Posts Tagged "AOL"

Top 5 Social Media Apps for iPhone

Posted on Nov 12, 2012 in Guest Posts, Social Media |

Top 5 Social Media Apps for iPhone

Guest Post by James Clark.

Social networking sites for smartphones are what make the smartphone experience all the richer. You can get the entertainment and socialization aspects of using a full time PC all in a handy device that is not only portable but can be safely tucked into your pockets or bags. Modern technology really can be a blessing but availing the luxuries can be a bit tricky. With so much progress happening on the smartphone front, there is also a lot of malware and spyware being produced too- – a counter reaction almost for all the things you can use smartphones for.

Of all the platforms for smartphones, iOS ranks number one when it comes to safety. There is just no doubt that an iPhone is the safest platform what with the closed OS and Apple’s strict review policies for apps. So if you feel that you want a social app experience and are safe from cell phone monitoring, keyloggers, and all sorts of malware and adware that spreads through social networking sites, iPhone is your best option.  And so, here are the best social apps that will help you socialize with ease and no fear of spyware on your iPhone.

Facebook

There can be no surprises here. Facebook is King App when it comes to comparing social networking apps for any platform. When we talk about iPhone, we know that the people over at Apple have managed to master social networking app creation and have a great free app version on iTunes. The app is very close to the real website and offers almost everything that is available on the site. The rating is 5 out of 5 and is the most used social app on iPhone.

Meebo

Though Meebo also has an excellent rating (5 out of 5 like Facebook), it still will have to come in a close second behind Facebook since the latter’s preference outdoes anyone else’s. But what is great about Meebo is that you can use it and still avail Facebook chat along with dozens of other chat services all rolled into one iPhone app. The app is free and very easy to use.

IMO Instant Messenger

This is a great app that also allows you to keep in touch with friends through multiple social network platforms and services. Among services it incorporates are AOL, MSN, Facebook, MySpace, and many more. Unlike Meebo, it supports Skype which gives it an edge over some other apps for Skype fans. IMO Instant Messenger is free and allows users to sort out and organize contacts, user push features, search chat history and more. The rating for this app is 4.5 out of 5 but personally, this app is a better option than Meebo.

TweetDeck iPhone App

This is a favorite among Twitter fans. Though it’s the free version of the Twitter app, fans flock to it since it does offer a lot of good features despite holding back many for the users on the paid version. With TweetDeck users can manage more than one Twitter account on one simple interface. The ranking is 4/5 and hard to beat for a free Twitter app.

Flipboard

Now this app is quite possibly the most comprehensive one when it comes to accessing multiple services. Instead of just incorporating the big names, users can also keep tabs on Tumblr, LinkedIn, and Instagram. All the news feeds come to the users in magazine style updates, keeping everything fresh and fun. Flipboard ranks great with a 5 out of 5 rating.

James Clark has been in the business of providing quality information on Mobistealth Mobile Spy Software for a while now. He’s an expert at all things spyware, but his main forte is iPhone spyware which has captured the interest of many.

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ad:tech San Francisco: The New Power Brokers – Apple, Facebook, Google, Twitter & Beyond

Posted on May 3, 2011 in Conferences & Networking |

Session Description: Whether you’re launching a company, marketing a product or just keeping your head above water, it’s likely that you’re increasingly forced to plot your strategy around today’s new power brokers—Google, Facebook, Apple and Twitter. Does the relative hegemony and power of these companies create a stable, predictable environment for the rest of us, or are we continually guessing what the next chess move will do to our plans? In this highly interactive and thought-provoking segment, Upstream Group CEO Doug Weaver brings together experts from the capital markets, industry journalism and agency leadership to explore the impact of these companies on M&A, marketing and advertising. Are these players permanent fixtures, or are there new power brokers waiting in the wings? And what do you need to know to make the very best decisions in the months ahead?

This session took place Tuesday, April 12, 2011. The speakers:

  • Doug Weaver, Founder & CEO, Upstream Group (Moderator)
  • Shawn Carolan, Managing Director, Menlo Ventures
  • Scott Symonds, General Manager Media, AKQA
  • Molly Wood, Executive Editor, CNET.com

I enjoyed the discussion, though I wish there had been more actionable items.

Bullet Point Review!

  • Only 10% of Twitter accounts follow more than 50 people.
  • What is a tweet worth as opposed to a Facebook news update?
  • This curve is pretty similar to any participatory medium.
  • 1 in 4 twitter users are African-American, which is sort of the mirrored opposite of Facebook.
  • Does Amazon belong on this list instead?
    • Already selling more digital books than printed books.
    • Many start-ups use their services for storage, hosting, etc.
    • $36 billion in ecommerce in 2010
    • Who is empowered?  They’re more about empowering themselves, not other sellers or users.
  • They’ve all built really nice walled gardens.  Does that make the web less relevant & by association, Google less relevant?
  • When you solve problems, you grow the market.
  • You still find all these walled gardens through Google.
  • Google is tying bonuses to social media strategy (up to 25%).
  • The personal recommendation is the absolute social currency of web 3.0.
  • Google should let Groupon and Facebook have their  games & get really good at search.
  • Is the web less relevant with Facebook around?
  • “Control, distribution, & delivery of content is the next battleground.” – Molly Wood
  • Clients are more willing to go where good content & readers are instead of the more traditional media outlets.
  • NBC/Comcast is just one example of vertical integration where one party own a both the content & the pipe.
  • Kinect has reinvigorated some new life into Microsoft.
  • Yahoo might have some life left in them.
  • AOL? Made some good hires and good acquisitions & trying hard, especially with local & patch, but it remains to be seen.
  • Who may end up being a power broker in 5-10 years? Apple may not be as people go towards open source, Facebook & Google may be, but ones aggregating content will be ones to watch. Lots of potential with foursquare. Blogging may overturn.
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Social Email Marketing: Email for the Generations #SMMSF

Posted on Sep 22, 2010 in Conferences & Networking, Marketing, Social Media |

This presentation took place at the Social Email Marketing event, put on by Influence People with lead sponsor Constant Contact.  The conference took place on Friday, September 17, 2010 at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, CA.  In this session, we learned how to use social tactics to trigger responses from the Greatest Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials effectively.

I loved this presentation, not only because it was packed with useful marketing information, but also because I learned a bit about myself.  I had no idea that I was Generation Y and not Generation X.  I enjoyed hearing the characteristics of people in these generations and thinking about people I know who follow the characteristics to a T!  The speaker was:

  • Jennifer Neeley Lindsay, Host of The A-List on Blog Talk Radio (@jennifered)

Bullet Point Review!

  • Characteristics of Millennials (born between 1977 and 1994):
    • Real Time communication is key.
    • Visually oriented.
    • Need immediate gratification.
    • Friends=family (they make decisions in groups).
    • Share information they consider valuable easily.
    • Most likely brand advocates.
    • Empathetic.
  • Calls to Action for Millennials:
    • Prefer to share via text or Twitter.
    • Impulse buyers.
    • Will share deals as well as valuable content.
    • Internet or mobile coupons are ideal.
    • If you hit a sweet spot, they’ll create content for you.
  • Characteristics of Generation X (born between 1965 and 1976):
    • Time considered a precious commodity.
    • Actively use Facebook, MySpace, Twitter.
    • Shop and price compare online.
    • Use email and text interchangeably.
    • Self reliant & individualistic.
    • Mistrust institutions.
  • Calls to Action for Gen X:
    • More than 80% text or email deals.
    • Reduce their pressures of everyday life.
    • Communicate ways to keep kids engaged.
    • Deliver quick hit info.
    • Help with their work/life balance.
  • Characteristics of Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964):
    • They’re a squeeze generation, taking care of both their parents and their kids.
    • 1/3 are actively online.
    • Need to feel catered-to.
    • Regular online shoppers and big spenders.
    • Like spending recognition (rewards, points, etc.)
    • Comfortable with email.
    • Twitter is an untapped outlet.
  • Calls to Action for Baby Boomers:
    • Reach all of them.
    • Cash back or savings programs.
    • Up-sell areas of interest:
      • Prescription medication
      • Insurance
      • Gifts for grandkids and kids
      • Entertainment
      • Travel
      • Discount wines by the case
  • Characteristics of the Greatest Generation (born before 1946):
    • Value-oriented  – want to discuss areas of interest.
    • Spend most of their time online with email and message boards.
    • Their Baby Boomer children influence their adoption of technology.
    • Actually asking for more social features on their phones
  • Calls to Action for the Greatest Generation:
    • Emails & messages boards are good for targeted messages about senior discounts.
    • Messages need to be in a large enough font size to be seen.
    • Message about ways you cater to the age group.

There were some good questions after the presentation about the different email providers, such as AOL, Gmail, etc.  She said that the different providers definitely cater to different generations with their levels of difficulty.  Older folks tend to like the simplicity of things like AOL, wherase younger folks enjoy more optimization and personalization with Gmail.  Link shorteners also matter – older generations are less likely to click a weird looking link (bit.ly, tinyurl, etc) whereas younger generations know what they are and are more likely to click.

Jennifer was kindly enough to put her awesome slideshow online, so check it out here:

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Cribbed Content for August 15th

Posted on Aug 15, 2008 in Affiliate Marketing, Conferences & Networking, Marketing, Rambles |

it’s been a crazy week, but a lot has been going on in the business world (not to mention my world lol)

That’s really about it this week since I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to antyhing outside of the summit.  I did pick up some good tools, so the Free Toolsday column should be back soon!

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