There’s always something new going on in the world of social media, and this year, location-based applications were poised for big increases in use. They’ve gained a (relatively) small but loyal following, all right, but how useful are location-based apps for associations and nonprofits — especially small-staffs?

No matter which app your organization uses (or is thinking about using), there are several ways associations can take advantage of location check-ins.

1. Events and conferences: Thinking back to ASAE and The Center’s 2009 Annual Meeting and Expo, I think a Foursquare-type application would have been immensely useful. (The fact that the meeting was in Toronto made using our cell phones a little more difficult, but I digress.) The convention center was so huge and after-hours, people were spread out at tons of different restaurants and bars. Using location-based technology might have allowed us to meet even more people!

2. Volunteer incentives: How do you reward your frequent volunteers? Recognizing those who check in often to a particular venue to volunteer could receive perks, discounts or another form of recognition. Many Foursquare users see mayorship as a point of pride, and will frequent the same venue again and again to become its mayor. Recognize your frequent volunteers online.

3. Brand your event: Create a Foursquare badge people can earn when they check into several venues around your event. Badges are fun ways to reward Foursquare users who do interesting things. For example, checking into a gym 10 times in 30 days earns users the “Gym Rat” badge.

4. Team up with a for-profit for fundraising: Would it be possible for your organization to team up with a restaurant? When patrons check into a restaurant, could a percent of the profits go toward a cause your organization promotes? By teaming up with for-profits, your organization can spread the word about its cause.

Now, which of these applications is right for your organization?

- Foursquare: Originally popularized in big cities, Foursquare users don’t have to have a smart phone to check in to various venues. Users can text their check-ins to a specified number once their cell phone is tied to their account. Foursquare’s goal is to help users find new places to go in their cities, as well as to meet new people.

- Gowalla: Gowalla’s goals are basically the same as Foursquare (discover, capture and share places with your friends). The two seem to have a lot in common: smart phone apps plus an iPad app. It’s really about which one your members prefer, but of course, members and volunteers could be active among both.

- Loopt: The third in the “big three,” Loopt lets you discover places in your city, share directions and tips, save money with coupons and share where you are with your friends.

Retailers and restaurants often offer discounts and perks to people who frequently check-in to their venue. Foursquare users who frequent Starbucks can be eligible for discounts if they become the mayor of a certain location. (The “mayor” is the Foursquare user who checks in most often to a certain location.) Mayors of Ann Taylor receive 25 percent off their purchases, while shoppers who check in receive 15 percent off. Many tech-y locations offer deals to users who check in using Gowalla. Users can join Loopt through Facebook, and a program called Loopt Star offers retailers a loyalty card, which users can use to compete with friends and fellow users to receive perks and discounts from retailers.

If none of these appeals to your organization, take a look at DoubleDutch, which I first wrote about back in April. DoubleDutch lets users create their own location-based check-in for their conference or event. Exhibitors’ booths, session rooms and hotel bars will all be distinguishable using the application, so attendees, vendors and other participants can all check in at their exact locations and share it with other users. Checking in to different locations can help attendees find one another, meet new people and have a more fulfilling conference experience. Helping attendees keep in touch is what events are all about, and applications such as DoubleDutch only enhance the connections.

Location-based apps can be useful to associations of all sizes. They can help create more intimate communities among larger ones and help smaller membership bases discover new places. No matter how small your organization, there are still plenty of potential uses for one of these applications. They don’t require a lot of maintenance time, which is good news for smaller staffs!

Is your organization exploring location-based applications?

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This is the 11th in a 12-part series called “Beyond The Big Three,” which highlights social networking sites other than Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. There are tons of other social media outposts on the Web, and they’re great places for associations to curate content. The previous 10 installments can be found here. Stay tuned.

You may have heard about Foursquare in recent weeks or months; it’s been called the “Twitter of 2010” by some. Foursquare combines two important trends in the social web: location and mobile technology. But if you haven’t heard about it, don’t worry! It’s generally more popular in larger cities right now, but it’s expanding quickly.

Essentially, Foursquare is an application that enables “checking in” at various locations. The application uses GPS to identify where you are and will give a list of nearby places from which to choose, but you can always add a place if it’s not available.

According to its Help page, When you tell foursquare where you are, that’s called “checking-in”. You can check-in from parks, bars, museums, restaurants…  really anywhere. Foursquare then will let your friends know where to find you.

The site aims to help you find friends and acquaintances in your city. There are apps available for smartphones such as iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm Pre and Android, but if you don’t own one of those phones, you can check in using a basic text message – attach your phone number to your account and text your check-ins to 50500.

Besides checking in and updating your location, there are few other parts of Foursquare.

The Mayor

If you check into a certain location more than anyone else, Foursquare will crown you “The Mayor.” Many bars and cafes in bigger cities (such as New York) sometimes give the current mayor some perks, such as a discount or a free coffee. But if someone comes along behind you who has checked in more often, they can “steal” the title.

Badges

According to Foursquare, Badges are little rewards you earn for doing checking-into interesting places. For example, staying out late on a school night or frequenting too many karaoke bars. Foursquare says many badges are tagged to venues. For example, people could tag a bar “karaoke,” “pool table,” etc…

Points

Foursquare awards points for pretty much every check-in. You’ll get points the first time you check in at a certain location and when you add a new venue. Basically, the more you experience, the more points you’ll get. Foursquare says it is still figuring out what to do with the points earned. In December, though, the company donated $0.04 to charity for every point earned.

Since Foursquare updates are tied to locations, when you click on someone’s update, you’re brought to a page that looks like this:

Granted, Foursquare is more popular in bigger cities such as New York, Washington DC and San Francisco, but let’s think about the implications for associations.

What if your organization could use Foursquare for its annual meeting or conference? I know someone else in the association world has blogged about this before, and I’ve searched through archives and found nothing. So if this was your idea, please let me know!

However, thinking back to ASAE and The Center’s Annual Meeting, I think a Foursquare-type application would have been immensely useful. (The fact that the meeting was in Toronto made using our cell phones a little more difficult, but I digress.) The convention center was so huge and after-hours, people were spread out at tons of different restaurants and bars. Using location-based technology might have allowed us to meet even more people!

Foursquare can be integrated with both Facebook and Twitter, so your status updates there can also be read as check-ins. Additionally, check out this blog post (from yesterday!): Five Simple (and Fun) Ways to Promote Nonprofits on Foursquare.

Edit: This post from Mashable just showed up in my Google Reader: How Nonprofits and Activists Can Leverage Location-Based Services. Great stuff here!