Sunday, November 18, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Big Data (Really Gets Me)
"Ever since Al Gore invented the internet, gun-slinging entrepreneurs, dusty media giants and wagon trains of marketers have been panning the web for nuggets of consumer data. It’s still the Wild West out there but the California gold rush is over and the Texas oil boom is on. Waiting just below the trickling stream of keywords, likes, and basic demographics is a pressurized cavern of consumer data that Facebook’s Open Graph is threatening to blow sky-high..."
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
There's Nothing Casual About Smartphone Gaming Addiction
No, this isn't a wildlife print by John James Audubon. It's just a bird that I drew this morning on my smartphone.
If you guys haven't downloaded Draw Something yet, get on it. First of all, this brilliantly simple turn-based pictionary game will provide you with hours and hours of fun (outside of class, of course). Secondly, there are a number of elements contributing to this game's success worth noting. And third, I want some more people to play with. (As you can see by my screenshot, I am playing with a random user because my 4 friends who play are taking too long in between turns.)
Draw Something was downloaded over a million times in the first 10 days it was released. As of now, the game is seeing 10 million new drawings every 24 hours. That is a lot of action.
This explosion of growth was made possible because Draw Something was released as a truly cross-platform app. Players can connect with friends via Facebook or Twitter, as well as invite people to play by email. Android and iOS phone/tablet users can play against one another. Also, Instagram has proven to be a surprise marketing engine because Draw users like to post screenshots of their pictures. (It is also worth noting that you are not required to connect with a social network to use the app, if agreeing to the Facebook permissions creeps you out) Because the game made a simultaneous splash on both major mobile platforms with options to connect with the two largest social networks, there was never any friction in the word-of-mouth machine. Some applications lose momentum when they roll out for the iphone and Android users must sit on their hands for another couple months while their version is in development, or vice versa.
The developers, OMGPOP, were smart to incorporate a variety of ways to monetize this app. The free version cashes in on banner advertising. Presumably these ads will have a much higher click-through-rate because they will leverage information collected from the user's social network. Players can also buy virtual goods such as new colors, effects, and bombs for simplifying turns. This ability to collect additional revenue should allow the game to stay profitable longer by adding value for hardcore gamers without turning off more causal users. Interestingly, CEO Dan Porter reports that the largest source of revenue is upgrading to the $0.99 version of the game. The premium version is ad-free, with additional words, and a few extra gold coins to get you started. Overall, it is not all that different from Draw Free. In the end, it seems that the game is so addicting that users don't think twice about shelling out the for the dollar upgrade. Right now, Draw Something is seeing 5-digit daily revenue.
Draw Something's success is not unique. A post this week on the Facebook Developer's blog highlights the success of casual arcade-style gaming. This is one of the oldest app categories on Facebook and continues to be a leader in growth. These games are especially beneficial to Facebook because of their high engagement factor. Users keep logging on to play, boosting page-views and subsequently increasing opportunities for users to see new advertising. In an effort to encourage developers to build upon these games' success, Facebook points out a few strategies for success:
- Bring friends into the game by promoting healthy competition
- Allow people to brag about their accomplishments or highscores by posting leaderboards to timelines
- Schedule weekly tournaments, giving users a specific reason to keep coming back
- Promote collaborative competition and gifting by using frictionless requests
Good game mechanics are proving to be an essential quality for an app's success, and Facebook is continually doing everything it can to create opportunities for developers to drive discovery and re-engament. Digging a little deeper into your favorite time-waster may reveal some great ideas for how companies can use applications to connect and stay connected with their most valuable constituents.
[Originally posted at Big Data (Really Gets Me)]
Sunday, February 19, 2012
It's My Data and I Want It Now!
[Ben Elliot and William Wickey]
How much access do you have to the data you put online? How much of what you do online is being recorded?
In the case of Facebook, the answer to both these questions is "quite a bit."
Facebook now allows anyone to download a copy their data saved. Users now have the opportunity to see just how much they are contributing in a "raw" format. This is part of Mark Zukerburg's initiative to give Facebook users more control.
What’s the advantage? Well, you’ll be able to see JUST how much of your “deleted” information Facebook still holds on to. Also, you’ll receive a comprehensive guide to EVERY action you have EVER made on Facebook. Theoretically, you could even upload all your data to Google Plus and leave Facebook altogether.
Downloading your data is actually quite simple. At the top right corner click “Account Settings”, and then on the general account page find “download a copy” of your Facebook data.
The following information is included in the data download.
It will take time for Facebook to process your request, but eventually you will receive an email with a ZIP file to download all of your data.
"How you download your data on Facebook", a ZDNet article, provides a step-by-step guide of screenshots on how to download your data if further instructions are needed. Also, CNET has released a “how to” video as well.
Once the data is unzipped, inside the main folder are individual’s .HTML files organized by content. These .HTML files consist of photos, messages, events, wall posts, notes, friends, etc. It’s best to open the “Index.html” file for the best viewing options of your data.
The amount of data in the file, viewed as code, really puts into perspective how much information Facebook users put out into the open. But in reality the average Facebook user's data is not that large (about 62MB).
Seeing all of the wall posts, messages and uploaded contact puts into perspective the amount and value of contributed data. How this allocated data is applied is important in determining the overall value of the data. Ideally, the data users and individuals contribute can enhance their social media experience. Since Facebook it letting users and developers toy with their data, we don't necessarily have to rely on Facebook to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.
It is also worth nothing that throughout their tutorials Facebook refers to this as "your" data, even though it has been suggested that the company's terms of agreement give them a legal claim to ownership over all the data uploaded to their site. For now, users may not have control of their data but they at least have access to it
metrics [ME-triks] -noun
metrics [ME-triks] -noun
It sounds like a science, but it is really an art.
Often times, when we are discussing metrics (or web analytics) we are talking about more than just numbers, raw measurement or statistics. Metrics involve the interpretation of of data.
Look at google analytics and you will see the type of data that most people think of when you say [web] “metrics:” Visits, Unique Visitors, Pageviews, Pages/Visit, Avg. Time on Site, Bounce Rate, New Visits, Location, Language, Network, Traffic Sources, Site Speed, Searches, Sales, etc.
This type of information can be helpful on its own, but it is largely one-dimensional. Raw statistics loose significance without context. Good metrics are defined in terms of strategy. What is our goal and what kind of specific statistics indicate success? A statistic like unique visits may be less important than net sales for a business like CustomInk.com that is a totally online operation. The opposite may be true if you are Coca-Cola and your website is more for branding purposes, not sales.
To add dimension to the numbers, metrics can also be constructed in the form of an equation or an aggregation of data. These analytics express valuable but subjective concepts such as loyalty, engagement, and virality. Take Facebook Insights relatively recent introduction of two new metrics: Weekly Total Reach and People Talking About This. Total reach refers to the number of unique individuals who saw any content related to your page. People Talking About This combines all likes, posts, check-ins, mentions, etc.
These simplified metrics reflect data that Facebook considers important. However, it is always important to dig deeper in order avoid “measurement inversion.” This is when metrics seem to emphasize what organizations find immediately measurable — even if those are low value — and tend to ignore high value measurements simply because they seem harder to measure (whether they are or not). For example, while Facebook is more interested in measuing the overall “conversation” surrounding a given page, an individual business may be more interested in investigating a particular element, such as check-ins, if that metrics relates to an ongoing promotion.
Metrics are evolving quickly. Batch metrics (collected daily, hourly, etc.) were once the standard. Now, many companies demand real-time metrics, especially when it comes to social media. Advertising metrics that drive much of the value online are constantly being tweaked in an attempt to more accurately reflect the true worth of a given ad. Code metrics that calculate how efficient a program or script is running can get very complicated but are essential for optimizing web performance.
Today, there is a lot of talk about social media metrics. You can think of it as metrics 2.0 [or, even 3.0] . The key distinction between basic web analytics and metics in the social graph are relationships. How are things (both “individuals” and “objects”) related to one another ? These types of interrelationships can be conceptualized by sociograms and emphasize choices and preferences.
Social network analysis software (SNA software) facilitates both quantitative and qualitative analysis of social networks by describing features of a network, either through numerical or visual representation. We now have much more data than we know what to do with. Creatively identifying how to interpret the information is the tricky part. This is why we often see larger, more established internet companies buying up analytics start-ups who have an interesting twist on interpreting different types of data.
Here are a few services that measure the impact of social media metrics worth checking out:
There is no standard or perfect set of metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of social media, especially since the nature and functionality of these diverse mediums are constantly in flux. Though there will probably never be a one-size-fits-all approach to measuring social media, the selection of tools out there are improving everyday. For now, it still takes a human touch to choose which tools to use and how to interpret them.
Just remember, if you don’t measure it, you cannot optimize it.
- the application of statistics and mathematical analysis to a field of study.
- a combining form with the meaning “the science of measuring,” that specified by the initial element: biometrics; econometrics.
It sounds like a science, but it is really an art.
Often times, when we are discussing metrics (or web analytics) we are talking about more than just numbers, raw measurement or statistics. Metrics involve the interpretation of of data.
Look at google analytics and you will see the type of data that most people think of when you say [web] “metrics:” Visits, Unique Visitors, Pageviews, Pages/Visit, Avg. Time on Site, Bounce Rate, New Visits, Location, Language, Network, Traffic Sources, Site Speed, Searches, Sales, etc.
This type of information can be helpful on its own, but it is largely one-dimensional. Raw statistics loose significance without context. Good metrics are defined in terms of strategy. What is our goal and what kind of specific statistics indicate success? A statistic like unique visits may be less important than net sales for a business like CustomInk.com that is a totally online operation. The opposite may be true if you are Coca-Cola and your website is more for branding purposes, not sales.
To add dimension to the numbers, metrics can also be constructed in the form of an equation or an aggregation of data. These analytics express valuable but subjective concepts such as loyalty, engagement, and virality. Take Facebook Insights relatively recent introduction of two new metrics: Weekly Total Reach and People Talking About This. Total reach refers to the number of unique individuals who saw any content related to your page. People Talking About This combines all likes, posts, check-ins, mentions, etc.
These simplified metrics reflect data that Facebook considers important. However, it is always important to dig deeper in order avoid “measurement inversion.” This is when metrics seem to emphasize what organizations find immediately measurable — even if those are low value — and tend to ignore high value measurements simply because they seem harder to measure (whether they are or not). For example, while Facebook is more interested in measuing the overall “conversation” surrounding a given page, an individual business may be more interested in investigating a particular element, such as check-ins, if that metrics relates to an ongoing promotion.
Metrics are evolving quickly. Batch metrics (collected daily, hourly, etc.) were once the standard. Now, many companies demand real-time metrics, especially when it comes to social media. Advertising metrics that drive much of the value online are constantly being tweaked in an attempt to more accurately reflect the true worth of a given ad. Code metrics that calculate how efficient a program or script is running can get very complicated but are essential for optimizing web performance.
Today, there is a lot of talk about social media metrics. You can think of it as metrics 2.0 [or, even 3.0] . The key distinction between basic web analytics and metics in the social graph are relationships. How are things (both “individuals” and “objects”) related to one another ? These types of interrelationships can be conceptualized by sociograms and emphasize choices and preferences.
Social network analysis software (SNA software) facilitates both quantitative and qualitative analysis of social networks by describing features of a network, either through numerical or visual representation. We now have much more data than we know what to do with. Creatively identifying how to interpret the information is the tricky part. This is why we often see larger, more established internet companies buying up analytics start-ups who have an interesting twist on interpreting different types of data.
Here are a few services that measure the impact of social media metrics worth checking out:
- Visible Technologies
- Crimson Hexagon
- Wildfire
- HootSuite
- Page Lever
- Edge Rank Checker
- Bazaar Voice
- Viral Heat
There is no standard or perfect set of metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of social media, especially since the nature and functionality of these diverse mediums are constantly in flux. Though there will probably never be a one-size-fits-all approach to measuring social media, the selection of tools out there are improving everyday. For now, it still takes a human touch to choose which tools to use and how to interpret them.
Just remember, if you don’t measure it, you cannot optimize it.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Netflix, I Have A Confession to Make...
[Originally posted at Big Data (Really Gets Me)]
Dear Netflix,
I have a confession to make.
I have a subscription to your streaming content. I watch History Channel documentaries on my laptop before I go to bed. Occasionally, I watch episodes of The Office on my Kindle Fire in between classes. Once in a while I will check out a “Critically-acclaimed Comedy” or a “Mind-bending Suspenseful Action & Adventure” on my roommate’s Blu-Ray player that is linked to my account.
Here’s the thing.
Browsing Netflix’s selection delivers a good user experience. The large scrolling cover display looks great and is reasonably easy to navigate. Moreover, I have rated 192 items and the “Suggestions for Me” category will consistently turn up interesting selections. Your algorithm pairing taste preferences with genres is definitely doing something right.
However, your streaming selection is limited. You know it and I know it. And while the selection is getting better all the time, I have to go into Netflix to discover things I am satisfied with watching, rather than find something I already want to watch.
For example, the other day I wanted to watch The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Upon searching, I learned that movie is DVD-only, so I had to settle for Dirty Harry. This happens all the time. I feel like a get my money’s worth in content, but more often than not, I end up scrolling through movies for 30 minutes before I find something that I am willing to settle on that is in Netflix’s limited streaming catalog.
Recently, I discovered a place on Netflix to find selections that almost always turn up Watch Instantly movies and TV shows that I am interested in watching: my Recently Watched list.
So here is my confession: I’m not the only one watching.
Before you get mad, it’s not like I have just been handing out my password. Every once in a while, I will log-in from a different location: my old roommate’s XBox 360, my buddy’s iPad, my girlfriend’s laptop, etc. These aren’t public devices so I am never making a point to clear the browser cache. My password ends up getting saved and they take the liberty of watching a movie here and there after I am long gone. There are about 8 people who regularly log into my account – many times simultaneously - and there has never been any kind of multiple log in error preventing this. Believe me, if I was unable to log in because someone else was already using my account, my password would get changed real quick.
But, since there has never been a problem with service, I am content to let these people keep using my account. Why? A: because they are my friends. If it’s not negatively affecting me, I don’t have an immediate reason to change my password once I find out they are logging in. And, B: I am interested in what they are watching.
They do the browsing for me, and I see what they ended up picking. None of these people rate movies, but I can see how much they watched. If they watch 4 minutes of The Listening Project, I assume that it’s not worth my time. If they watched all 164 minutes of Breaking the Maya Code, I want in. Every week there are new items in my queue, and while I do not have an interest ineverything that is in there, a much higher percentage is relevent to me. Additionally, since all the picks are logged in as me, I have to play a fun little game guessing whether it was Caroline or Steven who watched Mrs. Doubtfire last night. All the guilty pleasures are recorded along with the all-time favorites. No actual vs. ideal self discrepancy here. Richard may say on Facebook that Patton is his favorite movie of all time, but I also know that he’s the one who knocked out the entire Wonder Years series in less than a week.
Being the new-media-savvy grad student that I am, I was just thinking about how Netflix needs to start leveraging Facebook’s new Open Graph technology to make watching a social activity, when this little guy popped up in my feed.
This looks like it was simply shared by Brad, but I hope that the rest of his activity is being used to make my picks better. Like I said, the algorithms you are using are good, but this is an opportunity to really dive deep. I’m not saying everyone’s activity should be public, or even available to all his or her Facebook friends, but I would like to see Netflix do what Spotify is doing with playlists. I can do without Spotify popping up in my news feed every 3 seconds, but I do like to go in and see published playlists. There are certain people whose opinion (and behavior) I put a premium on. Netflix should allow users to opt-in or out of sharing their 10 most recently watched items. That is information I [we] want.
(In light of this full confession and my invaluable insights and suggestions, please don’t cancel my account. I just started watching Parks and Recreation.)
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