In a previous blog post I identified location based marketing platforms like Foursquare as one of the top emerging B2B media trends for 2010. I personally have been using Foursquare for about 8 months. To be honest, at first I just did not get it. Why would I want to check in? What on earth is a badge and why should I jump through hoops to earn one? Of course I’m the Mayor of my house; after all I do live there. Then it happened. People I know, who were also using Foursquare, started requesting me on Foursquare. Then, I earned another mayorship that I actually "stole" from a friend. Then I lost that mayorship. I started competing with friends trying to earn the most badges, points and mayorships. I am now fully and totally addicted. I’m obsessed. I plot to "steal" mayorships from my friends; I try to figure out how to earn badges. I check my status points daily to see where I rank compared to my network. I get exactly how fun and socially engaging Foursquare can be. I even understand how Foursquare is ideal for local businesses trying to generate foot traffic. But, when it comes to B2B marketing it’s a total different story.

My initial thoughts on how Foursquare could be utilized for B2B companies is through trade show promotions. Foursquare could be used to build booth traffic by rewarding attendees with badges or prizes. Exhibitors could supply tips about their booths that attendees could add to their "to do list". Another Foursquare feature that might be helpful at tradeshows is the ability to see everyone signed in at a venue; allowing a company to connect with key industry contacts.

Currently, aside from tradeshows, the only other way I can see Foursquare as an appropriate medium for B2B marketing would be its ability to be linked to Facebook or Twitter. An example would be something that involved several locations, like a tour of some sort. Social media would use Foursquare checkins to build awareness of the tour within a social network. Personally, I think this may be a bit of a reach, but it could work for some B2B industries.

Are you using Foursquare? If so, what are your thoughts on its use for B2B marketing? Do you know any B2B companies using Foursquare?