Is it real?

When I was younger, we would watch a lot of American football on television. Having two older brothers tends to do that to you. However, I could never follow the play (only the ball) and the first down line was even more of mystery to me. Today, I still can’t follow the play, but at least I know where first down is. On Sept 27, 1998, Sportvision debuted the electronic first down line for football telecasts (Squadron 2014). It was a monumental moment. Augmented reality completely transformed the viewing experience for the casual television spectator.

Although augmented reality (AR) has been around a long time, it is only starting to take hold in the social media realm. Companies are starting to see how AR can help drive their sales higher. For example, in 2008, Lego piloted a ‘digital box’ that would allow customers to hold a Lego box up to a screen and it would show a 3D image of what the finished product would look like. It proved to be such a success that now every Lego-branded store has one. This initiative has surely been one of the reasons for a 25% revenue growth in 2012 (Global Access 2014).

Buying furniture is always a frustrating experience. Will it fit? Will it look right in the room with your other furnishings? Beginning in 2014, IKEA’s catalog featured the use of augmented reality. Customers can place the catalog in the stop where they are considering to put the piece of furniture and use IKEA’s augmented reality app to see how it would look like in the room using their mobile device (Rollenhagen 2013).

According to the Pew Internet Project’s research, as of January 2014, 58% of American adults have a smart phone and 42% own a tablet. This means the majority of people have some sort of Wi-Fi connection at all times. It is no wonder that companies are starting to create innovative social media apps to enhance the retail experience through the use of augmented reality.

Time is a scarce commodity these days. How much of it would we save if we could use AR to help us in our daily lives? I can imagine trying on clothes and shoes in the comfort of my own home using a fashion app created by department stores before buying it online. It would certainly save me the bother of returning clothes that did not suit me.

Augmented reality is still a new arena that companies have yet to fully explore. However, as Lego and IKEA have learned, it is something that cannot be ignored in the ever-increasing retail race for consumer dollars.

Sources:

http://www.si.com/nfl/2013/07/18/nfl-birth-yellow-line

http://www.globalaccess.co.za/global-access-news-article.htm?contentID=52

Lego YouTube video

http://mashable.com/2013/08/06/ikea-augmented-reality/

IKEA YouTube video

IKEA iTunes app

http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/mobile-technology-fact-sheet/

Distance makes the heart grow fonder

Sometimes I wonder if social media has made my life better or worse. I have lived abroad for 15 years and have found social media a great way to keep in touch with friends who no longer live in the same city as myself. For the people I met that do not use social media, they are no longer a part of my life but still remain in my memories. For those that choose to update their friends via status updates and selfies, I sometimes wonder if they are doing it for us or for themselves.

Much research is being conducted on the anxiety of using Facebook. According to Marissa Maldonado (2014), studies have shown that using Facebook ‘makes people feel inadequate and generates stress and worry’. When we see photos of our friends living lives that we wish we could also lead, how could it not lead to feelings of inadequacy? Well – I have lived that life and I am here to tell you that a picture may tell a thousand words, but sometimes those words are like a mask. Just because you see that great vacation photo and that smiling family does not necessarily mean that paradise has been found.

Obviously the above video is not real (made by the HigtonBros) but it does highlight the fact that just because someone posts something, it may not be the whole truth. We all modify our lives on social media. From choosing which photos to post, which to omit, which parts of our life we write about, and which we don’t, we all do it. I would never post a photo of myself that I did not show me in a good light and I bet many others think the same way.

So when you catch up with old friends on social media, remember that it can never replace the warmth of a smile, the comforting words, or the sound of someone’s laughter. It is a tool to help stay in touch but it should never replace your physical company. So, if you are wondering should book that plane ticket to go visit that friend you have not seen in years, just do it!  Besides, you can always post photos of your fabulous trip on Facebook afterwards.

Sources:

http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-anxiety-of-facebook/00019448

http://tube.wapzom.com/channel/HigtonBros

Big Brother is definitely watching

The other day I was searching for a hotel for an upcoming event. I didn’t end up booking anything and eventually went to my Facebook page. Would you believe the first thing that popped up on my news feed was a sponsored ad featuring the hotel I had just researched? Is it my imagination, or are these companies getting faster and better at tracking my digital steps? Now, I am not so naïve to think I can outsmart these companies, but honestly, this seemed ridiculous.

After doing a bit of Internet searching (which was being tracked), I found out that Facebook launched Atlas in late September 2014 (McGarry 2014). Atlas helps ‘marketers reach real people across devices, platforms, and publishers’ (Atlas Solutions LLC 2015). I am being followed around no matter what device I am using, be it my laptop, smart phone, or iPad. It’s probably time for me to update my privacy settings on Facebook since my creepiness alert just went up one notch as I write this post.

Notice how I did not say that I would stop using Facebook? It is a part of my life now, just like breathing is. I get up, check my Facebook and get breakfast – just like millions of other people do every day. In fact, the average user checks their phone for emails and Facebook at 7:31am (Woollaston 2014). It is no wonder that Facebook knows so much about our lives since they are so integral to it from the moment we get out of bed (or while still in it).

What other ways are companies trying to get into our daily lives? Starbucks seems to have found the answer through its mobile app. Coffee is another one of those daily habits and those that drink it (not me, however) must have their daily fix. Starbucks reports that people are using their smartphones a whopping 7 million times per week for mobile payments, accounting for 16% of total transactions (Halzack 2015). Although this is very convenient for people to pay with their smartphones, it does mean that companies such as Starbucks can track our spending and consumption patterns a lot more closely now.

So don’t be surprised when you start getting messages from your local Starbucks telling you they will have your usual order of double expresso macchiato waiting for you at precisely 8:13am. Better stop reading Facebook messages and get ready!

Sources:

http://atlassolutions.com/2014/09/29/meet-the-new-atlas/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2688339/how-facebook-s-new-ad-platform-lets-brands-track-you-around-the-web.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/block-companies-tracking-you-on-facebook-2014-1

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2783677/How-YOU-look-phone-The-average-user-picks-device-1-500-times-day.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/01/23/starbucks-has-managed-to-get-you-addicted-to-its-coffee-and-its-app/

Cut it Out!

How many times have you been directed to a company’s website and been sadly disappointed? This has happened to me on many occasion and I am always struck at how little time a small business spends on creating their website. A website is the digital storefront. This is the place where potential customers see, for the very first time, a company’s image. To go to a website where links do not work or are outdated, pages are under construction, or it is hard to find the contact information just speaks volumes to me about their physical store.

Think of your website as the place where customers get answers. What do they want to know? It is not to learn about the history of the store or to find out the reason why you started the business. This is all fluff and useless to the customer. 

According to Statistic Brain (2014), the average attention span in 2000 was 12 seconds. In 2013, it was 8 seconds. This means we are 33% more impatient! In addition, the study found that the percentage of words read on an average web page is 28%. So remember this. Look at your website and cut out 33% of your content (or more). People scan for the information they want and ignore the rest. I bet you stopped reading before you even got to this sentence!

Would a small business open their store with only half their renovations done, half their inventory in place, and half their staff trained? I do not think so. They need to think of the whole business, including the digital platforms. Get the website done properly, get it done first, get it done professionally, and cut out the fat. Be ruthless. Then start to think about the rest of the social media strategy.

Source:

http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/

When to stay away from Facebook

I have a brother who is a doctor that treats patients with naloxone, which is a drug used to combat against opioids. It is also used as a treatment against drug overdoses. Naloxone kits have been distributed to people at risk of opioid overdose and they have been trained to administer this anti-opioid. My brother’s practice has grown by leaps and bounds since the day he started treating patients with this medication. It has grown because, sadly, there is a great need for his services.

Most businesses need to include social media as part of their marketing strategy because they want to increase their exposure and attract new business. It is a way to listen and get a pulse of what is happening in their particular industry. In addition, it provides another avenue for their customers’ voices to be heard.

In my brother’s case, he does not need help in attracting clients because of the nature of his ‘business’. He does not need to draw attention to his line of work simply because there are some strong opinions out there and it would make his job harder to do.

A Facebook page would be detrimental for his patients; even if was only to provide information and even if it were to a closed group. If he had a Facebook page, the mere fact they ‘like’ it may not sit well with their employers and it could be used against them. There are some businesses that simply do not need to be on social media, and his is one of them.

What is posted online stays forever, no matter if it is deleted. It sits somewhere in the digital world and that means it can be accessed. Let’s say someone posted a photo and another person merely ‘liked’ it. Just by ‘liking’ the photo could have severe ramifications. Just ask Ryan Millet, the whistleblower in the Dalhousie University dental school scandal. According to The Toronto Sun, he was suspended merely for ‘liking’ a (tasteless) photo.

The point is, although social media is all the rage and for most businesses, it is inconceivable not to have some sort of presence, there is always an exception to the rule. Organizations dealing with sensitive issues, such as mental health and addiction, may want to look at other means of connecting with their clients in order to avoid subjecting them to further social stigma.

Sources:

http://www.drugs.com/pro/naloxone.html

http://www.healthunit.com/news/new-program-aims-to-prevent-overdose-deaths-in-london

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/01/21/dalhousie-whistleblower-in-facebook-scandal-unfairly-suspended-lawyers

Want some cheese with that w(h)ine?

John Chen, chairman and CEO of Blackberry Ltd., recently wrote a letter on net neutrality. He wants developers to make applications compatible with all platforms.

Perhaps the motivation for this letter is the fact that as of July 2014, Blackberry is in last place among the leading providers of apps. It offers a mere 130,000 apps, compared to 1.3 million and 1.2 million apps available to Android and Apple users respectively (source: Statista).

Although I am one for leveling the playing field and ensuring everyone has a fair shake in life, this just does not feel right to me. Blackberry (or Research In Motion, as it was known back then) was at the top of its game until Apple introduced its smartphone in 2007. They had their chance to respond and they blew it.

I love shiny, new things but what I love even more is choice. App developers should not be forced to develop for every single platform out there. Many are independent developers and the start-up costs would be prohibitive. According to Apps Unloaded, simple apps cost between $4-10K, moderate apps between $50-100K, and complex apps can run $150K+ to develop….per platform.

You get the picture. Developing for two platforms costs twice as much, three platforms is triple the cost, and so forth. How could the little guy survive? 

Today, Blackberry is a shadow of its former self, still trying to regain market share it lost. They have introduced the Passport, emphasizing its large screen size and new keyboard design.  According to The Guardian, sales are below expectations and so Blackberry must find another way to survive. Improving their product offerings, engaging with and creating more loyal customers, converting other smartphone users, and marketing to a specific segment of the population are examples of ways to increase market share. Whining about the lack of apps available on your platform and lobbying for changes in legislation is not.

Pull up your bootstraps, Blackberry. Unlike the movie Field of Dreams, if you build it, they* might not necessarily come.

*potential customers

Sources:

http://blogs.blackberry.com/2015/01/blackberry-net-neutrality/

http://www.statista.com/statistics/276623/number-of-apps-available-in-leading-app-stores/ 

http://appsunloaded.com/price-breakdown/

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/19/blackberry-autumn-quarter-results

To Tweet or not to Tweet

Andrew Campbell learned a hard lesson when he decided to start his #Farm365 hashtag, in which he would post a daily photo in the hopes of showing what life was like on a farm. It was quickly hacked by vegans around the world to promote their message of animal cruelty.

Twitter can be a powerful place to mobilize people of like minds but it can be just as powerful a place to hijack a seemingly noble cause.  Perhaps Mr. Campbell should have chosen a different social media platform to promote his ideas, such as Facebook. If he used Facebook, he could have controlled what was posted and deleted those posts he felt were not appropriate. As it stands, he has a lot of damage control to contend with and only limited space to do it in.

With just 140 characters to engage with an audience, organizations need to be careful when designing their Twitter objectives. Too many posts and it can irritate your followers; too few posts and they might as well abandon the platform. For example, my son’s school has a Twitter account, but they should not have one. When I have tweeted to them, they have taken days to respond, and when I expect them to tweet about school closures due to weather there is no tweet to be had. They need to delete their Twitter account because they do not use it properly.

The same goes with hashtags. When an individual overuses hashtags to #describetheirday to #complain, #compliment, or send #happybirthdaywishes to their #friends, it gets #annoying but I put up with it because maybe they just do not understand Twitter etiquette. However, if an organization #doesthesamething, it is infuriating and shows they lack the skills to use social media properly. I would quickly unfollow an organization that did not use suitable hashtags. Getting the right hashtag is key to any successful Twitter strategy.

Organizations and individuals use social media to stay connected and informed. Organizations need to pick which social media platforms are best suited for their messages and which will engage their target audience. For us individuals, we also need to be wary of what messages we are sending through social media. What we write stays forever in the digital world and controlling what is initially posted is far better than trying to control it after someone has misinterpreted it, or worse, hi-jacked your well-intentioned message.