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You heard it hear first.  If Howard Stern is the King of all Media, Facebook has been the King of Social Media for the past couple of years since they dethroned MySpace.  But that will be changing soon!

Foursquare.com for those of you unfamiliar is the “next generation” social networking site. It is a traditional social networking site in that you can have friends and share information, but what makes it different is that it is made for mobile devices.  The way it works is simple, when you go somewhere:  The mall, McDonald’s, Shoe Store, Train Station, ect… you post that you are at that locale from your phone.  You can even post tips about that location.

If you are the first to post, you will be the “Mayor” of that location, but if someone frequents the same locale more than you, they can become the “Mayor”.  Not only will this let people know what you are doing, but this also lets them know your location.

So, how can I make such a bold statement that Foursquare Will Crush Facebook, simple, potential, potential for all businesses large and small!

Foursquare has been around for a while, and many in Social Media have known about it, but you can never be sure what the next “big thing” is until you start to see it in action and gain momentum.

Recently I have seen some of my Facebook friends using Foursquare and tying it into their Facebook account.  These are not your average Facebook users, but more what many would call power users, but I call “Power Posters”, always involved and constantly engaged in Social Media.  This is great, because they are the ones who are the beta testers for the mainstream, the ones who let us know, will it work, and is it a fad?  The answer for Foursquare, yes it works, and it is more than just a fad.  I am seeing more people everyday jumping on the Foursquare bandwagon.

Back to how it helps businesses.  Well let’s think of the possibilities and benefits.  Imagine you are a store-owner, and someday you are able to access the fact that someone has just posted on Foursquare that they are in your location.  You, the store-owner, can now seek that person out, thank them in person for stopping in your store, and posting their location to their friends; you can ask them by their name if you can help.  Maybe it’s their 50^th visit and foursquare post, so you give them a 20% discount for being a loyal customer.  Maybe they visit so often they are the “Mayor” and deserve a larger discount.  You can see the demographics of the customers shopping your store.  You can have an electronic scrolling sign saying, “hey Scott thanks for checking in today, ask about our special on …” You can see your shoppers patterns and work with other store owners whom they frequent to cross market.  The possibilities are endless.

This is why Foursquare Will Crush Facebook, not because it more social, but because it ties business into Social Networking in a natural fashion.  There will be no more need for the “Fan Page”, because every time a customer posts your location on Foursquare, it is free advertising, but beware and be kind, you MUST treat that customer well, because face to face interaction IS the original Social Media!

I look forward to your comments and questions.