When it comes to gadgets and tech, I used to be a late adopter. I didn’t own a cellphone until 2000.
Even four or five years ago, I would choose a cheap model and tell myself I really didn’t need a phone that took pictures, played music or even included a texting plan, for that matter.
But last summer, when a cracked screen covered in packing tape wasn’t cutting it anymore, I made a change. I became an early adopter and ponied up for an Android phone that was absolutely top-of-the-line (for five minutes or so). I was in geek heaven, with the all-in-one device I never knew I wanted. I got my fill of media and distractions with various apps. I ditched my point-and-shoot camera and iPod. I spoke into the phone instead of typing, and it actually worked.
Then my carrier updated the operating system. My phone started freezing up. The battery life went from ridiculous to unbearable. GPS stopped working. Even after a factory reset, problems persisted. I felt like customer support had moved on to the next big phone and left me and other early adopters behind. (Apparently, I’m not alone in this perception.)
There’s a lesson here for people in custom media. Our clients want us to be forward-thinking about new tech, but it falls on us to advise them wisely on the difference between a useful tool and a shiny new toy. Knee-jerk reactions can lead to busted knees.
People tend to react to the latest trends by saying, “Oh, we need that.” They see a competitor using QR codes and don’t want to be left behind. But we should encourage such new tools only when they make sense. If your membership or readership is tech-savvy and heavy on smartphone users, QR codes make sense. If not, simply listing a URL may yield better results, even if it seems old-fashioned.
Another example: The iPad comes out, followed by a slew of competitors, and a communications director wonders, “Do we need a tablet version of our print magazine?”
In the long run, maybe. But not until you have the budget, expertise and manpower to support it and make it a truly enhanced experience. Don’t just put together a glorified PDF so that you can say you have an iPad version. Keep in mind that even the world’s biggest publishers are sorting out the best approach to tablet versions, including how they can be profitable.
Play smart in the social sandbox, too. Remember when Google Buzz was going to overtake Facebook as the way people socialized on the web? That didn’t happen. Likewise, people were quick to adopt Yahoo Buzz as a sharing tool, but it has not had nearly the staying power of similar tools.
I feel somewhat abandoned by my phone carrier and manufacturer. You don’t want your readers or members to feel the same. Experiment with new tools, by all means, but be ready to support them properly if they catch on.
After all, even firmly established tools — Facebook pages and Twitter feeds — will fail if someone is not there to fill them with useful content and interaction.
So, what trendy tools or tech turned out to be duds for you?
[Image: l2g]
