Do you ever hear people say, ‘I go to Mike’s Pastry in Boston’s North End just for the cannoli’ or ‘the chicken parm sandwich at Torrisi Italian Specialties is the best I’ve ever had?’  Well, for a restaurant that is known for doing one thing better than anyone else, there is a new social media tool for you.

It kinda goes without saying that there are new social media tools launching all the time.  It only seems like a month ago (really!) that everyone started talking about FourSquare.  For those of you who don’t know, FourSquare is a location based application that allows users to ‘check in’ when they get to a location and then broadcast that to other FourSquare users.  Check in more than anyone else, and you become the designated ‘mayor’ of that location.

People you know (and those you don’t) can gain insights into your daily activities.  Some people are not keen on letting the world know where they are and what they are doing, but 4S is an “opt in” activity.  Those that decide to join the fray are really broadcasting is their knowledge or experience related to their location.  Say you visit that new gourmet hot dog stand in Brooklyn, Bark in Park Slope, you’re not just letting friends know you’ve been there, you’re dropping knowledge about the place.  best dog, secret ordering ‘tip,’ or when the best time to stop by is.  4S will not only let others know where you’ve been, but can also let you know valuable information like, which is your favorite dog, when to beat the crowds, or a special ‘off the menu’ topping, or when it’s happy hour.

4S’s model has inspired imitators, but in more focused categories.  Take Foodspotting, which is like 4S, but solely geared to foodies.  If you post a dish, like the Vietnamese pork chop at Nha Trang in NYC Chinatown, and someone else is enticed by and nominates it, your reputation grows.  You will receive higher levels of authority (collecting badges) as more people nominate your dish.  It’s like being a mayor in 4S, but for a certain dish rather than a location.  Foodspotting is new, but according to CNN’s Sci Tech blog, they have grown to 7,000 members since January.

If Foodspotting can break through and reach critical mass and you’re a restaurateur that wants to highlight your ‘special dish’ to the foodie community, it might be a great tool for doing just that.

Tags: foodie, foodspotting, foursquare, grange hall media, Social Media

This entry was posted on Friday, March 19th, 2010 at 6:04 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.