You’ve probably heard people talking about Jelly. But what is it? It’s the new social search app from the co-founder of Twitter, Biz Stone and Chief Technology Officer Ben Finkel who was the co-founder of Fluther, a Q&A service bought by Twitter in 2010. It’s mobile only with a 140 character limit per post and images play a big part.
With Jelly you can take a photos on your mobile, add a question and the people in your Twitter and Facebook social networks can comment or let you know more. So it’s all about sending a quick question and getting answers back fast. For instance, your friends may be able to tell you who designed an unusual landmark building in front of you or whether they like the jacket you’re about to buy!
Think of it as a search engine where your friends or brand community provide your knowledge bank. You could use it to:
- Find out opinions on the products, brands and service options your company is developing
- Identify landmarks, plants or genuine brands marques when you’re on the move
- Gain helpful advice on technology, fashion & lifestyle purchases
- Compare images and gauge preferences for business purposes or for fun
- Find shops and suppliers for specific items you’re looking for with recommendations from people you know
Of course you can be the one providing responses and answers to help those you know, as well as asking questions yourself.
Launched in January, it’s still very new and you can expect to see improvements in functionality, but by 10 January it was the 76th most downloaded app in the UK.
Some say it’s a vanity product that has no real purpose. It’s interesting then, that General Electric, Carphone Warehouse, Nando’s and Asda have already begun to use it.
Here are just a few opinions on the potential of Jelly:
Todd Wasserman, Mashable
Lara O’Reilly, Marketing Week
Tessa Wegert, The Digital Media Curator
Rachel Metz, MIT Technology Review
Amy Gesenhues, Search Engine Land
Stuart Dredge, The Guardian