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This presentation\'s focus was on identifying best practices for the design and development of applications for different platforms, explaining how to generate opportunities for public awareness in each, while exploring the relationship with social media to help generate ideas for participants.
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Alex Nelson | ConsultantAon Consulting | New Media & Creative Strategy
A.L.I. – Social Media for GovernmentSeptember 23, 2010
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Agenda
PART 1 Applications, Social Media, & the State of the Market
PART 2 Examining Applications
PART 3 Mad Apps
Applications, Social Media, & the State of the Market
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What is an App(lication)?
ApplicationA program or group of programs designed for end users. The term “app” has become popular parlance for software applications designed to run on mobile phone operating systems yet an industry-wide definition of what is and is not an “app” does not exist.
Different meanings in different environments– Web– Mobile– Social network– Desktop
Different programming technologies– XML– CSS/HTML5– Flash– Ruby– JavaScript– Java– C++
-Productivity -News/Weather
-Social Networking -Gaming
-Shopping/Retail -Sports
-Music -Entertainment/Food
-Lifestyle/Travel -Banking Finance
What Apps Can Do….
…and the list goes on
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The Application Effect – Customization, Personalization, & Location
Apps allow for more personal customization and content filtering
– The explosion of application-delivery devices is creating a more catered Web experience
Data democratization is widespread
– The rise of open-source APIs have let developers create a range of applications across platforms
• Facebook’s Social Graph
• Twitter clients
• FCC
Online/offline connections are on the rise with geolocation
– Foursquare
They won’t replace the Internet
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Applications By the Numbers
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Connecting Applications & Social Media
Applications connect to social media in multiple ways:
– Platforms
– Clients
– Add-ons
– Time on site
– Integrated model
Facebook has over 100 million mobile users
Twitter clients make up over 80% of the social network’s traffic
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How an Application Can Generate Social Engagement
Start a conversation
Serve as a message platform
Facilitate a conversation and enable users to reach a social media platform
– Online video sharing
– Social network
– Instant message
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Facebook Applications: Not Just Farmville
Games are the most popular applications on Facebook
– Farmville has over 80 million annual monthly users
Facebook’s audience makes it imperative that organizations attempt to conduct direct outreach
– Are games the best communications delivery mechanism for you?
Facebook applications go beyond games
– YouTube
– Blogs/RSS feeds
– FBML
– Maps
Some of the most successful Facebook Pages use just a few applications in a compelling manner
– Custom landing page
– Sign-up for more information form
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Basic Applications to Make Your Page Work
FBML
Blog RSS Feeder
Flash Player
Twitter App
Posted Items Pro
YouTube Video Box
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Mobile Applications – Going Beyond the iPhone
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Mobile Application Best Practices
Develop across platforms
– Consider your choice of technology
If the application is not social in nature, make it social
– The importance of the social graph
Make the application relevant, simple and intuitive
Ensure your app is more than a portal to your website
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Location-Based Service Applications: The Social Offline/Online Connection
Location-based services allow users to broadcast where they are to their social network or the general public using the service
The major LBS players
– Gowalla
– Foursquare
– MyTown
– Facebook Places
LBS applications are unique in that the application is essentially the only way to access the service
– Marriage of offline/online interaction through an application
– Real-time broadcasting of your location to your social network
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How to Use LBS Within Your Organization
LBS is currently dominated by retailers and corporations promoting deals to users who check in at or by their location
– Starbucks
LBS has practical internal & external uses for organizations
– Tips
– Scavenger hunts
– Timesheets
– Finding services
Location-based services are still relatively new in the marketplace
– Niche customer base
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How Applications Reach Employees
HR is the new marketing
– Treating employees as customers
The demographics for app use match up with almost any company or organization
– If your employees are not regularly using apps, they will be
The new focus on communications enables organizations to approach applications as an innovative way to connect
– Communications preferences surveys
– Acting on those results
Using the intranet as a social meeting place
– Collaboration through social applications
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Content is Still King
Applications are a new delivery system that enhance and amplify messaging
Applications cannot replace communications as a whole just as social media cannot replace marketing
The application is only as compelling as the content
Avoid the bright, shiny widget conundrum
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Successful Application Principles
Compelling design Original functionality Work within the platform Communicate a message Speed, speed, speed Less is more Personalize the experience Discoverability Usability Free is best
BONUS: Popularity matters
Examining Applications
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Whopper Sacrifice
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Foursquare
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Wayfinder
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Pop Food
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Food Find
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Ebay – Internal Communications App
Mad Apps
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Thinking About an App for Your Organization
Questions to Ask Does your organization need an application? Who are your internal & external audiences? What platform(s) should you be using? What communications challenge(s) are you trying to address? What have you tried in the past both offline and online? What has worked,
what has not? Are there existing applications out there you can use?
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An Example – Aon Connections
How do you connect a group of widely dispersed employees who are frequently on the road and rarely see co-workers in person?
Aon Connections
– Connect through showing data visualizations
Reasons it works
– All employees have Blackberries or iPhones with access to Foursquare
– Heavy online usage
– Experimentation through implementation waves
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Your App???
Application Name:
Platform:
Purpose:
Functionality:
Share Your App & Questions
