The dos and don'ts of social media for businesses

If you want to promote your company and ensure that it gains online visibility then you can consider social media contests that are not only an effective medium but free as well. Similarly there are several other social media strategies that you can use to get more traffic, generate leads and sales while there are a few things that you have to avoid to get maximum benefits.

Have a plan

If you have a goal in life then you need to have a plan so that you can work towards it. The same applies for social media strategies for small businesses. Of course there are some merits to random acts of kindness, but remember that random is not a word that you can associate with social media today.

Set boundaries

It’s important to have your rules set in place; from age limits to location specifications, entry period etc. You should also make this information easily visible to your contestants so that they won’t miss it. This will make sure that there is no misunderstanding and confusion throughout the contest. That’s the reason setting boundaries is critical right at the onset and you should also make it a point to stick to the rules you have set.

Add value

Social media should be looked at as an additional medium of communication. It’s important to add value to your content so that you make a mark with your clients, users and fans alike. If you are trying to cater to the fans then think of ways and content that will make them sit up and take notice. Once that’s done your users will keep checking on things to see what else you have to say. Bear in mind that your social media pages are not to express your personal interests but should be tailor made for your customers.

Stay authentic

If you want to maintain your business identity and make your mark then it’s important to stay authentic at all times. Let your online presence express your true beliefs. It often gets tricky but think of it from your audiences’ point of view. Once they find you they need to know what they should expect. That’s why authenticity and consistency is the key.

Build your network

The big idea of social media is to set up a network with your audience. It can be a grave mistake to set up a Twitter or Facebook page, add some press releases and forget all about it. The good thing about social media is that you have access to your present and potential customers. Make the most out of it by starting forums and groups with a community manager who constantly interacts with them. You are also well served by following industry experts and joining groups with common interests.

Ask questions

Do you want to get hundreds of comments on your posts? Then there’s only one way to go about it; ask them direct questions. Keep the questions relevant, simple and conversational. Don’t make them about your own opinions and use visual imagery wherever you can so that users will pay attention and want to engage.

Avoid multiple profiles

It can get very tricky to manage multiple profiles, no matter how hard you try. But it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing philosophy where you live out your life on social media. However if you have chosen to be on a particular platform then you should take the effort to understand security settings. It will help you keep tabs on things you want to post privately and publicly.

Avoid spamming

Spam is a put off, be it with emails or social media. Don’t overdo things because posting the same content over and over again can get you reported and your page runs the risk of being shut down. You can also turn your fan base away from you.

Negative feedback should be taken on the chin

If you are on social media there’s bound to be some kind of negative comments. It’s tempting to filter them out so that you protect your brand’s reputation. But that will not be taken kindly by consumers who like to know that all types of voices are heard. Hence it’s a good idea to listen to the negative comments rather than just deleting them. You can try and understand why you are getting this negative feedback in the first place and respond politely. It can actually help you address the issues people have and it will lend you credibility.

Use more than one network

If you have found a good article or piece of content, you can share it on different platforms you are on. It shouldn’t be exclusive to any particular medium. That’s the way it works with social media today. But you have to remember that the content shared on Facebook might have to be dressed up differently to be shared on LinkedIn. The tone of every network has to be kept in mind when doing that.

Don’t get into promotional overdrive

Brand accounts are followed because people like to build a relationship with them. They are looking for an experience with a brand and don’t want to be bombarded with advertising every given opportunity. Your content on social media cannot be just about your brand; it can include things from your site or other sites, which might have similar interests. It will be an interesting mix of things for your users.

Don’t hide behind your logo

This is the time to come out from the shadow of your logo, and share personalities behind the brand. Your users find it easier to relate to people behind the brand as they can relate to them and it builds invaluable trust too.

Don’t be robots; share your voice

You might be using social media to promote your brand but you will find that bringing in some personality into it will add to the success of your campaign. You can easily do it by offering your expertise on a relevant subject or just thanking them for re-tweets. You can also share some personal details and build a level of familiarity with users. Of course have an opinion, but try and stay a human voice rather than sounding like a robot. 

Author bio:

I am Ramya Raju a freelance web design writer with 8 yrs of extensive blogging experience on a variety of online publishing and social-media platforms. I generally write high-quality articles on travel, photography, SEO, Web design, English courses, and generic topics too. I’m also an extrovert with a passion for photography, anthropology and travelling to different countries to learn the culture and living of the local inhabitants. Website: http://www.colorcharacter.com/uk/services

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Best Digital Marketing Strategies for 2014

In this contemporary world, internet use becomes more and more prevalent with each passing day. In recognizing this reality, many business owners are interested in learning what types of digital strategies they need to implement in order to accomplish all of their professional goals in 2014. While there are a variety of different internet marketing techniques that can help businesses experience continual growth and expansion, the following three can be particularly helpful:

1. App Development.

These days, more and more businesses are developing their own apps, and for good reason. Apps give businesses an opportunity to become an integral feature of their consumer's electronic device. With an app, business owners can provide customers with information regarding new products, sales, and any other data that is relevant to the goods and services it is attempting to advertise. If your business wants to excel in the world of app development during 2014, the key will likely be the implementation of a mobile app development strategy. These days, more people are purchasing mobile phones than personal computers, a fact which makes the development of mobile apps seem both practical and important.

2. Web Design.

Although web design has grown common and prevalent enough to now constitute a career, its relevance and importance has not yet grown old. In fact, web design may be more important now than in previous eras given the steady increase in internet use. In order to ensure that your business maintains an edge over its competitors in 2014, it is important that you pay attention to each component of your website. There are many, and some of them include your font, background, content, functionality, and use of widgets. Generally, it is a good idea for business owners to seek assistance from professional web designers when working on its site. Doing so can help ensure that you have an aesthetically appealing and functional site capable of catching and keeping the attention of prospective clients.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

The use of effective search engine optimization techniques is one of the best digital strategies your business can use in 2014. Although broadly defined, search engine optimization is basically a process that involves the implementation of specific strategies that will help a website, blog, or video reach the top of the search engine results pages. There are a variety of SEO strategies your business can employ to accomplish this purpose, and some of them include the creation of great content, anchor text, internal linking, external linking, social media optimization (SMO), and online reputation management (ORM).

Conclusion

If your business is serious about expanding its online presence and sphere of influence in 2014, utilizing proven digital strategies will be the key to its success. By attending to the three techniques listed above, your business will likely witness the increased conversion rates and expanding customer base that you want. Good luck!

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An Overview of Email Marketing for Startups

The United States sees countless new startups launch every day. Such new companies must contend with a wide variety of issues. Typically, a startup's handling of these issues directly affects its chances of success. Most of these companies operate online, and online startups must engage their customers. Engagement occurs through various marketing tactics, of which there are many. For the best results, startups need to utilize multiple options at their disposal without going over budget.

Effective Marketing Wins; Ineffective Marketing Dooms

A company that engages its customers effectively will see results. Otherwise, those that don't could fail to attract customers from the start. Ineffective marketing can doom even the best products and services online. Too many companies figure this fact out the hard way. Therefore, effective marketing is required, so startups need to utilize the best methods. They must walk the line between cost-effectiveness and great marketing, though. Finding the middle ground here isn't always easy.

Email Marketing Benefits For Brand New Startups

Without a doubt, startups need to use email marketing in order to target potential customers. Engaging customers through this method couldn't be any easier. A new company still needs email marketing tips to avoid making mistakes. However, the benefits of such marketing tactics speak for themselves. Emails cost pennies on the dollar to send, and thousands of emails can be sent at once. Potential customers are reachable around the world without requiring tons of time.

How does email marketing work?

Email marketing is commonly performed by utilizing mailing lists. These lists contain the email addresses of thousands of consumers and potential customers. Sometimes, companies acquire these lists from advertising services. They might even compile their own list from users that sign up for regular emails. Either way, a startup must know how to utilize these lists in order to succeed. The idea that mass-sending emails leads to success is a slightly misguided notion these days.

Quality Beats Quantity For Email Marketing Today

Startup companies need to send quality emails to potential customers to see results. A consumer won't respond well to an automatic message filled with advertisements. Likewise, they don't like being spammed with countless messages per month. A company needs to strategically craft these emails and send them out on occasion for maximum effectiveness. It doesn't make sense to customize each email for a recipient. Then again, emails should make customers feel like they were singled out.

Most companies find email marketing relatively simple and straightforward. Plus, these startups often see great success with this method. It's a low-cost, high-return investment that's proven useful time and time again. New companies should heed email marketing tips from the professionals to avoid issues. Like other tactics, there are wrong ways to handle this situation. No startup wants to purposefully doom itself before it can build a large customer base for its future success.

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Hire a social media manager

Do you still doubt if to hire a social media manager for your business? In such case you lag behind the time too much. I can convince you, that it is just necessary if your goal is to reach better results and to support the level, which you are on. Social media manager not only saves your money and time, but helps to develop and to make your business competitive as well. The world technologies update with the speed of the wind, and it means that you must constantly get new knowledge, track the changes, and so on. In order to master all these things you must work in this field every day, but it will greatly distract your attention from your basic work and as a result your business will fail. Besides, are you sure, that you are able and have enough time to attract customers, visitors, if you are business owner? I am sure you are not. That is why don't spare money for professional social media manager, it will be much cheaper for you than to do it by your own or to hire some unreliable manager. Hire only professional and reliable person.

So what are the main reasons to hire a social media manager? Here is the list of the most important reasons.

Your manager will work out the appropriate business strategy, plan, which will guide your actions in right way. With the help of it you can have an excellent, actual and valuable content, which will attract many readers, who are your potential customers and clients. Manager knows for sure what to add, to delete or to change in your content in order to satisfy public interests and demands.

Hire a person, who perfectly knows the appropriate and necessary platforms for your business, because social media is always in the process of development and almost every day some innovations appear in this field. You will gain good profits from such professional. You will become more competitive in comparison with other businessmen. Your social presence will much increase.

Social media manager will work out the brilliant content strategy. He will make your content engaging, interesting. People will join you with pleasure if your content is worth it and if they feel comfortable while reading.

Manager knows how to take the most out of social media, using different techniques, methods, tools, etc. These tools will help you to grow the business and to save money as well.

He will boost SEO optimization, because he knows much about search engines and what content is appropriate for them. Thanks to it you will drive traffic, create a popular and good reputation of your site.

Responsibility is the main aspect too in business. If many employees have an access to the same account, it is almost impossible to find out who sent the message and so on.  However, when you have one social media manager, he is totally responsible for his actions. So the level of the work quality gets better.

I hope you now see it is necessary to hire a professional manager in order to grow your business constantly. I wish you good luck.

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Twitter is a marketing platform - but avoid some scheming things

No doubt, Twitter became one of the most popular social media site. Thousands of people daily visit it, and about 50 million tweets are sent per day. This micro-blogging service has a large audience, so there are many possibilities to develop your own business, to drive traffic and advertise your products here.  Twitter has been a marketing platform for a long time. And it is not a surprise for anybody, that this website is constantly used by many internet businessmen for commercial purposes. Anyway, day after day, we face to many difficulties in such kind of marketing, but often ignore them. There’re some moments on Twitter, which we should avoid, in order to save and develop our business activity. These details seem not very important, but actually the whole success depends on them. So let’s look through some of them.

Don't send the auto direct message to the users, whom you want to attract to the purchase of your product. It spurns your potential customers, especially if you've hardly got acquainted.  These users are new for you, and your task is to hold down them, not to lose them. That’s why do it gradually, finding out their interests and preferences at first. Then you can indicate a link to some interesting article in the message to you future customer. Remember the main conditions: your actions shouldn't be annoying; your slight suggestion must suit your followers' interests; distribution of your messages mustn't be automatic.

Don’t be excessively active in self-promotion. It looks not very good, when you speak only about yourself and your products. Twitter is a place, where you constantly interact with people, so you must not only speak, but listen as well. When you find out, what your follower is interested in, you can satisfy his needs by way of involving a piece of the necessary information for him into your blog. In such way you will really insensibly attract the follower’s attention to your goods.

Don’t hide the background of your business. Be more personal in relations with your customers, but don't overdo with it. You can show in pictures or in some article your working process, development. You even can allow acquaintance with your employees. Such actions will merit trust and define profits from your potential customers. Be honest and open with people.

Don’t use jargons and cuss words. Some users try to use such methods in the marketing, but actually it looks not good and pushes off the customers. In such case it is better to use official language rather than the dissolute one. However, remember, that your language must be maximally available to the audience.

Don’t tweet too often. Active position is welcomed in marketing on Twitter, but it shouldn't look like spam. If you write a message, make it consistent and targeted for the audience. Provide it with the individual valuable information. Don’t send the same message to the different people. It is a sign of a bad tone.

Don’t forget about Twitter etiquette. Don’t show a great desire to make a profit from people. Don’t be annoying. Don’t thank them constantly for their activity. Don’t point out everywhere only the link to your website. It looks suspicious and persistent.

Follow these tips and you will have good results.

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Google+ Marketing: Five (5) Reasons Why Your Business Should Be On Google+

The search giant launched its own social network on 2011. Its intent is simple: to make online sharing better and introduce a new way to connect with people that matter most. However, with Facebook and Twitter topping the charts in the social networking industry already, what makes Google+ different?

Why Should Your Business Be On Google+

Learn why you should consider Google+ in your digital marketing strategy. Here are five (5) reasons how it can greatly benefit your business.

1.  Better SEO Rankings. One important feature of Google+ is that Google, the search engine, will treat your posts the same way as it will do so on regular webpages. So if you post content to Google+, it will rank higher in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) as opposed to doing the exact same thing to another platform like Facebook. It will stay there longer as well which makes it a perfect avenue to promote your brand regardless if you are a digitalmarketing agency in the Philippines or a telecommunication firm in India.

2.   Higher Brand Visibility. It is a perfect opportunity to introduce and promote your company. For instance, try typing “Starbucks” on the Google search bar. You can easily see on the right side of the SERP a link to Starbucks’ Google+ page as it shows the number of its current followers, profile image and its recent Google+ post activity. Its hashtag feature (type “#starbucks”) is magnified too as you can quickly identify which users are talking about Starbucks’ products and services.

3.   GoogleAuthorship. Authorship is the driving force behind Author Rank which is one of the 200 ranking signals that Google uses. Its birth roots back to Google’s goal to eliminate spam and duplicate content. As your business utilizes this feature, it will build your credibility more as it allows you to link your Google+ profile or page to the content you create thus letting the search giant know that the article actually originated from you.

4.   Deeper Engagement. Engagement is a necessary metric in online marketing as it can very well dictate how effective your brand is to your customers. Google+ has Hangouts and Communities that will help your business engage with your followers on a more personal level. You can broadcast conferences and webinars with the former and host rich conversations and shared interests with the latter.

Integration to Youtube. With Youtube being the best video site to date and its comments now powered by Google+, your reach can be guaranteed to multiply massively. 

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Analysis of Competitive Intelligence Tools and Data Sources

The ability to use big data for your business in order to upkeep with the competition is something that is very crucial especially in a competitive world of digital marketing. Understanding the course of progress of your business marketing strategies will help you define more accurate steps in order to target results. Being able to know what drives businesses to profitability in the digital world of marketing will give you a better market positioning and you have wide sources of information and options to consider using competitive intelligence tools and data sources.

Key points of competitive intelligence

Online marketers are leveraging over the benefits and advantages of competitive intelligence. In essence, the process involves the analysis and gathering of important data sources in order to build your databanks regarding vital information concerning your products, customer behavior and preferences and understanding your competitors. By distributing the data intelligence that you have gathered you will be able to foster better competitive marketing strategies beyond the guess work. Your objective is to use data sources to maximize your business and competitive intelligence to produce profitable results.  

The competitive intelligence tools to optimize business data sources

Search engine optimization Atlanta drives most business towards a more competitive environment by providing better understanding regarding the external business environment of an organization. With the use of competitive intelligence tools it is easy to drive your business towards competence in all your business decision making. You can derive better data sources and convert them into business intelligence with the help of internet marketing Atlanta that can improve your metric conversions and lead generation for better return of business profits. 

There are data mining tools that can give your business better competence to become at par with you competitors. Using the tools, you can extract better advantages in building your digital marketing structures and you can enjoy these following benefits from mining data sources for your business:

1. Broaden your competitive intelligence and translate data metrics as useful information to understand your website statistics

2. Business competitiveness at par with your competitors. 

3. Ability to define marketing strategies and gain better search results positioning 

4. Develop a more engaging business environment that helps you to connect better to your customers. 

5. Using competitive intelligence tools you can give your business a better advantage by collecting raw data that will help you define which important issues in your digital marketing strategies that you need to address as a priority with the following considerations:

• Your target market

• Ability of structuring a more responsive website design and development plan

• Finding the most reliable SEO services company to deliver targeted results based on your gathered data sources.  

• Analytic ability to use metrics and how to make them help your business convert better.

There are various aspects of competitive intelligence that can help drive business towards better marketing positioning. The key aspects of your businesses that the competitive intelligence tools can have a significant impact include:

1. Identifying your current competitors

2. Profiling your competitors and understanding their own digital marketing strategies and why it seems to be productive.

3. The key marketing strategies that competitors employ in order to gain better advantage to your business.

4. Using analytical metrics that can be a big source of mining data regarding their web marketing tactics and SEO strategies in promoting their products and services.

5. Discovering more innovative technology that can drive your own business towards better competitiveness and productive digital marketing strategies.

Optimizing SEO with competitive intelligence tools and data sources

Search engine optimization remains to be a vital aspect of all digital marketing strategies. You can optimize your business performance in the digital world using metrics and data sources that will enable you to use business intelligent information that can help your business respond with better competence to meet your customers’ needs and attain a better market positioning by targeting better search engine results page for your website. 

One of the very useful competitive intelligence tools that you can use in digital marketing is the analytics tools that can optimize your search engine marketing efforts. Analytics tools can be a big data source for your business by giving you different metrics to help define a more appropriate digital marketing response based on the current marketing trends and industry demands. Using web analytics, you can easily foster better competitive search engine optimization strategies that can improve both your onsite and offsite website competitive intelligence.

Not only will you be able to identify which marketing tactics are relevant to your business needs but you will also understand what SEO approach you are doing wrong with the help of competitive intelligence tools. The data sources that you can mine from competitive intelligence tools can offer you several search engine optimization campaign enhancements such as the following:

A. Onsite optimization with competitive intelligence

• Enhance your URL structure by comparing yours against that of your competitors.

• Improve your competitive intelligence by improving your website design and development and consider the website design enhancements used by your competitors.

• Reinforce your data sources using analytics in order to understand your competitor’s traffic sources and what keywords are working best for their organic traffic on search.

• Review your page title and meta tags if you are using the most productive keywords on search.

• SEO integration to your web design and development strategies.

B. Offsite Optimization with competitive intelligence

• Data mining regarding your competitor’s link building campaigns

• Optimizing your SEO results using local listings where you competitors tend to obtain organic traffic and higher search results.

• Social media marketing engagements and defining how your competitors promote their social media brand marketing campaign and how to reinforce yours.

Last parting words

Competitive intelligence tools and data sources can boost the overall digital marketing performance of your website. By using the obtainable metrics, data and information from analytics tool it can likewise enhance your search engine optimization campaigns that can drive your business with better competence to thrive in a very competitive digital marketing environment.

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How to Build a Career in Digital Marketing

Digital marketing involves making marketing efforts via various electronic devices like computers, tablets, smartphones and gaming consoles. It makes use of new technologies and digital platforms like e-mail, websites, social networks and apps (both web-based and mobile). The dynamic and ever-growing realm of digital marketing is expanding to create new opportunities for beginners as well as traditional marketers who wish to venture into this domain. But what does one need to become a digital marketer? This question will be answered through the following article which aims to enlighten aspirants about what it takes to build a career in digital marketing.

Do your Research

It is highly important to know what you are getting into. Begin by finding out the roles and responsibilities of a digital marketer.  Like any other industry, the skills you possess must be aligned to the requirements of the position. There are many aspirants who do not fully understand how far the professionals need to go to in order to create compelling marketing strategies using creative ideas, unique copy and development.

The following are some essential traits that an aspiring digital marketer must possess to be successful in this field –

• Analytical – You should be able to analyze the numbers, understand their relevance and take corrective actions.
• Technical Proficiency – you must have the keenness and capability to learn latest software and adapt to new technology.
• Spreadsheet Expertise – You certainly need to know how to make spreadsheets like Excel. These help you in report making.
• Know-how of Social Media – Even if you are not an innovator when it comes to emerging media, you still need to be a quick learner and adopter.
• Curious Mind – All professionals in this sphere need to have a thirst to learn more to grow. You should be curious to know the processes, how things happen, why certain demographics convert better, etc. Asking questions will only help you learn more.

Seek the Right Education

Even though degree courses are useful, a true marketer only gains the paramount knowledge through a combination of sources beyond the classroom. You can imbibe the right knowledge through –

• Industry Blogs – This industry is highly dynamic and introduces new updates at lightning speed, so books may become obsolete but blogs will remain a nimble source for literature, expertise, insider insights and trends. Make it a routine to read some of the top blogs related to digital marketing.
• Google Analytics – Web analytics are the lifeline of digital marketing and Google Analytics is a widely used platform. Your aim should be to successfully pass the Google Analytics IQ exam. You can even take lessons before taking the exam.

Create Networks and Stay Connected

The best way to stay updated and keep an edge in the rapidly evolving sector of digital marketing is to stay connected with industry allies. Here‘s how to go about it –

• Internship-Bound – If you are in college and wish to aim for a digital marketing job in the future, you can start early by forming associations while still in college. Find yourself a mentor and get yourself a relevant internship where again you can build contacts and gain experience.
• Use LinkedIn – You can join digital marketing groups on the social networking website and then shoot questions that you wish to find answers to. The vast pool of knowledge and expertise available on LinkedIn makes it a great resource.

Get Started with the Real Thing

Once you have understood this field, gained education and experience and formed a network, it is finally time to get serious and find your dream job.

• Get Professional Certification – The Google Analytics IQ test is highly recommended. Another certification by the search giant is the Google AdWords Certification. Even if you do not hold relevant work experience but have one of these to your credit, you will be given a preference when you appear for an interview. The certificates are a representation of your dedication and interest towards internet marketing.
• Set up your Web Presence – This will help you look more credible and will simultaneously allow you to gain hands-on experience by practicing Google Analytics tracking on your own site and driving traffic through different channels. You can start your blog on a subject related to your hobby or passionate.

The above steps will help you get acquainted with the innovative space of digital marketing and help you shine out from the crowd of aspirants.

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How to Make Money as a Gaming App Developer

Just about everybody has some kind of gaming app for their Smartphone or Tablet. Gaming apps continually top the list for most profitable apps. In a July 2013 article, the Business Insider estimated that Candy Crush alone made $633,000 a day. Many of these gaming apps are absolutely free, yet app developers continue to make huge profits year after year. How do they do it?

There are a variety of different methods that game makers utilize to maximize their gaming app profits. These methods are some of the most powerful ways to make money in the mobile market, and can be adapted to just about any other kind of apps. These methods include: upselling, in-app purchases, ads, cost per install, and even sponsorship.

Upselling

Upselling is the process of limiting access to certain game features until the user pays for them. Many gaming apps offer paid "HD" versions of apps or paid "full" versions that include features you can't get from the free versions. Certain areas of the game may be blocked from access or certain gaming methods unavailable. This tactic satisfies players who just want a free game, but creates profit potential for the cunning app developer.

In-app Purchases

In-app purchases are one of the most powerful ways to make money as a gaming app developer. It actually has the potential to create an infinite cash loop for the developer. Basically, players have the option to pay money to get more lives, gold coins, or other essential gaming items. A good example of this method involves Candy Crush. Players can either wait 20 minutes per life to get new lives, or pay a small fee to get lives immediately.

Ads

Ads are another powerful app profit method. Not necessarily running ads in your game (which many people do), but paying for banner ads for your game. It may seem strange to pay to advertise a free product, but it is worth it if you target the right audience. Lets say a developer has a role playing game app with a potential infinite profit loop method of payment for more experience points. Advertising this free app on popular role playing gaming websites can attract players that may not have spotted the game and can potentially hook them in on the payment loop.

Cost Per Install

Cost per install or CPI is one of the newest gaming app profit method. Basically, you pay a third-party to promote your app and host it. They promote the game, bring in money from advertising and other gaming methods, and spread the word of your game. They make a certain amount of money each time the game is installed. You will also make money each time your game is installed. You will make a little less than the third-party, but they will be doing most of the hard work promoting and hosting your game, so it's a fair trade off.

There are a few things you should avoid if you want to make a profit as a game app developer. Never set the premium pay-per-download option as the default. That will drive away users who think the game costs too much. You should also create a marketing plan before building your app, create platform appropriate customization, avoid in-game advertisement, and create a game that is fun to play.

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Apps Development: A Very Good Career Opportunity?

America is disappearing underneath an ever-growing heap of iPads, iPhones, and Androids. Newer, faster, prettier mobile devices hit the market every day as the world's appetite (no pun intended) for more and better mobile technology grows. In turn, the apps development industry has taken off like a rocket in order to supply the ever-increasing demand for more and more apps. If you're considering a career switch, apps development might be a smart industry to sink your teeth into – but even apps development comes with its risks. Pros include job growth and diverse opportunities, but would-be developers might want to weigh the cons of security challenges and competition as well.

PROS

Job Growth

These days, everyone is talking about the recession. Jobs are few and far between and wages are low. Meanwhile, the cost of living increases mercilessly. Apps development, however, has been one of the lucky industries which has more or less side-stepped the national dip in employment. The apps development industry cranks out billions of dollars on an annual basis. The best place to head for to seize upon job growth is California, sunny home to tech heavyweights like Apple and Google. Even Washington, which boasts residents like Microsoft and Amazon, comes in at about a quarter of California's annual app-based profits.

Diverse Opportunities

There are apps for absolutely everything. Stupid apps, cerebral apps; novelty apps, functional apps; consumer apps, commercial apps. Whatever you're interested in, there's an app niche for you. That means that instead of being shoehorned into an area you have little to no personal investment in, you have the opportunity to work on subjects you know and love. You may even be able to pioneer a new niche. Trends to look out for in 2014 include messaging, educational, and enterprise apps.

CONS

Security Challenges

In this case, we don't mean job security – we mean the security of the actual apps themselves. Because app development is such a comparatively new field, apps are particularly vulnerable to security defects, which presents a considerable challenge for programmers. Jack Mannino, head of the Mobile Security Project, cautions, “ There is constantly really sensitive stuff going through these applications,” referring to data like email addresses and bank account information. That means that app development can be a lengthy and laborious undertaking. “You have to build and test — for feature functionality and also security,” says Mannino. To make matters more complicated, app developers have to consider the fact that their apps might be connected with unsecured devices, or running with other apps that lack security measures.

Competition

Because app development is such a hot industry, it attracts countless tech-savvy hopefuls into its fold – and while big business means plenty of customers, it also means plenty of competition. There are thousands upon thousands of apps to struggle against in virtually every niche, which means developers' chances of attaining Angry Birds-grade fame are slim in a sheer numbers game.

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