Top 5 Mobile Social Networks

With Social Networking on the rise, many people probably think about the popular sites of Facebook and Twitter. Although these are two of the world's leading sites, what about Social Networking sites that are specifically designed for your smartphone?

Today I'm going to give you my Top 5 Mobile Social Networking sites that you can use for your smartphone. Most of these applications are design for the iPhone but in some cases, they are cross platform.

Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular social networks on the mobile device, but it's restricted to just iPhone users. Instagram is a must-have application for all iPhone users. Instagram is a social network that allows you to turn ordinary photos into stunning photography. You simply take a photo, choose from over 15 filters, upload the photo to Instagram and choose whether you want to push it to Twitter or Facebook. With over 14 million users, Instagram is definitely a must have. If you haven't downloaded it yet, what are you waiting for? Instagram is free!

FourSquare

This mobile social network is also one of the world's most popular social networks for mobile users. If you don't own an iPhone and wish to use this application, you're in luck. Luckily, FourSquare is a cross platform application for smartphone users.

At first glance, FourSquare is a simple concept; simply use the application whenever you visit a place. Whether you're visiting a store, a park, your office or any other destination; use the "check in" feature to check in to your location. You may also add photos to your location, add a tip, push your location out to Facebook/Twitter and of course, gain points. Don't leave with just that, you are also awarded mayorship of locations if you have checked in to that spot the most. You will always be awarded "badges" if you do certain tasks. Those tasks are unknown, so make sure you're an avid user of FourSquare. Oh, did I mention that FourSquare is free!

Oink

If you're on the iPhone and you love FourSquare, chances are high that you'll love Oink. Oink's theory was designed and developed by Kevin Rose. Instead of "checking in" to locations, you have the ability to review places, but things at those places - such as a specific type of beer at a bar or an item on a menu.

Just like FourSquare, Oink has integrated a way for users to gain points and unlock more features. If you're interested in Oink, don't worry, this application is also free!

Pinterest

Pinterest is a fairly new application for iPhone users that lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find in your life on a personalized Virtual Pinboard. Many people have used Pinterest to play their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. In theory, Pinterest is a lot like FourSquare but instead of posting one photo on a timeline, you can create a virtual pinboard. If you're interested in this application, it's free and only available to iPhone users.

Skout

Last on the list is Skout. Skout is basically an application that you can meet new singles in your area. Essentially, Skout is a free dating service. I'm not a user or a fan of this application, but if you decide to try it out to find a date or make new friends, always be safe and meet in a public location. I am NOT responsible for your stupidity. Good news, Skout is a free application download!

This is my top 5 list for mobile social networking. Do you use any of these applications? Which one is your favorite? If you have any others that you wish to add to this list, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.

[via TechJohnson, YouTube]