All You Need Is A Lineup

I don’t wait in line. I’ll either try something out before it’s super big, find a way onto the VIP list or wait until the hype has died down. Let me rephrase. I don’t wait in big lines.

And yet, as soon as there’s a lineup, people will join it. They’ll wait in line for hyped products, for new releases, for rides, for food trucks, or sometimes even for something unknown. Is it a North American thing? Or a human thing? I’m not sure. But… the fact remains, all you need is a lineup.

The proof is in the pudding with the virtual lineup Mailbox has created. “Put email in its place,” the tagline touts. A redesigned inbox promising to make the ever elusive Inbox 0 goal an attainable, sustainable reality. I first heard about it on Instagram when one of my fellow grammers posted her wait time. “What is that?” I wondered. I followed the link, downloaded the app and set my clock to wait. Then… I posted my wait time. “What is that?” a few of my friends wondered. I was waiting in line and posting about it. It must be important. Next thing I know, they’re waiting in line with me. We don’t even know if what we’re waiting for is as impressive as it promises to be.

Now, the lineup’s still growing, and I’m 143,214 people away from my new inbox. It sounds silly, but every few days I check in to see how quickly the “lineup” is moving. I want that inbox dammit!

And… my friends are doing the same! And I’m so totally jealous of those much farther in front me.

See? Lineup. All you need is a lineup.

You’ve done something digital, now tell us about it

Albertan companies find new and creative ways to incorporate digital media. Whether creating efficiencies by streamlining communication and operations, connecting markets, or cooking up campaigns to communicate with consumers, we’re doing it. And many of us are doing it well.

If you, or one of your friends, colleagues, family members, or random project you heard about last week have made an impact on your industry because of your use of technology, you’ll want to check out the Digital Alberta Awards.

Categories:

• Best in Social Media
• Mobile Innovation
• Best Digital Design
• Best in Cross-Platform Content
• Best In Financial Services
• Best Social Impact
• B2C Innovation
• B2B Innovation
• Best Digital Startup
• Best in E-learning
• Best in Gaming
• Government 2.0
• Best Use of Film, Animation or
  Special FX
• Best Combined Hardware &
  Software Experience
• Best Digital Advertising/Marketing
  or Design Agency
• Student Digital Award

Deadline for submission: May 6th

Questions? Contact joanne@digitalalberta.com

Facebook COULD improve the click through rate of your ads

I don’t know how many times I’ve seen the “Dating App” Facebook ad show up on my profile.  I could get rid of I suppose by taking off my relationship status all together, but I actually believe that someday, sharing that information will actually serve up ads that I want to see.  It just so happens that that day is a lot farther in the future than I initially hoped.

Almost every time I see that ad, I click the little “x” beside it.  And Facebook asks me why I don’t like it, and I say because I’m not interested in it.  Nor would I be interested in seeing similar ads to it.  I wish Facebook would take that information and STOP SHOWING ME THE DATING APP AD.. and the ads like it.  They’re platform is smart enough to stop showing me Farm something or other updates from my connections or daily horoscope updates… it’s smart enough to do this too.  Maybe it’s a feature in the works, I hope it’s a feature in the works, because that would take online advertising to an entirely new level.  And that would be one more thing that Facebook advertising can do that Google Advertising cannot.

Imagine if your interactions with the ads, especially interactions like “stop showing me this ad because it’s not interesting” actually did just that.  I’m not suggesting that Facebook get rid of the ads, because honestly, if I were able to tell Facebook exactly what I wanted and didn’t want to see (no dating or weight loss ads… but travel deals, local pub specials, and concerts.. ABSOLUTELY) I’d be paying way more attention to them.  They would be increasing the likelihood of matching an ad with a relevant target by a lot.  By how much?  I have no idea.  I don’t think it’s something we can measure without testing it, but I’d bet advertisers would see their click through rates, which are currently really poor to only semi poor for Facebook ads, become fair at the very least.  Especially as more people discover that they can control the types of ads that are served up to them.

As a user, I would be elated with this kind of a feature.  But as an advertiser, if Facebook could tell me that they can serve up an ad to people who have already said they want to see that type of ad… well holy cann0lli… they’ve just at least doubled the quality of that click and the likelihood of a sale.  What other service could have a potential offering that’s this big?