Category: Mobile Apps

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Mobile Apps Podcasting

Podcasting Can Help Your Brand Grow, Here’s How

By: Vince Kattoula

There seems to be a podcast for just about every interest out there. With the right content and an effective strategy, a podcast can help grow your brand and even capture new leads. To stay relevant, and to maintain your place as one of the 27 apps that smartphone owners use on average, podcasting should definitely be a part of your content and marketing mix.

Building meaningful relationships with consumers takes effort. As you work to move customers down the sales “funnel,” podcasts can be a great tool to complement your efforts. Through a podcast, you can connect with your audience on a personal level, inform them about subjects relevant to them and their decision about using your product or service, and speak directly to their interests. It’s an awesome platform to keep up with your brand for a busy professional who’s always on-the-go.

Blogs are a great way to get your message across to your target audience. But, unlike podcasts, they cannot be consumed while driving or while doing other activities, like exercising or cleaning the house. Thanks to the ease with which people can listen to them on their mobile devices, podcasts can attract people who are not as interested (or don’t have the time) in consuming written content. Having a podcast available to share with your audience during whatever activity they may be doing increases your chance of engaging with them further, as well as introducing new people to your brand.

If you’re currently involved with podcasting, or looking to get involved, make sure to check out the largest gathering of podcasters in the world at Podcast Movement. This year, it takes place in Anaheim, CA from August 23-25. And, if you work in/around radio and would like $100 off your Podcast Movement registration, our sister company, Jacobs Media, was nice enough to provide a discount code. Use JACOBS100 for the $100 discount when you register here.

Podcast Movement 2017: Broadcasters Meet Podcasters

One of the best things about the apps we build here at jācapps is the podcasting feature. It is second only to the stream in popularity. Click here to get even more of an understanding of how podcasting can help your brand. You can also reach out to us at 248-353-9030 or sales@jacapps.com.

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Mobile Apps Radio

4 Reasons Why Your Radio Station Should Have a Mobile App

Radio Apps

By: Vince Kattoula

Investing in mobile apps is crucial because your audience’s attention is literally in the palm of their hand. A mobile app helps your station engage its best listeners, enables new listening occasions (the gym, the house, etc.), and connects your brand with new listeners. Here are some ways your audio brand can benefit from having a mobile app:
Apps build brand recognition
Considering that the average US adult spends about 2.8 hours per day consuming mobile media, having your brand’s logo on your listeners’ screen is extremely valuable. Furthermore, according to eMarketer, the average smartphone user spends 85% of their smartphone time in apps, compared to 15% on the mobile web. This means that a clear majority of that media being consumed is being consumed using an app. The more listeners see your logo, the more they’ll recognize your brand – which is why you shouldn’t just assume that listeners will find you on TuneIn, iHeart or the mobile web.
Apps drive engagement
One clear advantage apps hold over mobile websites is the ability to create highly specific, individually customized messages that users will find relevant – such as special offers and events. Using the proper analytics, your station can personalize the experience and, in turn, offer more value and provide a place for your listeners to interact with your brand and each other.
Push notifications are a powerful way to keep listeners up-to-date with information about contests, events, weather and traffic. Your station’s most loyal fans will likely opt-in to these notifications, which means they’ll always be informed about and connected with your content and your brand.
Apps increase loyalty
A mobile app for your audience provides your brand another opportunity to sign up new listeners and to also say “thank you” to your existing listeners. Creating offers that are exclusive to your app will keep listeners coming back for more, resulting in a stronger relationship with your brand. However, we’ve said before that having an app is only half the battle. This still holds true. Promoting and marketing your app requires real focus and attention. Check out our blog “3 Keys to Effective App Promotion” for some great ways to successfully promote your mobile app.
Apps generate digital dollars
Watch our webinar on Monetizing Mobile to get a better understanding of how to generate additional revenue for your radio station using mobile apps.
Click here to discuss your station’s mobile strategy, and what we can do to help. Also, you can give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email us at sales@jacapps.com.

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Mobile Apps Smart Home

Mobile Apps Play to the Home Crowd

By: Vince Kattoula

Over the last year or so, mobile apps have followed us from our smartphones and tablets to our cars and homes in multiple ways. We can thank devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home for leading this app revolution into our homes. These devices are capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic and other real time information. They can also control several smart devices when used as a home automation hub. Personal assistants and voice commands, along with the apps and devices that use them, have been with us for some time now. Gartner reports that the use of these personal assistants, such as Siri and Google Now, has grown from 31% to 35% from 2015 to 2016. As the months go by, more consumers are becoming less apprehensive about this kind of technology.
As it becomes more seamless and intuitive, voice control in the home has the potential to become one of the biggest tech hits of the year. There are currently about 250 devices that are certified to work with Echo, which presents an opportunity for several brands to gain a strong presence in consumers’ homes. Furthermore, Amazon has encouraged rapid development of third-party applications with its open-systems approach and even financial incentives for some partners. Apple also understands this challenge, which is why they have built an app, called Homekit, solely dedicated to whole home automation.
What this means is your brand needs to start thinking about how it will interact with consumers beyond their phone, tablet, and even their car. How will voice controlled technology impact your brand’s identity and they ways it engages your consumers? It may seem like something far off in the future, but the sales of Amazon Echo and Google Home this past Christmas, would seem to indicate that the future is closer than you might think.
We can help you with those questions. Click here to reach out to one of our mobile experts, call 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

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B2B Apps Mobile Apps

How B2B Apps Can Help Your Business

By: Vince Kattoula

Email has long been the main communication tool for business owners who are constantly on the go. However, mobile apps are becoming powerful tools for accomplishing detailed tasks while out of the office. And increasingly, apps make sense for businesses that never sell directly to consumers, but instead are focused on other businesses.
Compared to B2C (business-to-consumer) apps, target audiences for B2B (business-to-business) apps are easier to identify. These apps are typically created to solve a specific problem such as providing potential customers, or sales reps, detailed product information. By doing this in a mobile app, not only can the business provide easily accessed product details, they can easily update those details without having to replace reams of printed product brochures.
And B2B mobile apps are always connected and ready for business. Sales reps never have outdated information, and never “run out” of materials. Since most professionals have their own smart device that they carry with them wherever they go, mobile apps are just the right tool to accommodate this work-style. Messages can be sent, notifications/alerts can be viewed, and most importantly, orders can be placed any time of the day from any location more easily than with a traditional PC or laptop.
Here’s a good example of how a B2B app can help. The owner of a construction company is knee-deep in mud when he realizes he forgot to order the bricks required for an upcoming project. Rather than trek back and forth through the mud to log into his computer to make the order, he can instead pull his smartphone out of his pocket and order the supplies right then and there using a mobile app. It’s a win-win situation for both businesses (the construction company and the brick supplier) and the customer gets what they want as well!
Click here to set up a conversation with us about your mobile B2B strategy. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

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Mobile Apps

It's an App-Eat-App World Out There

Well, it’s 2017 and, to no one’s surprise, mobile apps are still kind of a big deal. However, per a new report from Flurry, overall app usage seems to be maturing. Sessions were up only 11% over last year; not much of an increase when compared to the 58% increase in the 2015 annual report. What this means is that it’s even harder to shift users’ attention from the apps they are already using to your brand’s app. But while the days of heady growth are coming to an end, the primacy of apps doesn’t show any sign of abating.

 
What continues to increase substantially is the time people spend within mobile apps. Overall, this increased by 69% year-over-year, with Messaging and Social apps seeing a whopping 394% increase. The reason behind such a large upsurge can be attributed to the growing number of “consumers using their social and messaging apps as their voice and video calling utilities.” What these voice and video communication apps indicate is that users are interested in connecting to each other on the go. If you take this behavior into consideration, you can begin to think of the kinds of features your consumer wants from you. If you’re a media company, you probably want to enable your app so the user can interact with your personalities – it’s a two-way world. If you’re in another industry, anything you can do to give your user the opportunity to interact with you directly and in a timely manner is probably going to drive more engagement.

 
As the mobile app ecosystem matures, using mobile to engage consumers with your brand will help drive your business in a myriad of ways. Talk to us about how we can help you understand what will work. To learn more, give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Categories
Mobile Apps

It’s an App-Eat-App World Out There

Well, it’s 2017 and, to no one’s surprise, mobile apps are still kind of a big deal. However, per a new report from Flurry, overall app usage seems to be maturing. Sessions were up only 11% over last year; not much of an increase when compared to the 58% increase in the 2015 annual report. What this means is that it’s even harder to shift users’ attention from the apps they are already using to your brand’s app. But while the days of heady growth are coming to an end, the primacy of apps doesn’t show any sign of abating.

 

What continues to increase substantially is the time people spend within mobile apps. Overall, this increased by 69% year-over-year, with Messaging and Social apps seeing a whopping 394% increase. The reason behind such a large upsurge can be attributed to the growing number of “consumers using their social and messaging apps as their voice and video calling utilities.” What these voice and video communication apps indicate is that users are interested in connecting to each other on the go. If you take this behavior into consideration, you can begin to think of the kinds of features your consumer wants from you. If you’re a media company, you probably want to enable your app so the user can interact with your personalities – it’s a two-way world. If you’re in another industry, anything you can do to give your user the opportunity to interact with you directly and in a timely manner is probably going to drive more engagement.

 

As the mobile app ecosystem matures, using mobile to engage consumers with your brand will help drive your business in a myriad of ways. Talk to us about how we can help you understand what will work. To learn more, give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

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Mobile Apps

Appy Holidays from jācapps!

As we advance through the holiday season and toward the new year, we can’t help but think about all we are grateful for and look forward to what 2017 has in store for us.

Thank you to our clients for giving us the opportunity to work with you this year, it means a lot. Business associates like you make our jobs enjoyable and keep our business successful. It’s been a pleasure helping you reach your goals, and we look forward to contributing to your success in the coming year and hope our business relationship continues for many years to come.

We’d also like to thank our awesome staff for everything they do. It has been an honor and we consider it a valuable experience. Compassionate and hardworking employees are hard to come by these days, so we’re lucky to have an office full of them. Our business would not be possible without your support. We hope you and your families have a lovely holiday season filled with joy and meaning.

We wish you all a very APPY holiday season.

Sincerely,

All of us at jācapps

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Mobile Apps

3 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Have a Mobile App

By: Vince Kattoula

A few years ago, building a mobile app was a challenge for most small businesses. The high costs involved and commitment of a mobile development team deterred many small businesses from creating an app for their brand. But with new technologies, and the massive popularity of mobile apps, creating an app is now easier and more convenient than ever before.
Small businesses should take advantage of this lucrative space. Here are some reasons why:

  1. Apps help increase sales
    Loyalty programs can be used to reward frequent shoppers, or help turn a seldom shopper into a frequent shopper. Doing this through an app eliminates the need to print out loyalty cards or worry about tracking transactions; everything is done conveniently through the user’s mobile device, saving your business time, effort, and money. Furthermore, if you know what products your customers enjoy, push notifications can help you increase revenue too. Sending them offers about products they’re interested in during off-peak hours will help your business add to its bottom line.
  2. Apps can help improve customer experience
    Through apps, you can offer consumers coupons and send announcements directly to their smartphone (or any other mobile device) which creates a more convenient way for them to browse, compare, and order your products/services. It can also provide post-sales support and information. Data that can be collected using apps provides insights into how customers interact with your brand. Small businesses can use this information to their advantage and personalize a great in-app experience tailored for each individual customer.
  3. Apps can help maintain a competitive advantage
    People prefer apps over mobile websites. In fact, 87% of all time spent on mobile devices is spent using apps. Even further, comScore reports that among the top 1,000 apps and mobile websites, apps have an audience that’s 2.5 times as big and growing twice as fast*. If you can effectively, and consistently, promote your business’s app and remain one of the 27 apps that smartphone owners use per month, it won’t be hard to maintain a competitive advantage within your industry.

To learn more about how mobile apps can help your small business grow, reach out to us at 248-353-9030 or sales@jacapps.com.
 
*comScore 2015 U.S. Mobile App Report

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Mobile Apps

3 of My Favorite Mobile Apps of 2016

By: Vince Kattoula

It’s a been quite the year for mobile apps. Even though they made their mark on other devices throughout 2015, I feel like this is the year when they really proved their worth in places other than our phones – like our homes and our cars. Of all the apps that I have downloaded on my iPhone, there’s really only a few that I’d truly have a hard time parting with. Perhaps it’s the way these apps keep me engaged, or maybe it’s the way they allow me to connect with friends and family.

Either way, these are three of my favorite mobile apps of 2016:

Slack

Slack is awesome. I constantly use it in and out of work to share funny memes, GIFs, videos, and other posts with my friends and co-workers. But, it’s much more than that. It’s a place where we get work done, too. We use Slack to share important files and brainstorm ideas with one another. Many important announcements are made through Slack – like when there’s chocolate in the kitchen (thanks Ben). Slack is definitely my favorite mobile app of 2016.

Slack is available for free on iOS and Android.

Vivid Seats

I couldn’t tell you how much Vivid Seats has saved me on sporting events this year. From Tigers to Red Wings games and Lions to Pistons games, Vivid Seats seems to always offer tickets for some of the lowest prices available. And it’s more than just sports. Tickets for concerts, plays, comedy shows, and many other theater events can be purchased at low-end prices. Vivid Seats successfully hits on three key features – it’s easy to use, it’s customizable and interactive, and (best of all) it’s FREE 

Vivid Seats is available on iOS and Android.

Snapchat

Snapchat is one of those apps that gets better every time I use it. Constant updates to the numerous filters and geo-tags keep the app fun and engaging for all types of audiences. What I enjoy most about it is getting an “behind-the-scenes” look into the lives of my favorite athletes and celebrities. It’s also a place to access the latest news and content from brands like BuzzFeed, Comedy Central, CNN, ESPN, Food Network, and Mashable (just to name a few).

Snapchat is available for free on iOS and Android.

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Mobile Apps Mobile Web

Mobile Apps Continue to Outpace Mobile Web

By: Vince Kattoula

The internet has come a long way. I remember the days of waiting what seemed like hours for a website to load over the dial-up connection – only to be kicked off moments later because someone had to make a phone call using the landline. Luckily for us, gone are the days of using a landline to connect to the internet. In today’s world, most people use a mobile device to access the internet. In fact, MediaPost reports that mobile will represent 75% of internet traffic next year. This really wasn’t groundbreaking news to me since I’m immersed in the world of mobile every day, but it did get me thinking…

What’s more convenient: mobile apps or mobile web?

Judging by the sheer dominance in the way apps have outpaced mobile web, it’s safe to say people love and prefer the apps on their smartphones and other mobile devices. This is not hard to understand considering apps are easy to use, and they can provide users with instant gratification. Mobile web can sometimes make for a frustrating experience, especially when the website isn’t optimized for mobile. comScore provides us with the visual below to help us understand just how dominant mobile apps are compared to their mobile web counterpart.

So, should your business get an app?

Probably.
Since 2008, competition within the space has increased pretty heavily. So much so, that 63% of app users become inactive within the first 30 days of downloading an app. For this reason, it’s important to keep your customer base engaged. People aren’t always going to check your website for deals and updates, and emails sometimes fall into the spam folder. Mobile apps create an instant connection between your business and your audience. Users who download your app are likely your best customers, and they give your brand a small piece of precious real estate on their device so your message is never more than a tap away – useful to them and your business.
To find out more about how mobile apps can help your business become more lucrative, reach out to us today by emailing us at sales@jacapps.com or by calling 248-353-9030.