Apps are all the rage nowadays:

There are apps for, well, pretty much everything:

-Apps for your phone.

-Apps for your TV.

-Apps for your car (Ford).

-Apps for your toilet (maybe not…but you get the point).

Apps are amazing business tools ESPECIALLY if you are creating video:

1. Your own app takes your content and gets it onto multiple platforms. The potential for more eyeballs is always a good thing.

2. TV apps essentially mean you can have your own international TV content overnight through Yahoo!’s Connected TV Platform (currently comes installed in Sony, Vizio, LG and Samsung TV’s). Here is a clip on TV apps and some thoughts on why tweeting from your TV and TV apps is … Read More »

A big aspect of building your business in 2010 is apps. Apps are all the rage and we are here to help you cash in. The Rise To The Top and Widget Realm have teamed up for a month long giveaway where a lucky winner will receive a dream app package including custom made apps for mobile phones such as the iPhone and Blackberry as well as the newest technology: TV apps.

The contest is open to any individual or business who is or plans on creating video content. To pitch your idea and enter visit the contest page.… Read More »

Is there ever a good reason to turn down an advertiser?

Picture this. Someone is ready to write you a BIG fat check for advertising. Maybe it is for your website or blog. But you just don’t have a good feeling about it. Would you ever turn it down?

We have had to. Why because I care about our community more than anything and relationships.

Here are a few reasons why…

5 Reasons To Turn Down An Advertiser:

1. Bad Fit With Your Audience: It has to just make sense.

2. You Can’t Help Them: You have to be honest with yourself. A long term relationship is the real benefit as opposed to the quick buck even if you … Read More »

Part #1

PS: Enjoy my confusion when we cut out

Part #2

The Power Of A Book For Entrepreneurs

To say Jason Cohen is a smart guy would be an understatement.

1. He is a big time entrepreneur and founder of Smart Bear Software (which he sold for major cash money)

2. His blog A Smart Bear is one of the best in the world on as what he calls “startups + marketing + geekery.”

3. He has his smart hands in many other pots including Capital Factory and OnStartups Answers (with start up legend Dharmesh Shah)

4. He wrote a very (VERY) niche book called Best Kept Secrets of Peer Code Review which to date has been read by … Read More »

Note: Today’s RISE episode is from Great Day St. Louis onCBS KMOV4. I’m on there once a month as their tech expert discussing hot topics in technology that you don’t need a nerd degree to understand. The article below is expands on a lot of the ideas touched on.

Your Online Reputation IS MARKETING:

In the 10 Big Marketing Predictions For 2010, I touched a bit on reputation marketing. Why? Because it matters. It used to be someone with a big mouth could tell…

…10 people about you?

…100 people about you?

Now, an individual can tell thousands of people via social media, blogs and more.

Search Engines Have The Biggest Mouths Of All

Think about someone telling all … Read More »

Misconception: You have to have a LOT of traffic to make money from your website/blog

There is a big misconception in the online world about the correlation of traffic and making money from your website.

For example:

1. You need LOTS (hundreds of thousands of visitors) a month to make any money from your website (either by selling a product/service, advertising, whatever).

2. People expect everything online to be free.

3. You can’t make money from blogging.

Well, lets put those three misconceptions to rest in this chat with Timothy Sykes.

Timothy is smart, brash and has that like-him-or-hate-him-but-you-have-to-respect-him personality (I like him) and he makes an absolute boatload of money online to the tune of 1.3 million (yes, … Read More »

The St. Louis entrepreneurial community will be out in full force on February 24th. 

Perhaps there will be a scalped ticket on Ebay?

In case you missed out, don’t fret as due to overwhelming popularity there will be more events. To make sure you are updated FIRST, sign up via email to receive event updates in the upper right hand corner.

… Read More »

Skimp Or Splurge? Should You Hire A Graphic Designer For Your Website?

When building your business smarter, faster, cheaper every dollar counts. But sometimes you HAVE to invest in yourself because the payout and potential is much more than the initial investment.

What about your website? Perhaps it is your 1st website, 10th website, or you are re-doing your website that looks more like 1997 than 2010. Awesome.

How do you go about it? Do you purchase a template? Create a custom site? Design it yourself?

I’ve created several websites and based on my experience hiring a graphic designer can be one of the most beneficial investments you can make. Here is why:

5 Reasons You Should Splurge On A … Read More »

How To Get Sponsored

I must have been a little lightheaded due to marker fumes and definitely did not look in the mirror before shooting this show. The result is it looks like I’m ready for an east-coast yacht club meeting or something.

This is probably one of the top few questions I get all the time. You ask and you shall receive. So I figured this would be a great multi-video series on sponsorships.

Starting off today is how you can make initial contact and start forming a relationship with sponsors now.

I’ve been involved in sponsorships for awhile now and have tried literally everything going all the way back to professional inline hockey sponsors (I know, weird) … Read More »

Trust me, if you wait until 2011, you are going to be kicking yourself.

We are in the middle of a fundamental shift towards online content becoming more and more important for entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs and business owners.

Blogs vs. Newspapers

Here is the key question (and please let us all know your thoughts on this below): Would you/your business rather be on the front page of your local newspaper or front page of the best blog in your niche?

I would take the blog all day and night. Why?

1. Blogs are spreadable. When was the last time someone clipped a newspaper article out, scanned it and sent it to 5, 50 or 500 people?

2. Blogs are sharable (think … Read More »