Draw Something Stops Growing: Four Things Zynga Can Do By Being Social-By-Design

Yesterday, the news was breaking that the recently acquired OMGPOP app Draw Something is no longer attracting new users. Business Insider reported:

Bad news for Zynga, which just acquired Draw Something developer OMGPOP: Draw Something is no longer acquiring new daily players at the lightning-fast pace it once was, according to AppData.
In fact, it's stopped growing altogether.

 

As a former journalist, I feel several online content portals are desperate to create "breaking news" and "make it trend". (#ridiculous). I picked this story up when I decided to write a post about how Draw Something can actually become bigger than it is.

Draw Something is very powerful at the core of its idea. It's making friends share personal drawings with other friends. The app makes the user do a unique action. It's not  - please water my plants, send me more ammunition, send me more token etc. It's a unique, personal piece of content that is produced every time a user initiates a game. That's a big break through - it's a stream of personalized, customized, unique content! And it can become bigger by using Social By Design Principles.

Social By Design Mantra #1

MAKE PROFILES VISIBLE: Learning from Zynga games - Draw Something should allow the users to check their friends total points, total drawings and total correct guesses. When in Farmville and Cityville, users are allowed to visit their friends farms or cities, they get to know more about their friends and they even compete with them on the friends ranking leaderboard.

I am playing games with my bosses, and I am very keen to know what's their success ratio! (And I do want to beat them and publish it on facebook #wickedsmile)

Social By Design Mantra #2

FEEDBACK MECHANISM: Some of my friends (blessed with styluses) make awesome drawings. I want to compliment them. I want to WhatsApp them and say - Hey ! I loved this!! But can I do that - nope! Imagine, after guessing or failing to guess a drawing - you can give stars and rate it - Fabulous or Rotten Tomatoes To You - and to either compliment or poke fun at your friends - you could share it on Facebook - to drive conversations. Simple, doable, fun and FREE PR! ;)

Social By Design Mantra #3

DRAW SOMETHING GALLERIES: What the App successfully does is it shows some "popular" drawings of Lady Gaga etc. It will be great to make a gallery where users can browse, get inspiration and even share the ridiculous drawings on Facebook! If it is ridiculous it has a higher chance of getting shared and there are more ridiculous artists without styluses!

Social By Design Mantra #4

USING THE DATA TO WOW ME (and make money from me): I have 250 points on Draw Something. On an average, I have made 80-100 drawings.

• Do I want to see the drawings? YEEEESSSS! Can I? Nope. 
• If Draw Something told me when I reached 500 points, I can choose any 5 drawings, make a collage and get a free printed mug, would I continue to play?  YES! 
•  Would I pay for the mug or gift it with all my drawings I made for my friend as a personal birthday present? YES! 
• Would I like to see a cool video of my photos? YES! 
•  And would I share my great "modern art" on facebook - YES!

Here's hoping for more Drawings.

P.S. Zynga, if you're interested in hiring me, I'm here! ;D
P.S. : For publishing houses - explore this story angle - Draw Something leads to increase in sales for Styluses ;)