Wearable Technology For Health and Wellness

Constantly evolving technology is changing how we live our lives. From managing our schedules and social lives to tracking health and wellness, the average person in the 21st century relies on smart devices to help run their life. As technology improves, the features that are available to us today become more and more useful.

Technological improvements are not only making strides for better functioning devices, but also for better health. This article from Positive Health Wellness discusses eight ways that modern technology can help make you healthier, from the doctor’s office to your own personal health.

But what can you do to ensure that you are tracking your health and fitness effectively on a personal level? Of course there is the Apple Health app but there are other downloadable apps that specialize in tracking your health like Myfitnesspal for logging food and exercise, Couch to 5K to get new runners up and moving and Sleep Cycle to log sleep patterns.

Even though it’s simple to keep track of your health and fitness patterns with your phone and corresponding apps, perhaps the easiest and now one of the most popular ways to track your habits is through wearable technology in the form of a fitness band or smartwatch. These 6 wearables can change the way you live, workout and more!

Fitbit

Synonymous with fitness tracking, the Fitbit comes in many styles, each with distinct features and designs for whatever activity you are trying to track. Some have screens, others are just a simple band. But all of them are powerful, and track your fitness progress.

Find your match here.

Apple Watch

If you are looking for more than a fitness tracker the Apple Watch is a logical move. Consistent with the style of iPhone’s iOS, this smartwatch pairs fitness with smartphone technology, allowing you to respond to messages, phone calls and other notifications right on your wrist.

Check out the Apple Watch 2 (the most recent model) here.

aHealth Watch

The newest product from Mobile.Net is the aHealth watch. This fitness tracker has unique features that you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere. The aHealth watch can not only monitor activity and sleep, but also blood pressure and blood oxygen levels.

Learn more about the aHeath Watch on Mobile.Net.

Xaomi Band

This colorful and simple band helps you to understand your daily activity without becoming overwhelming. With vibration and light notifications, ability to unlock your phone and a low price point, the Xaomi Band is a great start for those looking to try a wearable that aren’t sure they will like or fully utilize a tracker with more functionality.

Get started with the Xaomi Band here.

Huawei Watch

A smartwatch that looks like an analog watch is exactly what the high powered business person needs. High class, beautiful construction, and a highly effective fitness tracking ability. You are also able to play music offline, utilize Google Assistant and make one touch payments with NFC mobile payments.

See more about the Huawei Watch here.

Technology and health now go hand in hand. How do you integrate tech products or other innovations into your personal health and fitness?

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Gift Ideas For The Tech Lover In Your Life

Here in Minneapolis the snow and the temperature are falling and that means one thing; winter is here. With the arrival of the season also comes holiday shopping. If you have someone on your list that always seems to be in the know with the latest and greatest tech gadgets, it can be hard to find gifts that are sure to make their jaw drop, so here’s a guide with some great options to help you out.

UNDER $25

Google Cardboard $15

Virtual reality is seeing updates left and right, but for those just starting to garner an interest, Google Cardboard is the hilariously fun (and inexpensive!) way to get started in the immersive experience of VR.

Tile Mate $25

Losing your phone, wallet, keys and other personal items has never been less stressful. The Tile Mate attaches to your items and when you can’t find them, simply use the accompanying app to alert the tile to play loud noises until you have the item back with you.

LOOP World Adapter Plug $18.95

If you have a life full of travel like I do, you know that charging your devices can get tricky if you’re out of the country.  The LOOP World Adapter Plug is a universal AC socket that can charge up to 3 devices at a time. Powering up on the go has never been so easy.

UNDER $50

Mobile.Net’s @udio Ultra Earbuds $40

Power, performance, precision: in four bold colors. Offering earth­shaking bass and sweeping treble, the @udio Ultra prove big things come in small packages. Plus, hands-free call answering and microphone support make multitasking a snap.

Amazon Echo Dot (2nd generation) $39.99

The smart home revolution is upon us, and this small device packs a punch with the full capabilities of Amazon’s Echo, just in a smaller package and a basic speaker, rather than the Echo’s dedicated one.

Roku Streaming Stick $49.99

Stream almost anything from this device that looks like a USB drive.  With this plugged into your TV’s USB port you can access great content from anywhere, and control your TV with your mobile device with the Roku app.

UNDER $100

Amazon Fire TV $89.99

Go a step up from the Roku and pick up the Amazon Fire TV streaming device. With universal search results, games, Alexa enabled voice control and 4K enables picture, this is the new wave of entertainment technology.

AirHogs Ultimate Millennium Falcon Quad Drone $99.99

For the Star Wars fan in your life check out this iconic drone that has no FAA registration requirements. Control the drone from up to 250 feet away.

Samsung Gear VR $99.99, Google Daydream View $79.00

With both of these VR headsets you can experience the fun of Google Cardboard in a comfortable and wearable option. Unfortunately, Daydream View is currently only available for customers with Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL phones, and Gear VR is only for Samsung Galaxy flagship phones. However, with that being said, if your techie has a compatible phone, this gift is really a head turner.

Mobile.Net’s @udio Mix Headphones $50

Featuring 20-20000 Hz of frequency response, the @udio Mix is all about supercharged sound. Not to mention the smooth surfaces and streamlined design, letting you look as good as you feel.

$150+

Nixon Mission Smartwatch $400

Defined as the first action sports smart watch Nixon’s Mission watch is attractive, but functional; with it’s capabilities seemingly unlimited. Calibrated for surf and snow, and powered by Android, this watch is more durable than it looks, and is water resistant up to 10 ATM, which is the highest rating of any smartwatch.  Perfect for the person that craves adventure and innovation.

Vantage Robotics Snap Drone $1295

For those that have already embraced drone technology, this small but powerful drone is revolutionizing the way that videos are made. This tiny, portable and smart drone captures 4K video as it flies for 20 minutes, at speeds up to 30 mph. Snap can follow you via your smartphone’s GPS, and orbit the area you’re in and boomerang back to you for the most stunning aerial videos you can imagine.

Ember Mug $149.95

There is nothing worse for anyone than having a hot drink that you forget about, or leave at your desk during a meeting only to come back to a cold drink when you finally remember it. The Ember Mug changes all of this, with their mug that maintains the temperature of your drinks for up to two hours on the go. This smart mug can be controlled by the base that changes your set temperature, or the Ember app that allows you to change the temperature remotely, create presets and get notifications. The sleek design makes this mug attractive even without the added benefit of continually warm coffee.

Technology moves fast, but your gifts can be just as quick to please. Share any other gift ideas in the comments section below. Happy Holidays!

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Why Your Business Needs an Animated Explainer Video

Animated explainer videos are a perfect tool for attracting visitors to your site and telling them about the key benefits and features of your product. According to Nielsen Research, Training and Consulting Group, the average user spends about 10-20 seconds on a site if there is no compelling reason to stay longer. And the first ten seconds are critical for giving the user this reason to stay by clearly setting out your value proposition. Having such a short period of time, you cannot rely only on text and graphic ways to attract their attention.

If you do differ from your competitors, have a distinct advantage, or offer a unique service/product, you have to show this to the users, who often have neither time, nor desire to investigate why they should take your offer.

Why Does Video Work Better?

Let’s delve into the realm of psychology. Only 20% of people remember the information they read and only 10% remember what they heard. At the same time, 80% of people remember what they saw and what they did, and for another thing, visual information is processed 60,000 times faster than text. Based on these stats, we should accept that text and audio is less effective compared to non-verbal communication, and can influence a rather small percentage of your audience.

Animated explainer videos are able to clearly articulate your service or product in less than a minute or two. And since video allows people to acquire more information in less time compared to reading, you get a great chance to win these critical 10 seconds and capture the users’ attention.

Plus, animated explainer videos involve both visual communication and audio that significantly enhance the perception.Do these little psychological theories work when applied to online marketing? Recent facts show that they really do.

The Latest Video Trends

Cisco in its VNI Global IP Traffic and Service Adoption Forecasts for 2016-2019, states that by 2019 video will make up to 80% of all traffic compared to 67% in 2016.

So, according to “The Top 7 SEO Trends That Will Dominate 2016” by Forbes, it’s time to stop taking video and multimedia as an additional tool of online marketing, which only supplements textual information. Forbes predicts that B2C companies will try and use more video due to its higher reach, engagement, effectiveness and overall ROI compared to text content. It looks like B2B brands will follow the trend in the near future.

These predictions are based on statistics proving that both customers and businesses love video. Let’s turn to figures collected in an Invodo report on the results of 2015-2016:

• Video viewers are 1.6x more likely to buy
• 96% of customers believe that video helps them make purchase decisions
• 73% of shoppers are more likely to buy a product after watching an explainer video about it
• 58% of consumers are ready to trust the companies providing videos about their products
• 74% of B2C marketers and 92% of B2B marketers use video in their marketing strategies
• 52% of marketing experts chose video among other types of content as having the best ROI
• Social videos are shared more often than text and images combined by 1200%

But Why Animation?

Yes, animated explainer videos are just one way of visualization, and there is no one big reason for you to choose exactly this type of video content for every occasion. In some cases, staged video with real actors and props is more effective and reasonable. Still, there are a few important advantages animated explainer video has over other visuals:

Animation explainer video is perfect for those areas of business where it is difficult to present and to sell a product through other types of video or promotional methods. For example, you develop websites or you’re engaged in contextual advertising. Your explainer video should include information on target customers’ problems, benefits of the company and its workflow, several cases with figures and so on. You have to admit that it’s rather difficult to show traffic growth in video unless it’s animated. Virtually any information can be visualized with the help of animated explainer videos and this is its main advantage over real video.

Lively animated characters along with eye-catching cartoons, trigger strong emotions and create a very special atmosphere that engages an audience and captures their attention. This adds an emotional component to rational arguments, enhancing the desired effect. It’s easier and more interesting for the audience to keep up with a story line, when positive feelings are involved and the information presented in the video is more likely to stick in the memory. Plus, animated explainer videos are associated to a marketing tool in a less degree than staged video and that’s why it doesn’t come off as irritating or obtrusive advertising.

Animated explainer video is not limited to scripts. The characters can fly, dance, sing and wear any costumes, while the action may take place at any historical period and in any geographical location. This makes it possible to create an inventive storyline for better presentation of a product.

Summing up, by using animated explainer video it’s easy to communicate about complicated things, create memorable images and appeal to an audiences emotions. However, animated explainer videos can successfully solve real-world problems, improve search engines results and provide an increase in leads, conversions and sales.

Tried-and-True

One of the most striking case stories illustrating rapid success made by a startup using animated explainer video is Dropbox. Founded in 2010, Dropbox grew from zero to 100 million users in 5 years, using an effective viral campaign and the simplest web design, their landing page had only an animated explainer video and a download button.

The video campaign had its affect, increasing conversions by 10%. Considering the fact that it was viewed about 750,000 times in a month, it converted nearly 1 million of the visitors into registered users yearly.

So, what goals can you reach using an animated video?

• Increased conversions
• More sales
• Increased click-through
• Higher rankings in search engines
• Easy-to-remember marketing messages
• Customers’ engagement
• Reducing the number of consultations

An animated explainer video makes complex things simple by both explaining your product features to customers, and boosting your business in multiple ways. At Acesse we help clients boost their business in creative ways with animated explainer videos.

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Mobile Marketing Trends Not to Be Overlooked

Research shows that we use our smartphones 84 times each day, averaging 5 hours overall. That’s way more than you thought, huh? Well, it’s no secret how reliant we have become on our phones, which means mobile marketing is even more critical for brands than ever.

Ignoring certain trends that have sprung up over the last decade would put a serious hindrance on marketing results. Here are a few trends that every business should become familiar with and consider implementing before we hit 2017.

For the first time, Google has begun to include mobile apps in their first search page results. Where you would usually see ads, you can now find app recommendations right on top. If you are promoting an app of any sort, you should probably up your SEO game on those marketplaces. SEO, of all the trends, is definitely going to make the most impact.

Even if you don’t have an app, yet, it might be worth investing—considering apps make up a huge change of mobile usage these days.

Instagram Ads

Users on Instagram are more likely to engage with brand posts then any other social media platform. Just like on Facebook and Twitter, you can target your demographic according to location, interest, age, behavior, etc., but the promoted post looks very similar to organic content on a user’s feed. There is also a 30 second video option with files sizes up to 30MB.

The introduction of the carousel ads have helped advertisers showcase more products or lifestyle images. Similar to Multi-Product Ads on Facebook, users can swipe to see additional images within one post. This is especially useful to photo-based brands who want to show a variety of their work in a short time frame.

SnapChat and WhatsApp

These days, most people under 35 no longer use Facebook or Twitter. The reason for this is that SnapChat and WhatsApp offers a certain amount of intimacy between contacts. Users can share as many shocking or hilarious photos as they want, without having to worry about their entire family watching.

The social pressures of having to get likes on an Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram post is relieved because “snaps” can’t receive likes. It’s a chance to take your brand out of the office and show these curious consumers who you really are! Taco Bell has certainly jumped on the SnapChat train.

Multi-device Mobile Marketing

According to Forbes.com, consumers “often move from one screen to another while shopping.” About 65% of users start on a smartphone, 25% on a PC/Laptop, and 11% start on a tablet. And they all end up on another device at one time or another.

For this reason, there are several different devices you should be taking into consideration, including smartwatches and tablets. Times are changing and your marketing efforts need to reflect that.

Video Ads

Depending on where you are marketing, you may want to consider video advertising. YouTube is especially reliant on this form of advertising, so if you’re big on the Tube or any other video-based social platform, videos ads are great option.

Ecommerce and Social Combination

We are seeing a big socialization of online consumerism with “buy now” buttons featured on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Not only can you use these social platforms for direct sales and lead building, but you can make your own site more social.

New Payment Systems

Recently, Samsung’s “Samsung Pay” is a payment platform that can be used nearly everywhere. Services like PayPal and Apple Pay are also widely accessible on several different devices. They are secure, safe, and super fast!

Customized Lifestyle Apps

In today’s technology run world, apps are no longer accessories; they are lifestyles. People use apps on their smartphones to reflect and enhance the way they live. Need help getting in shape? FitBit or MyFitnessPal are great choices that offer freemium options. Need to manage your finances a better? Try Mint or Mintbills.

By creating a lifestyle-based app of your own, you can promote your products and services in a modern way. There are many businesses that offer app building services, but only one you can trust: Appmart.

Have you noticed any hot mobile trends in marketing lately? Let us know!

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Social Gaming: Marketable and Fun!

Since 2011, the social gaming industry has risen in revenue by more than $1 billion. And just last year, the market hit $5 billion and is expected to exceed $2 billion by the end of 2016. So, who is playing? Over 155 million Americans play video games on a regular basis (3 or more hours a week). The split amongst men (52%) and women (48%) is almost equal, both averaging 13 years as a gamer. Although the average age of a gamer is 39, the industry spans across a wide-range of ages of demographics. With those odds, you’re probably a gamer yourself.

For that reason, social gaming is a serious resource for advertisers and marketers. So, how can your business capitalize on such a rapidly growing industry?

There are several ways to make money with social network gaming. One model is to offer two levels of the game, one as a paid premium version and the other a free, stripped down one. You can also charge items in the “free” game, such as tools or weapons. In Facebook (which boasts a steady 250 million daily user count), players can use PayPal or FB credits—making purchases entirely seamless. In Gamesmart, the new state-of-the-art gaming portal, users exchange SmartCoins: an open source P2P (Peer to Peer) cryptocurrency that operates with no central authority or banks. Payments can be sent instantly to anyone, anywhere in the world. SmartCoins will continue to evolve for the ever changing needs of a smarter world. Here are a few reasons why SmartCoins are the future of social gaming:

Fast Transactions:
Even faster than Bitcoin, SmartCoin’s blazing speed 30 second confirmations will get your payments sent or received anywhere in the world without waiting around. SmartCoin works globally and constantly, which means coins can be sent from everywhere to everywhere at any point in time.

Security:
With built-in SHA-256 wallet encryption, you can safely store your SmartCoins on your hardware, or even print out your own paper wallet. Transactions can be viewed in a public database, so there is no uncertainty about the status of payment transfers, and this database exists on all clients that use the software.

Growing Community:
SmartCoin has a growing and friendly community in which everyone can participate and contribute to improve and distribute SmartCoin.

Another way is to display advertisements intermittently during a game. This is what marketers call, “gamification.” It doesn’t charge the player at all, and if designed right, the ads can be both unobtrusive and profitable. It’s best to tie in services and products that relate to the game somehow. For example, a fitness brand can use the game to promote healthy recipes or protein shakes that the player could find useful.

Another way is to develop your very own successful gaming portal, such as Gamesmart.  Gamesmart offers ready-to-play games in an variety of different languages, such as Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and English and genres, such as Action, Family, Kids, Match, Puzzle, Shooter, and Sports. Fans of popular mobile and web-based games like Candy Crush and Clash of Clans will love Gamesmart’s improved games titled Yum Yum Jelly Smash, Subway Clash 3D, Berry Blast, Froggy, and Deadshot Dynamite.

At Gamesmart, users enter a world for the creative, the strategic, and the bold. Unlike other gaming platforms, when users play Gamesmart, they can earn iRewards, which are redeemable for Amazon, gift cards. Gaming has never been more rewarding! Gamesmart, it’s a game changer.

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Why You Should be Building Your Own B2B Marketing App

If you didn’t know, Kylie Jenner created an app. It’s called, of course, Kylie Jenner and offers it’s users indispensible updates on the 18-year-old’s “lyfe”, looks, and music choices. Created by Whalerock Digital Media, the app also fashions a live feed, giveaways, and an interactive offline experience. Oh, and according to Apptopia, it reached 1.75 million downloads during the first week of it’s availability, bringing in over $134,000 dollars.

Not convinced your business needs a mobile app, yet? Well, let’s give mobile apps some more context, shall we? According to Juniper Research, by 2020 there will be over 38.5 billion mobile device users on the planet. Still not convinced? If you’re a business owner here’s a list of why you should consider getting a mobile app for your business:

Mobile apps help build a direct marketing channel

At the touch of a button, your customers can receive important updates and promotions from your company. These push notifications can include price changes, general news, coupons, latest products, new services and so on. This allows you to have a direct dialogue with your customer without having to wait for them to come to you for questions.

Mobile apps provide faster solutions

Time plays an important role when it comes to preserving and building website visitors. Most mobile apps can be accessed without the use of the Internet, allowing customer’s access to your company any time of the day. The faster and easier it is for customers to reach you, the better your ROI will be.

Superior user engagement

According to Techcrunch.com, smartphone users spend nearly 84% of their time on apps. Instead of navigating a web browser, users are attracted to the simplicity of the all-in-one business application. Not only are mobile apps readily accessible on anyone’s smartphone home screen, but push notifications allow your business to build substantial brand loyalty.

Mobile transactions

Largely due to the rise of Google Wallet and Apple Pay (simple one-click purchases), customers are able to easily purchase products and services using a business app. Impulse buys have thus rocketed, leading to much higher conversion rates on apps then on websites. 

Social media integration

According to Techcrunch.com, users spend nearly half an hour a day (14%) on social media outlets using mobile apps. For that reason integrating social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook (1.25 billion mobile monthly active users), or Pinterest is crucial in sustaining a loyal standing with your customers. Most customers, 66% to be more accurate, will check out a product or service on social media before committing to a purchase, which says a lot about buyer behavior these days.

Receive real customer feedback

A mobile app enables customers the ability to comment, like, or share your products and services. In turn, you will receive insights into your audience’s behavior and thus understand how to target future customers and preserve existing ones. This can be done in a variety of other ways, too, such as an in-app survey, review section, and so on.

It’s safe to say the benefits of developing and maintaining a mobile app in this day and age, is indispensible. Perhaps its not the right move for every business, but for the vast majority, the opportunities are endless. There are thousands of mobile app developers, so, which one is right for your company? Here is a list of the top 5 best mobile app developers for business.

1. Appmart

With Appmart, the world’s #1 iPhone and Android App Builder (running on over 140 million devices worldwide), your business can compete with the ever-growing marketplace. They do all the heavy-lifting for you. Appmart allows you to build your brand, broadcast alert messaging, share social media, engage with your customers, make mobile purchases, and much more. Their simplistic, easy to use templates beautifully display your business’s products and services, and also allow for dynamic coupons, digital loyalty cards, interactive directions, and one-touch calling. Through Appmart, your mobile business app is published to the world’s leading app stores such as the Apple Store, Google Play, and Appmart’s very own platform. Working with a team of world-class software developers, graphic designers, and incredible customer support professionals, you can breathe easy knowing your app will look and function amazingly.

2. WillowTree

Located in Charlottesville, VA, WillowTree has created powerful mobile solutions for brands such as TimeWarner, Fox News, Fisher-Price, and Pepsico. They have a rock-solid development team and offer user-centered design.

3. Y Media Labs

Y Media Labs help clients see what they can’t see themselves. They are focused on one thing: “creating world-class digital experiences that blow the doors off expectations and establish brands as category leaders.”

4. Dom and Tom

Innovators in mobile and web, Dom and Tom provide user experience and mobile app development for iOS, Android, and web. They have worked with priceline.com, Bloomberg, Condé Nast, and Dignity Health. Small, but mighty, the mobile app developing company includes 46 total team members and 4 offices.

5. Appster

Appster loves building apps that surpass client expectations. They use the “Lean Startup approach, combined with revolutionary product hacks, to build dynamic, beautiful, user-centric software.” They help companies and startups achieve scale and business ROI.

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What is Youchat? Everything You Need to Know About Acesse’s™ New Toy

You may not have heard of Youchat, but it’s a mobile messaging app on the rise. And you’re going to keep hearing about it now:

Here’s what you need to know about Youchat:

What does YouChat do?

YouChat allows you to chat in real time, group chat with friends, easily share photos, review your chat history, record and send video, all without having to pay for SMS. Build a detailed profile, including status updates visible by your contacts. Stay in touch with friends and family all over the world for absolutely free. Say goodbye to costly roaming fees, data overages, or faulty servers, and say hello to free and easy messaging. Just download the YouChat app and start messaging away.

In a sentence, YouChat makes messaging cheap and easy. In another sentence, it’s the Skype of text messages.

If you’re working abroad, YouChat makes it easy to stay connected to your business—free of hassle. Schedule a group chat using YouChat’s live video feature where you can host a conference call, tune in on a meeting, or simply say what’s up. The multi-user video chat feature, which allows you to live video chat with up to four other users at the same time, is your handy tool for boosting productivity. Being away from the office has never been less nerveracking.

This all-in-one social networking app for Android and IOS gives users the ability to chat with friends and family internationally. Unlike iMessage, with YouChat you can get the same experience talking to someone with a totally different operating system. It works on iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone, and Nokia.

Although YouChat isn’t a unique messaging app—it has plenty of competitors—it’s one of the most streamlined and easy-to-use services of its kind. You can also have fun with YouChat’s custom sticker packs. Enrich your chats with colorful stickers and emojis.

OK, so who figured out how to make global messaging happen?

Steve Renner, CEO of Acesse™ Corporation, founded YouChat in 2015. YouChat is based in Minneapolis, Minn., and the team will likely stay there. The company employs over a hundred people and has offices all over the world.

Who uses YouChat and where can users download it?

YouChat is available to anyone and everyone. You can download it on Google Play, the App Store, and Acesse’s very own Appmart.

What should YouChat users be expecting?

YouChat will remain autonomous and operate independently. You can enjoy the service absolutely free. No matter where in the world you are, or what smartphone you’re using, you can always rely on YouChat. And you can count on an ad-free experience.

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Know Your Basics: How to Drive Traffic to Your Site

There’s no secret to driving visitors to your website. Without refreshing content and a strategic marketing plan, you’ll likely hear crickets. Having a plan may sound overwhelming at first, but with a few key elements your site is sure to grow in no time. Let’s take a look at some basic marketing fundamentals:

First off, fresh content is indispensable.

Writing informative, inspiring articles and blog posts are your bread and butter. Keep posts fresh by switching the format from long and descriptive, to short and sweet. Lists are also a great way to catch and hold a visitor’s attention.

Do your research about trending topics and put your own spin on it. It’s okay to be opinionated—that’s what will make you stand out. Always take the opportunity to engage with your readers. Ask them what they think, too, and what they’d like to read from you.

Reinforce your content with compelling photos, videos, and graphics. Posting a nice balance of both original and shared multimedia is a great way to stay connected. Make certain they are eye-catching and synonymous to your content.

Get social. Decide which social media platform works for your business. Is your company tech-heavy? Facebook and Twitter might be your best option. Design-based? Instagram and Tumblr provide amazing gallery features. With any platform, make certain you are posting regularly and engaging with your followers. Scheduling software makes it easier than ever to post automatically at optimal times of the day. Here are a few other handy tips for excellent social networking:

• Share posts from fellow bloggers, tweeters, and Instagrammers
• Include social sharing buttons on every post
• Reply to comments and emails
• Collaborate with other bloggers to produce content
• Don’t forget to hashtag! 

Master the ins and outs of SEO. Stay ahead of the curve by becoming familiar with search engine optimization. So what is SEO and why is it so important?

In short, SEO are words and phrases respective to your site that ensures detection by search engines—Google, for example. With that in mind, the more valuable the content and easier it is to share, the better your chances are at being discovered and ranked. A good ranking increases your visibility and thus brings in more traffic to your site.

There are a hundred ways to increase traffic to your website, but getting down the basics is a great jumping off point. The aforementioned should be enough to get started. Other great tips include, but are not limited to:

• Review products and share them with other brands
• Include a link to your RSS feed
• Add links to your most popular post on your sidebar
• Run a blog giveaway or competition
• Optimize your website for mobile
• Include a search function
• Buy a pay-per-click service (Adwords)
• Create an app!

Explore your options and see what works best for your company. It’s better to excel in two or three fundamentals than risk quality control dabbling in a smattering of applications.

Read more about digital marketing and technology HERE

The Brian Tracy Show Featuring Steve Renner

Steve Renner, the Internet marketing pioneer and self-made entrepreneur, was excited to be featured recently on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX network affiliates nationwide as a guest on The Brian Tracy Show. Host Brian Tracy, best-selling author^® and one of the country’s leading business minds, gains a little insight into Steve’s innovative approach to digital marketing, his auspicious beginnings and overcoming adversity to achieve success, and the power of global markets.

Steve Renner got his start as a musician and construction worker with big dreams. Through hard work and unflagging determination, he’s achieved more than he could have imagined, changing people’s lives all over the world.

Watch the entire interview here.

Steve Renner Introduction- Katrina LeMoine

Entrepreneur. Motivational speaker. Small business expert. Internet marketing pioneer.  Blues guitarist. Songwriter. Grandfather and idea generator.  All of the above are used when talking about Steve Renner. 

The Minneapolis native has been working to help others use the Internet to achieve a better life for 17 years and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.  His success following this goal is owed to his insight into the ever-changing worlds of marketing and technology. Collaborator and author of Transform (Celebrity Press, 2014), Brian Tracy calls Steve “…a visionary on a level with Steve Jobs.”

For those that know Steve, that comparison is fitting. A constantly moving force of energy that is always thinking towards the next big thing; Steve can be tough to pin down. Between meetings with business partners, trips to conventions all over the world, knowing each of his employees in his home base Minneapolis office and checking in with them to see how their work is going, Steve is a hands-on participant in every aspect of his business.

This is not to say that Steve is simply the boss, he is also the driving force behind the ideas for many of the products and services that Acesse, ADX Net and Mobilesoft Technologies Inc. have launched. Mobile devices, audio technology, app development, mobile gaming, music streaming, chat and social networking/sharing services are the reach of ideas that Steve has been able to make realities.

Steve is not only heavily involved in business practices but also in philanthropic ventures.  The Acesse Foundation was founded in 2013 to fight hunger and injustice, and has continued to send donations to charitable organizations around the world.

Outside of work Steve is a family man, and enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren.  He is also a revered blues musician throughout the Twin Cities, writing his own songs, playing lead guitar and providing vocals for his tracks. Calling his album “Raining In My Heart” a mix of  “Blues/Rock format, progressive and modern. A cross between Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.”

Steve Renner is a successful man, but that isn’t a fluke. Hard work, a range of interests and a huge amount of insight into the tech industry as well as an understanding of the human element of consumers fuel this success.

To read about Steve's current work check out his blog at http://steverenner.com/