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Pixelpipe: A precursor to contemporary content management applications

Craig De Borba

Pixelpipe may be gone but it is not forgotten. In many ways, the social media sharing service served as a precursor to contemporary content integration applications. In this post, we look at the history of Pixelpipe, and its progression from a web-based utility to a beloved mobile application. Lastly, we recommend some apps that offer similar functionality that users can start using today to streamline their social media and blog posts.

What did Pixelpipe do?

Pixelpipe, a San Francisco-based startup, debuted in the fall of 2008. The company’s first product was a desktop version of its content and file sharing utility. The software allowed users to publish content, including text, audio, images, and video files, to multiple online platforms at the same time.

Pixelpipe apps

Pixelpipe subsequently released iOS and Android applications. The apps included an additional feature that integrated a phone’s camera, allowing users to publish photos without using a 3rd party application. Apps were also developed for Nokia devices and webOS phones, as well as an email/MMS app.

Pixelpipe pi.pe

The company rolled out pi.pe several years after its debut. The pi.pe utility allowed users to move media files between different cloud applications. The utility’s functionality was enhanced with the addition of pi.pe prints. With pi.pe prints, users could send photos from their phone or from supported third-party platforms to printers like Walgreens for pickup.

At its height, users could post content to more than 120 different social networks, blogs, and websites. Pixelpipe had over 1.2 million users across all its platforms. The company officially closed its doors in late 2013 after it was reportedly acquired by “a much larger organization”.

The Pixelpipe website

The Pixelpipe desktop version was free and incredibly simple to use. The homepage featured a simplistic design. Users were given options to join or sign in at the bottom of the webpage. Joining was simple enough. Users could create a free account with minimal information.

Using the Pixelpipe desktop version

When clicking “sign in” a user was redirected to a login page. Once the login information was submitted, the Pixelpipe dashboard was displayed. The dashboard itself had 4 options:

• My Pipes
• Add Pipes
• Quick Post
• Settings

On the add pipes page, a user could select from some 100 platforms to incorporate into his or her feed. When selecting a platform, the user would authorize Pixelpipe to automatically access their account. This feature did not work with all 3rd party accounts. For some the user was required to enter login information for that platform. After access was granted or the login info saved, then:

• The user would create a display name for each pipe
• The user would select additional settings and options
• The details would be saved on the user’s “my pipes” page

A “pipe” was simply a user’s account on a 3rd party platform. For instance, adding your Facebook account would be a pipe.

Pixelpipe dashboard.

Some of the more popular choices on the add pipes page included:

• Facebook
• Flickr
• Google Docs
• Dropbox
• LinkedIn
• Shutterfly
• WordPress
• Twitter

Pixelpipe gave users some flexibility. Users could either:

• Send posts to all pipes
• Change the settings to exclude certain pipes
• Post to a single pipe

Adjusting the default settings was more convenient than going back into the dashboard and removing (and then re-adding) pipes before making each post.

Another great feature was the ability to pick destination folders or albums for posts. For example, a user could set up an album for sports cars. Under the settings for each pipe, the user could go in and set the destination for the sports car album. Tags could also be used to easily send content to the desired platforms and destinations.

Posting to pipes

Users could seamlessly post to all their pipes by using the quick post page. Depending on the type of post, it was necessary to click on one of the following tabs:

• File upload
• Status/microblog
• Blog

The file upload feature was a great way to quickly add photos to each account. Status/microblog was used for quick posts on platforms like Twitter. The blog feature allowed users to post full blog articles on multiple platforms like WordPress and Blogger. From this screen, each pipe that the user wished to post to could be selected by simply checking boxes at the bottom of the page. Users could also add titles, captions, and photo tags.

After each post was submitted, the homepage would display the status for each pipe.

In the image above we see that a blog article was submitted to four different platforms: Tumblr, Livejournal, WordPress, and Blogger. The date and time that the article was submitted on Pixelpipe is displayed at the top. Notice that there was a slight delay for the WordPress and Blogger posts, while the Livejournal post had yet to be sent. Depending on the pipe selected there could be a slight delay, often just a few minutes.

Pixelpipe plugins for image software

Another important feature worth mentioning was the eventual release of plugins for more advanced image software like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. This gave more serious and professional photographers the ability to seamlessly share their photos with their followers and customers.

The Pixelpipe Iphone App

The iPhone was the first mobile device to offer the Pixelpipe app. The app gave users a mobile-friendly interface to post photos from anywhere. Unique to the iPhone was the “camera” feature which let users take a photo and immediately send it to all desired pipes.

Using the Pixelpipe Iphone App

The app was simple to use and its design intuitive. The interface featured 4 tabs:

• Media
• Post
• Queue
• Settings

The media tab was used to browse photos and attach them to a status update. A typical user’s media screen would look something like this:

Image source: https://www.iclarified.com/10411/pixelpipe-update-enables-hd-video-uploads-from-your-iphone

The tabs had the following functionalities:

• Post tab. Used for status updates and blog posts
• Queue tab. Showed the progress of all user uploads
• Settings tab. Used to add, edit, and delete pipes. The app settings functionality was like the desktop version.

Image source: https://www.iclarified.com/10411/pixelpipe-update-enables-hd-video-uploads-from-your-iphone

Pixelpipe for Android and Nokia

Pixelpipe was one of the first services of its kind to support Android devices. The utility was also eventually released on Nokia devices. The release of the apps followed the tremendous success of the iPhone version.

Pixelpipe Android App

Pixelpipe’s Android app was similar the iOS version. The app included the same menu choices: media, post, queue, and settings. One feature that the Android version lacked was the iPhone’s camera feature which let users take a photo and upload it immediately. The Android version, however, made up for this through with a feature that let users upload video and audio files, in addition to photos (except for live capture photos).

One other feature that was unique to the Android version was background upload capability. On the iPhone version, when the Pixelpipe app was closed uploads would be paused. Android users, however, had functionality that is characteristic of contemporary smartphones.

Using the Pixelpipe Android app

Much like the iPhone and desktop utility, uploading media files to one or more pipes was simple. The user would merely:

• Select a file
• Follow the prompts
• Enter information like the caption
• Specify the pipe
• Click “ok”

Here is a what a typical screen looked like when uploading a photo, in this case to Evernote:

The Android version of Pixelpipe would go on to become the company’s most popular version.

Pixelpipe Nokia App

Pixelpipe made two different versions of its app available to users in the OVI store. One version let users post content to their blogs. The other version was used for posting on social media and other multimedia platforms.

Once the app was installed, the user had the option of either creating an account or signing into an existing account. Registration for new accounts was simple, requiring some basic info like an email address and a password.

Using the Pixelpipe Nokia app

The main interface of the app was configured like the desktop version. Clicking on the settings tab would give the user options to:

• Add pipes
• Edit pipes
• Edit tags

When the user clicked on add pipes he or she would be directed to the Pixelpipe server to select the 3rd party platform that the user wished to add. The menu of choices would look something like this:

Like the desktop version, some of the accounts could be automatically added as pipes, while others required the user to enter login information. Users also had the option of adding blog pages by specifying the domain address, as well as the required login credentials.

While Nokia smartphones were primitive by today’s standards, uploading photographs from the phone’s gallery to pipes was simple. The user would simply:

• Go into his or her gallery
• Select a pic
• Under options the user would select “send”
• Select “send via pixelpipe”

The photo would be posted on each pipe according to the user’s default settings for each pipe.

Modern Day Pixelpipe Solutions

Feel like you missed out on Pixelpipe? Fortunately, there are three apps that you can download today that offer similar multimedia functionality:

• SyVID
• Magic Submitter
• Onlywire

SyVID

SyVID is a great app for users that want to publish video files to multiple platforms at once. The app is cloud based and works on your:

• Mac
• PC
• Tablets
• Smartphones

SyVID is more comprehensive than other video sharing tools. The app allows users to syndicate videos to 8 video sharing platforms, as well as share videos on 14 social media channels at a time. In addition to convenience, the app gives users’ websites a boost in organic traffic through increased views and social media shares.

Best of all, you can try SyVID risk-free since they offer a 14-day money back guarantee.

Magic Submitter

Magic Submitter is one of the most comprehensive content distribution systems of its kind. The software distributes articles, blogs, videos, and press releases to some 2,000 websites. What makes Magic Submitter unique is that the software is far more than a convenient way to distribute content. Other benefits include:

• Spinning submissions to generate original content
• Boosting SEO through backlinks
• The ability to easily create and verity accounts on 100’s of platforms
• Advanced reporting features
• Ongoing training and support

Users can essentially automate their entire content marketing campaigns, saving both time and money. Magic Submitter also offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

Onlywire

Onlywire offers similar social media management features to the Pixelpipe app. Users can post to more than 20 social media networks at a time. The app is great for both individuals and agencies. Onlywire supports multiple users, offers timed campaign features, and allows users to generate detailed reports for clients.

Benefits for all users include:

• Posting to over 20 social media sites with a single click
• The ability to post from a browser extension
• The ability to schedule posts
• Access to detailed analytics on all posts

Onlywire is more affordable than other social media management apps. Pricing starts at just $9.99 per month. They also offer users a free trial that can be cancelled at any time.

Conclusion

Pixelpipe was a revolutionary app that changed the ways that users distribute and manage content. While the app is no longer available, there are several utilities that offer similar functionality and convenience.

The Power Of Influencer Marketing

Craig De Borba

When you think of advertising, what comes to your mind? A commercial? Magazines?

Times have changed and so has effective advertising. Magazines and newspapers aren’t as popular as they once were.

With new times, new trends come, and one its Influencer Marketing.

Influencer marketing isn’t a new concept, it’s been around for years but recently it’s become a hot topic for marketers, companies are devoting more time to influencer marketing than before.

Normally consumers don’t like to be advertised, no one likes being sold but now with Influencer Marketing, we have a traditional advertising alternative.

Influencer Marketing is something that every business needs to be doing even the giants like McDonald’s, Samsung and Nike do Influencer Marketing.

But what is really Influencer Marketing? How does it work? What are the benefits of Influencer Marketing?

Well, you are about to find out!

1. What is Influencer Marketing?

Well, Influencer marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on using key leaders which are called influencers to drive your brand’s message to the larger market. Rather than marketing directly to a large group of consumers, you have access to influencers with 10k or more followers, we work with these influencers and they will get out the word for you.

2. How does it work?

Very simple, your business will have access to people of influence to help with online marketing. Influencer Marketing aims to identify the main people who act as influencers in your niche so we can approach them to work with us to promote your brand.

3. What are the benefits of Influencer Marketing?

Authenticity

Authenticity has become difficult to find in this advanced world full of technology where everything is possible it’s why people don’t easily believe in commercials anymore. And this is why Influencer marketing has become so effective. Successful social influencers spend considerable time in winning the trust of their followers and this is definitely not achieved overnight. Influencers create an engaging story that attracts their followers.

When followers are genuinely engaged, they are part of a long-lasting relationship with their influencers. When such a thing happens, it instills loyalty and trust in their minds. They truly believe in the person they are following, their opinions and recommendations.

Cost-Effective

Doesn’t exist any specific price model when doing Influencer Marketing, some influencers will collaborate for free because it helps them build their brand although others will charge a flat-rate or a performance-based pricing. Exist different pricing options, which is good because allows you to choose the one that you feel that you are more comfortable with and also the one that you think will work best for you and your brand as well.

Brand Image

One of the benefits of social media is that it helps to drive massive traffic to your website, a connection with your customers and potential customers are created here and makes it stronger and creates brand awareness which gives your business more credibility

Now with Influencer Marketing that relationships between your business and your customers can become even stronger because by doing influencer marketing it boosts your brand which will increase your social media following, more people will know about your services or/and products and it will drive traffic to your website.

Successful influencers are real leaders, so when they promote your service or/and product people listen to them and they engage with their content.

Connects With Audiences Where They Spend The Most Time

People spend a lot of time on social media nowadays, in fact, that amount of time continues to increase, it’s why when influencers mention or feature a brand on social media platforms, they allow the company to connect with audiences on the sites where they spend the most time, which is a huge opportunity for business this way you can reach more people and your brand will be known.

Does Not Appear Pushy

One of many reasons why influencer marketing is more effective in influencing purchases is because it isn’t pushy, the followers of an influencer have willingly chosen to receive content from them so when you send your message to them via an influencer, it does not come across as pushy.

Suitable for Businesses Regardless of Size or Industry

One of the qualities of influencer marketing is that it fits any business regardless of its size or industry. As long as there is someone influential in your industry.

Although, it does take some planning to identify the influencers who are most suited to your needs. The most of the success of your influencer marketing campaign depends on your choice of influencers it’s why it’s important to take the time to make sure you are working with the right ones, this step will become easier if you decide to hire a marketing agency to create the campaigns and connect with the influencers.

Effectively reaches your target audience and drives purchasing decisions

Successful influencers place your content in front of social media users who are already interested in your niche. There’s no additional budget necessary for testing and finding your audience – the influencer has already established this audience on social media for themselves which makes things more easy for your side.

In addition, influencers who mention your brand actually drive sales. Consumers are looking to influencers more and more for advice on what products and services to buy. And when consumers see the influencers that they follow using a product or service they are more likely to buy it than if only appeared on TV.

Influencers are trendsetters

Influencers are powerful sources of information as it pertains to new products within their industry. Influencers followers deeply respect and often times even idolize their opinions. This is why Influencer market is so powerful and effective.

Sometimes influencers are also given exclusive access to new products before they are even on the market and available to the general public. This provides ample opportunity for a brand to partner with an influencer and builds a campaign around the influencers review of a hot, new product that they have exclusive access to, and in turn, potentially place your brand in the spotlight of a fresh and emerging trend around your product.

If you are not taking advantage of Influencer Marketing, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to increase your brand awareness, grow your following and increase your engagement.

By doing Influencer Marketing you are opening one more door for your business to flourish and grow.

Should You Hire a Marketing Consultant? Find Out The Truth

Craig De Borba

Hiring a marketing consultant nowadays is very common, but in order to hire one, you need to make sure you choose the right one.

The truth is, you and your business will face the need to hire a marketing consultant at some time.

We live in a world where you need to have an active online presence if you don’t have that, the chances of your business to grow and expand will be very low.

A professional consultant can make all the difference in an organization’s success, in a lot of times can be a great solution for your business.

But hiring a marketing consultant is not exactly the same as hiring an employee, because you don’t need to pay vacations or offer benefits like medical or visual, although you can expect to pay consultant fees, but he will bring more value quickly to your business and it is less expensive to hire a marketing consultant than offer a salary and benefits to someone with the same level of experience and expertise on a full-time basis.

But what is a marketing consultant?

A marketing consultant is a professional who works with you to create the best strategy for your business.

They can help you create your brand or improve one, they can create campaigns, establish social media strategies, initiate sales process or improvement, and design sales training and coaching.

They work with companies to help them define the marketing message, also they can optimize your website to increase traffic and drive leads, write and post fresh content. Marketing consultants will track all the results and make sure that your company gets the best marks from their marketing campaigns.

Marketing consultants are particularly specialized in various areas of marketing such as digital marketing, copywriting, direct response, social media, and SEO

The career of a marketing consultant is very flexible, but it also comes with a lot of challenges. Marketing consultants normally work as a contractor, as an independent or within a marketing firm.

The majority of marketing consultants are entrepreneurs who started their own business.

How to find the right one?

There are so many specialists in the marketing world and you need to think about what type of marketing expertise you need.

Many marketing consultants have a few areas of expertise but in order to find the right marketing consultant you need to do some research, a lot of people want the best consultant but they don’t do any research it’s the same when you need a doctor, wIn order to choose the one, you need to define your business goals and see how much it cost a consultant, make sure you hire a person with a good background, see their reviews and their case studies.hen people don’t do any research they end up having a really bad marketing consultant experience.

Once you review all your candidates by expertise you can have a meeting with them and understand more their past work and see if they are going to be a good fit or not.

Many marketers offer a free consultation in hopes of gaining your business and you can learn a lot during these sessions.

How much it cost to hire a marketing consultant?

Marketing consultant charges are based on two models. One is by an hourly consulting rate, the second is a fixed bid on a project basis.

The fees by hourly can depend from $100 to $300 an hour this can cause some shock to the people who compare this hourly rate to an employee but you need to consider all the things that go into the project. Let’s consider a 10 hours project for $200, your investment will be $2.000. The good thing about this is you don’t need to offer benefits plus you will have an entire team working for you for $2.000.

According to Google, a senior marketing consultant earns 68,801 per year, plus marketing expenses paid by the client. So around $6,000 retainer plus marketing expenses every month, this really depends on the experience of the marketing consultant and how big the project is, could be just local campaigns or worldwide.

When do you need a marketing consultant?

1. You want to build your business

A marketing consultant can tell you what exactly needs to be done to build a profitable business, and how to execute for the best results.

2. You need to define goals

A good consultant can work with your team to guide them and help you find your goals and create a plan.

3. You need a solid marketing strategy

The point of a marketing strategy is to identify the specific goals you’re trying to reach with your marketing efforts.

4. You want to improve relations and loyalty with existing clients

Marketing consultants are professionals who know what platforms to use and they know how to improve relationships with clients because they work with different clients every single day. They are trained and they are very knowledgeable in this area.

5. You want to expand into new markets and attract new customers

A marketing consultant knows exactly what to do to expand your business, they have knowledge of SEO and digital marketing they are the ones you can easily count to expand your business.

If you recognize any of these signs is time to hire a marketing consultant, fresh blood can help a lot, especially when the marketer has a proven track record of success.

Remember, a consultant can generally offer more personalized time and services, and you’ll know you need one if you often find yourself in situations where you could use some marketing backup.

When you get a negative review on Facebook or Google or a bad comment on your blog, call your consultant.

If your website is taking 30 seconds to load, call your consultant.

See? Your marketing consultant is everything and very relabel.

A marketing consultant is your help adviser when you need help.

So why hire a marketing consultant?

Marketing consultants have knowledge, professional experience with internet marketing, search engine optimization and they have a background on how to handle different needs. A marketing consultant will be able to give you advice for your specific business and situation. They can easily look at your analytics and website and know what is missing and needed, making these way things more easily and quickly for you.

Another benefit about hiring a marketing consultant is they know what they are doing so that means they can get the job done much faster than someone who doesn’t have knowledge of marketing. They know what works and what doesn’t work for every situation. So the point is they can save you time.

Another important thing to remember about them, they have connections, they have a team ready to work for your business, ready to deliver what is needed and wanted. By hiring a marketing consultant, you hire an entire team who are skilled and have the right knowledge to work for you.

If you decide to hire one they can help you make things happen for your business and be that outside voice, also a marketing consultant can bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to your business and you can learn a lot with them.

Never forget marketing is a very important tool for every business in the world, without marketing will be very difficult and I will say impossible for your business to grow and expand.

Without marketing strategies implemented, many companies closed because they don’t have any leads, or people buying their products so their sales crashed, it’s important that you keep in your mind the importance and value of doing marketing, especially nowadays.

With marketing you can boost your sales, you can get your word out there and create your brand and reputation. Marketing can be very expensive, depending on how big you want to be, you may spend almost half of your revenue in the first year in order for your company to expand and succeed but exist a lot of benefits, you will learn your metrics, you will make more sales, consumers will trust you, you will build a social media presence, you will learn your marketplace, discover what it works and you will have a powerful brand.

Exist many types of marketing tactics you could choose to reach out to your potential customers, but it is best to have a mix of online and offline marketing.

Here I showed some benefits of marketing so you keep in mind how marketing is so powerful for any business and how can change your business to fail to succeed.

I hope that you got the idea of why marketing and hire a marketing consultant is so important and powerful for a successful business. It is true that it can cost a lot, but you have to invest in order to gain.

Best California Amazon Business Meetup Groups

Craig De Borba

Meetup groups can help you grow your Amazon business. They can help you learn more about your target market, learn from experienced Amazon sellers, connect you to influencers in the space and enjoy other unexpected opportunities.

That said, below are some of the top California Amazon business meetup groups you can join for free.

1. Bay Area Amazon sellers & E-commerce entrepreneurs

California Bay Area Amazon Sellers

This meetup group provides a platform for Amazon sellers and e-commerce entrepreneurs to share, network and learn from each other. Members also get a chance to share ideas related to private label products, FBA selling, sourcing, getting reviews, using AMZ tracker, review clubs and much more. All levels of Amazon sellers, Amazon SEO companies and commerce entrepreneurs are welcome to join this group. The group’s recent meetup was held on Wednesday, May 23 and was titled “Amazon Meetup: Online: Google Hangouts.”

2. Amazon Sellers Group (San Diego)

If you are looking for the best place to learn and share with others about Amazon FBA, the San Diego-based Amazon Sellers Group is the best place to be. Here, members discuss a wide range of topics from social media marketing and PPC to freight forwarding and expanding off of Amazon. The group’s next meetup will be held in June 12th 2018. It is titled “Amazon FBA, Be successful while Enjoying life.”

3. Beverly Hills Amazon Seller Meetup

Beverly Hills Amazon Seller Meetup is an active group for those who are interested in selling their goods on Amazon. The group welcomes members from all backgrounds including newbies who are interested in learning more about private labeling, experienced FBA sellers, and other e-commerce entrepreneurs. Members of all skills levels are welcome. The group’s next meetup will be held in July 11, 2018 and it is entitled “Amazon FBA Advanced Tactics.”

4. Amazon Sellers Unite LA

The Amazon Sellers Unite Los Angeles is a public group for both new and season Amazon sellers. As a California SEO agency owner I enjoy socializing with other like-minded entrepreneurs who come together to learn how to efficiently build and market their Amazon businesses. They share strategies on building trusted relationships. Amazon Sellers Unite LA also host several seminars, events and meetups where members meet, discuss, network, share and listen to lectures from experienced instructors.

5. Amazon FBA Seller Meetup

If you are struggling to make substance income online, Amazon FBA Seller Meetup is the best group for you. The group host several Amazon mastermind and networking events, seminars and meetups every month to help small business owners, online entrepreneurs and Amazon Sellers generate high revenues and growing profits. Members also get a chance to listen to experts in all elements of growth strategies, online advertising, and e-commerce.

6. Seller Insights

Seller Insights is a monthly meetup for experienced Amazon sellers. Sponsored by ZonGuru, Seller Insights allow seasoned Amazon sellers to come together and learn from each other. Members of this group also get a chance to share, network and learn more about industry insights and high level Amazon FBA strategies. In every meetup, they invite a wide variety of guest speakers who includes leading software developers, professional Amazon service providers, and 8 figure Amazon sellers.

7. Amazon FBA Sellers Club

This is a club of real Amazon Sellers. Members get a chance to learn what products sell more on Amazon and how to find them. Other benefits of joining this group include free Amazon FBA training, product analysis, product development and much more. In every meetup, the hosts invite specialists who include Top Sellers on Amazon. So step away from your computer screen, come and be a part of this thrilling community.

8. Marina del Rey FBA Fulfillment By Amazon Meetup

If you are an experienced Amazon seller who’s interested in sharing ideas with the like-minded entrepreneur, then this Marina del Rey-based group is worth your time. Members come together every month to discuss strategies, growing sales, marketing and many other Amazon FBA related topics. You don’t have to worry if you are a complete newbie. You will get a chance to learn from experienced group members for free.

9. Amazon Selling Meetup – Southern CA

Amazon Selling Meetup – Southern CA is a meetup group for experienced Amazon sellers or anyone who want to get started. The group comprises of members who are starting their adventures with Amazon FBA as well as members who are making millions with the program.

Top Sacramento Tech Startups To Watch in 2018

Craig De Borba

Silicon Valley has been home to major tech companies for a long time, but Sacramento is now emerging as another important destination. Many companies are now considering moving to Sacramento. Some new tech companies have chosen to start in Sacramento over Silicon Valley which will hopefully boost the demand for enterprise SEO in Sacramento.

Factors responsible for the growth of Sacramento

Cost of Living: The high cost of living in the Bay Area is forcing about 200,000 people to move out every year and Sacramento is hoping to attract some of these people.
Housing Crisis: The housing crisis and wealth disparity in the area have also made many want to relocate to Sacramento.
Jobs: Labor is also very expensive in Silicon Valley making Sacramento the better option. There is stiff competition for the available labor making it challenging for the tech startups to attract and maintain the best talents.

Some of the top tech startups to watch in Sacramento

Electro Scan Inc.
This company was established in 2011 and develops sensors and cloud apps used to check and assess pipelines. The use of the next generation sensors helps in inspecting and identifying defects in water, sewer, and gas pipelines. The company has helped in reducing wastage of water, gas or anything transported through pipeline by identifying defects on time. Moreover, cases of accidents due to pipeline breakage may reduce drastically, thanks Electro Scan Inc. Some of the main clients are East Bay MUD and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission among others.

Medical Datasoft International (MDI)
MDI provides patients with a platform to explain and share their healthcare challenges. It enhances access to medical care by patients by supporting provider-patient interview streaming. The patients also have access to their medical history. Due to the accuracy of medical information given, physicians are able to provide quality care services.

Wyndow Inc.
Window Inc. is a company that provides businesses with real-time data and analytics that help in identifying the preferences of their customers. Companies that use Wyndow on their website, app or device can improve the quality of their interaction with their customers. Such business can record an improvement in their SEO, bookings, and see a reduction in marketing costs.

Rate My Neighborhood
Rate My Neighborhood is crucial to buyers and renters as it provides them with critical information about a given area that helps them make their decisions. The users have a chance to compare different places based on crime rate and commute time among other factors available on the network. The statistics provided help in improving one’s understanding of a given neighborhood. It enables people to choose the best places to open businesses or settle with their families.

ResQ Medical
ResQ Medical is a company that seeks to enhance efficiency and boost the productivity of healthcare workers by reducing documentation. The firm achieves this by allowing automatic recording of resident work hours. The system uses smartphones to record and generate real time report.
Information collected through ResQ Medical is not shared with other institutions. Its users can also communicate through the platform. It shows the in’ and out’ users thereby making it easy for those responsible to trace the availability of staff in a given health care center. Its use helps in enhancing adherence to ACGME guidelines.

Quicklegal
Users of Quicklegal app can easily access legal services. The users can contact their attorneys through video chat, call, or even messages. For those who find themselves on the wrong side of the law, Quicklegal provides the easiest and fastest way of accessing their legal agents. The app enables lawyers to advise and explain any legal matter. The Lawyers who use the app can serve more clients in a day and record a significant increase in the earning. The app has been critical in addressing the access-to-justice gap.

HomeZada
HomeZada is a home information system that enables homeowners to access critical information about their houses such as insurance policies, all financial details, and warranties among others. The users can get an estimated value of their property, home equity, and an estimated value of their home in three years.
The use of HomeZada helps in avoiding costly repairs by alerting the users when they should repair. Timely maintenance also helps in enhancing efficiency, thereby reducing energy bills. The safety and health of the family also improve thanks to this app.

In conclusion
The Sacramento City Council has invested enormous resources in attracting more companies to the town. Businesses that choose to relocate to the city have access to grants of between $10,000 and $25,000. The city understands the role of tech companies in enhancing entrepreneurship. It has set aside another $500,000 to lure technology companies.

Best Networking Events in Sacramento

Craig De Borba

Advancing your career as a mid-level professional, new graduate, tech startup founder or politician means you need to expand your professional and social circles. You need to find networking events near you and start connecting with the right people.

If you are in Sacramento, you have probably noticed that the city is spread out and it can be hard to find the best networking events near you. To eliminate this hassle, we have recommended some of the best local networking events in Sacramento that can help you expand your professional and social circles.
Read on find out which events made into this list.

1. Sacramento Black Professionals

This is a group of black Professionals of diverse ethnic backgrounds and all ages. All the members co

me together in informal and social setting to foster professional alliances, network and enjoy the company of one another. Other benefits of joining Sacramento Black Professionals include a chance to test local wine, cocktail hour, annual group trip, professional networking mixers and live jazz.

Sacramento meetup screenshot showing people in a group.

2. The Sacramento Speakers Network

The Sacramento Speakers Network is a great place for professional speakers, business professionals, entrepreneurs, consultants, coaches, trainers, experts, and authors to share resources, network and exchange ideas. Whether you are a newbie speaker or experienced business professionals, you will get a chance to mingle with the majority of members.

3. American Marketing Association Sacramento Valley

The American Marketing Association Sacramento Valley (AMASV) organizes several events for those who want to stay relevant in sales and marketing. Each event is designed with a specific goal and offered for both learning and networking experience. Some of AMASV’s upcoming events include Marketing Mashup: New Growth Industries for Marketers and How to Use Journey Mapping to Yield Fresh & Creative Ideas. Be sure to check the official website to find out more about these upcoming events.

American marketing association of Sacramento valley image.

4. Sacramento Metro EDGE

Metro EDGE is a program of the Sacramento’s Metro Chamber whose main aim is to develop, nurture and empower 40 and under 40 leaders. They achieve their goals through golf tournaments, workshop, mixers and community events. Some of its upcoming events include the Immersion Day 2018: Housing on the EDGE, and June In the Mix: Post Immersion Day Celebration.

Metro Edge in green and orange, metro chamber logo.

5. Sacramento’s HackerLab

Sacramento’s HackerLab provides a coworking and makerspace where participants can learn skills, meet people, and create something great. If you are an upcoming or experienced programmer, coder or developer who is interested in learning, sharing and networking with others, this is the best place to start. There are several events throughout the year that cover specific topics you can attend and meet others with your similar interests.

H in blue, hacker lab black image.

6. Sacramento Social Media Club

Sacramento Social Media Club was founded in 2009 and since then it has become the centerpiece for local and regional gatherings touching on social and online media subjects. If you want to participate in the online and social media Sacramento conversation or looking for ways to grow an active online community, this is the best place to start. Make sure club’s official website to know when the next event will be.

7. Sacramento Network After Work

Network After Work also organizes regular events for professionals from every background and any field you can imagine. These events which are held at new location each month allows you to meet and network with professionals at various levels in their careers. As a local Sacramento SEO consultant this is a downtown networking event that has been beneficial for business. Some of the upcoming events include Sacramento At Punch Bowl Social in 19th June 2018 and the Sacramento At University Of Beer in 24th July 2018.

Network after work, Sacramento event image.

8. The Urban Hive Events

The Urban Hive gives entrepreneurs, dreamers, builders, and changemakers a place to thrive, work, connect, network, learn, engage and collaborate with the like-minded individuals. This largest coworking community achieves some of its goals by organizing regular events. Some the upcoming events include WordPress: Ad Blocking And Its Effect On WordPress Websites, the Sanctuary for Inner Peace, the Startup Grind: Nicole Froker, and the SacPy: other Monthly Meetups.

Black background image with The Urban Hive in white.

9. Sacramento Business Journal Events

Sacramento Business Journal regularly organizes special events to facilitate professional networking. Those events are also meant to recognize and award industry leaders. The next event is the annual Women Who Mean Business awards luncheon which will be held on 23rd June 2018. The venue is the Hyatt Regency Sacramento located along 1209 L Street.

Red image with white lettering, Sacramento Business Journal.

If you like this post please Like and Share it! If you know of another great networking event in Sacramento, contact us so we can include it in the list.

Ideas For Local Business Marketing

Craig De Borba

Savvy Solutions For Local Business Marketing

updated March 20, 2018
If you own or operate a small business, then you know how important it is to get your brand in front of the right target audience. Unfortunately, when it comes to promoting products and services, small business owners are often at a loss for where to start. Sure, they can put a sign up in front of the shop to promote a sale, or they might advertise in the local newspaper. However, if you want to capitalize on local business marketing, you absolutely need to take your company online.

Gone are the days when businesses relied mainly on walk-in traffic to drive sales. Similarly, customers are unlikely to find your company in the Yellow Pages. Having a website is no longer a benefit but a necessity, and companies that don’t take advantage of the latest online marketing tips and tricks are going to miss out on valuable sales leads. Still, even the most attractive and effective website will do you little good if searchers can’t find it.

Getting Your Site Found

Woman seeing shoes online that are shown from marketing campaigns. — Mobile marketing

As a local business owner, you’ll need to take steps to enhance your internet presence and ensure the right consumers find your page. If you’re new to digital marketing or unsure how to proceed, you might want to hire a search engine optimization company to raise your position in the Google rankings. You can also use Google Analytics to evaluate and revamp your site, place promotional ads on YouTube or Social Media channels, and invest in a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign to increase leads.

When it comes to business marketing though, creating and optimizing your website is just the beginning. You’ll also need to find ways of reaching your target audience while determining the unique selling proposition that helps you stand out from the competition. From brochures to press releases, strive to convey that value proposition in every piece of marketing material that presents your business.

Additionally, today’s marketers must realize that a majority of business is local. According to a 2017 survey by Cox Business, over 90 percent of Californians visit a small or medium-sized business at least once a week. As small business owners, if you aren’t actively seeking ways to connect with members of your community, you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to promote your goods and services.

6 Ways to Revitalize Your Local Marketing

Here are some local business marketing ideas to help give your company a competitive lead:

1. Networking

It’s not enough to connect with a few local businesses on social media. If you want to improve your local offline leads or brand, focus on networking in person at business events, trade shows, and community activities. For example, maybe your town holds a street fair every summer. You can make a more profound connection in person than you would on Facebook or LinkedIn.

2. Direct mail

Don’t hesitate to send out direct mail pieces. You can measure the success of each type of piece you send by setting up unique call-in numbers for each campaign, and recording customers’ responses. Then, stick with the campaign that yields the best results. You can even send free samples, if that’s applicable for your business.

3. Traditional advertising

Just because the world has gone digital doesn’t mean more traditional forms of advertising are totally defunct. Consider putting an ad for your business on the radio or purchasing a billboard – the latter can be surprisingly cost-effective these days but be sure to track the results with unique call-in numbers or landing page domains.

4. Social media marketing

Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and LinkedIn profiles are all great for obtaining new clients or customers. Be sure to post interesting, relevant content regularly, and avoid spamming your followers with too many sales offers. Use the 80/20 rule for best results, 80% give value 20% sell.

5. Email marketing

This works best when customers can opt-in on your website, which builds a willing and interested audience. Sending regular emails to your list can keep clients or customers aware that you are still there and ready to help them with whatever they need.

6. Online directories

If you want to increase your odds of being found online, take time to list your business on various free directories. Not only does this help direct searchers to your business, it can also increase the value of your local SEO efforts. While there are numerous directories out there, some of the most commonly visited include:

Google My Business is a free service that lets you list your business and provides information for customers. Additionally, companies can upload images, videos, and posts and list their addresses and hours. As a bonus, businesses can obtain and respond to customer reviews on their GMB profiles.

Not only does this show current and future clients that you care about their experiences, it also gives you the opportunity to improve your services and correct problems moving forward.

Bing’s Places for Business lets businesses add compelling content online, such as photos, videos, and services info. It’s free to use.

Yelp is a free review site that helps local businesses gain reviews and get found. If you own a restaurant, retail establishment, or spa, this is a great option. In fact, many people regularly check Yelp reviews before making purchasing decisions. Businesses can also pay to get more eyes on their listings in the form of sponsored posts.

LinkedIn is great for connecting with other business owners and getting expert endorsements from clients and companies. This social site is particularly valuable for B2B companies that need to connect with other businesses rather than selling directly to customers.

Foursquare is a free listing site that shows your business’ name and address, and displays a map with your exact location in town. It’s a great way to get more customers or clients in your door. As a perk, businesses can use Foursquare to share special offers or coupons for their products.

Local Business Marketing Done Right

These are just a few of the many options for improving your local business marketing. If you’re looking for more tips and tricks, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

At OnPoint Marketing, we work with a limited number of clients at any one time, so you’ll never be just a number. We can give you our full attention whenever you need it. For more information about our products and services, call today or request a marketing proposal online.

Surgeon Marketing Strategies for Your Plastic Surgery Clinic

Craig De Borba

With tried and tested cosmetic surgery marketing strategies in place, your chances of being able to establish a constant flow of appointments to your plastic surgery clinic is now made possible.

If you’re struggling with just that — getting clients to your surgery practice — then this guide is for you.

I’m going to share with you three effective marketing SEO strategies that will help you get more clients.

Let’s hop right in.

1. Coupon marketing.

When it comes to running coupon marketing campaigns, some plastic surgery businesses only add their coupons on their website or post them on their social media accounts.

While doing those is fine and dandy, they miss out on a lot of opportunities by not adding their coupons on discount coupons sites.

Sadly, not many of them do this.

To give you an idea of how much opportunity they’ll miss if they don’t use discount coupon sites, check out how much traffic RetailMeNot and Dealspotr have — two of the most reputable discount coupon sites online.

Considering how both sites reach over millions of people visiting them monthly, can you imagine how high the chances are of others using your discount coupons if they can see it on both websites?

I’d also like to point out that I only shared with you two discount coupon sites.

Just by doing a quick search on Google, you’ll see countless other coupon sites that you can add your coupons on.

2. Webinars

Webinars are awesome in a lot of ways:

You can do them for free.
They have a personal feel to them since your audience can see you — which is great for building trust.
You can address your audiences’ questions right then and there.

In addition to the points above, webinars are also great for building your email list or growing your social media followers.

That right there is crucial.

With a huge email list and a large group of social media followers, your chances of getting great results out of your surgeon marketing strategies drastically increases.

Such is the case because you already have an established group of people that are following your brand.

Before you start firing up your webinar, however, allow me to share with you X surgeon marketing tips that you should consider when running a webinar:

Plan your content. Especially if you’re new to running webinars, don’t even think about winging it. Even influencers who’ve had their fair share of webinars still take the time to plan their content.

Track your results. Tracking the performance of your webinars will help you determine if the event was a success or not.

You can check how many attendees you’ve had, your number of sales, or your number of sign ups (among other things).

Of course, as you continue to run more webinars, your aim is to keep on improving your numbers.

Ask for your attendees’ feedback. There’s no better way to figure out how to improve your webinars than to ask the participants for their feedback.

An easy way to get your audiences’ feedback is to send them a survey.

Be yourself. I know this is easier said than done. However, if you don’t want to turn off your attendees by posing as someone whom you’re not — in short, being fake — then you just need to let your true self shine.

Don’t underestimate your attendees by thinking that they won’t know that you’re faking it. A lot of marketers have suffered tremendously by making that mistake.

Repurpose your webinar. Record your webinars then turn them into articles, videos, or infographics later on (among other types of content).

You get more mileage and value out of your webinars if you repurpose them.

3. Establish strategic partnerships.

Because of the kind of services that plastic surgeons offer, one of the best groups that they can establish relationships with are burn teams (or those in burn centers).

That way, should the burn center’s patients need plastic surgery, the plastic surgeon’s clinic will be the first facility their doctors will refer.

The more burn centers the plastic surgeons partner with, the more referral they’ll get.

Of course, plastic surgeons shouldn’t only limit themselves to partnering with burn teams. They can look for other experts in the medical field who have a high probability of referring patients to them (e.g., skin health specialists, pain specialists, etc.).

Now that I’ve explained the concept of how building a strategic partnership with other medical experts work, let’s look into how you can find these medical experts.

While there are several platforms that you can use, I urge you to use Linkedin.

What makes Linkedin perfect for the job is the fact that it is a platform for professionals. That being said, there’s a good chance that your target medical expert is on the platform.

Supposing you’re in Sacramento, California and you’re looking for dermatologists, you can do a quick search on Linkedin, then add filters to your search.

After pressing “Enter,” click the “People” tab.

Add location-based filters.

These are some of the profiles that Linkedin’s search results came up with.

Now that you have your prospect’s profiles, the only thing left for you to do is to reach out to them and build rapport.

What’s next?

What are some of the best surgeon marketing ideas that you’ve used in the past?

If you have several marketing strategies for plastic surgeons that you’d like to share with the community, then please add them in the comments section below. Cheers!