The Wikipedia love button is the open-sourced platform's attempt to stay competitive with Facebook's massively popular like button and Google's newly introduced +1. The extension, known as WikiLove, encourages engagement by enabling awards, gifts and invitations to user talk pages.
What I particularly like about the Wikipedia love button is that it will most certainly push all three major players to further refine their conceptions of what defines the social experience. Ultimately that will lead to the best possible online conduit for socializing.
Implications - City-life has fostered a level of disconnectedness -- from the natural world and from friends and family. The eco-movement has opened consumers up to the desire to connect. Companies that can find ways to enable meaningful connection and sharing will be poised to capture the minds of consumers.
Sharing Heart Services
Wikipedia Love Button Adds Rewards to Increased Engagement
Trend Themes
1. Gamification of Engagement - The use of gamified features, such as awards and gifts, to encourage user engagement is a trend that can be applied to various industries.
2. Social Media Competition - The competitive landscape of social media platforms, with features such as like buttons and love buttons, is a trend that is driving constant innovation in this industry.
3. Community Building - The desire to connect and foster meaningful relationships, reflected in the popularity of the Wikipedia love button, is a trend that can be leveraged by companies in various industries.
Industry Implications
1. Social Media - The competition among social media platforms to provide the best user engagement features presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in this industry.
2. E-commerce - Gamification strategies that encourage user engagement can be applied to e-commerce platforms to increase customer loyalty and drive sales.
3. Healthcare - The desire for meaningful connection, reflected in the popularity of the Wikipedia love button, can be applied to healthcare services to provide community support for patients and improve their well-being.