Posts Tagged ‘mobile apps’
Shoutters: Visualizing the Food Experience One Photo at a Time
posted by Terri Kim
Nowadays, it seems like taking pictures of food is the norm. Instead of waiting for your food to arrive at the table to eat, now the eating occurs after a picture is taken. And why shouldn’t it be? Humans are visual beings. A picture of a piece of cake is more tantalizing to the taste buds than a simple description.
Realizing this, Andy Wong founded Shoutters in 2011 with the hopes of revolutionizing “food reviews by making it simple and straight to the point with a visual guide.” Instead of reading long reviews, Shoutters fans can choose their next meal based on how delicious the food looks.
And what better way to reach on-the-go diners than by creating a mobile app? After shopping around, Andy chose Mobile Roadie to create the Shoutter app, as our platform features matched perfectly with his needs. In the app, Shoutters fans can upload their pictures, check out the Shout Spots, favorite their favorite photos, calculate tips with the Tip Calculator, and keep up with the latest Shoutters news.
The Shoutter app is unique in that it is one of the only Mobile Roadie apps to be the actual product of the brand.
Andy tested out this concept with a Mobile Roadie app for iPhone, and he’s planning to expand to Android as well.
To download the Shoutter app, visit http://road.ie/shoutter
App of the Week: LA Kings
posted by Terri Kim
The LA Kings launched their official app powered by Mobile Roadie last Friday, and it’s still going strong. With the release of the Android version this week, now thousands of iPhone and Android users (and counting) are enjoying the LA Kings right on their phones.
In addition to being one of our most downloaded apps this week, the LA Kings app is featured first under the “New” section in sports apps in the App Store. Response has been phenomenal- the iPhone and Android versions have average ratings of 5 and 4.7 stars, respectively.
Kings fans are ecstatic to be able to catch up on news, standings, the team schedule, and much more right on the app, with some describing the app as “very well put together,” “a definite must have for any true Kings Fan,” and a “great way to keep up to date on my Kings!”
Hype around the LA Kings app doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon with the season in full swing. If you’re a Kings fan, this app is a must. To download the official LA Kings app, visit http://road.ie/lakings.
Mobile Roadie Powers Official LA Kings Mobile App
posted by Terri Kim
We’re very excited to announce the release of the official LA Kings mobile app sponsored by Verizon! Now fans can check upcoming matches & updated standings, read Kings news, view videos & photos, listen to podcasts, purchase Kings merchandise, share to their social networks, and so much more right on the app.
Announced on the LA Kings Website, Facebook page and Twitter profile last Friday afternoon, fans can’t get enough of the app. And in one day, the LA Kings app catapulted to a spot in the Top 20 free apps in Sports in the App Store. The app has already been mentioned on various news sources including socal Tech, LA Kings Insider, and iOSnoops. With the Android version releasing later this week, we expect there to be even more buzz.
According to Kings President (Business Operations) Luc Robitaille, “This app will not only efficiently deliver content to our fans, but it will provide an engaging interactive experience between the Kings and our users, and also the ability to share information with other users.”
We couldn’t agree more. CEO Michael Schneider said, “We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with the LA Kings, a team in our hometown. Our partnership with the LA Kings provides fans a brand new way to engage with their favorite team including the ability to watch behind-the-scenes video of players and events.”
To download the official LA Kings mobile app, visit http://road.ie/LAkings
App of the Week: midem
posted by Terri Kim
midem is just one day away! For those of you who don’t know, midem is an annual event held in the city of Cannes, France where “artists, technology and brands are connected by music.” Last year, 6,850 participants from 3,120 companies spanning 77 countries attended midem.
If you’re attending midem this year, don’t forget to download the official midem app powered by Mobile Roadie. Available for iPhone, Android, and even iPad, the official midem app allows you to “consult the conference & festival schedule, discover speakers & artists line up, access a practical guide to Cannes, and view official photos & videos.” App users can also “read the latest industry news and see what companies & partners are at midem.” It’s the only thing you need to get around smoothly during the 4-day event.
To download the official midem app, visit http://road.ie/MIDEM
And don’t forget to RSVP for the Music Tech Meetup that we’re co-hosting with SoundCloud, Spotify, Topspin, Webdoc, MXP4, Musixmatch, Next Big Sound, The Orchard, and midem.
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Marketing Your Mobile App
posted by Terri Kim
Unless you’re a household name, your app will need more than brand recognition to attract downloads. Don’t fall victim to the mentality that your app will market itself, because for the majority, this isn’t the case. Here are 5 simple mistakes to avoid when marketing your app .
Mistake #1: Forgetting to utilize social media channels
If you already have presence in social media sites, why wouldn’t you market your app to existing followers/fans? And don’t forget to remind them from time to time that your app is available for download. You definitely don’t want to push your app into oblivion once the initial buzz wears off.
Mistake #2: Forgetting to update your app with new content
“A year in mobile is like five years in any other industry,” said MoRo CEO Michael Schneider in a recent midem blog guest post. You don’t want to release your app only to never update it with new content. If you commit this mistake, other competitors will catch up or might even take the lead with cooler app features and more relevant technology that users will prefer. An updated app means more content for marketing posts.
Mistake #3: Forgetting to proofread
Text littered with spelling, grammatical, and format errors can make even the most awesome of apps a little less awesome. And don’t forget to proofread marketing posts related to your app before they’re uploaded; it’s important to include a download link in these posts for the viewers.
Mistake #4: Forgetting to respond to app users
Think of your app as another social network. And with any social network, fan interaction is important. For many apps, the only user feedback may be in the form of ratings. Use these ratings to your advantage; they’re end-user insights on how to improve your app, resulting in happier users and more downloads.
Mistake #5: Not launching a marketing campaign at all
You think your app will be seen by thousands of visitors in the app stores without doing anything? Most likely, this isn’t the case. Doing something, no matter how small, is better than doing nothing. As the mobile industry (and competitors) grow, it’s more important than ever to be active.
These mistakes can be easily avoided if you try. If you want help marketing your app, check out our article “5 Easy Ways to Market Your Mobile App“.
Mobile Roadie Powers Official App for midem 2012
posted by Terri Kim
midem 2012 is just around the corner. Bringing together the hottest names in music, tech, and business in the beautiful city of Cannes, France, this 4-day event aims to “enrich the passionate relationship between people & music, transform audience engagement & form new business connections.” Touted as the world’s largest music industry trade show, we’re proud to be a partner of midem for another year.
In addition to powering the official midem app for the iPhone, we’re powering their first iPad app this year. midem’s iPad app is a preview of what’s to come for our upcoming iPad product, so stay tuned.
MoRo CEO Michael Schneider is already making his presence known at midem: He gave a talk at the MIDEM Managers Village about the music potential in mobile apps, and he wrote a guest post on midem’s blog about the six mobile music trends to watch in 2012. We’ll also be co-hosting a Music Tech Meetup with SoundCloud, Spotify, Topspin, Webdoc, MXP4, Musixmatch, Next Big Sound, The Orchard, and midem on January 29th (RSVP for free here).
midem is from January 28- 31, 2012. If would like to stay updated on the latest midem news, download the official midem app at http://road.ie/MIDEM.
Mobile Roadie Powers Official DLD Conference App
posted by Terri Kim
DLD Conference 2012 kicked off yesterday in Munich, Germany. Now in its 7th year, the DLD (Digital, Life, Design) International Conference is a three day event bringing together “thought leaders, creators, entrepreneurs and investors” from all over the world. DLD doesn’t stop at the conference, however; in fact, DLD is a year-long affair creating events and experiences that are focused on “innovation, digital media, science and culture which connects business, creative and social leaders, opinion-formers and investors for crossover conversation and inspiration”.
With partnerships with renowned companies like Microsoft, HP, Audi, Google, CNBC, comScore, and many more, DLD is the place to be for those who are excited about the future. Past speakers include Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Eric Schmidt, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and media entrepreneur Martha Stewart, among others.
This year, speakers include media entrepreneur Arianna Huffington, eBay CEO John Donahoe, Yoko Ono, and our very own Michael Schneider. Moderated by Hubert Burda Media’s Patrick Wolke, Michael spoke on the App World panel alongside Summly’s Nick D’Aloisio, Armen’s Felix Petersen, and Khoya’s Shila Siv Suleman.
We are proud to be a DLD partner, powering the official DLD app available for free download. The DLD app is the ultimate guide for conference attendees and non-attendees, with sections including Program (schedule), Speakers, News, Pictures, and Livestream. To download the official DLD app available for iPhone and Android, visit http://road.ie/dld.
Mobile Roadie wins Interactive Award at Eurosonic 2012
posted by Terri Kim
We’re proud to add an Interactive Award to our award shelf!
Founded in 2008, the Interactive Awards is “an initiative of web agency theFactor.e, Burma/Stemra, and Eurosonic Nooderslag”, recognizing one artist and one company in Europe that pushes boundaries and makes innovations in the music market through the Internet. One of 7 award presentations at Eurosonic Nooderslag- Europe’s largest, most prominent conference and showcase festival for European music- the Interactive Awards is unique in that the nominees present themselves on stage to a jury who then chooses the two winners.
We want to give a shout out to our fellow nominees Shuffler.fm and Repudo, and we want to say congrats to Only Seven Left, the winner of the Artist Award.
Mobile Roadie’s Stephen O’Reilly and Tony Pardo were present to accept the Company Award (Image above: Left, Tony Pardo; Right, Stephen O’Reilly). To view a video of our win and a short interview with Stephen, check it out here.
App of the Week: sbe
posted by Terri Kim
Ready for a night out on the town but don’t know what to do? With the official sbe app powered by Mobile Roadie, you don’t have to look further to find the hottest restaurant, hotel, and nightlife brands in North America. The sbe app gives you a comprehensive overview of each of their fine establishments, so you can pick and choose the places that reflect your personality.
And if you’re planning a vacay to one of the hottest entertainment cities in the country, the sbe app is the perfect companion. With their multiple establishments in LA, Las Vegas, NYC, and Miami, sbe has something for everyone. And with multiple features on the app, including photos, videos, music, news, and the ability to shop for sbe packages and gift cards, you’ll be fully prepared to have fun.
Download the official sbe mobile app at http://road.ie/sbe
5 Easy Ways to Market Your Mobile App
posted by Terri KimIf you’re ready to launch your app but don’t quite know how to build traction, follow these 5 simple tips to market your app.
1. On social media sites: Don’t be afraid to use social networks to feature your app in a post or two. Because you are targeting the news to existing followers who have already expressed interest in your brand, they will be more inclined to download your app. The San Diego Zoo used social sites to promote the launch of their official app.
*If you want to attract new fans on these networks while promoting your app, choose one social network to exclusively reveal your app, building anticipation in the days before with hints.
2. On the homepage of your website: Your website is usually the first place that interested consumers go to learn about your brand, so by featuring your app the homepage, you will be taking advantage of this targeted audience. Don’t forget to provide a link to download the app. On Adele’s homepage, her app is featured alongside her blog, videos, and news (click image below for example).
*Promote your app to users who access your site via mobile devices. With App Detection for Mobile Browsers, available in Mobile Roadie 3.3, you can input a unique code to your site which will create a popup that gives users the option to download your app or continue on to the site (See below image for example).
3. In your blog: While the most popular social media sites have character limitations, your blog is one place to really talk about all the ins and outs of your app. It’s your chance to present users with a compelling case on why they need to download your app.
Famehouse created a blog post on the release of the official Pretty Lights mobile app, which presented the app’s features and what users could do on the app.
4. On traditional advertising: Mobile consumers are just that, mobile, and thus, are everywhere. It makes sense to market your app through online channels, but it may also be a good idea to market your app through offline channels like posters and magazines. Be sure to include where to download the app; for example, you could include text like “Download the app at the App Store or Android Market (etc.)” or “Visit our website www.example.com to download the app”.
*Another idea for offline marketing collateral is to include a QR code that when scanned automatically allows the user to access the app. We provide unique QR codes for all our apps, which the FADER FORT took advantage of for their posters at SXSW (see below for example).
5. In the app itself: Word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools that doesn’t cost anything. You let your existing fans spread the word about your brand for you. One way to do this is by hosting buzz-worthy giveaways or contests in your app. Uploading great content and exclusives in the app is another way.
*In Mobile Roadie 3.3., we added an engagement feature called “Share to Unlock” which lets you lock content (currently, audio) in the app that your users can unlock by sharing the app to their social networks.
In conclusion
With the influx of apps being released, it’s a good idea to have a marketing plan ready for your app. So follow these quick, inexpensive tips to make your app’s launch an even bigger success.
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