From both research and ROI perspectives, the model makes sense. Why spend years building a better widget when you can instead find and fund tomorrow’s next million-dollar idea simply by asking potential customers? Crazy? Not so much. Wasting thousands on research and development up-front, then manufacturing thousands of unproven goods, hoping that they’ll actually align with market needs years hence is now an unnecessary approach. Through crowdsourcing fundamentals — requesting feedback or recruiting help from public donors via open calls for assistance — you can gauge demand for and create bankable products from day one. That’s what entrepreneurs call risk mitigation.

Under current business models, creators can only make educated guesses as to what consumers will buy and how much. By letting shoppers fund only ideas they like best, you know exactly what to create, and in what quantities. Repositioning up-front spends more heavily around development vs. marketing, crowdsourcing allows you to deliver a high-quality product that essentially sells itself. Better still, pre-orders provide working capital to fuel production, and donors feel more emotionally invested in the end result.

To start the process, create just enough design samples, documents and drawings of your product or service to convey its unique selling points. Then, build short two- to five-minute videos that highlight key features and introduce team members and mission statements. Doing so promotes viewer empathy, attractively showcases core concepts and provides a user-friendly platform for sharing your elevator pitch on social media.

When summarizing your product or service, discuss no more than three to four main benefits. Include short, bulleted text descriptions, screenshots, photos and 90-second maximum film clips to dive deeper into supporting topics. And don’t forget to dress for success. Regardless of available capital, always double down on visual presentation: People tend to judge on first impressions, and a picture’s worth a thousand words.

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Besieged by buzzing BlackBerries, overflowing email Inboxes and a deafening roar of pitches that continues to pour in through online, print and TV channels, reaching and connecting with customers remains a perennial challenge. Thankfully for aspiring corporate moguls, a variety of new apps, websites and mobile marketing solutions can help you level the playing field with today’s industry leaders.

From generating sales leads to boosting market share or simply promoting deals and discounts, relax. The following simple and money-saving high-tech tools can help your business get a leg up on rivals in the New Year and beyond, no matter your marketing expertise or advertising budget.

Social Media Programs – Paid media can be effective, but it’s also expensive. Merchants targeting local audiences on shoestring budgets can use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to attract customers instead. But offering eye-opening incentives including steep discounts, free samples or unique hands-on trials is imperative to prompting viral pass-along. Programs such as two-for-one deals, bonus gifts with purchase and exclusive events (“Wine tasting and fashion show tonight – get a sneak peek at our winter 2012 collection!”) can all drive foot traffic, siphon customers from competitors and aid with lead generation. To ensure beleaguered shoppers don’t discount them though, you’ll need to employ singularly original or arresting bargains. Splurging on customers using loss leaders (e.g. complimentary gourmet dog treats with every grooming) and splashy time-limited promotions (“live concert featuring the hottest local bands free today only!”) not only helps generate direct prospects. It also allows you to create sampling opportunities, promote to a captive audience, and, while consumers are actively engaged, potentially drive interest in higher-margin goods.

Affiliate and Referral Marketing Programs – Given word of mouth’s growing influence on today’s household purchasing decisions, it pays to turn fans of your business into evangelists. The best way to recruit them: Incentivize conversation by providing eye-catching offers and savings, and compensate those that generate direct leads with exclusive discounts, gifts and cash rewards. Using software tools such as those offered by providers like Extole, DirectTrack and ReferralCandy, you can create customized referral programs for almost any industry. (Refer a pal, get $20! Click here to send Facebook friends a code for 60% off!) Distributable via social networks, widgets, apps and email, white-label solutions not only offer wide flexibility across devices, platforms and promotions. They also make it easy to track ads from click to purchase, and conscript an army of credible sales associates working on a strictly commission basis.

Mobile and Location-Based Marketing – Over 420 million smartphones were anticipated to sell in 2011 alone according to IMS Research, many containing built-in GPS devices that actively monitor users’ locations. Letting you speak to customers at the right time and place when they’re in a shopping mood, mobile and location-based marketing services like Geotoko, Placecast and Xtify can potentially help close more deals. Providing users with discounts, giveaways and specials via text message, pop-up alert or email, you can also integrate marketing with services like Foursquare and GoWalla to tie campaigns to specific stores or locations. From unique apps that send notifications even when closed to search engines that serve up special offers based on zip code, choices continue to grow. Letting you reach customers right when they’re weighing their options, location-based services can help you steal a sale right out from under a competitor’s feet.

QR Codes – Another handy feature many smartphones and tablets with built-in cameras such as the iPhone and iPad enjoy: The ability to scan Quick Response (QR) codes. These high-tech symbols, which operate similar to retail barcodes, can beam over instant savings or provide access to useful online information. Add them to signs, print ads, business cards and brochures, and customers can quickly access coupons, download menus on-demand or even see how low your prices compare to rivals’. Simple bonuses they offer might include providing free five-course dinner recipes to go with every dining set, gratis music downloads for that new stereo or videos showing products you’re selling in action. Letting you offer everything from suggestions on complementary accessories to go with that blouse to downloadable menus and driving directions, potential applications are endless. Just be sure each offers customers meaningful rewards and tie a call-to-action to programs (take our survey to win a home theater shopping spree!) to maximize performance.

Discounts and Deals – With value still paramount for millions of households, many entrepreneurs are increasingly coupling door-busting offers with regular distribution through daily deal services. Providers like Groupon, Living Social, Amazon Local and Google Offers can potentially put savings in front of millions for a slice of each purchase. Letting customers register to receive arresting bargains on spas, restaurants, movie theaters and more via email, all offer opportunities to help holiday programs connect with households trying to stretch every dollar. You can even set minimum purchase quantities required before discounts activate. Likewise, savvy marketers are also leveraging bargain-hunting services like FatWallet, RetailMeNot and DealsPl.us to reach today’s most price-sensitive buyers. Providing discount coupon codes, printable vouchers and unique presents for gift shoppers themselves (free leather carrying kit with purchase) can help entice cost-conscious customers back into the fold.

Contests and Giveaways – The virtual equivalent of dropping a business card in a fishbowl for a free lunch, enticing customers to sign-up for generic online newsletters and email blasts is often just as difficult. To boost conversation rates and motivate holiday audiences, instead offer value-adding content (“one-of-a-kind beauty tips delivered right to your inbox!”), interactive promotions that put applicants front and center, and more stirring rewards. Wherever possible, invite users to participate by submitting videos, photos, stories and other personal touches (“tell us your worst birthday gift”). Likewise, convert winning submissions into community spotlights, whether by highlighting contributors online, incorporating their submissions into ad campaigns, or making victors featured guests of honor at neighborhood events. Giveaway prizes should also reinforce the promotion’s theme, provide unique experiences, or play to wish-fulfillment. Hint: “Cozy up with a romantic five-course Italian meal with seasonal wine pairing” sounds better than “dinner for two at Alfredo’s.”

Keywords and Online Advertising – According to the Ponemon Institute, a full third of shoppers were expected to spend more money online than in-store in Q4 2011, and 37% and 12%, respectively, to have made gift-giving purchases via smartphone or tablet. Knowing this, no matter your desired budget or audience, purchasing targeted keywords on popular search engines like Bing and Google can put you in front of prospective buyers right where they’re doing their primary research. Coupled with custom geographic/demographic targeting and personalized scheduling and spend levels, choosing specific keywords and terms can prove a highly effective sales tactic. For maximum impact, use more detailed search terms (e.g. “web design Dallas” vs. “WordPress designers”) and less popular phrases. (Placements are sold via silent auction, meaning purchasing lightly-contested terms may offer a better share of voice at lower cost, and more click-throughs.) Inside tip: If you’re feeling more naughty than nice, you can also buy up keywords related to competing products.

Custom Content and Publications – Resourceful entrepreneurs can also give shoppers the gift of more precious moments to spend with friends and family by providing time-saving hints and advice. Email marketing services ConstantContact, iContact and MadMimi let you send uniquely-tailored digital newsletters straight to shoppers’ inboxes for a fraction of the cost of print mailers, and enable content sharing through social networks. Popular service MailChimp even allows gorgeous, customized mailings to be sent free in small quantities, while upgrades allow you to track viewers’ social media profiles and send targeted emails via Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or LinkedIn. Couple with links to bargains, storefronts and online videos (free to upload and host on providers like YouTube, Vimeo and Metacafe, then embed on your own site) to enhance SEO and user engagement. Beyond highlighting your expertise, all can enhance your reach, keep bargains top of mind and help alleviate shoppers’ stress while building brand awareness.

We won’t be able to draw any conclusions about 2012 ’til its noteworthy events actually happen (or don’t happen), but we can put our faith in this much: Video games will still be around. We can even guess at some upcoming predictions based on the market today.

More Demo Streaming — It’s going to take longer than a year before game streaming services like OnLive and Gaikai will wield enough weight to compete directly with smaller downloads and triple-A retail purchases. But with big retailers like GameStop making serious attempts at utilizing streaming technology, we may see more than a few consumers switch to the cloud for their gaming fix.

For now, we can definitely expect to see more demo streaming in 2012. Wal-Mart and Gaikai already have plans to work together to bring game previews to curious boys and girls, who will then presumably purchase the full game at retail, or online, if they can afford the bandwidth. It’s a good compromise for introducing people to game streaming without overtaxing their internet service providers.

More iOS/Tablet Game Penetration — The upcoming iPhone 4S and the Kindle Fire from Amazon means that more people than ever are going to have their hands on a smartphone and/or an affordable tablet. Cue games, games, games. While true technophiles will put their new toys on the highest shelf in the house and therefore out of reach of sticky little hands, older phones will be bequeathed to younger sisters and brothers. The Angry Birds and their kin will fly for at least one more generation.

The Battle for People’s Time Heats Up — The console market, the handheld market, and the smartphone/tablet market are already competing for people’s time–and the competition is only going to get more intense. The iPhone 4S and Kindle Fire are only part of the equation: We’ll also have to make room in our hearts for the Wii U, the PlayStation Vita, and the Nintendo 3DS, which should be hitting its stride next year. Moreover, we’ll have to keep an eye on Sony and Microsoft, because whatever they’ve got planned for the next console generation will almost certainly surface in the coming year. Oy!

More Free-to-Play, Even for Big Budget Games — One way to get people’s attention is to give your product away for free. That’s why the free-to-play formula will likely thrive in 2012.

Fewer Social Games? — This is a tough call to make. Critics of social gaming believe the genre exists in a bubble that’s set to pop any time now. That’s not necessarily true; social gaming has been around long enough to prove it has longevity, Zynga’s still bathing in money, and EA’s The Sims Social has been a tremendous success, indicating that people are not sick of social games just yet.

However, we have to admit that the market for social games is getting, er, a bit crowded. Undeniably, part of the problem can be blamed on eager, money-hungry developers elbowing their way into the crowd while crying, “ME ME ME.” The herd simply has to thin, and we might see that happen in 2012. Zynga and EA have a stranglehold on social gaming, and smaller devs are being left with less room to breathe. Before much longer, they’ll seek their fortunes elsewhere.

In the interest of sorting things out to the best of our ability, here’s a list of the ten best digital game distribution services.

Steam — Valve’s PC-based game download service has been around since 2003, which makes it one of the more reliable (and certainly better-known) digital distribution platforms. Indie developers like to utilize Steam because it promotes deals like the “Humble Indie Bundle,” which gives smaller games a chance to shine. Major publishers can also be found on the platform. Simply put, Steam isn’t at a loss for content.

Nor is it at a loss for users. Steam’s community, forums, and chat are all extremely active. Play Portal 2, play Team Fortress 2, and make a friend!

Direct2Drive — GameFly’s Direct2Drive is one of Steam’s competitors, and, as its name suggests, it puts games directly on your hard drive. Though Direct2Drive is indie-friendly and sponsors a monetary award at the Independent Games Festival, its drive to compete with Steam has landed the service in past controversies. In 2009, Direct2Drive refused to sell Activision’s Modern Warfare 2 because of the game’s integration with Valve’s Steamworks. Nevertheless, it’s a robust alternative for anyone who wants to step away from Steam.

Good Old Games (GOG.com) — Want to play those fantastic old games you enjoyed on your 486 and on Windows 95, but don’t want to mess around with emulators or your .bat file? Good Old Games lets you buy classics that have been engineered to run on higher-end machines. Their prices are low, they take major credit cards and PayPal, and their downloads come with complete manuals and occasional bonuses, like game soundtracks.

Origin — Origin is EA’s answer to digital distribution, and not surprising, it’s come out swinging. EA wants Origin to match Steam’s heft by Spring 2012, and at this point, it’s not clear whether or not Origin will sway some of Valve’s staunchest supporters. However, Origin does have a sizable user community, as well as networking options via Facebook, Xbox Live, and the PlayStation Network. If EA keeps working at Origin–and there’s no doubt it will–it might wind up standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Valve before 2012 is done.

Amazon — Though we tend to associate Amazon with physical products that arrive at your door in smiley-faced packages, the online retail giant also distributes downloadable games for great prices. Keep your eyes open for frequent sales and deals.

Xbox Live Marketplace — Microsoft and the Xbox helped bring digital game sales to mainstream console owners, most of whom had, until that point, simply assumed that games were bought at EB Games and Wal-Mart. The Xbox Live Marketplace has since become the most recognizable and successful console-based digital platform of all time, and it can’t be beat for its game selection.

PlayStation Network – Like the Xbox Live Marketplace, the PlayStation Network provides a wide selection of downloadable games–and a few exclusives, like classics from the original PlayStation’s game library. Unlike Xbox Live Marketplace, however, membership on PSN is free, and indie developers can even score funding for their projects.

App Store — Ah, well, can we really list the best, most influential digital game distributors without making mention of Apple’s App Store? The App Store has introduced gamers to cheap and free-to-play titles–some of which are of surprisingly good quality–and many indie studios get their start by putting together and distributing iOS games.

Nintendo eShop — Nintendo has a lot to learn about treating its online stores right, as we can see by observing the woefully under-serviced Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Store. However, its 3DS-based shop, the eShop, already has some strong offerings, including 3D remakes of classic NES games like Kirby, and some choice Game Boy emulation. You get a B for effort, Nintendo. Keep on going.

Ubuntu Software Center — A free digital platform for purchasing and installing software in the Ubuntu operating system. USC is an ongoing project to which anyone can lend their skills and expertise. It’s always in need of contributions from artists, copy editors, and Python-savvy coders, so if you’re competent, roll up your sleeves and help the greater good.

The mysterious nature of the Wii U, combined with Nintendo’s problems getting people interested in the 3DS, combined with the growing tablet market, has prompted people to predict a whole lot of doom and gloom for the Wii U.

But Nintendo is not easily slain. We can think of five reasons why the Wii U will be a success.

FIVE REASONS THE WII U WILL SUCCEED

Its franchises are still strong — Yes, Nintendo falls back on its franchises a bit too often, and yes, it should give us something new once in a while. But Nintendo’s mascots and the worlds they inhabit still hold a lot of power at retail, and there’s a reason for that: They’re good. Mario games rarely disappoint, Zelda games still whip fans into a froth, and Pokemon still sells millions of copies in a matter of days. We already recognize Nintendo as the go-to company for instant favorites, which already cements the Wii U as a platform for insanely strong first-party games.

Nintendo’s in pretty good financial shape — We’ve been hearing a lot about how Nintendo is an “endangered company” thanks to dropping stock prices, the forced Nintendo 3DS price cut, and increasing competition from Apple. All that said, while Nintendo’s finances have taken a hit thanks to the slow deflation of the Wii and the lackluster launch of the Nintendo 3DS, the company’s still doing a pretty decent job at holding everything together. Every day, we wake up to bad news about massive layoffs in the game industry, and the closure of entire studios. So far, Nintendo has been able to hold on to its staff. That strength will help the company back the Wii U when the time comes.

Nintendo likely has a major marketing plan for the Wii U — In fact, Nintendo probably already has a marketing plan in place for the Wii U. Nintendo’s ad campaigns can be hit-or-miss, but it’s not going to put forth anything but its best for the Wii U’s commercials–not if it wants the system to succeed. The two well-groomed Japanese gentlemen who told the world, “Wii would like to play” struck a chord with planet; we look forward to witnessing Nintendo’s follow-up.

Nintendo has tumbled from the #1 spot often enough, and bounced back — Our memories like to play games with us, which may be why some of us act as if Nintendo has never before been trounced by competitors in its long history. The Nintendo 64 was trumped sales-wise by the PlayStation, and the GameCube rolled over for the PlayStation 2. The Wii was Nintendo’s first runaway success in a long time (barring the handheld market). Moreover, even though the N64, GameCube, and Wii may seem like dark spots in Nintendo’s timeline, each console helped evolve the industry. Runaway financial success isn’t everything–though to be fair, Nintendo’s investors would disagree.

Nintendo has already learned some hard lessons through the 3DS — Nintendo got a bit too cocky with the Nintendo 3DS. The handheld relased long before it had the library to back it up, and at a price that was a bit difficult to justify. Nintendo has since taken steps to reverse the 3DS’s fortunes, and it’s been humbled by the experience. At the very least, the company now understands that hype is never a replacement for a good price and a solid launch schedule.

From this angle, Nintendo will probably do all right. But who can say for sure? Mighty Empires rise and fall with the sun. Before long, we’ll see what 2012 has in store for the House of Mario.

Anyone can take advantage of custom design, order fulfillment, payment processing and worldwide shipping solutions to start their own record label or launch tomorrow’s most addictive software app. Even better still, most options are generally affordable enough (ranging anywhere from $10 to $1,000 and up), that you don’t have to sell a kidney or beg friends and family for cash to fund the enterprise.

Assuming you’re the hands-on type, don’t mind a little micromanaging, possess a knack for self-promotion and (better yet) have a friend who’s a graphic designer, there’s nothing more satisfying than building your own business and enjoying complete and total creative freedom. The following sites and services can turn you from idle dreamer to entrepreneur overnight.

Artwork, Clothing and Collectibles

The globe’s largest online art fair Etsy makes it possible to send handcrafted goods including pottery, furniture, jewelry, knitting and purses to millions of fans of fine Bohemian wares. Set up a stall there and you can sell virtually any crazy item, from Twilight-themed pet collars to necklaces adorned with Gary Coleman’s likeness.

Fancy yourself a fashion plate instead? Try CafePress, where you can build your own online clothing boutique and stock it with custom baseball caps, hoodies, boxers and baby clothes. Spreadshirt also lets you upload t-shirt designs and build personalized aprons, messenger bags and other goodies, while PrintMojo provides the tools to make and sell your own wearable slogans.

Should your tastes range more towards stickers and souvenirs, Zazzle makes for a worthwhile pit stop too. Hit the site to design individualized mugs, magnets, greeting cards, mouse pads, binders and beer steins. PrintableMemories further makes it possible to put one’s own stamp on pillows, photo tins, jewelry bottles and other assorted objects.

Aspiring photographers might also turn to Snapfish, Shutterfly and Picaboo to produce coffee table-ready collections of their work. Images can also be appended onto stationary, address labels, coffee mugs, serving trays or anything else that can benefit from a candid close-up of your pet Pomeranian.

Books and Magazines

Lulu and Blurb are handy services you can use to produce paperbacks or hardbacks, as well as yearbooks, cookbooks, CDs, DVDs, calendars and other keepsakes that look as good as their professionally-produced counterparts. Granted, if you’re not technically inclined, some outside graphic and visual layout assistance may be needed. While I’ve used the service successfully, others have complained of mixed results.

Lulu can also be used as a platform to secure distribution with vendors like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This is also the case with iUniverse and a multitude of other vendors including Wordclay, Xlibris, BookSurge and AuthorHouse. As with any item, you’ll pay significantly more on short runs, but volume discounts are awarded based on larger orders.

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However, the upside for even the leanest startups is that these days, it doesn’t take massive marketing and public relations budgets or lavish events to generate serious ink. Mind you, there’s no one simple strategy for breaking into every outlet–each is actually a broad collection of self-contained sections staffed by a unique team of reporters with various backgrounds, interests and needs. But employ the simple tips below, and who knows? You too could soon be making headlines.

1. Get your story straight
Ask yourself: What makes my company unique? Because with countless rivals out there competing for the same space, what’s to make an editor choose you out of a sea of faceless competitors? Knowing this, it’s imperative that you instantly set yourself apart from the pack in journalists’ minds. Look at things from their perspective–they need to immediately identify compelling stories, then condense and translate these gems into digestible nuggets that anyone can enjoy. So start by picking three attributes, or unique sales points, that present your case and weaving them into a compelling narrative, which makes it fast and simple to see where a potential fit lies.

2. Perfect your pitch
Decided how you want to present yourself? Great–now brush up on that elevator pitch and figure out how to do it in 30 seconds or less. Because that’s roughly the amount of attention you’ll get from a journalist if you’re lucky, given how under the gun today’s reporters are. The lesson here: Whatever you have to say, keep it short and sweet. Because the second it starts coming out of your mouth, listeners will already be vetting the topic’s potential, knowing it’ll have to both make sense to and hook readers/viewers in even less time–e.g., two sentences or less.

3. Tailor for every outlet
Repeat to yourself until it sinks in: One size does not fit all when it comes to pitching media outlets. Every publication effectively has its own singular approach and voice when it comes to covering topics, and actually consists of a collection of numerous smaller vehicles (front-of-book sections, feature wells, etc.) that do so in varied ways. Likewise, every editor and reporter has their own way of tackling these tasks, meaning it pays to read up on and be intimately familiar with both the magazine and specific section you’re angling for a spot in. Always bear in mind that different audiences have different needs, as well: You wouldn’t provide seasoned HR professionals with the same spiel that you would a readership of casual job seekers. By keeping these points in mind and pitching a section and article format that properly aligns with the story you’re promoting, you’ll avoid being discounted as a poor fit right off the bat.

For More, Visit Entrepreneur Magazine

Connect and Communicate: Make no bones about it: Blogging should be an essential part of any modern website. After all, a few clicks is literally all it takes to post updates in real-time around the clock, creating a steady stream of content that promises something new and exciting with every visit. Better still, professionals at all experience levels have the capability of readily doing it, and the practice also helps put a personal face on your organization, shining the spotlight on the individuals behind it. However, to really captivate an audience enough to keep them returning, take note: You’ll also need to provide content that’s dynamic, unique and offers measurable informational or entertainment value, plus speak in a language that all can understand. In short, the occasional pre-approved sound bite from the HR guy or gal won’t cut it. Rather, you need to address audiences like you’re having a normal conversation, and provide content with meaningful substance to the reader. Making-of articles, features detailing how to get more from your products, partner profiles, project diaries, step-by-step how-to guides, interviews with notable personalities or internal stakeholders: All present compelling ways to connect with audiences while also keeping them interested and informed, providing ample incentive to keep coming back.

Emphasize Community Building: As social media insiders well know, creating a sense of community around your website is one of the most powerful tools for engaging and ultimately enthralling prospective fans. But doing so doesn’t simply mean throwing up a sponsored message board then leaving it to stagnate, or e-mailing customers sporadic newsletter updates that regurgitate existing material easily found elsewhere. Rather, you have to not only encourage discussion and actively take part in conversations by dedicating internal time and resources, but also make customers feel as if they truly have a voice in the discussion by listening to their concerns, responding and sourcing feedback at every opportunity. Implementing programs that recognize and reward valued contributors is also vital, as is creating fan-based initiatives that allow community members to contribute and share ideas, concepts and creations of their own. Even simply giving enthusiasts the chance to submit designs for your next fundraiser’s logo or arranging times where they can chat with top execs to provide input on upcoming ventures won’t just engender goodwill. They’ll also excite and empower a legion of amateur brand ambassadors–an essential source of free ongoing updates and constructive conversations, which will both attract users to and keep them enamored with your site.

For More, Please Visit Entrepreneur Magazine

Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Action/Adventure) — It’s Nathan Drake’s first adventure on the Vita, and happily, nothing is lost in the transition from his usual stomping grounds on the PlayStation 3. The (imported) game commands a solid amalgamated score from critics, all of whom have nice things to say about the game’s gorgeous graphics and deep action-adventure gameplay.

“Uncharted: Golden Abyss is an essential purchase [for the Vita],” writes Alan Purvis of PocketGamer.co.uk. “It really shows off what the new handheld can do, squeezing the best bits of home console gaming into your pocket, adding some new modes of interaction and taking nothing away in the process.”

Little Deviants (Arcade/Minigames) — Little Deviants is a suitable name for a game that’s all about, er, touching the PS Vita on its front and its rear. The game is actually a collection of activities that show off what the Vita’s gyroscope and touchpads (particularly its rear touchpad) is capable of. Little Deviants is good, solid fun, and if you’re still mystified about what the Vita can do, it serves as an excellent showcase.

Rayman Origins (Platforming) — At the start of every year, we glance backwards to take note of which excellent games got trampled in the holiday hype. In 2011, that game was Rayman Origins, Ubisoft’s charming multi-console platforming game. Luckily, Rayman Origins is also a PS Vita release title, so you have a chance to make things right by experiencing this gorgeously animated side-scroller. The PS Vita release of Rayman Origins is strictly single-player fare, unlike its console-based cousins, but playing the game at your own pace isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Touch My Katamari (Action/Puzzle) — The gameplay that drives the Katamari series ought to be familiar by now: you roll a ball (a katamari) over objects in order to pick them up and make a bigger ball, presumably to fix something in the sky that your demi-god father shattered after he went on a bender. However, Touch My Katamari utilizes the Vita’s touchpads to allow you to squish and stretch the katamari, and squeeze it into unconventional places. Aside from the new touch-based functions, Touch My Katamari is a familiar title–but that’s not a bad thing at all if you’re a fan of the series’ nutty goals and atmosphere.

WipEout 2048 (Racing) — Wipeout is a veteran game series that seems to have accompanied every system release since the original Sony PlayStation. WipEout 2048 for the Vita continues the series’ proud tradition of intense anti-gravity racing and music that’ll put you in the mood for driving at speeds humanity was never meant to experience. Plus, you can take the game on the bus and pretend you’re going way, way faster than 30 miles per hour down a grey city street!

Credit tectonic shifts in both cultural norms and commercial realities: In a faster-paced, increasingly visually driven world where attention spans are shrinking, more parties are competing for less, and out of sight is out of mind, let’s be frank. Immediate and sustained visibility isn’t just crucial to making sure you stand out from the white noise, let alone rivals competing for the same limited pool of dollars and resources. It also, for better or worse, increasingly defines public perception of who you are and what values you and your business represent.

Call it self-aggrandizing if you like. Label it indicative of a decline in social values if you wish. But make no bones about it. People tend to make snap judgments based on what they see at first glance (you know what they say about first impressions), and basic marketing principles still revolve around frequency and reach. Therefore, it’s essential that if you want to be viewed a certain way, you not only need to project the corresponding image at a glance, but you must also grab the reins and take control of your own fate, rather than letting others arbitrarily define you or your enterprise.

Looking to instantly boost your business, establish yourself as a subject matter expert or simply generate widespread awareness for your particular passion, field or cause? Here are five simple strategies that individuals and organizations alike can use to instantly set themselves apart from the pack.

1. Craft a Compelling Pitch–The first rule of personal branding: You need to be able to clearly define yourself, and sum up precisely what it is you and your business do, in 30 seconds or less (also known as the fabled “elevator pitch”). When in doubt, make a simple matrix of the skills you feel you or your business excel at, and the personal qualities and values you’re most proud of. Then create a powerful and truthful description that best connects the dots. Ask yourself: How do I see myself? Are you a “web design guru,” “leader in forensic accounting,” or “top data warehousing solutions provider?” Because that’s how most others will summarize you mentally–as a short, descriptive tag that’s lumped into a single grouping. To this extent, your pitch needs to be brief, to the point, and ensure that–as time-strapped individuals are wont to do–when you’re quickly shunted into a specific mental category, it’s the one that best matches your experience. That way, when the person in question has a need for a specific service, they know exactly whom to call. Pro tip: Rather than vying for attention in an area that’s saturated with rivals, instead strike where the competition isn’t, and pick a niche that’s clearly being underserved. That way, your voice won’t just ring out louder–its echoes will also travel further.
2. Take Control of Your Image–It can’t be stressed enough: Search engine marketing cannot be ignored. From prospective clients and business partners to job recruiters and candidates, countless professionals (all increasingly strapped for time and bandwidth) are turning to services like Google and Bing to research specific topics, service providers and potential hires in ever-growing numbers. Therefore, it’s imperative that you tap into the power of these platforms to build brand awareness and reinforce the message you’re trying to convey. As a starter exercise, try inputting your name or your business’s name in Google, and see what comes up. It’s vital that the majority of results that appear–especially the first ones that pop up, as they’re the likeliest to be clicked on–be those you want, and that all speak to the same clear message. To this extent, you should not only own a website with your personal name as the domain (www.johnsmith.com) or a simple variation thereof (www.johnjaysmith.com); you should also have profiles on all major social networking services (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, etc.) under the same name. Also, keep in mind that virtually everything you say or do online is publicly visible and tends to linger. So always think twice before you post something dubious or upload pictures from last night’s party to your Facebook profile. If it’s not something you’d feel comfortable sharing in front of co-workers or clients at the office, it’s not something you should be projecting into cyberspace.

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