Beer Blogger
This post is not written under the influence of beer, because it was written during lent. During my fast, I thought it would be an appropriate time to rave about my favorite app, Untappd. Other than enjoying various types of beer, I am a content strategist who has a passion for live music and meeting new people. Working in the technology industry has put me more in touch with social apps and the exciting ways one can use them.
How It Works
Untappd has a simple purpose, to keep track of your favorite beers and to expand your palate. I recently graduated from college and was ready to make a move from the watery Natty Lights to more sophisticated tastes. There is a joy to logging in your beers on Untappd and the ability to share your badges to friends via Twitter and Facebook. The app was founded 5 years ago and now has over 3 million downloads. However, not many people my age have jumped on the bandwagon yet. Out of my 1,500 Facebook friends, only 1% are using Untappd. It’s time for that to change!
Do you feel overwhelmed when a restaurant has a binder full of beer selections? I rarely can decide before the waiter returns and waits on me. With Untapped, I simply type in the beer name and instantly I have hundreds of reviews from real people on what they thought. There is a rating feature with bottle caps each representing a point. From a content perspective, I love reading the description of what the beer contains and tastes like before I buy it. This tactic pertains to the content strategists main goal; to deliver content to the right user at the right time and in the right way.
How Businesses Use It
Untappd for businesses is an important resource because a user can receive notifications when their wish list beers come on tap. A business can update their menus daily as drafts constantly change and the Geo-targeting within the app helps them advertise for local beer events in the user’s areas. I enjoy when breweries “toast” or in other words, “like,” my check-ins on their beer I logged. This simple action provides a relationship with the customer and business. Alternatively, the app can also serve users great publicity. I have friends who brewed their own beer and added it into the app to get awareness without having to have a big name and marketing budget.
Other businesses are catching onto this social beer trend. The World of Beer has a “Drink It Intern” position where a young individual gets paid to travel the world to various WOB taverns. They are looking for millennials who are keen with photography, writing, and social media. Untappd also requires all three of those skills; maybe that is the real reason I use the app?
My User Experience Review
Overall my user experience feedback is positive, with small, simple actions being the only issues. Users cannot go back and edit a review, like editing a status on Facebook. The user’s argument is that being intoxicated might alter a rating they grant (valid point). Ironically, Untappd’s slogan is to “drink socially,” and at times the app is making people unsocial in situations by constantly being on their phones. The process of logging a beer can take you out of a conversation with friends at the table. However, there is no harm in doing it the next day or skipping a few beers.
One suggestion could be to incorporate scan labels or auto detection on beers to provide a faster experience. Another could be to merge with a bigger platform, like Instagram. People enjoy taking photos using the camera feature on Untappd, but have problems with quality and filters. If you are sipping on a Corona in a hammock on the beach, you want the photo to bring back that memory in all its glory.
How It Collaborates
In other news, Untappd recently merged with “Next Glass” app, which allows users to scan bottles of wine and beer to see if they match a preferred drinking profile. The positive output to that process is brewers can access high-level user profile data. Not to mention, Untappd recently added in a “Need a Ride” feature where it connects users to the Uber app for a safe ride home after a night of trying beer.
Whether you picked up on the positive vs negative reviews of Untappd, there should be no pressure when using it. It is a fun and social way to tie technology into your drinking lifestyle. Have a drink for me, but do not forget to log it in!
