Have you played Foursquare yet? No, not the playground game for kids, it’s a new type of social networking that is more like a game you play with your other friends also using the site.

According to foursquare.com, succeeding at the game comes through checking into places in a town such as a restaurant or bar, local clothing shop, mall, etc. You can leave tips for the place commenting on something you liked or disliked about it or if you have a recommendation for someone else. For example, at Harvest Moon Café you may really like their twice-baked potatoes so you may leave a tip stating something like this:

Be sure to try the twice-baked potatoes at Harvest Moon Café  in Rome. Just had them and have to say that they are out of this world.

By checking in places and leaving tips, the users earn points that lead to badges acting as some sort of a merit system. The point system looks like this. The use gets +5 points for finding a new place in the neighborhood, +2 points for going to multiple places in a night, and +1 point for bringing a friend along with them. The person that has checked-in the most at a particular place becomes the mayor of that place. It then becomes the game to dethrone the mayor. Once you become the mayor, you are often offered freebies by the place that you are the mayor of. This is a nice incentive for users.

Foursquare is different from other social networking sites not only because of its playful interface, but also because it uses GPS technology to track its users. The GPS technology can track you automatically with its mobile application, or manually when users log in online. Foursquare’s mobile application is free of charge and is available on every smart phone carrier, and only can track users when they arrive at specific checkpoints.

When you check in at a place, Foursquare makes sure that you are actually at the place you are checking in at. This comes in handy if other people you know are in the area because they can see you are at a certain place and can then meet you in person.

As unique as Foursquare is, it has some nice features that will be very attractive to anyone interested in social networking and numerous benefits for businesses that want to reach out to more customers.

Its gaming appeal is what makes this a very viable marketing utility for businesses, local and small businesses specifically. Since the application is based on people exploring locations that others have found value in, successful local businesses have an incredible opportunity to be found through interactive and virtually free channels. Turning your business into a fun mobile adventure for those who use this popular social media tool gives customers a new and exciting way to discover and explore your business without expensive advertising efforts.

Businesses have also started to find success to creating discounts specifically for avid foursquare users. Those companies that offered incentives and savings to the foursquare mayors of their business found more customer loyalty and more participation with their foursquare location, according to a MG Seigler of TechCrunch.

So go ahead, start your foursquare adventure today!