Permission Marketing is the New Black
Permission Marketing
Permission marketing has revolutionized the way marketers gather information. Social networks have created distinct social communication tools, which have created a “flamingo” like flock of global users rushing towards the likes of Facebook, Twitter and the new invite only social network, Pinterest. Developer services like Facebook Connect and OAuth are sparking a frenzy of low involvement sign-ups. I can personally attest to using the Facebook Connect service after receiving an invite to join Pinterest. The user friendly developer services are becoming an integral part of creating a social following and have been the foundation of growth for many subscription or log-in based websites. Why is permission based marketing so powerful? Because it is a simple way to publish and interact with protected data. With one click of a mouse brands, retailers, publishers and any other websites seeking a permission based relationship are able to data mine information. Users are demanding content that is easy to access and targeted toward their needs therefore they are willing to authorize protected data.
What does permission based marketing offer?
- Specific demographic targeting
- Advertising based on interest data i.e. targeting a fan of a certain sport
- Sites are able to sell advertising based on their social following
- Social metrics that are determinants of engagement
- A non anonymous audience which delivers loyalty analytics
6 Things to Consider when Building a Mobile App
When building a branded mobile app consider the following:
1. Target Audience
What does my target audience like to do?
If your a surfboard company, create a free app that shows ocean tides, has a forum, a beach check-in service and a shark sighting map. ( just off the top of my head)
2. Metrics
Each download creates deep audience metrics
Metrics can tell you:
-Users
-Active users
-New users
-Geography
-Age distribution
-Gender distribution
-Sessions
-Session length
-User retention
-Frequency of use
3. Gamification
Just because you create a game doesn’t mean it is going to be downloaded. Incorporate a celebrity endorsement like “Kelly Slaters Surf Shark, sponsored by…your brand”. Games are a crowded space so they better be good.
4. Incentive
Allow users to generate loyalty points by achieving high scores through your game. Award users for checking in at your retail locations or restaurants.
5. Awareness
-Storefront signs
-Point of Purchase
-Traditional Media
-Website
-Employee Tattoos
Whatever gets you as many downloads as possible.
6. Notify the Press and Blogs
If you are confident in your application you should want people to review it. Therefore get the word out and send out media releases to as many places as you can. If your feeling generous, put together a media package with some company “swag” included.
Read MoreInfographic: Social Change Through Facebook, Other Social Networks
How are organizations such as Kickstarter, DonorsChoose.org, Pencils of Promise, and Crowdrise using Facebook and other social networks to push social change? The infographic from The Best Colleges takes a look.
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The 5 Gestalt Principles to Making Mobile App UI Intuitive
The Gestalt Principles of Perception attempts to explain the way in which humans perceive items as a single structured unit rather than a sum of each individual part. These principles can be used in making mobile application user-interfaces more intuitive. Let’s explore these principles.
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The Law of Proximity
Objects that appear close together in space will be perceived as one group. Consider the textbook example below:
The rectangles appear as if there are three groups of three; within each group, the rectangles are very close to each other. How can we apply this to mobile applications? Well, in organizing items that contribute to the same task. Take a look at the example provided by Soegaard (n.d.):
By using the Law of Proximity, the radio buttons are arranged more closely to P2P Search than to Web Search. This makes it easily understood they are sub-functions only under P2P Search. With the many functions and sub-functions in mobile applications, the Law of Proximity can be used to make navigation intuitive. -
The Law of Similarity
Objects that look alike will be perceived as one group. Consider the textbook example below:
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The Law of Figure-Ground
The Law of Figure-Ground is a little more complicated. Before describing it, consider this famous illusion:
The Law of Figure-Ground posits that some objects will capture more attention and therefore ‘stand out’ from the background. Graphic Designers often play with the Law of Figure-Ground to make logos more rich (e.g. FedEx, Tostitos). In mobile though, we can use this law to help lead the user through the user-interface, inadvertently making it easier to figure out. -
The Law of Symmetry
The Law of Symmetry states that we perceive objects as symmetrical around their centres. This means that if we see unconnected items that are symmetrical, we would likely perceive them as one object. In mobile, this law can be useful in organizing elements on a small screen. Here’s a textbook example of the law of symmetry (Soegaard, n.d.)
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The Law of Closure
Lastly, the Law of Closure says that humans will perceive incomplete objects as complete (i.e. as one closed object) – given the correct circumstance. Consider this example below (Soegaard, n.d.):
Although there are 24 ‘unrelated’ shapes, we not only perceive these shapes as groups of threes, but we also perceive a single, complete, cube. This law is similar to the Law of Symmetry, except the Law of Closure does not require symmetry. Again, in mobile, this law will be useful in the organization of UI elements, while maintaining aesthetics.
References
Soegaard, M. (n.d.). Gestalt principles of form perception. Retrieved from http://www.interaction-design.org/encyclopedia/gestalt_principles_of_form_perception.html
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