4 Great Location based social media tools

Social media has taken the world by storm. Status updates, pictures, Blogs and video sharing have exploded across the globe. Almost everyone is participating, and everyone who isn’t soon will be.

One of the newest crazes to hit the world of social interaction is location based social media. Location based social media is designed for users with mobile phones. Users need to download location apps for their mobile phones. These apps use the phone’s GPS to track your location. Whether you visit a restaurant, a museum, a cinema hall, a local landmark or any notable place, you can upload your location on the internet through your mobile phone. Your friends can do the same, and you can keep track of each other as you move around.

The war among many of the location based social media tools is intense, and is getting hotter by the minute. As of now, here are 4 great and popular location based social media apps:

Foursquare – more than a million users

Foursquare was started in 2009 and in just over a year it boasts a staggering one million users (approx). It’s a superb mix of a competitive game and a social media network.

Foursquare awards you with points when you check in at locations. Check-ins can be shared with friends at Facebook or Twitter, so you can keep them updated as to your movements. You receive badges when checked in at locations with certain tags, which are used to decorate your profile. You can beat your friends by earning more badges and visiting more locations than they do, and you can even become a mayor of a certain place by visiting it the most! It’s also a great way to travel around and spend your day.

Gowalla – spots are the key

Gowalla is rapidly catching up to foursquare in popularity. You can visit places, known as Spots, and go on challenging Trips that link numerous spots together. It’s a fun way of planning your journey in advance, and what’s more, you earn items from your check-ins! You can collect items in special vaults in your profile, and uncover special items during special events. If you are good enough, you could become a part of Street Team Elite, an elite Gowalla sub community with special privileges.

Yelp – best suited for iPhone

Yelp is a great location based application for the iPhone. It allows you to search for good places to eat, drink and have fun around your area. You can read reviews of a place that catches your interest, check how expensive it might be, and also how good the service or food is. It then allows you to track it on a map, and also gives you directions if necessary. Users who have visited a place write reviews which are very useful. All in all, Yelp is a great application if you just can’t figure out where to go for dinner today.

Whrrl- meet likeminded people

If you have a passion that you wish to share or if you are really bored, then Whrrl is the perfect application for you. It allows you to find and meet like minded people at places of interest in your area. You can rate these places and search for the perfect place with the right kind of people near your location.