Marketers might be cautious about investing in foursquare in light of Forrester reports released last year that suggest the location-based app market is still growing. Now, it seems foursquare may be just as cautious about letting brands enter its geosocial space.
The About Foursquare blog reports that users with thousands of friends are being denied the chance to send out more friend requests. They are, however, able to accept friend requests from others. Though the limits are unclear, About Foursquare says it has been cut off from adding to its 6,000 friends, and it is not able to follow more brands.
The source reports that this is likely a strategic move on foursquare's part to prevent businesses from spamming friends with "tips" when they check in at retail locations.
The move has sparked online debates about appropriate marketing on the geosocial platform. Some believe that friend limits unnecessarily cut businesses' chances of getting exposure on the social forum. Others suggest consumers should take the initiative to connect with brands, and this will ensure that businesses don't inundate disinterested users with information.
Foursquare spokesperson Erin Gleason told the About Foursquare blog, "We’re still figuring out what the appropriate limits are and will continue to adjust the numbers based on usage and user feedback."
Whether they can send mass friend requests or not, marketers might want to establish their businesses on foursquare. As Brafton reported, check-ins spiked during the holiday shopping season.
