Hype + Perceived Value = Traction
Disclaimer: I love Google, use it's products and think that they are and will continue to be one of the most influential companies of my time. However.... having said that :
I was thinking of this topic today and was wondering how are some companies/products able to influence this equation while others can't or don't.Rather than focus on companies, I'd like to focus on products to illustrate my point. I'll choose two 800 pound Gorillas in the webosphere : Google and Facebook. The products are : Google Wave and Facebook's "Like" product.
Google Wave: Remember when Google wave was announced @ Google i/O ? These were the quotes or article headlines:
Lars Rasumussen (Google Wave Developer) : “Wave is what email would look like if it were invented today.”
Mashable Article Title: "Could Google Wave Redefine Email and Web Communication"
LA Times Article Title: "How Google Wave Could Transform Journalism"
Despite Google Wave's public release yesterday it's "adoption" by the user / developer community seems relatively light. You certainly don't see a ton of "Hype" or "Buzz" (no pun intended) about Google Wave.
Facebook "Like" Feature: Launched in February 2009. These were the headlines/quotes:
Buddy Media: "This technology will help brands grow their Facebook connections rapidly by turning visitors to their Web sites into viral engines"
PC World: "...Still, the sheer volume of people using Facebook could quickly cement the "like" button as the premiere way to share Web content."
Michael Davidson, CEO of Newsvine.com "One of the best things about [the Like button] is that it does the same thing as Connect without users having to [activate] Connect," Davidson said. "It makes things easier. And we like it when Facebook makes things easier."
Is it fair to compare an "application" to a "feature" ? I'm not sure, but for this discussion, it'll have to do. But if you're reading this thinking "he's comparing apples and oranges" than substitute Google Buzz for Wave as it still supports my point and is more of a feature than an application. Why is it that FB's "like" button has been so widely adopted vs. Google wave?
I think both companies "Hyped" the product. Google probably more than FB. So I think it comes down to "perceived value". I'll give you the point that the "like" button is less complex and is therefore by default going to be more widely adopted. However, it's Google Wave's message that I think is hurting its adoption rate. Outside of developers and total web heads, no one understands it! No one understands how it can help their daily life and/or business. I've watched several tutorials and need to read more about it in order to get its' "gist" but I'm still kind of confused. However, FB's "like" button is easy and conducts an almost public popularity contest, I get it.
To me FB's like button.... has "perceived value". And I think.... just by looking in the webosphere and the number of articles, blogs and content publishers that have adopted it that readers see it's value as well.
Question: "how are some companies/products able to influence this equation (Hype + Perceived Value = Traction) while others can't or don't?"
Answer: Build a product that serves a purpose and in your "hype" effectively describe its' "perceived value" to get traction. And if you're gonna go light on one vs. the other, make sure you go heavy on the "perceived value" part..... the "hype" will come.'
Good Night.
