MobileIgniter: Do It Yourself App Building |  |
- MobileIgniter: Do It Yourself App Building
- StumbleUpon Ads Get Facelift As Twitter and Facebook Ad Competition Heats Up
- Get Out of the Office For a Small Business Event: Network and Learn!
- Focused Leadership Teaches Leadership Lessons That Can Make Your Day
| MobileIgniter: Do It Yourself App Building Posted: 26 Aug 2012 03:00 PM PDT Mobile apps are becoming increasingly essential for businesses that want to reach on-the-go customers, but many small businesses don't have the resources to hire app developers, and creating their own apps that actually work and appeal to consumers may seem a bit overwhelming.
MobileIgniter is a new software-as-a-service provider that gives companies and individuals the ability to build their own high-quality mobile apps using a simple user interface and then publish them to the App Store or Google Play. The apps can be simple for users and easily built, or intricate and well-designed, depending on how much time and energy your company wants to put into building an app. There are other do-it-yourself app builders available, even some that can also pull content from other sites automatically, but MobileIgniter offers a number of different options that may be beneficial for small businesses. Users can create modules that make up their app by extracting information from their website, Twitter feed, and other social sites.
Available features include directories, Facebook and Twitter sharing, RSS feed, push notifications, YouTube videos, and more. But developers can also have full access to MobileIgniter's JavaScript API so they can set up more advanced features like geolocational tagging and camera connectivity, if they choose to do so. In addition to its app-building features, MobileIgniter offers statistics and analytics about the customers that use the app, so that businesses can gain insights into their users. MobileIgniter offers a 7-day free trial for those wanting to test out the service. After that, the company has a few different plans starting at $99 per month. The MobileIgniter team also offers support and consulting for companies that want help with anything from graphics to development. MobileIgniter was created by Dominic DiMarco and Tim Nott and is part of the Gener8tor accelerator program, which is holding its Demo Day on August 23. From Small Business Trends |
| StumbleUpon Ads Get Facelift As Twitter and Facebook Ad Competition Heats Up Posted: 26 Aug 2012 12:00 PM PDT StumbleUpon's Paid Discovery ad program has just received a new look. With other social networks like Twitter and Facebook investing heavily in new ad products, and increasingly blurring the line between organic social activity and paid promoted activity, StumbleUpon doesn’t want to be left behind. Now, the ad system has received a facelift. Mainly these are cosmetic changes, with no real substantive changes to the ad program. Instead, advertisers get a new way to view and manage their account activity. The new features include a new dashboard, a consolidated graph for campaign information, and new options for active and archived campaigns. Currently, advertisers have the ability to switch over to the new Paid Discovery dashboard once they've logged in, but they can still switch back to the old look. Here’s one screen in the new dashboard (showing effective cost per visitor or CPV):
How StumbleUpon Paid Discovery Ads Work If you are not familiar with StumbleUpon, it’s a relatively straightforward social content-sharing site. StumbleUpon guides users to browse through (“stumble”) sites and Web pages that have been shared and recommended by others. You click a button on a toolbar or app, and you arrive on a page that someone else has shared, according to your interests. Rinse and repeat. The advertising feature works much like the organic content sharing, as far as users are concerned. Advertisers can pay to have their website’s page show up in the stream of content that users see while browsing. Advertisers can choose a target market, i.e., pick the category and who sees their page by specifying interests and demographic data. Users will see Web pages that have been organically shared and also see pages that are inserted by advertisers who pay to have them displayed. The Competition for Ad Money Heats Up Twitter and Facebook have been turning up the heat under their ad offerings. As those sites mature, investors demand returns — and that means ad revenue.
StumbleUpon – Ahead of Its Time StumbleUpon was way ahead of its time. The social sharing site has been around since at least 2002. StumbleUpon Ads were introduced six years ago, back in 2006. Along the way, the ads were rebranded as StumbleUpon Paid Discovery. In the beginning, StumbleUpon advertisers paid 5 cents per click. Today there are two pricing levels. Standard is 10 cents per click. Premium (which guarantees top priority in displaying your page) is 25 cents per click. Still, when you compare that with the cost of Google AdWords, the clicks are inexpensive. StumbleUpon clicks are less focused on a conversion, however. Unlike with Google or other search ads, the user is not already looking for what the advertiser offers — think of it as more of an unexpected “discovery,” hence the name. What StumbleUpon Ads Are Good For If you’re trying to create awareness and drive traffic directly to your site by a young social audience, StumbleUpon Paid Discovery ads have a place. A few years ago we tested StumbleUpon ads and found that they did indeed drive traffic relatively inexpensively. We mainly used them for a site we had purchased, BizSugar.com, to increase awareness by an audience already attuned to blogs (BizSugar.com appeals to bloggers and many of the pages shared on StumbleUpon are blogs). StumbleUpon ads are also good for new product launches, especially technology products that appeal to today’s young tech-hungry consumers. StumbleUpon displays the Web page directly to the user (not an ad they have to click on) — good for reaching audiences who normally ignore ads. Finally, StumbleUpon ads can also trigger a viral organic “stumble” experience, leading to much higher traffic at no additional cost, as outlined in this post by Darren Rowse. But the question is: can StumbleUpon still compete with social networks like Twitter and Facebook that keep pushing the envelope in new ways?
From Small Business Trends |
| Get Out of the Office For a Small Business Event: Network and Learn! Posted: 26 Aug 2012 09:01 AM PDT We know, we know! You and your team are so busy working IN your business that you find it hard to carve out time to work ON your business. But if you want to avoid getting into a rut, you have to lift up your head sometime, meet new people who can open up opportunities, and grow your skills (and your team’s skills). Small business events are perfect opportunities to step back and focus on the big picture. Here is our hand-picked list of conferences, seminars and events. Sign up for one today! * * * * *
Startup Weekends are 54-hour events designed to provide superior experiential education for technical and non-technical entrepreneurs. Beginning with Friday night pitches and continuing through brainstorming, business plan development, and basic prototype creation, Startup Weekends culminate in Sunday night demos and presentations. Participants create working startups during the event and are able to collaborate with like-minded individuals outside of their daily networks. All teams hear talks by industry leaders and receive valuable feedback from local entrepreneurials. The weekend is centered around action, innovation, and education. Whether you are looking for feedback on a idea, a co-founder, specific skill sets, or a team to help you execute, Startup Weekends are the perfect environment in which to test your idea and take the first steps towards launching your own startup.
This series features a full day of strategies, tips and marketing best practices from the experts at Infusionsoft. You’ll receive hands-on instructions on how to develop a highly effective sales and marketing plan you can start implementing right away. You’ll learn to: Drive higher customer referral traffic tomorrow
MacTech Boot Camp is a one day event for those that support the home user, and small business market held around the country. MacTech Boot Camp is a single-track, hotel based seminar that is specifically geared to serve the needs of consultants and techs wanting to serve their base better. This event is geared toward those that already support the home and SMB communities, or that want to become a consultant supporting these areas.
For women entrepreneurs, tech knowledge is freedom…freedom from fear, freedom to pursue their dreams of venturing out on their own. No longer will they be out of the loop from their tech team, no longer will they be held hostage by their consultants who “know more”. At TechSpeak for Entrepreneurs, you will learn: Early bird pricing expires July 30th.
B2B Forum isn’t just another event. It’s the event for B2B marketers who don’t just follow yesterday’s best practices; they create the next practices needed to move their businesses—and industries—forward. Five programming tracks covering the modern marketing mix: lead gen, content, social media, mobile, and marketing essentials.
Inc. 500|5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony is the must-attend event for the nation's leading entrepreneurs. Join your colleagues and peers for three days of unparalleled networking and learning from the leaders of America's fastest-growing companies. This year’s speakers include Captain Mark Kelly, Commander of the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s final mission, Guy Kawasaki, Founding Partner of Garage Technology Ventures, and Marie Tillman, Founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation.
This year's theme celebrates the entrepreneurial, innovative and adventurous spirit of women business owners. They are starting businesses at record rates and running these businesses on their own terms. They refuse to sit idle, waiting and watching. They have confidence and power to shake things up, take smart risks and do things differently to move forward. They are impacting positive change at every turn, speaking out on issues of public policy, lightening their environmental footprint and creating jobs that fuel the economy. They are part of something much greater than themselves—a grassroots movement of women business owners and their community of supporters all dedicated to helping one another grow, thrive, give back and leave a legacy.
Affiliate Management Days is the world's first and only professional forum devoted to affiliate management. This conference is designed for those who offer an affiliate program or are considering offering an affiliate channel. AM Days offers you valuable insight into how other online retailers are successfully implementing and managing their affiliate programs. If you want your affiliate channel to be more successful and profitable, this is the conference for you. Learn with world experts!
The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards is the annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of the 500,000+ small businesses throughout the tri-state area. Now in its 7th year, the Awards gala attracts more than 400 business owners and executives and is often referred to as "the networking event of the year." Don't miss the chance to do business with the "who's who" of the New York small business community.
Supported by the industry’s leading businesses, exhibitors and sponsors involved in social media, Internet marketing, search engines, and online advertising, Pubcon Las Vegas 2012 will offer a week-long look at the future of technology presented by over 200 of the world’s best speakers in more than 100 bold cutting-edge sessions.
The New York Business XPO and Conference is New York’s #1 expo and conference for small and mid-size businesses. Over 10,000 people attend the show floor. Includes presidents, CEOs and top executives of privately held firms entering the next phase of growth. Includes educational seminars and workshops throughout the day, featuring the top small-business speakers from around the country. October 17, 2012 at the Javits Convention Center. Register now.
The Small Business Influencer Awards will honor the Top 100 small business influencer champions at a festive Awards Gala on the evening of October 17, 2012 at the Javits Convention Center. Last year’s event had a capacity crowd at a smaller venue. This year it will be bigger than ever — with the Awards Gala as the evening event at the New York Business XPO and Conference. One ticket gets you into both! More details. Don’t miss this exciting event! Tickets are just $34 if you use our discount code: INFLUENCER. Register now!
Small Business Expo is a full day networking event, trade show & conference of the year for business owners, C-Level Executives & company decision-makers. Network with other business professionals & check out the exciting exhibitor hall
Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world's largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare.
NMX, formerly Blog World & New Media Expo, is the first and only industry-wide conference, tradeshow and media event dedicated to providing valuable content for Bloggers, Podcasters and Web TV producers. Pre-register now and receive Super Early Bird rates.
This three day conference includes an exhibit hall with affiliate merchants, vendors, and networks, as well as multiple tracks of educational sessions covering the latest trends and information from affiliate marketing experts.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit the Small Business Events Calendar. If you are putting on a small business event or contest, and want to get the word out, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form (it’s free). Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be included. Brought to you as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com. From Small Business Trends |
| Focused Leadership Teaches Leadership Lessons That Can Make Your Day Posted: 26 Aug 2012 06:00 AM PDT
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak: Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” ~ Winston Churchill Earl Cobb, author of the new book Focused Leadership: What You Can Do Today To Become An Effective Leader, mentions that Churchill quote as his personal favorite. It's fitting as he raises his courage in sharing his executive and managerial experiences that he feels all leaders should possess. This is my second review of a publication from Richer Press, a small trade publisher that features various motivational and self-development books. This is also a nod to my mentioning the unique perspective Cobb and his wife, Dr. Charlotte Grant-Cobb, bring to their professional experiences (see the review for Living A Richer Life). Cobb relates a number of senior management experiences that can aid a business owner's expectation to lead others. He has led an engineering team involved with a NASA program, has held executive positions at Fortune 100, been an adjunct professor and is a 1995 Black Engineer of the Year award recipient. While Living A Richer Life provided some guidance into developing a balanced life. Focused Leadership selects a different route. Covering highs and lows, Cobb establishes 10 steps, which happen to map to each letter in the word leadership. Each step ends with a brief chart noting three columns:
Some points may seem similar to those expressed in other leadership books, but Cobb enhances and distinguishes from those sentiments with his experiences associated to those ten points. The explanations contain honest talk about managing others, evaluating challenges and setting objectives, all buoyed by Cobbs' belief in leadership:
This book helps small business owners through developing the value of the intention Cobb references while experiencing a career's inevitable ups and downs. Experiences with success are meshed with challenges. Focus Leadership notes Cobb's success leading a Motorola development team supporting the Space Shuttle Discovery, while a brief tenure as COO of MedContrax, a healthcare startup struggling to secure second round investment right after the September 11 attacks, is also shared. Explained anecdotally, Cobb gives you an executive's viewpoint that can enhance your understanding of what leadership means. For example, Cobb shares a lesson that reflects maintaining as critical to get past a growing crisis:
You may connect with the information, but if not, consider the concepts complimentary, with perspectives from broader text such as Sleeping With The Smartphone (see the review here). The segments Articulating Your Vision, Repeatedly and Set a Course Lined With Short Term success (Steps 3 and 7) would be a personal guide if you are implementing Smartphones' example of PTO, for example. This book is meant to be a simple guide that allows personal introspection when developing your leadership, and may enhance your enjoyment of concepts from other business books as well. Focused Leadership is a brief guide, similar in size as How To Be A Fierce Competitor (see the review here). But its impact is much more grand. To be the best leader in your field, consider this book as one of your best pocket reminders of what activity ultimately makes a difference in an organization. From Small Business Trends |
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