Some Recent Additions to Location Based Social Media

This past week, one of my fellow digital marketing students schooled us on location based social networks and tools. Foursquare, and Yelp were, unsurprisingly, among those mentioned as being key players in this area. I would like to use this discussion as an opportunity to profile some more recent additions to the realm of location based social media.

Nextdoor.com 

A specific radius of residences available to a user as defined by Nextdoor.com

Nextdoor.com is a social networking site in which a social network is defined by one's physical residence and surrounding residences. Users of the site join an online version of their physical neighbourhood  The identity of a person on this social networking site is tied to their place of residence and one can only join if they actually live there and real names are used. It is intended to connect neighbours with one another.

As you might imagine, a site like Nextdoor.com has the potential to bring neighbours together and form meaningful relationships between them. Examples of potential uses of Nextdoor.com include the organization of events like block parties or barbecues, finding a convenient baby-sitting solution,  finding a lost cat,  and anything else you might find on the bulletin board at the local community centre.

Radiuus.com

An example of what one might find when logging into Radiuss.com

Radiuus.com is a website which gathers together those who wish to broadcast information and opinions about their immediate area and those who wish to know more about what is going on in their immediate area as well as any other area they choose. It organizes users into their geographic location and lets them broadcast their comments and photos regarding local happenings to followers and those who have selected to see comments regarding that area.

Its intended use is to allow users to keep up with what is going on in a certain area and also to allow users to inform others about what is going on in theirs. Examples of potential uses of Radiuus,com included informing people about restaurant openings and upcoming festivals, discussions of local issues, and alerting people to road closures or natural disasters.

Placespeak.com

An example of the topics about which opinions are being solicited on Placespeak.com

Placespeak.com is a website which intends to bring public consultation into the digital space. When a company, organization, or a government wants to gain insight into public opinion about new local projects or proposals, they can use a site like Placespeak to connect with its users.  Like the other location based sites, it mandates that users verify their place of residence in order to participate in consultation processes.

Currently the site is still in its infancy and is most active in its home town of Vancouver, BC where it has been used by local organizations such as The City of New Westminster and The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.


Location Based Social Media is a particularly refreshing aspect of the digital world for its ability to cultivate a greater sense of community and foster relationships that can extend beyond the screen whereas most others encourage greater rates of digital communication. Their marketing applications can be easily imagined. The applications range from location specific targeting to exploration of local consumer opinions. Of course, the efficacy of these sites depends on how many local users are actively creating and viewing content on these sites. I only hope that enough of my neighbours and fellow local residents see as much value in sites like these as I do.

Nextdoor.com (N.D.) Nextdoor.com retrieved Mar 31, 2013 from Nextdoor.com

Radiuus.com (N.D.) Radiuus.com Retrieved Mar 31, 2013 from Radiuus.com

Placespeak.com (N.D.) Radiuus.com Retrieved Mar 31, 2013 from Placespeak.com