OK, Ok, you don’t need to barcode a building, but you can create a scavenger hunt in your community for those tech savvy peeps who would love to rise to the challenge.
A fun and simple way to do this would be to create an account with StickyBits.com and place StickyBit stickers around your area requiring your participants to check in with a photo of themselves in front of each location. Stickybits are barcode stickers which allow people to scan them with their camera phones and add just about anything to the digital archive attached to the barcode; Pictures, audio, URLs, etc. You can purchase 20 Stickybit stickers on Amazon for less than $10.
Use a GPS code or clue to drive them to the first location. Once found, they must check-in with a photo of themselves at the location and then are given the code/clue to the next location.
You could also create a Fourquare Location (ie Farmville GeoContest Location 1, etc.) as Stickybits allows Foursquare and Twitter check-ins. I would create a hashtag on twitter as well, so when they check-in, they can include the #, generating further excitement as the game proceeds.
The Scavenger Hunt could be promoted to local tweetup and meetup groups, on your local facebook page and community online newspaper. Think of the fun and excitement a weekend afternoon scavenger hunt could create.
The good thing about Stickybits is that the code has to physically be scanned, no cheating like you can on Foursquare.
Other uses of StickyBits? Attach to your listing flyers, business cards, single property websites, yard signs, etc., you are only limited by your imagination. Consider a customer appreciation prize for the agent who checks in to the highest number of your open houses, or the buyer who visits the most number of public open houses… what do you think?
Maureen McCabe
May 5, 2010 at 11:47 am
I was playing with scvngr.com the other day and thinking about this. It won some award… lots of work. Not sure how much it would cost. I may do one with QR codes so others can play (other than iPhone and Android) because of sites like Bee Tag. Not sure if I can do it though… or if my part of town has “players.”
Janie Coffey
May 5, 2010 at 11:53 am
absolutely QR codes would be a good solution. I had thought of them, but didn’t find an app which allows foursquare or twitter checkins right from the app, although that doesn’t have to be a must have, but that it would be fun. I wil check ou scvngr.com, it sounds like fun!
Michael Bertoldi
May 5, 2010 at 1:59 pm
We are absolutely planning a scavenger hunt for Huntsville using QR Codes. You guys have taken the words right out of our mouths!
Janie Coffey
May 5, 2010 at 5:43 pm
QR Codes definitely are a good option and more accessible than barcodes…. let me know how it goes, I am thinking of one for this summer