Foursquare, Gowalla and Yelp are by far the big dogs in the location-based yard, with Foursquare being the obvious alpha male out of the group.
And while all three have been picking up some partnerships with big name clients over the past few months, the business side of location-based marketing is still being tweaked as marketers and programmers jockey for position in this fast-growing network.
A majority of this tweaking has been in the restaurant and food industry, as more and more eateries have been offering promotions and discounts to customers using these services.
But the new Snapfinger app for the iPhone and Android may be a legitimate location-based competitor, mostly because of the niche it has carved out for itself.
While Foursquare and Yelp provide information and reviews for restaurants and fast food joints, Snapfinger allows you to order take out from your phone as well.
The big news though is that the company just recieved $7 million in investments to broaden the number of franchises they work with (which already includes Applebee's, Subway and Outback Steakhouse) to include independent eateries.
So will Snapfinger overtake Foursquare? No, since it's a different type of location-based service with a different purpose. However, this new investment and more partnerships could push Snapfinger towards the forefront of this emerging market.
