Foursquare is quickly becoming a popular social networking site/app (iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm, and more) that encourages users to visit new places and share their experiences with friends. In Foursquare, you can earn badge based on your achievements, such as visiting sites more than once, visiting many new places, and for visiting the most places at a venue. The mayor badge is the most coveted badge on Foursquare because select venues will offer discounts to users that are the mayors of that particular area. Earning the mayor badge makes the site more fun because you can get real world discounts at your favorite places, and at places, you have never been before. This article will examine how to earn the mayor badge, and what, if any, benefits it has to users.
How to earn the mayor badge
Obtaining the mayor badge is a relatively simple process, you need to have a profile picture, and check into more sites on in your given area more than anyone else in that area. For instance if you attend Boston University if you check into more sites on the Boston University campus more than anyone else on separate days, then you will be “crowned mayor” of that area. With so many users, worldwide getting crowned mayor is not an easy job because you have to compete with multiple people that want the title just as bad as you do.
Can you lose your mayor title?
Yes, one of the fun aspects of Foursquare is that the mayor of a given area has to keep visiting more venues than their competition, or else they risk losing their mayor title. The ability to lose the mayor title means that you can steal it from an already crowned mayor of that area, which gives everyone an equal opportunity to get the title. You also have the opportunity to become mayors of more than one area, which makes the discounts even more lucrative.
How easy is it to check into an area?
I personally use my BlackBerry for Foursquare and all it takes to visit a site is to log into your profile on the app and click one button. You can add a shout out, or a recommendation of the site or you can add new sites to the map. A Google map shows where you are at, which makes it impossible to cheat the system and say you have been to places you have not.
Why would I ever want to earn the mayor badge, it seems like a lot of work?
Earning the mayor badge is actually fun and not a lot of work. It allows you to be able to visit many new places you may not have considered otherwise. However, besides exploring new areas, mayors are subject to discounts in their area by participating locations. In some areas, for example a mayor be able to have his or her first drink at a bar on the house, or you may receive discounts at their favorite restaurants.
Overall
Overall, Foursquare is a great way to explore new areas, offers discounts to dedicated users, and is a great way to interact with friends in a fun way. I recommend giving this free application a try if you want something different than surfing the internet and interacting with friends online, but still want to stay connected.
Sources:
Personal experience using Foursquare
www.foursquare.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foursquare_%28service%29
