What is Augment?

Augment is a new Android and iOS app that uses augmented reality to let users virtually see how products will look in their home.  The app could lead to a tremendous boost for eCommerce sites like eBay and Amazon that sell housewares like furniture and electronics.  Salespeople of all varieties will find the app essential during sales pitches to consumers or clients.  3D products and real size models can be shown instantaneously and directly in the customer’s environment in an effort to capture their imagination and take the guesswork out of envisioning the end result.

How It Works

Just click the “Try it at Home” button on sites that utilize Augmented services to see how it will appear in your surrounding environment.  The app will open automatically and overlap the item anywhere you point your smartphone or tablet screen.  Augment also includes features that allow users to rotate and zoom with the touch of your screen.

What does this mean for your company?

Augment is a big step in the evolution of the eCommerce industry by allowing consumers to imagine the exact size and shape of the product against the backdrop of his or her personal surroundings. 

Even if your company doesn’t have virtual eCommerce needs, it is still crucial to stay current in digital world.  Creating a current and interactive online experience for your target audience should be a top priority for your business large or small. Make sure to integrate various forms of media across your social channels in order to capture the attention and interest of your online network. 

As the digital and social worlds continue to expand and grow, so should your online presence and strategy.  Remaining alert to the digital trends and innovations around you will ensure that your company will be at the forefront of the “next big thing” in your industry.

For more information on how you can try the Augment App visit the official website.

Written by Alex Lemley

1.       Quality over quantity

You can’t get much more boring than a 30 pack of Natty Light and unless you’re striving to be the #1 fratstar of the weekend, you should probably reevaluate your drink of choice.

I get it, light beer is cheap, easy, and well…safe.  But the truth is, you’re sending a message to the world that you have bad taste.  It’s time to get out of that gas station beer cave and enter the rich and flavorful world of craft beer.

The same goes for your social media content.  Why be a sad can of lukewarm PBR when you have all the potential to be a pint of draft poured Guinness?  It’s time to ramp up the “hops” in the content that you share.  Your friends and followers are longing for creative, full-bodied posts.

Finding or creating quality content to share with the digital world definitely takes time and effort, but take a second to think about which party you want to throw.  Would you rather provide your guests with a keg full of beer water or a mahogany bar stocked with your favorite craft brews?

2.    Don’t get ripped off

You wouldn’t let a bartender keep serving you weak drinks would you?   Don’t let someone in the digital world pull the wool over your eyes either.  Just because a blogger sounds like he knows his stuff, doesn’t mean he actually does.  The world wide web is full of people that pretend to be something they aren’t.  Make sure your sources are credible by doing a little fact checking before you share with your network.  Don’t get catfished and definitely don’t pay $7 for another cranberry sans vodka.

3.    Don’t let yourself get sloppy

Ladies, you know that guy.  That guy at the bar who thinks he is Rico Suave, but in reality, you couldn’t get away from his slurred speech and stained button down fast enough?

Although I’m sure we’ve all had our moments, the truth is, being the one that is over-served is not cute or charming.  Your typical social filters are down and you say and do things that turn the people around you off.

The same rules apply to your social media usage.   Keep your profile and the content on it clean and representative of the image that you want to portray to the public.  Remember to filter, edit, and proofread your messages before you post something that is the cyberspace equivalent of drunkenly falling down a flight of stairs…in a short dress.

4.   Stay up to date with the local scene

You want to be the person your friends turn to when they want to know the best bars in town.  In the same fashion, you should strive to be an expert in your online network.  Familiarize yourself with current events and industry trends.  This way, those in your social circle will be coming to you for both the best drink specials in town and the latest buzzworthy content.

5.    Be an opinion leader in your social circle

Ever had a friend who had a knack for planning and organizing the social agenda for the group?  This person probably organized your Tuesday night pub trivia league or always has a hilarious new drinking game to show you.  Strive to be an influential figure on your social sites in the same manner.  Don’t fall into the rut of just using social sites to be a follower, set yourself apart from the rest by becoming an innovator.  Organize a Google+ hangout, create a great new Tumblr thread, or be the first to break the latest and greatest new app.

6.    Become a mixologist

A great social post is a lot like a great mixed drink.  You should strive to develop complex layers of flavors that will keep people coming back for more.  For your perfect social post recipe, start off with a great image, add a funny caption, sprinkle in some hashtags, and garnish with a link.  Just make sure you aren’t following the same exact recipe every time you create a post, mix in different types of content like infographics or cartoons to keep people interested. 

7.    Don’t be afraid to be bold on occasion

Sometimes it’s ok to say yes to that tequila shot.  I’m not advising recklessness but don’t let yourself become the bore of the bar. 

In the same fashion, don’t fall into the rut of posting bland content.  It is ok to stir up a little controversy once in a blue moon.  A bold post will be sure to garner engagement and attention from those in your network. 

8.    Recognize if you have a problem

If you are struggling to make an impact in the virtual world, maybe you’re less of a social media expert than you think.  Take this as your intervention, you have a problem and it’s time to seek help.  You’re on the right track though, since you’re clearly taking the time to read CrushIQ’s blog. 

There are tons of ways to help reform your social media outlook.  Read up on credible social media blogs or consult an expert.  The team here at CrushIQ specializes in creating, tracking, and managing your online influence in an effort to unlock your organization’s greatest potential.

Written by Lauren Van Trigt

Have you ever found an article that you are just dying to share with your friends? Well, Buffer and Feedly have teamed up to give you the best of both worlds!

Feedly is a popular news reading app that allows you to arrange your favorite sites and access them all in one organized folder. You can also access your Feedly account from multiple devices, and even connect it to your social media accounts.

So, you have a list of great articles that you want to share with your friends but don’t have the time to sit there and post them all day…

Here’s where the Buffer integration makes your life so much easier.

The Buffer app allows you to create a schedule by selecting the day and time you want to share your articles. Simply fill up your buffer with the content you find and it will automatically share your content periodically throughout the day or week.

Don’t feel like making a schedule? Buffer’s got you covered.

It can also determine a schedule for your content to be shared at the best possible time based on your intended audience. All you have you to do is create a Buffer account and log in via Feedly then click the share button.

Feedly has recently added other new features for its users, such as customizable layout and themes to quickly read through articles and make them easier on the eyes. The integration with Buffer is the icing on the cake and is sure to provide you with a more effective approach to social media sharing.

Written By: Kendall Larson

It is not news that the digital world is taking over the physical world. With consumers’ obsession with their computers, tablets, smart phones, and other devices, we are constantly living life in a technological bubble. If the preoccupation with our digital media cannot be broken, we should at least make sure we are utilizing the right tools.

Why not use all of this convenient technology to better yourself, both in your personal and professional life? Maintain your success, your knowledge, and your health with the aid of applications. If your top-used apps are Fruit Ninja and SnapChat, consider an application renovation to include the following:

Wunderlist 2: say goodbye to simple to-do lists. Wunderlist allows you to create to-do lists that you can manage and share with others. It can be used on any device to collaborate, create recurring tasks, and receive reminders.

Evernote: similar to Wunderlist in that it functions as a to-do list, but Evernote allows users to incorporate photos, record voice reminders, and search through previously entered information. This free app also allows you to sync all of your devices and share through Facebook and Twitter.

CloudOn: now you can have Microsoft office at your fingertips at all times. This app allows you to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on your iPhone or iPad and save your files to your Box, DropBox, Google Drive, or SkyDrive accounts. It also features Adobe Reader so that you can open files of all types.

SkyDrive: this app by Microsoft grants users 7GB of free space to store photos, documents, and vital files on the cloud. You can then easily access these files from your smartphone, tablet, or computer at any time.

Personal Capital Banking and Investing: an easy-to-use, aesthetically pleasing financial application that helps you manage your saving, spending, and investing. This app gives you the ability to monitor transactions, transfer money between accounts, and speak with investment advisors, all while keeping your information completely secure.

Pulse: stop wasting time checking handfuls of news sites. This app saves you time and energy by allowing you to create a custom feed of news that is collected from a myriad of sources such as CNN, The Wallstreet Journal, ESPN, and Discovery News then displays it in one easy-to-navigate space.

Waze: an alternative to the iOS Maps software, Waze takes navigation to the next level with traffic updates including congestion and accidents, speed traps, and red light cameras. It also informs you of gas prices and alternative routes that are faster while providing step-by-step driving directions.

Bounce: this app is currently only available on Android, but is soon to be available on iOS. Designed for those of us who struggle to be on time, bounce keeps track of your scheduled events along with the local traffic, sending you a notification when it is time to “bounce” so that you will arrive on time.

Dunno: a simple tool that does the research for you. When you think of a subject you want to know more about but don’t have time to look it up, just type that thought into “Dunno.” You can close the app and it will do the research in the background. The next time you open it you will find a list of articles and videos that it has found for you.

Sleep Cycle: place your phone in your bed at night and this app tracks your movement to determine your sleep cycles. Based on a given 30-minute window, it determines when you are in your lightest sleep and wakes you at that moment, avoiding interruption of deep sleep to ensure an easy, energetic start to your day.

Fooducate: with the growing concern for health and diet, this app cuts out all the wasted time of reading food labels, ingredient lists, and nutritional information. Just scan the item’s barcode and this app incorporates ingredients, vitamins, and nutrition to rate the food from A-D.

These are just a few of the countless apps that are designed to enhance user productivity and wellness. With everything from those designed to track your exercise levels to those designed to complete expense reports, there are few, if any, areas of life that have been neglected by social media and digital applications. What are some of your favorite lifestyle and productivity apps?

Written by Alex Lemley

It is obvious that the integration of social media has reshaped how people today interact with each other and organizations.  Today, we are constantly posting, sharing, liking, pinning, you name it.  So, the next question is…how can social media become a transactional source of income for you?

The team at CrushIQ is way ahead of you. The answer is User Generated Commerce (UGC) or eCommerce. Put simply, user generated commerce will allow social media users to make the leap from liking, pinning, or sharing something to actually buying it, right from his or her smartphone or preferred social site. 

Picture this, Justin Beiber tweets out his latest squishy teenage girl anthem.  Any of his millions of followers can instantly share and purchase the single without so much as skipping a giggly tween heartbeat.

The era of withdrawing cash to pay back a friend may also soon be over with greater integration of user generated commerce.  Skip a couple steps and just send a quick “pay @alex_lems $30 for lunch tab” tweet.

More and more companies are utilizing eCommerce through various social sites to allow users to purchase items on the spot.  Google+ has already integrated UGC by allowing users to easily purchase tickets through its Events page.  Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are even getting in on the action, look out for more on those annoucements coming soon.

There is no doubt that UGC is about to hit social sites hard and fast, but in order for you maximize your eCommerce potential, you’ll have to relinquish some control.  Business owners must be able to release their white knuckle grip and allow followers to steer the eCommerce ship straight to treasure island. 

User Generated Commerce is sure to blow up because of one key factor; it places the credibility in the hands of the consumer.  Think about it, would you be more likely to buy something endorsed by a big name organization or something that 20 of your personal friends or followers have endorsed and even purchased themselves?  In this manner, average users essentially become brand ambassadors, distributing commerce just as easily as users distribute content today.

CrushIQ will be following User Generated Commerce closely over the next couple months.  Be sure to check back for our case studies on the topic.  It’s going to blow your mind. 

Written by: Kendall Larson

It’s the Monday after the Super Bowl and Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and the Internet as a whole are all filled with chatter about which ads were fantastic and which were flops. All this discussion about the commercials begs the very simple question: what actually makes an advertisement “good”?

There are countless studies and sources of information that attempt to answer this question as technically as possible, often with conflicting results. You can look at numbers and statistics all day, the validity of which is constantly debated, or you can look at this a little differently. Let’s face it: good advertising is like a good date. To find a simple evaluation of a “good” vs. a “bad” spot, simply consider the following:

Does It Act as a Good Wingman?
An advertisement is essentially the wingman of a product. It helps generate interest, it gets the conversation going, but in the end, the focus needs to be on the product. An advertisement can be funny, heartwarming, or exciting, and very interesting to a consumer, but if the ad itself does not relate closely enough to the product it can steal the show and leave the viewer unaware of or uninterested in the brand or product for which it was made. It is vital that the ad highlights the benefits and advantages of the brand and its product, no matter which appeal it uses. Nothing is worse than a wingman who ends up stealing the date.

Does It Woo You?
From the beginning there has to be smooth and easy communication along with mutual understanding and interest. Obviously the brand is interested in its consumers, that part is easy. But can the brand generate interest from the consumer? Listen brands, just like a date, you’ve got the person in front of you. You have a shot, but if you blow it and fail to successfully woo your partner, good luck getting a second date. If the ad perplexes the viewer, speaks in a language he or she cannot understand, comes off as trying too hard, or causes boredom, it will unlikely get a second chance to interact with that prospective customer.

Does It Make You Want More?
How would you feel if you went on a date that seemed to be going really well, but the other person never mentioned seeing you again? To successfully grab the attention of the viewer and then fail to present a call to action is a deadly mistake! Brands cannot be shy and hope that their date will be the one to come forward with the next step; this could really cause a missed shot. Ads need to speak up, tell the consumer what they want, and ask for the “second date.” Whether it is to visit the website, visit the store, try a free sample, upload a photo to Twitter, or some other creative idea that is developed, it is vital to encourage the viewers to take action.

Does It Stay In Touch?
Perhaps the date went well. There was mutual interest, easy conversation, and now the consumer would really like to stay in touch. Has the brand given the consumer its number, per se? The world of marketing and advertising is quickly evolving, and consumers are really seeing the value in being able to communicate with brands through social media. Not only does this allow them to feel close to the brand, but also gives them the ability to share thoughts with their peers. People always gossip with their friends after a date. If the advertisement is successful, but the viewer does not know where to go to find more information, it may end up a flop. We need to know how we can stay connected. Twitter? YouTube? Facebook? Website? You just may be surprised how many consumers really do act on this.

Let’s take a second to examine last night’s social media references in advertisements. Out of a total of fifty-two spots:

• 26 provided a hashtag for Twitter
• 4 provided a Facebook page
• 1 provided an Instagram page
• 1 provided a YouTube channel
• 0 provided Google+ pages

The brands that utilized social media, including GoDaddy.com, Taco Bell, Pepsi, Coke, Budweiser, Samsung, and Oreo, received some of the greatest praise and feedback on the web. Oreo is the one brand that utilized Instagram, and thanks to that reference they have gone from 2,200 Instagram followers to 30,000+. Wow!

It is not rocket science, folks. We can over-analyze advertisements all day, but determining if an ad is “good” or “bad” is much simpler than that. A good ad is like a good date. Have a good wingman, woo your partner, cause laughter or excitement or suspense, make your date want more, and by all means, if it goes well, stay in touch. Once the brand really grabs the consumer, he or she may end up married to it for a lifetime of dedication, loyalty, and happiness… unless, of course, a fresher, stronger ad causes a straying eye. Which ads have stolen your heart?
 

Written by Lauren Van Trigt

It’s no secret that there has been underlying tension between social media top dogs Facebook and Twitter for quite some time now. Things began to heat up after Facebook disable its “find Twitter friends” feature earlier last year. However, this was only the first of Facebook’s many blatant attempts to cut ties with its so-called “frenemy”.

When Facebook purchased Instagram last April and announced that it would no longer support embedded photos to Twitter, Twitter responded by integrating its own photo filters.

Take that Facebook! Well, not so fast…

More recently the hostility between Facebook and Twitter continues as Facebook disables yet another integration with Twitter users. Last week, Twitter launched its exciting new app “Vine”, which allows users to record and share six-second videos straight to their Twitter feeds.

So, how does Facebook retaliate shortly after the launch? By denying Vine users the ability to find their Facebook friends, and releasing an update for its iOS application a week later.

Coincidentally, Facebook’s updated app allows users to record and share videos, as well as the ability share voice messages through Facebook Messenger. 

Will the battle to drive more traffic to each site prevent them from ever joining forces in the future? It’s hard to say for now, but maybe one day we can all be friends.

What do you think about the Facebook and Twitter feud?
 

Written by Alex Lemley

Facebook’s current search engine is underwhelming to say the least.  Until now, users have been confined to searching for people and pages. When I search for “apple” today, my top hits include a friend who’s last name is Apple, Apple Inc., Applebee’s, and a fruit lovers fan page.  Other than looking up a friend or an organization, Facebook search is essentially useless.

Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg promises to change all of that with the introduction of Graph Search.

Graph Search allows users to search for practical, real-world information and get personalized results based on the individual’s network.  For example, users will be able to search for “My friends who live in New York”.

Cool enough, right?  Graph Search doesn’t stop there. 

Users can even cross reference search people by photos, places, or interests.  For instance, next time you’re popping through NYC, be sure to do a quick “My friends who live in New York and like Indian food” search.  Pretty nifty.

Zuckerberg intends for Graph Search to be the “new pillar of the Facebook ecosystem”, joining Newsfeed and Timeline in terms of user familiarity.  For now, Graph Search will launch with 4 areas of focus: people, photos, places, and interests. 

Information like “photos of my friends and family before 1995” and “my coworkers that like salsa dancing” will soon be at the tips of all Facebook user’s fingers.  While Facebook stresses that Graph Search will abide by all current privacy settings, hard to find information will soon be much more accessible.  Just make sure to clean up your page before that embarrassing karaoke video makes its way back to the top of your friend’s newsfeed!

Want to be the first of your friends with Graph Search? Click the link below to join the waiting list for the beta version.

www.facebook.com/about/graphsearch

Facebook has dominated the social sphere for years, it has had its fair share of competitors from My Space to Google Plus but although these few have gathered followings, Facebook has remained the leader of the pack. The one feature that Google hands down trumps Facebook is with its search feature. However, Facebook will soon be introducing a new feature that could act as a game changer as we move into 2013.

Facebook will soon be launching its next big feature, Graph Search. Zukerberg has described this new feature as the “third pillar” of Facebook, along with the News Feed and the Timeline. This new feature is going to allow users to use Facebook as a personal search engine, in addition to a social network. It will allow users to uncover social connections between their members of the site and quickly identify which friends have been to certain places, “liked” specific topics, or appeared in certain photos. The search will be used primarily for friends, places, interests, and photos to start but Zuckerberk believes it will be an ever-changing project over the years to come.

So what kind of things will you be able to search for on this new feature? Haven’t you ever wanted to go out to eat but cannot figure out a place to go and wish someone would recommend a place for you? This will be answered using this tool. You can search topics such as, “Indian restaurants liked by my friends from India” or “Photos of my friends taken in Paris.” Even if you are trying to figure out who that person was at the social gathering you went to but all you can remember was they were friends with Steve and their name was Bill. You could search, “People named Bill who are friends with Steve.” When Graph Search isn’t able to give you an answer to your question, it will show you results from Bing, Microsoft’s search engine and longtime Facebook partner.

“Graph Search is designed to show you the answers and not links to answers,” said Zuckerberg. Facebook explained that web searches take keywords and search for results but Graph Search takes combined phrases and gets the best results of what has been shared on Facebook consisting of people, places, photos, or other content.

Facebook users may be worried about their privacy with other user’s ability to search personal information like this. Zuckerberg insisted that Graph Search will work with respect to user’s current privacy settings and once it is launched full throttle, users will be prompted to review their security settings once again.

Graph Search will start out only available to “tens of thousands” of users but will launch fully within the next few months. If you want to try Graph Search now, you can join the waiting list here.

What are your thoughts on this new feature? Let us know how you feel about it and how you could use this as an advantage for your business

As marketing professionals, we know that there are specific media outlets that are used to reach different demographics of people. As social media has slowly crept its way into the lives of most individuals in developed countries, this medium has become of increasing importance to marketers. The above infographic from Wikibon.org takes a closer look at where each generation is spending the majority of their ‘wired’ time. Since the internet can be accessed through a myriad of devices, it’s important to know where your desired demographic is getting their information.

Let’s start with Millennials. They watch the least amount of video per month with most of it being nontraditional television such as Netflix, DVR, online video, and mobile phone video. They are the most connected to the internet, using mostly mobile devices, laptop computers and smart phones. This demographic mobile surfs the most out of all three groups. This means they usually connect wirelessly and use the most mobile data. They also tend to prefer Apple products to Android products.

Next we have Generation X. This generation watches the most videos per month and tends to spend their time watching traditional television, not DVR or Netflix. When they aren’t watching traditional television they are tend to use Netflix, DVR, and On-Demand. Surprisingly, they consume the most online video and spend the most time online out of the three age groups. Generation X also has the highest percent of desktop, e-readers, and tablets. Most of this older generation tends to favor Android over Apple.

Finally we have the boomers. They watch the most traditional television and the second most nontraditional television. This demographic typically accesses the internet from home and they have the lowest data plan usage of all three groups. Over 60% of boomers own a desktop computer and only 34% own a smart phone. This generation prefers wired connection over wireless. Like Generation X, they tend to prefer Android to Apple. However, most do not use wireless smart phone technology.

When preparing your company’s marketing plan and targeting selected audiences keep this information in mind. Strategic, targeted marketing is the key to successful advertising.