Popplet users (Poppleteers?) have been quick to start using our new public popplets feature. As we detailed in our tutorial previously, this feature lets you share your Popplet creations with the world.
Now you can control three levels of access to your popplets:
- Private – this level of access is for your eyes only. All popplets start as private creations
- Shared with collaborators – you can make a popplet public, which means anyone with the URL can see the popplet, and you can give permission to your friends and colleagues to edit or add to the popplet as collaborators
- Public – this will add your Popplet to our public popplets board and let anyone see your Popplet (they cannot edit it however). Your public popplets can be ranked by popularity so you can see how often others are checking out your creations!
So now that you can add your Popplets to a public library, how can you make use of this? Here are 5 initial ways you can use the new Public Popplets feature:
1. Raise awareness
We have recently written about how Popplet is being used by organizations and individuals with a determinantion to address global and local food security by using Popplet. Since then, Ugo D shared this public popplet which also addresses some of the links between poverty and global hunger:
If you feel passionately about an issue, you can create a Popplet to show why it is so important that more people understand, and share it with the world on our Public Popplets board. Climate change, poverty, education funding, more bike lanes, or longer lunch breaks: whatever the issue, you can collate resources from across the web and create a Public Popplet to educate, inform and empower others.
2. Build web traffic
Here on our blog, we regularly look at ways to generate website traffic using Popplet. This is now even easier to do with our new Public Popplets. If you create videos, include the youtube version in your popplet. If you have some photographs you want to showcase, add them from flickr. Include links to your website or blog. Post your popplet creation showcasing your web content to our public popplets and watch your audience grow! Don’t forget to use this strategy in conjunction with tweeting about your public popplet, of course.
3. Circulate class notes
We are proud to see Popplet used by classrooms from kinder to college, all around the world. Our clean, easy-to-use interface stays out of your way to let you focus on the content you use in a popplet, rather than overloading you with design functions that just create a “busy work” look. That’s why so many teachers are happy to use Popplet in the classroom. The focus stays on the subject matter, not answering student questions about how to change a popple shape or how to use a different font. Already Popplet is used for classroom activities and to encourage student independent learning.
We have noticed with the introduction of Public Popplets, already many teachers are beginning to post class notes and subject overviews as popplets for their students.
For example, Ann V posted this public popplet outlining lesson goals and tasks for a subject on collaborative learning:
4. Invite open collaboration
Twitter user @ChrisRaynerd recently asked us: “any way of allowing ANY user to contribute to online popplet and the creator authorise submissions?”
While we look into the possibility of adding such a feature in the future, you can invite anyone to collaborate on your public popplet by adding a popple balloon to suggest exactly that.
When you are creating a public popplet, consider adding a popple balloon that gives your email address and opens an invite to any reader to contact you if they want to add to the popplet. (We suggest placing this popple somewhere near the top right hand corner so it is displayed near the share button.)
You can then use our collaboration function to allow Poppleteers who make contact to add to your Popplet. We suggest you limit other contributors to only be able to add new popples rather than edit your existing work in case someone accidentally deletes some of your current public popplet masterpiece.
5. Test out the popularity of your concept
We know many users make use of Popplet as a concept mapping interface to outline product ideas and discuss potential products with target audiences. One of our favorite examples is Abi Robins, who used Popplet as a fan poll to share song ideas for her new album.
As this public popplet about early stage product develop shows, user feedback is crucial in understanding whether a product or business idea has a potential market:
You can use the public popplets to share your concept design and see how many other people click on it by checking its popularity over time. Don’t forget to use a clever title to draw people in and to have a well designed popplet layout that looks appealing in thumbnail size. Of course, you should still promote your popplet on Twitter, or post it to our Facebook wall so other Poppleteers are aware of it, and then see if it climbs the popularity rankings. This could be a great way to get an initial taste of how well your idea is received publicly.
How will you make use of our Public Popplets feature? Let us know on our Facebook page or tweet the world about your new Public Popplet!