Attentionscan is a collection of interesting and assorted ideas collected by the staff of idfive for your reading pleasure.
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Where Have All the Links Gone?
Have you noticed anything different about your Google search results lately?
If you’re like most people you probably haven’t? But if you’re a little more astute, you’ve probalby noticed that your results are getting lower and lower on the page.
Paid ads and answers all come before the list of websites you might find useful to your query. If you’re like me and use Google to search for just about everything under the sun 100x a day (including using it as spell check), this is a good thing. I’m able to take in more information faster and with less clicks. Google is constantly working on dozens of projects that, mostly, make the user experience pleasant and inviting. It may seem counter productive to people who like to keep people on their site to show user engagement and increased page views but for Google, the more people that can quickly find an answer the more likely they are to use the service again.
What does that mean for the rest of us? Well, I don’t really know and it’s probably too early to tell. With Google’s constantly changing algorithms and introduction of “Google Search, Plus Your World” the world of search is really taking on a new shape. Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt has been quoted as saying:
“…we’re trying to move from answers that are link-based to answers that are algorithmically based, where we can actually compute the right answer. And we now have enough artificial intelligence technology and enough scale and so forth that we can, for example, give you — literally compute the right answer.”
-Eric Schmidt, D: All Things Digital conference June 2011 [Bonus: Video of the D9 interview]
At one point in time, search used to be the great equalizer, one company versus another for rank. Today we face a new challenge that includes paid advertisement, sponsored links, paid and organic SEO, customized results, location based results and social integration. Peter Yard, CTO for CBS Interactive and CNET contributor says:
“…Google’s famed PageRank algorithm carries less and less weight these days, since fresh news and results inherently don’t have as many inbound links as older content. (If it helps, you can think of PageRank as a kind of paleo-social search–just one that moves way too slowly for the modern Web.)”
-Peter Yard – Why Google is ditching search, CNET
The more our world continues to conform to our social sphere, the harder we will have to work to find things outside the boundaries being built by integrated services.
What Facebook and Google are hiding from the world.
2012 – A look ahead and a few predictions
So as we say goodbye to 2011, here are some of my predictions and comments about the upcoming year (granted the world doesn’t end)…
Technology
Voice Control – I’m fairly confident that we will some major changes in tech this year. Thanks to Apple and Siri, voice controls for smartphones are going to become a standard. I also see this tech spreading to devices in our homes including the obvious like TVs and computers but also things like the thermostat and kitchen appliances but it won’t happen overnight.
The TV is another area we should see some newer technologies start to come down in price but larger sizes (55″+) will still be out of reach for most of us. What I’m most excited about is seeing the user experience of TV take on a new form. With connected devices like Roku, Wii, XBox (Live) and PS3 TVs are already more capable of delivering more of your favorite content to you but as we’ve started to see with iTV or internet TV is that most of the services we use like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video and HBO Go are being integrated right into the TV. Even the interface for the most basic functions have received stunning upgrades when compared to the boring up/down, left/right menus of only a few years ago.
Speaking of menus and user interface, 2012 promises Windows 8 (in multiple variations) which should be a nice upgrade from W7 and Vista. Who know’s what Apple’s got up it’s sleeve next but I’m sure it will be interesting (and pretty!). Something I am really looking forward to however is a better web experience revolving around something that’s being call “responsive web design”. Responsive design is a little hard to explain but, in escense, attempts to streamline the users web experience no matter what platform (mobile, tablet, web) by delivering different, deliberately designed formats of a website based on that user’s device’s screen size. If you’d like to learn more about responsive design, check out a book called Responsive Web Design by Ethan Marcotte.
Social Media
After 2011′s big shake up with the introduction of Google+, 2012 should be a little quieter on the social media frontier although, I’d expect a lot of growth. I think we’ll really see G+ grow into its own space and demand quite a bit more attention. It’s already proven to be very powerful in attracting new users and building communities based around the users existing “circles” of friends. The whole experience is very natural and I’m sure we can expect a lot more out of the search giant.
I’m also betting we see more social integration across the board from all the major social sites out there. What I’m really hoping for is a less intrusive way for this to work. I’m starting to get a little tired of all these buttons and begging me to “Follow me on Facebook/Twitter/G+/LinkedIn”, etc. etc at the bottom (or top) of blogs and sites. If I want to share you page, post or tweet I will but I’ll do it on what channel or experience I’d like and who know’s maybe I’ll just post it to Reddit and let others decide if it’s actually worth anyone’s time. What I’m really trying to say is that I hope the process becomes smoother and maybe takes on a nice, less-than-20-click-approval to get things all linked up.
By no way is this the end. Between start-ups, mash-ups, and social integration the “Big 4″ (Facebook, Google+, Twitter & LinkedIn) won’t be the only big players in the social media game and I can start to see location based services like FourSquare, Google Places & Facebook Places becoming more popular and less of an afterthought. Mobile, location-based advertising will also be hugely important in the year(s) to come.
Online & Mobile Advertising
As the number of available media channels continue to grow, so does advertising. With so many alternatives to TV, print and other “traditonal” forms of advertising – online, mobile, location-based and integrated marketing and advertising campaigns have an inherit ability to gain more ground in the next year with social advertising being one of the fastest growing markets. I think it’s fair to say that second tier networks like AdKnowledge, LookSmart and Outbrain will attract lots of attention from advertisers looking to new sources to circumvent a semi-saturated markets on Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Daily deal platforms like Groupon, Living Social, and Google Offers should see an increase in their user base as well as purchases over the next year as more retailers see how these services can help them gain new customers. I suspect that we’ll also begin to see these offers extend past restaurants and spa days into some new markets as well as the digital market place. My biggest hope is that, the location based aspect of these services becomes more refined, allowing the local coffee shop to offer real-time deals to users walking past their store front.
Beware the QR Code Pitfalls
Thankfully “quick response”, or QR, codes are starting to catch on in the US and in a big way. I’ve seen them pop up everywhere from trendy coffee shops to the library. Whether it’s been printed in a magazine on a table tent or used online to download content directly to your phone, QR codes are working their way into our lives and we’re starting to expect certain results when we scan one.
Often there is some kind of call-to-action associated with or at least near the QR code that sets your expectation. But after you scan the code, often times your expected outcome isn’t as well thought out as the delivery. There are a few things to consider when launching a QR code campaign.
1. Who’s the Audience?
This should be a simple question to answer since you’ve undoubtedly done your research on the product you’re marketing. What you’ll need to ask yourself is if that audience is willing to, or knows how to, scan a QR code. My parents are pretty tech savvy for their age (mid-late 50s) but I don’t see them or their friends taking out a smartphone while walking down the street to snap a pic of a QR code. This, of course, is a generalization and your research may prove other wise, but you get the idea.
2. How Will They Scan It?
Most newer smartphones come with a preloaded app that allows users to scan barcodes, QR codes and some other types of encoded data. One thing to keep in mind though is that not all “QR” style codes are created equal. If you read Wired or a few other magazines you’ve probably seen the Microsoft Tag codes or other types of codes that stray away from the “traditional” two dimensional barcodes developed by DENSO back in 1994. Although these newer variations on QR codes are often better looking or colorful often require a specific application to be scanned. The average user in your target audience probably only keeps one, maybe two, scanner applications on their device (including the preloaded app) creating another barrier between them and your content if they don’t already have it.
Microsoft Tag Example
3. Location(s) – Where Will Your Code be Available?
There are a large number of places that are optimal for placing a QR code. A magazine or a postcard, on your website or on a sticker in your window. However, if that window is on a subway car you might want to think again. Although some subway stations do have cellular data access points not all do and if you’ve placed your ad in the wrong one, well it could render your QR code useless. Also consider how far above ground your ad will be since smartphones often cannot connect or are in airplane mode at 30,000 ft.
Found in a subway with very little mobile phone connectivity.
4. Make It Visible
Duh, right? Well take a second and think. QR codes can often work as small as 3/4 of an inch and have built in error correction so there’s no need to make it huge or protect it with a layer of varnish. But if you place it where it may be unintentionally covered by an address label on a magazine or obscured by another barcode printed by the post office, no one is ever going to see your content. Also be careful when using color in your QR code. Though people have done some extraordinary things with QR codes including some stellar Lego QR code ads and even a great viral video by Skanz who painted a GIANT qrcode that could only be scanned while skydiving. Do what makes sense but always be sure to test your creations on more than one device and with more than one app. Even some of the simplest changes can break your QR code if you’re not careful.
Just like any good campaign, if you plan ahead you shouldn’t run into many problems.
Happy Tagging!
Building a Brand Identity.
This may be one of the many reasons I hate going to the grocery store but I think it brings up a major problem we often face.
A brand identity can mean a lot of things to different people but most often the main goal is to “stand out”. And that’s not a bad goal, but when all of your competitor’s products are trying to do the same thing you often end up with a problem – everything gets lost in the shuffle.
Something the cartoon above illustrates so well is that some times companies work so hard at trying to make something happen instead of just letting it happen and the result is often less inspiring than the original intent.
“It seems that perfection is reached not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”
- Antoine de Saint Exupéry, writer & poet
Down but Not Out: The Biggest Web Outages of 2011
Whether or not we like it, sometimes the internet just breaks and this year was no exception. From social media services to banks and email. 2011 was host to some of the more disruptive internet outages of recent years.
via Mashable – The Biggest Web Outages in 2011
From the computer to the post office
My dad has been working for the US Postal Service for maybe 20 years now? Perhaps longer. Since everything has been slowly turning digital, I love any chance I can get to send mail. Seeing an article about a man supporting the mail system, as well, delights me!
Giles Turnbill bought many stamps and postcards and literally tweeted across the UK and some other parts of the world. For public tweets, he would copy the same tweet at least 15 times to send to 15 people (some reaching the US and as far as Australia!). The @reply or DM tweets only needed to be written once and delivered, and then he would receive “tweets” back through the postal service.
Conversations between Twitterers were basically the same as today, only longer, making the conversations more appreciated. The great thing about Twitter is the speed of news, but every day conversations can get lost in the bustle of things. Don’t get me wrong, I embrace Twitter and all social media platforms! Social media is a great way to get your voice out to the public for free.
This project wasn’t necessarily a rebellion from the Internet. Turnbill says, “Replicating Twitter via the postal system wasn’t an attempt to reject the internet—it was a way of celebrating it.” So definitely continue sharing, tweeting, +1ing, or whatever, but don’t forget an occasional letter or two!
Please feel free to read Turnbill’s entire article, as well as enjoy all his “tweets” posted on The Morning News.
An Intern’s Reflection: The Value of Intangibles
As students, we’re told that internships are a great way to gain hands-on experience in our chosen fields and build professional networks to advance us in our careers.
As interns, we’re able to assist in the day-to-day functions of the places we intern at. This helps us hone our skills and figure out what we want to do within our field. It’s usually all about portfolio-building pieces, tangible contributions, and making connections.
One thing that isn’t brought up too often though, in my opinion, are the insights us interns are able to learn by observing the intangibles things of an internship – workplace dynamics, culture, and communication methods. These are things that we’re not necessarily told to look for, but should look for.
As my awesome internship experience at idfive comes to a close, I just wanted to share some of my observations that I hope to be helpful for any other future interns out there:
- Communication Is Key – The importance is obvious, especially in terms of project management, but after having the opportunity to sit-in on meetings, I learned that it’s even more important when it comes to client/agency relationships or collaborations with other vendors. Impressive professionalism and a happy client are the result of successful methods of communication.
- The Importance of Design with a capital “D” – The philosophy on how idfive runs their business. Design with a capital “D” emphasizes how good Design (note the capital D) should be relative to produce a beautiful solution. In observing the way idfive applied this philosophy to how they did their work, I found that not only is the end result of a project visually appealing and clean on the back-end (for a site), but the user experience is pretty darn good as well.
- Corporate Culture Is Everything – An amiable work environment fuels productivity. I’ve heard of the concept, seen jovial tweets between co-workers on Twitter exemplifying it, but have never truly experienced it until this semester. From chili cook-offs to “guac-offs,” every single person is as hard working as they are the first to share a funny story or their latest experience from a GroupOn at the lunch table. It definitely gave me insight into what kind of environment I’d like to be in in the future.
- The Value of GroupOn – From the stories I’ve heard about the restaurant deals, I don’t know why I didn’t jump on this bandwagon sooner. I’m a foodie and a college student, so the deals are pretty awesome!
Overall, my experience at idfive was an extremely enjoyable and beneficial one that not only taught me a lot about digital marketing, social media and design, but also gave me valuable insight that I know will help me later on in my career – all from observing the intangibles
The Social CEO (of the Future) [Infographic]
Current CEOs probably aren’t thinking about what their young, media driven, acronym using successors are doing right now or what they might do as the future CEO of their precious companies.
In the past few years I’ve seen a growing number CEOs and high level execs begin using social media more often. Whether it’s contributing to a company blog, maintaining their own Twitter accounts or driving a new ad campaign on Facebook, social media is becoming part of a CEOs daily routine. But pretty soon, many of the CEOs we know will begin to retire and a whole new breed of “Social CEO”s will enter, changing the game substantially.
This new “Social CEO” will be at the helm, making decisions that drive the company forward. Increasing transparency, engagement, and focusing on what matters most to any company – the consumer.
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn And The Social CEO [INFOGRAPHIC] on AllTwitter
Can Being Social & Networking Get You a New Job? [Inforgraphic]
Can Facebook Get You A Job? via Mashable