Visual Marketing Is Here – 5 Ways You Can Use It To Sell Your Ideas

For a long while I thought about marketing as wordsmithing – putting an abstract idea into a sentence, picking just the right words. But then things started to change – less text please, more graphics – we’d rather see it than read it. This year more than ever, visual content is going mainstream. Pinterest is using imagery as its main content, and within a few months hundreds of different websites have adopted a ‘Pinterest like’ design. Companies are switching to Tumblr instead of traditional blogs, with little text and lots of imagery. Facebook is making your profile more visual with the Timeline and the new image gallery, not to mention Instagram. There’s a change in the air and this time you don’t need to smell it – you can actually see it.

I have to admit that I started using visual marketing not because I identified a trend but because as an architect by trade that’s the way I think – visually. I founded two companies where visual marketing is used as a main marketing strategy. To make things more interesting, both companies are as far away from being visual as you can possibly get – a B2B app for engineers and a Cloud/Big Data tool for developers. Here are 5 ways you can use visuals to increase traffic, get more buzz and reach more users:

“Say Cheese” – How A Team Picture Helped Us Get Better Reviews On The App Store

After every update to the App Store/Google Play we used to send a newsletter to our user base, highlighting the newest features and asking to review the version. On one release, after sending the newsletter we got 3X more reviews than usual (although there was nothing extraordinary about that version). It took us a while to figure out the reason. For that release we placed a picture of the team – the engineers who worked on the app right next to the ‘review us’ link. While traditional marketing uses people’s faces for just about everything (why do you always see smiling faces next to cheese, cars or real estate?), startups tend to restrict their team pictures to the ‘about us’ page. People are immediately attracted to human faces and react to action, when they feel it is called for by real people.

Want People To Remember Your Product? Look Different

When introducing a new product to a market, one of the main challenges is to have users remember your product and easily tell it from others. You want potential users to remember reading about your product two months ago, or recall seeing it being used by a colleague. Using a memorable image or a unique visual language is a great way to do just that. MailChimp is bringing their brand to life using a humoristic visual of a mailman monkey. DropBox is using childlike illustrations as a visual language, and by doing so differentiate themselves from other storage services. Heroku is using Japanese elements from Origami to Japanese mythology, so people would remember and emotionally relate to their product (which BTW has nothing to do with Japan).

[DropBox and Heroku using memorable visual styles]

Reality Check – Show Your Product In A Real World Context

Look at a screenshot of your product. Now take a step backward and look at the full picture. What does the user look like? Is the product being used at the office, at home or outdoors? Is it daytime or nighttime? When the product is displayed in context users can understand much more within seconds. This method is also more credible, as once you see a product used in a real world scenario it makes it harder to doubt it. For example, on Square’s homepage the main content is an image of the product being used in a farmers’ market. This picture is the main message and they’re not backing it up with text. With just a glimpse users can understand how the product works, where you’d likely use it and eliminate the ‘who needs it’ reaction.

Having A Hard Time Getting To Bloggers? Great Visuals Might Help

There’s no magic trick when it comes to getting media coverage. A great product and a trendy market surely help, but so do beautiful and funny images. A common mistake is to send bloggers product screenshots. Most screenshots don’t capture the essence and magic of a product. In fact, you’re asking the reader to work pretty hard to understand your product by looking at a screenshot. When placed in a minimized/cut version it will most likely become a ‘generic’ screenshot, looking like any other app or website you’ve seen before. Here’s an example from our first product where we tried to capture the essence of a localization feature with visuals, and without screenshots -

“Ouch, That Looks Painful” – Explain The Pain Using A Visual Analogy

Explaining the pain is always a main challenge when introducing a new product – no one really wants to hear what’s wrong with the way they work now. You can probably recall numerous videos of new products where almost half of the video is dedicated to telling you how much your life is a mess. With our second company, Takipi, the pain we’re trying to present is complex software debugging – looking for the source of a problem in the code. We’re not telling developers what they do today is wrong or difficult, but rather use a fun analogy for debugging and the pain they’re experiencing every day.

Best Android Tablets

We round up the best Android tablets on the market, from the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab to the underrated Acer Iconia Tab.

Tablets were the hot item of 2011. Every phone and PC manufacturer jumped onboard the new hot trend, but few of them have seen much success so far. It’s still the iPad’s market to lose, though Amazon and Barnes & Noble have put forth some good low-cost challengers. With most consumers yawning at straight Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablets, perhaps these branded tablets will take off. If you have a bit more money to spend though, we recommend you check out something like the Galaxy Tab 8.9. Below are our picks for best Android tablets. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9

	Screen: 8.9 inches, 1280×800 pixels OS: Android 3.1 with TouchWiz UI Processor: 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 RAM: 1GB Storage: 16GB internal Camera: 3MP rear, 2MP front Connection: 3G and/or Wi-Fi Price: $450
Description: The Galaxy Tab 8.9 is currently our favorite pure Android tablet. All of the new Samsung tablets are similar and good (10.1, 7.0, 7.7), but the 8.9 seems to be the perfect size for a tablet, enabling the full screen utility that comes with a 10.1-inch, but without the weight and bulk. It’s just small enough to thumb type on too.

How to maximize battery life on your Android phone or tablet

Frustrated by how quickly your favorite mobile gadgets die? Follow these simple tips to get longer battery life out of your Android phone or tablet.

Almost everything about Android phones is getting bigger and better. The screens, processors, and antennas are larger and faster but one thing just can’t keep up with the rest – the battery. Batteries are being taxed further and further with all of these new technologies, and they haven’t quite caught up.

Here’s a quick guide to make sure that you get the most out of your Android’s battery so your phone spends less time plugged into a wall.

Multitasking

One of the great features on Android phones is being able to run multiple apps at the same time.

The drawback is that running multiple apps in the background eats up tons of precious battery life. The Android Market features several app manager applications, but the most effective way to keep tabs on applications is already built into the operating system.

By going into the settings menu you can see what apps are currently running, and how much processing power they consume. To do this go into the settings menu and tap “applications.” Then hit “manage applications.” Shut down applications you aren’t using, or ones that are eating up battery life, by clicking on the name of the app and then tapping the “stop” button.

If you own an Android device built by HTC, Motorola, or Samsung you most likely have a useful customized version of the built-in application manager. For example, Samsung’s TouchWiz features a widget that shows how many apps you currently have running, and will allow you to close apps one by one, or all apps at once with a single click.

It sounds overly simple, but ensuring that you don’t have apps running in the background when you don’t need them will save your battery. Each application might be taking up a very small amount of power, but it adds up over time.

Take Control

One surefire way to waste battery life is leaving hardware that isn’t being used turned on. Examples include leaving GPS and Bluetooth on all day, instead of only when needed.

Nearly all recent Android phones – Android version 2.1 and newer – have a widget called “power control.” Its sole function is to save battery life.

This handy widget enables you to turn on or off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and Sync with the touch of a single button. It also enables to you reduce the brightness of your screen. Unless you are directly using the Wi-Fi, et al, there is no reason to leave it on.

However, Sync and auto-brightness for your screen are handy features. It’s up to you if you want to turn those off or down.

Unfortunately, if your phone came with a custom skin it is possible the “power control” widget is not included on your phone. Most likely, though, the device should have a very similar widget or feature.

Some of the new 4G phones offer a 4G toggle switch to turn off the power-hungry 4G antenna. It’s better to have it off until you start consuming tons of data. Keeping on top of all these features throughout the day should prolong battery life.

Fade to black

This tip will only help those of you who have an AMOLED screen, essentially this refers to any recent devices from Samsung. We’ll skip the lesson about how screen technology works, and just say that AMOLED screens don’t use power to display black pixels.

If you keep the screen’s background as black as possible you will save a massive amount of power. Screens are one of the most power hungry aspects of phones, by reducing the power that the screen needs to operate you will drastically improve battery life.

Wrap it up!

Android gets a bad rap for being a power hungry operating system, and it can be if left unchecked. However, by shutting off applications that aren’t in use and only turning on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or GPS functions when needed you’ll be amazed at how much longer the battery lasts.

Under average usage your device should easily last all day, and maybe then some. Of course, if you stream Netflix all day then bets are off.

Google announces changes to Android Market security

In an effort to allay fears that Google's Android Market is having problems dealing with malware-infected apps, the company has just announced details of a tool it began using last year designed to root out such rogue software. And according to Google, it's already cut down on malware in its app store significantly.

When IT security firm Juniper Networkssaid last November that the presence of malware targeting devices running Android had surged by 472 percent in four months, many owners of such devices must have taken a long hard look at their smartphone or tablet and wondered what on earth was contained within.

In response to growing concerns about malware on Android devices, the folks behind Google’s mobile operating system are of course keen to keep on top of the situation and prevent security issues from running out of control and consequently damaging the reputation of the fast-growing platform.

As part of its ongoing strategy to deal with such issues, Hiroshi Lockheimer, Android’s VP of Engineering, said in a post on the Google Mobile blog on Thursday that it had recently beefed up the operating system’s security tools.

“As the platform continues to grow, we’re focused on bringing you the best new features and innovations – including in security,” he said in the post.

Lockheimer revealed information about a relatively new service, codenamed Bouncer, which scans Android Market in search of malicious software. An advantage of Bouncer, he said, is that it runs in the background “without disrupting the user experience of Android Market or requiring developers to go through an application approval process.”

Bouncer is designed to analyze new apps uploaded to Android Market by developers, looking for malicious software containing malware, spyware and trojans. Such apps could be used to steal personal data from a user, which could then be sold to spammers or used for more sinister purposes.

According to Lockheimer’s post, Bouncer was introduced at some point in the latter half of last year. So far the results appear to be promising, with Lockheimer claiming that between the first and second halves of last year, there was a 40 percent drop in the number of potentially-malicious downloads from Google’s Android Market app store.

Bad People

“While it’s not possible to prevent bad people from building malware, the most important measurement is whether those bad applications are being installed from Android Market – and we know the rate is declining significantly,” Lockheimer said in an attempt to reassure Android users concerned about malware.

In the post, he also highlighted existing features of Android that work to limit malware disruption. These include sandboxing, where a virtual wall is placed between various software on a device, preventing rogue apps from taking data from legitimate apps.

Permissions is another Android function that gives people more control over software, where users can decide what information on their mobile device can be accessed by a newly downloaded app. For example, it might request access to your contact list, but if that sounds unreasonable or a little strange (for a recipe app?), you can reject the request or simply uninstall the app.

The Android operating system has long suffered from accusations that it’s too easy for rogue developers to put malware-laden apps into Android Market. While Apple has a dedicated team checking apps for malware before they’re allowed to appear in its App Store, Google has no such setup, relying solely on analytical tools such as the recently introduced Bouncer, which run after the app has been uploaded to the app store by its developer—by which time, of course, many users may have already downloaded it.

“No security approach is foolproof, and added scrutiny can often lead to important improvements,” Lockheimer said at the end of his post. “Our systems are getting better at detecting and eliminating malware every day, and we continue to invite the community to work with us to keep Android safe.”

Android Market achieves new milestone with 400,000 active apps

Android Market gains momentum in mobile app marketplace thanks to wide array of free apps.

Google’s Android Market now has over 400,000 apps available, thanks in large part to its status as the largest provider of free apps for mobile tech consumers.
The report on Google’s app milestone was released this week by app analytical firm Distimo, and though it took the company longer to hit the 400,000 mark than Apple’s App Store — it took Google 31 months to reach the mark, and Apple only 22 months — Google’s growth from 300,000 to 400,000 apps (and from 200,000 to 300,000 apps) occurred in less time than it did for Apple.
In contrast, Apple’s App Store now features over 500,000 active apps, though the two stores differ greatly in terms of revenue.
More than 68 percent of the Android Market apps are free, and the store generates the bulk of its revenue from the “freemium” model — in which users pay for additional content beyond what’s provided in the basic, free app. Less than half of Apple’s revenue comes from free apps, and the store relies more on paid apps for revenue.
Overall, Apple collects almost four times as much revenue from its App Store as Google receives from the Android Market.

Malicious Android apps double in six months

The likelihood of an Android user encountering malware has risen from 1 percent to 4 percent, according to Lookout.

(Credit: Lookout)

The number of malicious apps mobile security firm Lookout has identified in less than six months has doubled to 1,000, according to a report from Lookout to be released tonight. The vast majority of those dubious apps are found on third-party app stores and alternatives to the official Android Market, the company said.
"2011 has seen the emergence of a credible field of Android malware with a 4 percent yearly likelihood of an Android user encountering malware, which was a significant increase compared to the beginning of the year. In the beginning of 2011 we measured a 1 percent yearly likelihood," Lookout says in its report, titled "Malwarenomics: 2012 Mobile Malware Predictions."
"The U.S. is in the middle of the pack in terms of mobile malware compared to other countries, including Russia, Israel and China," said Derek Halliday, senior security product manager at Lookout.
Meanwhile, Android users are increasingly at risk--like users on all mobile platforms are--of unwittingly clicking on links that lead to malware and phishing sites.
"The global yearly likelihood of an Android user clicking on an unsafe link is 36 percent (6 percent higher than July 2011)," the report says. "In the United States, the likelihood is higher than the global average at 40 percent."
Lookout also has detected a rise in the amount of what it calls "mobile pickpocketing," apps and malware that surreptitiously charge fees to the phone owner, including GGTracker, which signs phones up for premium text message subscription services without the owner's knowledge. There's also the RuFraud apps that pose as free versions of wallpaper or popular games but hide terms of service that allow the developers to sign the phones up for expensive SMS rates.
The Lookout report predicts that we'll see more of these threats, as well as increased use of: mobile phones in botnets to send spam and steal data; malware that exploits weaknesses in mobile operating systems; browser-based attacks; malware hiding in mobile advertisements; and tools that allow for automatic repackaging of legitimate apps to add malware.
Lookout cautions against using third-party app stores and clicking on in-app ads, and advices caution when clicking on apps that ask you to click "OK," as well as when clicking on shortened URLs. In addition, people should check reviews on gaming, utility and porn apps before downloading them because they are the types of apps most likely to contain malware.