Ravenwood Fair Passes 10m Monthly Users

I'm a sucker for info-graphics... and here is a really good one to help celebrate the success of LOLapp's Ravenwood Fair social game (note: LOLapps is a Polaris-backed company). Recently Ravenwood Fair hit a few notable benchmarks: namely surpassing 10,000,000 monthly actives and 1,000,000 daily actives.

While the info-graphic is fun... the data and social 'math' is both impressive and important (purchasing habits, virtual goods, LTV, et ). The LOLapps team is deeply analytical (as you would image with a gaming company) and highly skilled at determining ... and affecting ... "social clusters" (which affects virality and value).

Thinking About Facebook's Expanded Like Button

Today Facebook rolled out a rather significant change: the Like button has replaced the Share button's functionality. It's an important transition because, at least for me, it has already changed my "liking" behavior. Auto-publishing a story to my wall makes me think differently about the simple action of liking... which I do several times a day. With this new functionality, that would result in several feed posts and consequently annoy my friends / dilute the importance of my other posts. Below is an example of the feed post that resulted from liking a Mashable article. It auto-selects the image and summary.

In other news though, this post had over 5,000 Facebook Likes (way more than other articles)... so perhaps it does drive traffic:

Facebook Connect As a Registration & Login Flow

Reading OM's article "My web without Facebook Connect", I was reminded of an blog post I recently wrote and regularly reference ("Facebook as a conversion tool: registration flows."). OM's point is that so many sites now use Facebook as a registration / login path that it has become an integral part of accessing the web: "a day without Facebook, is quickly making the web unusable."

Inverted, that also says using Facebook within in the registration and login flows is important:

1. it's becoming universal and therefor familiar 2. users are more likely to pass information through via Facebook than to a new site 3. it expedites the flows and therefore improves conversions 4. it about more than efficiency. For instance: you can add the facepile for conversions, mobile flows can occur with a phone number (rather than an email address), etc

And from the consumer perspective, I prefer it: it's easier / faster and I can change passwords / access universally (more secure).

Jibe Launches Mobile App at 'Launch' Conference

Polaris-backed company and former Dogpatch Labs resident, Jibe has had a very good couple weeks. As a reminder, Jibe uses Facebook and LinkedIn to better connect job-seekers and employees: " JIBE connects you to people you already know at companies you want to work for and increases your chances of landing a great job." First, TechCrunch announced that Jibe was seeing more than 1,000,000 monthly job views and signed up 25% of Fortune 50 companies.

And yesterday, Jibe announced their mobile application at the Launch Conference. InsideFacebook named it one of the conference's top "Top Facebook Integrations".

Google Voice & GMail - More 'In the River' Marketing

I write a lot about product marketing and the concept of "in the river" promotion / marketing. As companies more aggressively test and roll out new products / variants to users - in the river marketing becomes more important. And for those reasons, it has also become more prevalent. Here is a great example from Google, who is pushing Google Voice within GMail. To push Google Voice, Google is providing free phone calls for all of 2011. That's an aggressive, compelling promotion.

So how does Google get the message across? They place is prominently on the screen where its users are absolutely engaged and can't miss it: when you open GMail:

Redbox's Smart Movie Promotion Aims to Validate Emails.

Redbox is a service I love, a product that is terrificly done and a business whose future is murky (negative: moving digital and Netflix as a competitor; positive: Netflix as an example of transitioning perfectly). One of underrated components of Redbox is their email interaction with customers... and in some ways, they are similar to Groupon, LivingSocial, Gilt Group and Rue La La: email marketing drives the business. So it wasn't surprising to me that, after my first Redbox rental, they followed up via email with the following promotion: confirm your email address and receive a free rental (DVD or Blu Ray). They understand the value of a verified, engaged email user... and they are willing to give free product away (they also make some direct revenue on the promotion because of rental 'late' fees). Smart.

Unrelated: they also do a great job with their website:

- crisp and good looking - four major actions: reserve, learn, find and research - big promotion for Facebook fanpage (1.9m fans!), their newsletter (per above) and the bog - easy-to-navigate list of available movies - with trailers and cast - the ability to send Redbox gifts (ie a Valentines rental via their Facebook app)

And Redbox.com:

Facebook Announces New Facebook Photos With Hover Promotion.

Perhaps because they are continually rolling out new products and split tests.Perhaps because they are terrific product marketers and designers. And/or perhaps because they need to figure out how to message 600m+ users in efficient, effective ways. ... Facebook is the best at "in the river marketing". Yet another example:

This week Facebook rolled out a new Facebook Photos features to all users. Rather than an email announcement, page takeover, or letting users mysteriously figure it out... they promoted the change simply, cleanly and directly at the point of importance. If you had not yet clicked on a photo, Facebook revealed a message upon hover that clearly stated the new change. Once the photo was clicked, the new experience was obvious and the hover over disappeared. Well done.

Lady Gaga Uses Facebook Event to Launch New Single

230,000 have RSVP'd to the debut of Lady Gaga's new single: Born This Way. Why? In part because it is Lady Gaga (who only trails Justin Bieber in internet popularity) and in part because the viral loop of the Facebook Event promoted directly on LadyGaga.com and across Facebook. I have previously written about Facebook's Facepile... but this is interesting because it is an 'eventpile' of sorts. LadyGaga.com showcases the event and the corresponding facepile of those attending and viewers can register for the event (attend, maybe, no) directly from the homepage.

Once you attend, you it publishes to your Facebook feed and showcases you (and your friends) who are attending. That of course gets significant visibility - ~250,000 people have RSVPed and many of their 500 friends are probably aware.

It's a very aggressive implementation of Facebook Event system. And it's very clever / effective. Now imagine the event being tied to Facebook Places, Groups or special access to the song. Lots of possibilities...

LadyGaga.com homepage - primary action / display is the Facebook Event:

~250,000 people are attending. Another 200,000 are undecided (which is effectively no different since it's a promotional event).: