Rangilu Rajkot, Rajkot, India,Rajkot Rangilu Rajkot,Gujarat India by Sagar Ganatra: January 2012

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Give Your App a Leg Up on the Competition by SagarGanatra

Since the app stores themselves control which apps are elevated and highlighted, how can you ensure your app gets time in the spotlight and the attention it deserves? Here are six tips drawn from experience.

1. Focus on Product

The best way to get your app noticed is to build a unique and engaging product. Although that’s an article all on its own, let’s sum it up in a few key points.
Know your exact market and who you’re competing against. This will help you understand your target user — what he expects and likes and who else is offering apps to him.
Great apps are also usually the first in their category, or apps that completely reinvent existing categories. A big sign that you have a great app is when you start seeing copycat apps. Embrace them and use them as motivation to continue.
Another element that great apps have in common is fun. You want to make your app something that users will come back to again and again, rather than a one-time, disposable thrill. Whether that means creating lovable characters or tapping into the human desire to compete, remember to deliver fun the first time and every time after.
Also, great apps are simple. No user guides should be necessary to participate, and there should be nothing to “figure out” from a user standpoint. They are intuitive and immediately easy to grasp.
Finally, the last big hallmark of a phenomenal app product is the ability for users to make the app personal through customization features. Today’s app audience is constantly wondering what’s in it for them. Allow them to make it theirs and they’ll more likely become instantly enamored.

2. Allow Users to Engage Others with Your App

These days, more developers are using social media as part of the app as a major key to its success. Your customers’ word-of-mouth multiplies your network a hundred times over without costing you a dime, so be sure to put mechanisms in place that allow users to talk about the app and share experiences with friends.
For example, if your app enables users to create fun videos, make sure they can share those videos with others. This type of direct experience sharing will go a long way in spreading the word about your app.
Caveat: Don’t “over-viralize” your app with too many social features that don’t make sense.

3. Get Media and Blogger Attention: Make It Simple

Media attention and especially reviews of your app can really help to spread recognition. To get that kind of attention, though, you have to have a solid app to begin with, a great story around your app, and it absolutely must be easy to talk about.
The tendency is to come up with the most ingenious, compelling app, filled with loads of features but none that really stand out. This is called “feature creep” and usually spells disaster. Remember, the launch is just the beginning. Successful apps are always adding new content months after launch. If reporters and bloggers (and users for that matter) have a hard time explaining what your app is, what it does or why they like it, they’re less likely to talk about your app. Keep version one simple.
To make your app easier for media to cover, provide materials like press kits, beta codes (if necessary) and reviewer guides. It also helps to identify technology and pop culture trend stories that your app can fit into.

4. Continue Your Marketing Efforts

When your app launches, you’ll definitely want to have a marketing strategy in place to seize your launch window of opportunity, but it’s also important to continue marketing long after launch.
Many developers find pre-launch strategies helpful for grabbing attention. This includes creating a “coming soon” page that teases your app a bit, collecting emails for those interested in the first look, and even extending first invites to target publication audiences.
Make sure you exhaust every “co-marketing” opportunity out there with other app developers. Some major publishers will trade their app installs for your app installs. Everybody is in the same boat, in the same huge ocean of apps. You might be surprised to find that other developers are more than happy to participate in reciprocal marketing.
The important thing to remember is that app marketing windows are perpetual, meaning you should establish marketing vehicles that you can trigger at your discretion over long periods of time. That means plan, plan, plan.

5. Use Analytics

When developing apps, you have all kinds of data at your fingertips to evaluate how your app is being received. Use analytics to monitor your ranking and as a marketing tool.
Become a student of the Android and iOS category rankings (e.g., entertainment vs. games). Each category has its own nuances for determining “top” rankings, so be sure to evaluate each one. Understand why the app moved up in the rankings in order to iterate and improve your own ranking over time. Additionally, if you have a good sense of what is moving the bar for your app, you can also learn from what the top developers are doing.
More importantly, in my opinion, is that you leverage the wealth of analytics available from your app to make your app better over time. Not only will the data help you iterate and improve your app from a technical standpoint, but it will also allow you to create the right content to which users connect. Once the app is live, analyze the data to update your release schedule and product roadmap.
You can also learn when your customers are willing to “rate your app” or be pitched another app in your portfolio. Analytics can shed light on how frequently you should attempt to cross-sale or suggest another item for purchase.

6. Prepare for Success

This tip may seem a little strange at first — who wouldn’t be thinking about success? But in reality, many apps start strong then fade and fizzle. Preparing for success is as much about your product as it is about the team behind it.
It’s crucial to structure your team in a way that supports hyper growth. It’s good to rely on a more fluid and dynamic network of expertise and project teams than a rigid structure.
Think of your app as a brand that will enable you to leverage brand extension opportunities. Build your apps to welcome future cross-promotion opportunities, rather than intrusions on the user experience.
The best way to prepare for app success is to constantly focus on keeping your users engaged. Give them more than just product updates once they’ve downloaded and become fans of your app. Give them instant fun, addictive experiences that they will want to share with friends.
Whatever your secret sauce is or has been, be sure to nurture it to keep your users wanting more — and deliver your app in a way that surpasses user expectations.

Monday, 30 January 2012

Deadly Social Media Sins for Brands By SagarGanatra

Most brands are trying really hard to succeed with their social media initiatives. They are trying new ways to engage – from receipts at checkout to advertisements in newspapers; brands are trying their best to connect with consumers on social networks.
In the pursuit of trying to get things done, some “top” brands have made mistakes. Here are some things to avoid, with no exceptions – things that I hope are rarely repeated.

Run specials all the time. In a struggle to keep the consumer engaged, brands tend to keep offering consumers special deals. This all-out effort to discount and lure tends to have a negative impact by devaluing the brand and devaluing the relationship.
Wait for people to come. Brands set up shop on social media sites and simply wait for the consumer to come and find them. They do little to engage via dialogue or by trying to market along other channels. They have simply set up shop and expect that it is good enough to drive consumers in.
Run contests and games all the time. Gamification is the new buzzword for engagement with many brands investing significantly in games to engage their consumers. Additionally, brands tend to run multiple contests, which results in severely diluting their engagement to conversion metrics.
Block negative feedback. Many top brands tend to either block or ignore negative feedback. If you put up a comment on their site they either take it down or have a defined strategy to push the bad comments as far down as possible. This strategy diminishes the value of the positive comments.
Launch press releases on social media. Do you pay attention to more than 300 characters or watch long video clips? Brands tend to forget the conversational nature of engagement on social media sites – short, interesting stories are a much better way to engage.
Wait 24 hours to respond. Some brands take a long time to respond because they only check “social feedback” twice a week. Other brands take a long time to respond because they have to get approval before they can respond. The problem is that if you take too long, the consumer will probably call your brand for an answer or move over to someone else.
Not connecting your channels. Always a classic with the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Just two weeks ago, a major travel company sent two types of incentives – a gas discount card by email that shaved 10 cents off each gallon and a gas discount offer via social media that offered a five cent discount. It took a direct mail piece to fix the issue.
Snoop on and shock your customers. While it’s OK for a brand to leverage “widgets” to track consumer behavior on social media sites, it’s scary when the brand surprises these consumers with offers. A click on a social link led to a phone call by a cruise representative who unabashedly told me that he observed my behavior online.
Just roll along. Some brands feel that it’s OK to reach a certain critical mass in social media after which their sites can just “roll along.” The snowball can roll the wrong way and hurt brands.
Focus on “likes.” A blind focus on driving up “likes” has led to the “like” button being devalued and resulted in significantly lower ROI.
“Wait” to get started. Believe it or not there are still brands, especially in the financial services area, that are waiting for the social media “fad” to end.

Social media can make a positive impact. Do not wait, do not focus on “likes,” and please do not tell your fans that you know what link they clicked on at 11:33 a.m. Good luck with your social endeavors.
Until next time…

Sunday, 29 January 2012

Avoid Hiring The Wrong Person For Your Startup by sagarganatra

Here are five tips to help you avoid hiring the wrong person for your startup.

1. Stop Giving Open Book Tests

Writing lengthy job descriptions loaded with job requirements may keep unqualified candidates from wasting your time, but you’ve also just given every candidate a cheat sheet. Job seekers are taught to break down your job description and weave it into their resume, which will make everyone look equally qualified. There are even websites that will automatically mash your job description together with the candidates resume and spit out a new version with the right keywords embedded. Sell your company, your vision and the position, but make job seekers tell you what they can do for you — not what you told them you want.

2. Don’t Confuse Experience With Skills

Startups move fast, and every position is a skilled position. Job candidates can often blur the line between a previous experience and a skill, which is a trap you need to avoid. Don’t assume that candidates have certain skills just because it’s a keyword on a resume, a previous job title or experience at a similar business. Have an in-depth conversation with your top candidates to discuss what they are best at and learn how they have acquired those skills through experience.

3. Make Sure the Timing Is Right

Just like good timing can lead to the successful exit in a startup, good timing can also apply to job candidates. Where is the candidate in his career? Is he capable of taking a big risk at this point in his life? What kind of adversity has he faced in previous jobs? Does he seem too anxious to hit a home run or does his experience tell you he has the patience it takes to succeed? You don’t need your employees abandoning ship the first time your startup hits rough seas. Sometimes it’s just the right timing that makes a person successful in a new venture.

4. Skip the Initial Telephone Interview

I’ve never liked doing telephone interviews based on the initial review of a resume — it’s way too time-consuming. But I do like communicating with candidates, because that’s when you learn the most about them. After I’ve looked at a candidate’s background I might send off a short message and say, “Tell me about this experience” or, “What do you know about this skill?” How does he respond? Does he respond? Can he write? Is the exchange comfortable? The ability to communicate articulately in writing is a trait of top talent, regardless of the position. If you engage candidates in a more in-depth and ongoing communication string rather than conducting a one-and-done phone interview, you will quickly learn who stands out from the crowd.

5. Separate the “Can Do” From “Can Get it Done”

In most startups, resources are tight and the timeline is very short. When you’re hiring for a key position, make sure to ask yourself if you need someone who “can do the job” or someone who “can get the job done.” The “can do” is the candidate with the hands-on skills who can accomplish the task without any help. The “can get it done” is the candidate who will deliver but may need other resources to make it happen. Both can be valuable attributes to have, but you need to clearly understand which one you need to avoid a hiring mistake that could set you behind.What other tips do you have? Have you hired the wrong person before? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

Saturday, 28 January 2012

Oscar Nominees Got the Most Social Buzz by SagarGanatra

The nominees for the 84th annual Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday, and fans quickly hopped to social media to share their approval or distaste for those selected.
Our friends at NM Incite analyzed 120,000 messages across several social media platforms to reveal the most buzzed-about films and actors.
The study showed that the “Best Picture” nominee most talked about on social media is The Artist, which took 23 percent of all buzz within the category. Within the “Best Director” nominees, Woody Allen is topping the conversation online with 27 percent of related buzz:

In the main acting categories, George Clooney leads with 29 percent of the buzz for his role in The Descendants and Meryl Streep has 24 percent for her role in The Iron Lady:

For the supporting roles, Jonah Hill has 26 percent of the buzz for his role in Moneyball and Melissa McCarthy received 30 percent for her part in Bridesmaids. That’s more than a quarter when stacked against the competition: