GEO-LOCATION CHAT CAN HELP INCREASE user ENGAGEMENT
With over one billion users worldwide, Instagram has become apart of daily “digital” life for many people; however, it can still be difficult for people to connect in the “physical’ world. With this being the case, it could be interesting to experiment with a new (optional) feature that could allow people to bridge their digital world based on their physical proximity with others.
minor MODIFICATIONS CAN TRANSFORM THE EXISTING APPLICATION
In order to test this feature set, the existing Profile section within Instagram could be slightly modified to allow interested users to “opt-in.” By including a new sub-section, notionally called ‘Geo-Located Chat,’ users could toggle-on this feature, which would broadcast their geo-location to other Instagram users and make them ‘discoverable.’ If two users were within close proximity, these user accounts would ‘match’ and then within the 🔍navigation, a new category would show all matching users that were applicable, allowing for users to see people that they came in close proximity to. In order to protect the privacy of users who opted in to this new feature, results could be delayed for a specified period of time prior to them showing up in this new section. From here, once users ‘match’, they could explore each other profiles and even have the ability to send a Message to connect. This new feature-set could benefit both Individual in business users, including:
Individual User Benefits
Avoid the sometimes awkward situation of approaching a stranger to say “hello”;
Meet new friends who enjoy the same hobbies - gym, volunteering, shopping, etc.;
Network with possible new colleagues at industry events.
Business User Benefits
Connect with shoppers that visit your physical store, restaurant, or bar;
Help event promoters increase their client follower user base - musical artists, athletes, etc;
Allow conference hosts the ability to connect with attendees.
In order for Business Users to intuitively view a large number of matches, a new desktop portal could allow businesses to see large numbers of connections and even allow for the sorting and filtering of users. This intuitive functionality could provide a value-add to businesses and be made available on a subscription or monthly fee-basis.
overall benefits of geo-chat
While this feature set may not be desirable for all users, it can definitely benefit those who opt-in including:
Increase engagement between new users;
More organically meet connections;
Provide a new section within the Search navigation to increase time spent on Instagram; and
Provide a notional monetization opportunity for businesses to connect with users.