Monthly Archives: April 2022

The first wave of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) rode high on the phenomenon of FOMO (fear of missing out). Driven by scarcity and the potential to buy low and sell high, collectors rushed to be part of the NFT ownership club. As the DeFi landscape evolves and communities become more collaborative, NFTs need to be more than mere items of investment. Innovation and utility should be front and center of the next wave of NFT development.

NFTs for Membership

NFTs can be used as digital membership tokens to provide access to exclusive groups. The most popular example thus far is the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). BAYC NFTs function as badges of entry that allow holders to join a private Discord channel and access special members-only perks. BAYC has been an extremely successful test case for using membership as the core value offering of an NFT.

Where regular NFTs are driven by profitability FOMO, the membership strategy hinges on exclusivity FOMO. Holders want to be behind the velvet rope and in the company of like-minded individuals, often with similarly impressive asset portfolios. Using NFTs for community membership also helps to weed out players who are purely interested in investment and not collaboration.

Indeed, community can be considered a form of value and utility for NFT holders. However, the community in question has to provide tangible rewards for members. Many NFT collections have tried to employ this strategy and failed when they could not deliver community perks of value to their members. In the future, NFTs could be the standard entry protocol for groups that want to grow with the input from their members.

NFTs for Gaming

NFTs have extreme potential in the world of gaming and large changes are anticipated as more games are built around NFTs. Gamers are highly-invested in their digital avatars, identities, statistics, and statuses. They are willing to spend considerable sums to upgrade their online persona or unlock exclusive content that allows them to play in new worlds.

With DeFi moving into the gaming field, the decentralized nature of blockchain can power many innovative applications. Loot is an NFT project where NFTs are unique bags of items that can be used by holders across numerous distinct games. The same concept can be applied to using NFTs as gaming avatars that can be played and leveled up across multiple games, becoming more powerful and valuable with time.

The play-to-earn model is another way that NFTs are changing the dynamics of the gaming industry. Where game publishers used to own and control the gaming ecosystem, players can now contribute value and earn NFTs through interacting with the game. This paradigm shift turns games into collaborative platforms where players have ownership and say in how their gaming experience works.

NFTs for Asset Management

NFTs have been widely used for digital art asset management. As the trend continues, they may be the gold standard for artists and performers to manage their rights and licensing. With collectability being virtually non-existent since the proliferation of internet file-sharing, NFTs are helping to make digital assets valuable again through irrefutable proof of ownership.

The new NFT protocol by Charged Particles allows creators to generate multi-layer NFTs that can store various types of assets—including other NFTs—within a single NFT. For instance, a musician can create an NFT that contains nine musical tracks (each an individual NFT), a text document with lyrics, and an image file with album artwork. The NFT can even contain interest-earning social tokens that reward fans for their support.

The asset management possibilities for this new type of NFT are boundless and will impact how DeFi sectors interact with each other. One concept envisioned is a savings management application that ties into the statistics of an in-game weapon. As the NFT holder reaches a designated savings tier, their weapon automatically unlocks additional capabilities.

NFTs for Building Society

What is really interesting about NFTs is the way that they offer a social stake in a community that is always in development. By purchasing an NFT, people can support the projects and groups that they believe in. Democracy may be rare in real life, but it can exist with smart contracts. Unlike on Patreon or fiat platforms, contributors have a proven stake and can become vote-holding members of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO).

NFTs can also be used as rewards in applications to gamify positive social and environmental actions. Users can gain points towards owning an NFT by planting trees or volunteering with non-profit organizations. These NFTs can be displayed in a ‘gallery of good deeds’ and shared with visitors. There is a further possibility of users farming NFTs and donating them to certain non-project projects to help them raise funds.

As the NFT universe progresses, there may be a growing gulf between people who are only concerned with investment and those who see genuine value in building a community around a new financial reality. Regardless of the motivations of collectors, NFT creators should provide utility and innovative ways of adding value in order to truly harness this incredible technology.

The holidays are a rare time when children can let loose and just enjoy themselves. For some kids, the joy of Christmas comes from the myth of Santa Claus and mysteriously appearing presents. For others, it is the sights, sounds, and smells of the festive season. But a large part of it will be the quality time that they get to spend with you—their parents. Here are some ways to keep the holiday magic alive for your children.

Deck the Halls

Nothing makes the holidays feel more festive than decorations. Putting up a Christmas tree together is a time-honored tradition that lets parents and children bond. Invite your children to help you decorate the tree or let them take full control of the lower portion (if you dare!) Another idea is to give them a surprise by putting the decorations up overnight.

Should you have crafty kids, why not make a Christmas wreath to hang on the front door or over the fireplace? Your children can help to gather pinecones or fir boughs to weave into the wreath, and they will be proud to see their creations hanging in a prominent spot. You can also make your own Christmas tree ornaments with felt, paper, or clay.

Write a Wish List

Big kids and little kids all love wish lists. A big part of Christmas is presents because they give children something to look forward to. For younger kids, making a wish list is fun because they get to think about what to write about in their Santa letter. Even if your kids are too old to write Santa letters, they can still enjoy dreaming about receiving the items that they most desire.

Christmas is the season of giving. Another activity that will make Christmas special is to create a wish list for their friends or less fortunate children. Empathy and kindness toward others are important and valuable lessons for parents to teach their children. In addition, your children will better appreciate the toys that they do receive.

Surprise your child with Santa Letter

Santa’s existence is central to the myth of Christmas. Every kid knows that you leave milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve, but you can make the tale more incredible by leaving a trail of cookie crumbs around the house. Similarly, a touch of soot on the gifts can have your kids speculating that Santa might have really come down the chimney.

Children these days grow up so fast and it can be lovely to help preserve a bit of their innocence and wonder. Receiving a personalized letter from Santa can make your child’s day and keep them believing in Christmas magic. These letters from Santa can even come with ‘Nice List’ certificates so that your kids feel appreciated and rewarded for their good behavior.

Make Holiday Food

Food is a major part of any holiday. If the holiday week is too busy, you can begin making goodies way before the holiday itself. Some items like Christmas cake, pudding, and cookies can be started weeks in advance. Baking is a wonderful way to get kids involved in the kitchen and they can help you with mixing batter, cutting up dried fruits, or spreading icing.

Holiday grocery shopping is another fun activity for the family. Children love to browse the aisles full of chocolates and candy. Give your kids a small budget and their own basket to fill with goodies and watch them brim with excitement. If you have a teenager who can chaperone the kids, this will keep them occupied while you grab the other essential groceries.

Enjoy the Lights

Wherever you live, there should be a public park or square that will be fully adorned with holiday lights. Colorful Christmas lights twinkling against the dark sky are not only beautiful but also otherworldly. Take your kids on a nighttime drive to these special places to admire the holiday lights and let them bask in the sense of ethereal wonder.

In certain regions, the malls may have more impressive displays than the public parks. Although you may have to queue for quite a while, the full Christmas windows featuring animated characters may be worth it. If that seems too commercial for you, why not take an evening walk with the kids around the neighborhood and rank your neighbors by their outdoor decorations?

Create a New Tradition

The best way to make Christmas truly special is to create a tradition that is unique to your family. When you have traditions that are created by your family, they can always remind your kids of the wonderful memories you had together. When they get older and have families of their own, these traditions can be handed down to future generations like an heirloom.

From donating to charity to sending a letter from Santa, many activities can make Christmas extra joyful for your children. Kids spend a lot of time being told what to do and how they should behave. There is plenty of time yet for them to grow up and be serious adults. Let’s keep Christmas magical for them as long as we can.

For those who have responsibility for procuring stationery and other items that are necessary for the day to day running of a business, it can be difficult to keep on top of all the options. Balancing value for money with quality is a key consideration, while sourcing the right option for each kind of product can be time consuming. Here are some key tips and tricks for procuring office supplies.

Office stationery is a necessity to any business. While it might not generate profit and sales, it is something everyone notices when it is missing or not doing the job it should. There are many things to consider when procuring office stationery. This includes price, quality and quantity. How quickly you get through certain items is also a consideration, as you don’t want to be constantly procuring new items. Looking at any policies and regulations the business has in relation to procurement is important too.

Here are 8 tips for procuring stationery while balancing quality with budget. 

1. What Are The Requirements?

Firstly, it is important to consider what exactly you need. Make a list of all the items you require and then research the best options for each item. This will help keep you focused on everything you require. Keeping a running spreadsheet of everything you usually procure makes the process faster in the future too. 

2. Specialist Products

One thing to make a note of when listing out your requirements is if your workplace requires any specialist products. For example, if you work in the food industry, you will need to ensure containers you buy to store foodstuffs meet food industry standards. Equally, if you work in the medical field or a laboratory, you will need to ensure you have the correct equipment, which could be anything from powerful microscopes to laboratory labels. Any specialist equipment should be sourced from suppliers who are experts in producing those particular products. 

3. Look At Suppliers

Not all suppliers are equal and it pays to shop around. Compare a few and see which offer the best value for money. Consider things like delivery times, minimum order quantities and ease of reordering. It is also worth checking if they offer loyalty programs or discounts for larger orders.

If you have time, it can be worth looking at international suppliers as well. They might be able to offer a better price for certain items.

4. Negotiate

One thing you can be sure of with stationery suppliers is that there is plenty of competition. This means there is often a deal to be done. To get the best possible deals with your chosen supplier, it is always worth negotiating. This could involve asking for bulk discounts or a longer payment window.

5. Consider Quality

It is also important to think about quality when procuring office stationery. While it might be tempting to go for the cheapest option, this might not be the most cost effective in the long run. Cheaper items often don’t last as long and need to be replaced more frequently. This can end up costing you more money.

It is important to strike a balance between quality and price when procuring office stationery. 

6. Compare Prices

Once you have considered all of the above, it is time to start comparing prices. This is where the decision-making usually rests when it comes to procurement. 

Remember to think of the overall picture and not just the single item cost when delving into prices. When comparing prices, it is important to consider the total cost. This includes things like delivery charges and minimum order quantities. Once you have found a few good options, it is always worth checking for any discounts or promotions that could apply.

You should also check the returns policy before making a purchase. This will ensure you are able to return items if they are not suitable. 

7. Think Outside The Box

If you cannot come up with the right product or a manageable price through the suppliers you have looked at already, think creatively for alternative options. Sometimes, stationery items can be sourced from other places. For example, recycled paper products might be available from a local recycling centre. 

Perhaps you will find the item you need that are being sold by suppliers that do not predominantly sell stationery or office equipment. For example, office chairs are commonly found at furniture stores. You might find sellers on local listings websites or auction websites trying to sell office stationery they no longer need. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find a business giving stuff away that they know they won’t use. You might even be able to find a more sustainable or cost-effective option for your workplace this way. 

8. Be Proactive

Another alternative way of sourcing stationery and office supplies is to reach out to others proactively. You could post on local forums to see if anyone is selling or giving away stationery items. 

You could also try contacting businesses directly that might have the items you need. They might be willing to sell them to you at a reduced rate or even give them away for free if they are no longer needed. This is a great way of building relationships with other businesses in your area too. 

If you are a member of any business forums or networking organizations, this is also a good place to ask for recommendations of stationery suppliers, or alternative ways of procuring the items you need. There may even be preferential rates available for those who find new suppliers in this way. 

With so many mobile apps on the market, users can get frustrated with switching between multiple platforms and applications. A satisfied consumer is more likely to pay for products and services. Hence, it makes sense for businesses to provide them with the most hassle-free method of connecting with the content they seek. This is where deep links come in.

What are Deep Links?

A deep link can be considered an advanced version of the standard hyperlink. When a user clicks on a standard hyperlink from a webpage, email, or SMS, they are sent to the home page of the app or the app download page. The user then has to login and search through the app to find the content that they saw earlier.

Deep links, however, send users directly from A to B. When a user clicks on a deep link, they are sent directly to the relevant in-app content without having to log in or navigate the app on their own. Due to its functionality, deep linking provides a host of benefits for both consumers and digital marketers.

1. Streamlines the User Funnel

Deep links direct users to your chosen destination with essentially zero navigation. Users can easily access specific in-app screens instead of being directed to the home screen of your app and being expected to make the correct menu choices. By removing the redundant steps of the typical linking process, you provide a better user experience.

The seamless navigation benefits your business as well. Interest and attention span can drop quickly when users have to make extra effort to receive information or take part in a promotion. Modern consumers can choose from countless digital promotions and businesses cannot afford to lose leads due to an inefficient linking process.

Aside from reducing friction in the leads generation process, deep linking allows you to direct users to different in-app contents between separate applications. With deep linking, you can simultaneously run multiple different campaigns that funnel to a specific landing page or section in your app without having to worry about user navigation.

2. Improves User Retention

The improved user experience created by deep links increases customer satisfaction and retention. According to an article on TechCrunch, users who were served deep links had twice the app activation rate compared to users that were not. Because you can personalize the invitation and onboarding experience with deep links, users are more likely to follow through.

Users who were served deep links have similarly been shown to double in retention and app visit rates. Since the user’s initial experience with the app was positive, they are more eager to check it again soon after. Apart from engagement, deep links can be used to with personalized promotions or reminders to prompt users to re-engage with your app.

3. Optimizes Marketing

Deep linking can support digital marketing campaigns to increase engagement and conversions. The easier and more convenient the shopping process, the more conversions businesses will earn. The majority of consumers prefer to complete transactions using e-commerce apps instead of mobile sites and deep linking allows you to do this seamlessly.

Businesses can add deep links to SMS or email marketing campaigns as well as social media content. For example, you can publish a promotional post on Facebook that links to in-app content without users having to login to your app. You can likewise advertise exclusive deals via deep links in push notifications to entice existing app users to reconnect.

4. Enhances Analytics

Deep links allow you to gather clear data about user link clicks. The information you gather can tell you about the number of clicks that each link campaign earned based on channel, country, target audience, and more. With this information, digital marketers can evaluate campaigns and find out which formats generate the best results.

If campaigns are not performing as intended, evaluation of deep links can help you to address issues and plan future campaigns differently. Over time, campaign analytics can help a business to calculate the cost of user acquisition and the return on investment of promotional campaigns. Knowledge is power and deep links can provide the essential metrics.

5. Adds to Organic SEO

In addition, deep links support search engine optimization (SEO). Because Google Search indexes mobile deep links, your app content has the chance to be displayed on its search engine results pages just like a regular website. This means that new users may discover your app while searching for something similar. Once they do, the deep link will lead the user to download your app.

The digital consumer of today has little capacity for inconvenience. Deep linking is an effective way to direct acquired leads to the desired location with as few steps as possible. To learn more about deep links and how to implement them, refer to this detailed deep linking guide. If you want to improve the user experience and increase customer retention, deep linking must be a part of your digital marketing strategy.