Persistent location usurps manual check-ins - 2011 predictions

It seems like everyone was buzzing about location-enabled mobile social networking services like foursquare, Gowalla and Loopt in 2010--subscribers actually using the solutions are few and far between, however. A Pew Internet & American Life Project published last year reported that only 4 percent of online adults leverage these services, which offer consumers virtual rewards and real-world discounts for checking in at local bars, restaurants and retailers and sharing their activities with friends and family. Moreover, only 1 percent of users check in on any given day.

So look for the check-in to disappear, usurped by a persistent location paradigm (opt-in, of course) that reduces friction by automatically pinpointing the user's location on a continuous basis, enabling advertisers to deliver targeted messages and offers based on their present environment and activities.

The trend is already in motion: In December, Loopt updated its iPhone application to incorporate a background location sharing option allowing users to constantly update close friends and family on their whereabouts, even if the app isn't open--others may see location data only after formal check-in. Rival apps are sure to follow suit as 2011 becomes the year where deals come directly to consumers, instead of the other way around.