Shareworthy articles and content syndicated from other sites. These aren’t things I’ve written or necessarily endorse, for the record.
While gamers are enjoying the barrage of Fall releases in the fourth quarter like Battlefield 3, more console owners are utilizing the gaming device to consume movies and television.
When you’re in the market for a specific thing — a good pair of running shoes, a nice restaurant, or a new novel to read — there are lots of ways to do research. You can read through user-generated reviews on sites like Amazon and Yelp, or you can find expert opinions from pertinent authorities such as Runner’s World or New York Times reviews. But chances are, you’re also going to look for recommendations the old-fashioned way: asking your friends for advice.
That’s where a brand new iPhone app called Wikets wants to help. Backed with $1.5 million from Battery Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, Wikets aims to help users ask for and give recommendations on things to buy, eat or experience with their friends.
Recommendations that actually pay
A Wikets screenshot (click to enlarge)
The web is chock full of reviews, but I can see Wikets taking off because it makes the process remarkably simple, more intimately social, and actually rewarding. Users can compile lists of recommended products to share with their friends and favorite other users’ recommendations by either sharing them as a “Re-Rec” or marking them on a “Wishlist.” They can also use Wikets to ask for specific recommendations. While recommendations can only be created within the iPhone app, they can be shared over Facebook and other existing social networks and viewed by others on the web. When people buy products a user has recommended on Wikets, the user is rewarded with “points” that can eventually be converted into gift cards.
Wikets is also compelling because it’s a platform with a very wide scope: People can use it to recommend everything from baby strollers to nightclubs. People will be able to use Wikets to recommend products from a group of official launch partners and nearly 60 major stores, including Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, and iTunes (Wikets’ CEO and Co-Founder Andy Park tells me that in the future local merchants will be included on the site as well.) Users can also recommend any place listed on Yelp or on Foursquare. The app is only on the iPhone for now, but the company says it has iPad and Android offerings on the way.
It’s worth mentioning that Wikets’ founding team has a solid track record. Co-Founders Andy Park, Vijay Manwani and Ravi Reddy were instrumental in building and running BladeLogic, the cloud technology company acquired by BMC Software for some $800 million. Past wins aren’t necessary for future success, but they don’t usually hurt. The company currently has 5 full-time employees.
The ‘Lazy Web’ made even simpler
I see lots of friends asking the “lazy web” for personal recommendations — and often, the responses are put on a platform like Facebook, Twitter or Google+, which makes it hard to search for and refer back to the information in the future. Wikets plugs into these kinds of social networks, but keeps the recommendations in a single, manageable place; and it provides real rewards to people for engaging with the app. The social web is increasingly crowded, but Wikets has a fairly good chance of earning its own place in users’ lifestyles.
Here are a few more Wikets screenshots (click to enlarge):
Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.
NewNet Q3: Facebook remakes headlines in social mediaThe future of mobile: a segment analysis by GigaOM ProFacebook and the future of our online lives
Google+ Pages for brands launched early today, with a select group of launch partners. Later in the day, G+ Pages were opened up to everyone. ReadWriteWeb, among others, immediately created a Page. I took point on developing RWW’s one and afterwards I was curious to see what other brands had done. While it’s very early days, it was clear to me what works and what doesn’t in Google+ Pages for brands.
Sponsor
One thing to note is that Google+ Pages aren’t fully developed yet. For example, currently only one person can administer a Page. However Google+ engineer Dennis Troper assured everyone that “this is just the beginning!” Specifically, he stated that “a few of your top requests we've already started working on, such as multi-admin support, ownership transfer and page analytics.”
Having said that, there is much potential for brands in Google+ Pages. Given that some companies got a head start in developing their Pages, let’s look at what they came up with.
The Google+ team helpfully created a shared circle of the launch Pages. It features 36 Pages, 16 of which come from within Google and 20 of which are external brands. The external brands include retailers (Macy's, H&M), sports teams (Phoenix Suns, Dallas Cowboys), mainstream media (Anderson Cooper 360, Fox News), entertainment (The Muppets, The All-American Rejects) and more.
The Muppets Hangout… But Forget to Hang Out
The Muppets did a much publicized Hangout (a group video chat), which due to demand was affected by technical issues. However, more importantly, there was no interaction with the audience. One viewer called it an “elaborate ad for the next movie.” Google+ user M Monica wrote a disappointed review, noting that it “came across as a media/pr blitz with little consideration for the fans.”
Brands will need to watch that Google+ doesn’t become just another way to advertise their wares to a mass audience. Google+ is known for its topic-focused conversations, so the creators of The Muppets need to find ways to really engage with its audience – not just show them a video.
Hangouts can be a great way for brands to interact with their audiences. Imagine for example if Kermit and Miss Piggy took questions from the other users in the hangout. Sure that’s risky for brands, but that kind of two-way interaction is necessary if brands are to use Google+ effectively.
CNN & Fox Reach Out To Their Viewers
The Page for Anderson Cooper 360 made a good attempt at creating a conversation around a hot topic for the day. It posted the following, presumably while the show was being broadcast on TV:
“Are you watching AC360? Anderson is talking to James Carville and Ari Fleischer about the woman who claimed on camera, in detail, that Herman Cain made unwanted sexual advances.”
The Page currently has over 8,500 followers, but the above post only attracted 11 comments and 7 +1’s. Still, it’s just Day 1 for the CNN Page and the quality of those 11 comments is encouraging. Once the Page gets promoted more by the show and gains more followers, I expect we’ll see more viewer interaction. I like that they posted this while the show was happening and tried to get a conversation going in real-time.
Fox News seemed to fare better in its coverage of the Michael Jackson doctor trial verdict. Although to be fair, its posts came earlier in the day.
Entertainers & Retailers Feel Out G+
The initial sports and music Pages are mostly using Google+ to post photos and videos, although some promise to “hangout” with fans soon.
The retailers are, as to be expected, using G+ Pages to promote their wares. The Macy’s Page wrote in its introduction: “Stay tuned for exclusive info on sales, promotions,events and more.” As with entertainers like The Muppets, Macy's needs to be careful not to create a one-way advertising experience.
The giant retailer is, however, promising “9 lucky trendsetters” a hangout with Fashionista Executive Editor and mBlog Style Blogger, Leah Chernikoff. So far 14 comments have been made on that post, including this potential question for Chernikoff: “What is the best way to mix pumps and tights that are more than just black on black?” So if you're interested in knowing the answer to that, tune into Macy's hangout.
It is very early days for Pages with brands. Already though you get the sense that the best way for brands to use Google+ will be to truly interact with their followers. Whether by posts that solicit comments or by video hangouts, Google+ is best used to engage in conversation with other people.
Indeed, that’s what we’ll be trying to do over on the ReadWriteWeb Page. So circle us on Google+ and together we’ll talk about what’s next on the Web! (yes that was an advertisement of sorts)
Lead Image by M Kaye
Discuss
Google is looking for ways to get more people interested in Google TV. A couple of weeks back it announced it was overhauling its user interface, which many people found cumbersome to use. Then on Monday, it widened the type of material available by adding an adult entertainment channel to its line-up. But will adding a porn channel really make any difference?
Microsoft’s decision to cancel its innovative Courier tablet computer a year and a half ago reverberates today, as the software giant plots strategy to catch up the the market-leading iPad.