wide initiative? You’ll both benefit in the long run. Foursquare recently launched its Universities campaign pilot program (http://foursquare.com/universities). You can register but not all schools will be accepted just yet. You can still go through the traditional setup process to add your schools until more schools are accepted. And, you may choose to go with a different geolocation provider.
2) Claim your venues
In order to take control of your athletic facilities; you need to claim your venues. Why? Again, you’re trying to establish a brand and geolocation presence. You really can’t do that if Super Fan is the one broadcasting behind your name.
3) Stick to promoting your venues, not specific events
Use geolocation to promote the venue and not every specific event happening at the venue. People need some consistency if you expect them to catch on. There’s an option to include text with check-in details. Leave it up the user to post why s/he is there.
4) Use specials to engage
Once you claim a venue, you have the ability to broadcast “specials” that may pop-up when a user checks-in at that venue or one nearby. Have a home volleyball match on the same day as a home soccer match? Cross-promote using this function. You can also use the specials function to provide discounts and/or other promotions for frequent users. You’d be surprised at the business already offering such discounts. Some of those may be nearby. Example: When you check-in at or near Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, a special pops up that encourages you to stop by the front lobby to pick up schedule cards and posters. Simple to do and gives people a reason to visit the venue.
5) The game aspect
One thing Foursquare offers that not all geolocation apps do is a competition aspect. Users can earn badges and become the mayor of venues. While this is intriguing to some, I really feel the use of specials and pop-ups with locations nearby is a better benefit. Some people are in it for the competition, but others aren’t. The best way to please both is to offer deals to both sides (reward after x-number of check-ins and/or reward for becoming mayor of a venue).
6) Align the brand with its belief(s)
I bring this up keeping in mind that some schools have affiliations that need to be taken into consideration if you decide to move forward with promoting check-ins on a specific geolocation platform. If you’re a religious-based institution, with badges like “bender” and “crunked”, Foursquare may not be for you.
7) Don’t spam and don’t become automated
Be careful that you’re not over-doing. All of us hate getting spam in our e-mail inboxes and the same holds true for geolocation apps. When you become automated, it turns into advertisement. While use of geolocation can be used as a form of advertisement, just making it generic and impersonal turns off users.
8) Connect with other social media
One of the things I love about Foursquare is the ability to send that information directly to Facebook and Twitter. Hopefully, your users are doing the same so others can see where they are and it promotes you (and your events). But you should be promoting what you’re doing with geolocation apps on those platforms as well.
9) Encourage your fan base to participate
Users have the ability to leave to-dos and tips, and you should encourage them to do so. More participation from fans allows them to feel more involved in the process. Plus, different individuals may provide difference experiences for others to enjoy.
10) Use public address/marketing/promotions to promote geolocation
People won’t know what you’re offering when it comes to geolocation apps unless you tell them. It’s just like promoting another event. Check with your geolocation tool developer to see if they offer any free signage or other promotional items.
11) Encourage local businesses to participate
Use your connections and local Chamber of Commerce to encourage local businesses to provide gameday specials or anyday specials and discounts via geolocation apps. Why? People are more likely to keep coming back (to you and them) and it’s free promotion for everyone involved without breaching sponsorship contracts. If that restaurant’s close to campus, chances of an athletic event special popping up are high.
12) Understanding the analytics and what to do with them
Foursquare provides analytics and it’s a great way to see a breakdown of your use of the app. But what does it mean for a business? Depending on how you want to use it, the analytics function provides you with a qualitative value to assess usage of the app. While statistics may not always tell the whole story, they offer invaluable insight that’s measurable.
Some believe 2010 is the year of geolocation, much like 2008 was the year of Twitter. It has great benefits, especially for athletics. You just have to develop a plan that works best for you and your school. And the best part? Fan interaction and customer service can be accomplished with little or no money at all.