Tech Blog

Geosocial Netowrking, or "lo-so" (location-social) networking, has been all the rage of late. These newly-coined terms refer to a plethora of new, location-based web services like Foursquare, Loopt, and Gowalla.

These services allow people to connect their internet experience, personal networks and their interests to physical locations using their phones. Geosocial services have caught on quickly because these services are fun to use and add that extra layer of connection to social networks. Our own Marie Deatherage uses Foursquare, and she told me how great it is to "check in" at a place and find out that someone she follows is right around the corner. Another friend shared the story of finding out which sessions her friends were in at a conference that was spread across a city. Using these services, which connect to existing networks like Twitter and Facebook, early adopters have found reward through games, becoming virtual Mayors of places, receiving coupons and even prizes for customer loyalty. And so the internet of real places comes alive!

Nonprofits have a huge opportunity here as these services allow any organization with a physical location to connect with the community online as well as in person. This is exciting for organizations that have events, run a retail enterprise, or provide an open public service. Unfortunately, most nonprofits don't have the ability to be early adopters of new tech. Fortunately, there are a few, very quick steps even the scrappiest of small organizations can do to be prepared for this next wave of community connection.

The very first thing, perhaps the most improtant, is to find out if your org is already on the map. Is your organization visible on google maps, yelp, citysearch, or other sites? What would happen if I were to try to do a search on my fancy shmancy smartphone to find your office the day you are throwing that big benefit event?The most important thing to start with is the most basic information. Help me, your volunteers, and other supporters find you, know what your hours are, and possibly see a photo or video. Once you've set the stage, you can plan a presence on the more interactive geosocial sites. You could turn "check-ins" into donations and support, get crisis information tracked and connected in real time, and even reward volunteers for their hard work.

Get started by making sure that you are set up in Google Maps as a findable business using the Google Places tool. Not only can community members see where you are on a map, but they can also read reviews, find out what your hours of operations are, view your own photos and videos, see web search results related to your organization and more. Beyond that, you can use the free location-based analytics tools with Google as well as the other services to listen to your community and learn more about how and why they are making that location-based connection with you.

Next, take a look at the most common platforms and services like yelp, citysearch Foursquare, Loopt, and Gowalla.. You should at least be listed on a few networks. Make sure the address, phone, and details are correct and current. Some sites allow users to input the information about you, but don’t assume that users have entered details correctly. You can even add tags or buttons to your website and social media pages to let people know that you can be found on these sites.

What's next? Once you've got your location presence set, you are ready to integrate with your social networks, customize your presence on different platforms, listen to your community, start offering promotions and so much more!

Read More:

Mashable.com How Non-Profits and Activists Can Leverage Location Based Services

The Chronicle of Philanthropy: How Nonprofit Groups Can Benefit from Foursquare

Beth Kanter: This Year Twitter Fundraisers, Next Year FourSquare Fundraisers ....