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Dec
12
2011
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Game Mechanics and Gamification Reshapes Businesses
Companies have a growing need to provide an engaging experience for their customers, and incorporating Gamification techniques is becoming an increasingly better way to do that. This concept has been buzzing around for some time now, but a deeper understanding is needed to effectively implement it into a real business; simply putting badges on your website and giving away mediocre prizes isn’t going to cut it. There are two game mechanics concepts that game designers consider when building games that are also helpful when developing products, services, ideas or businesses. The first is understanding what players or customers crave above all else at the root level. The second is understanding what fundamentally motivates and drives consumers to act. At the end, we’ll tie it all together to show how these concepts need to be taken to the next level in the near future. |
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Nov
12
2011
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The Social Media Election 2012
Since 2008, social media has expanded beyond the young user demographic and is continuing to enhance its personalization and interactivity. Which is why it turned the tables this presidential election, taking on a more proactive role by co-hosting debates, sponsoring town halls and creating new ways for voter/candidate communication. It’s awesome to see social media making a big impression that will forever change how future elections are ran. Thanks to their outreach, the 2012 elections are expected to be one of the highest voter turnout elections in U.S. history. Just in case you missed it, here’s a quick recap of what social media has done for both candidates and tech-savvy constituents so far: APRIL 20, 2011 – FACEBOOK TOWN HALL |
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Oct
19
2011
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Why You Should Integrate Email + Social Media Marketing
There has been lots of social media buzz lately, especially with the release of Google+ and Facebook’s redesigned layout announcement. But, let’s not forget about good old email. We’re sure a good number of you reading this blog post got here through our e-newsletter. Believe it or not, it’s still effective and your marketing efforts will be more well-rounded if you integrate it with social media. In a survey from StrongMail, email and social media were the top two areas marketers planned to increase spending in 2011. This being their harmonious relationship of direct response and organic communities. Social media’s power lies in creating awareness and reaching out to new customers, while email strengthens those relationships giving that extra personal touch to drive a sale. When consumers subscribe, they’ve given you permission to leverage them because they’re truly interested in your brand. In addition, email can hold more content and sits in the inbox. As opposed to social media, the posts are brief and a user’s newsfeed is constantly updated. |
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Oct
3
2011
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The New Facebook & 6 Implications For Your Business
Facebook has grown to be the thousand pound gorilla in the social networking world with statistics to prove it, but even with that success they decided to make some big changes. These are the biggest changes they have made since their launch and there are big implications for businesses involved both in the short and long term. Some claim that these new changes will transform social media forever. On the other side, PC Magazine reports that 86% of Facebook users don’t like the redesign. If Facebook’s new changes fail, it won’t be because of a lack of effort. Zuckerberg said in his keynote presentation at the F8 conference that they have been working on these new changes for the past year. Summary of the Main Changes There is already much discussion in the blogosphere detailing the specific features that have been changed. Below is a quick summary:
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Sep
12
2011
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Mindgruve’s Top Web Design Trends for 2012
With 2012 fast approaching, it’s time we took a look at where web design is headed for the coming year. In 2010, web design started to move towards minimalism and it’s being fully embraced in 2011. Minimalism is nothing new in graphic design, but when applied to websites, there’s more breathing room, a distinguished hierarchy and straightforward information. More importantly, the focus is on the content. Minimalism shows no signs of stopping in 2012 as technology gets more immersive and users continue to demand instant gratification. The average attention span of web visitors is 8 to 10 seconds. In that short amount of time, we have to tell them they’re at the right place, then organically lure them in. While part of that is having a “cool” website, the minimalist concept of “less is more” needs to be applied where aesthetics marries function. Based on popularity, visual appeal, effectiveness and awesomeness, we believe the following web design trends are here to stay. |
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