The Starting Gate

Twitter and sales: How to cash in on your own Twitter platform

By Susan Linning

Yeah, we’re tweeting.  Day and night, night and day.  Great for marketing. Great for reaching out to current and potential customers/clients.  Great for brand building.  But can Twitter increase my sales?

You know that social media platforms (including Twitter) can be a valuable marketing tool and a wonderful outlet for connecting with current customers or potential business. The question becomes: How do I turn the Twitter conversation into a real one, complete with the potential for making a sale or closing a deal?

Facebook, as you’ve likely discovered, is not a “build it and they will come” platform.  Twitter, on the other hand, is extremely useful for seeking out a customer base, developing sales leads, finding vendors and suppliers, etc.  Scourge the Twitter platform for colleagues in your industry, those who
might be interested in your products or services and individuals or businesses that would be ideal clients/customers or service providers. Begin building your online community.  By “retweeting” others’ posts, you get noticed and you build a valuable source of content for your own followers.  It’s an ideal way to network and connect with others.  

The latest feature from Twitter is Twitter Ads, which were recently released to all United States users.  Now, you can advertise your business or promote specific tweets, much like you can do on Facebook.  Read more about this process here, and consider investing in Twitter ads as a part of your overall social media strategy.

There are a number of online, third party tools and sites that can help you easily manage your Twitter account, follow and unfollow other users, and build a relevant, meaningful following. One such tool is ManageFlitter, an online application that - with a few clicks of the mouse - helps users manage and navigate the Twitterverse.

The free version of ManageFlitter enables users to follow or unfollow up to 100 users a day (a helpful feature for users attempting to grow a fan base via the “follow/unfollow” method). However, the paid version of the site is well worth the investment. For as little as $12/month, users can sign up for ManageFlitter features such as “PowerPost,” which sends out scheduled tweets at the times they’re most likely to be seen by the most users possible. The paid version of ManageFlitter also includes basic analytical tools, which can be helpful when assessing the overall impact of your Twitter campaigns.

Remember that Twitter and the other social media platforms are all about the soft sell and taking your time to develop online relationships and trust.  Be patient and inform, educate and entertain people first, later you can sell them your newest concept, product line or event.  

This great article via Hubspot examines some top tips in finding sales leads and prospects on the popular social site. Some great advice! View the full article here and tweet on!

Susan Linning is president of ECHO SOCIAL MEDIA + MARKETING of Miami, which develops and executes social media and integrated marketing strategies, creating custom content and maintaining pages on social media platforms. ECHO also provides blogging and copy-writing services.

Read Susan Linning's recent guest post on blogging here, her post on Pinterest here, her post on her top 5 social media tips here and her post on the social media hustle here. 

 

Susan Amat: Using your roots to grow your business

By Susan Amat

Miami is special for many reasons – among them is that we have the highest percentage of foreign-born individuals in any city in the world. That contributes to the amount of startup activity we enjoy but also is a reason why many of our businesses don’t scale to the levels other regions see over the same time period. The different perspectives and churn of the population itself keeps creativity flowing but the transitional nature of our demographics sometimes hurts an entrepreneur’s ability to reach deep into the local network for support.

The last few weeks I have been neck-deep in Diaspora education and programming. A Diaspora is defined as the scattering of a people from their homeland to other countries. A major goal of the Diaspora initiatives is engaging the community around business opportunities to increase trade and support the concept of global citizenry.

Because a great deal of the residents of South Florida are first or second generation immigrants, the concept of connecting to our region of ancestry is not as radical as it may be in other parts of the United States. Your concept may be a good idea locally, but a game-changing idea abroad.     

       In examining whether your birthplace or another region is the best place to build your customer base, finding the right experts and partners will make all the difference. You can start with the many foreign Chambers of Commerce in Miami, representing a score of countries including Spain, Brazil and France, but there are many opportunities beyond that.

Begin by looking at your roots. If you are part of a Diaspora group, there may be defined resources to support connections to help your business. That may include grant funding as well as contests to promote trade relations.

The International Diaspora Engagement Alliance (IdEA) programs are a great place to start. In Africa, the Lion@frica program has been doing incredible work, magnifying the tech startups from all over the continent. The African Diaspora Marketplace is a place where entrepreneurs can start making connections to promote their products on a global platform.

The Caribbean IdEA program takes a different approach, focused on building connections between the islands and the Diaspora. Its business competition receives hundreds of submissions to find the most promising concepts, which last year included both high-tech and agricultural businesses. Those selected receive mentoring and support as well as curated connections. Its Caribbean Diaspora Marketplace is up and ready to bridge the countries for an easier path for entrepreneurs.

Another program, which will soon be launched, is La IdEA, focused on the Latin America Diaspora.

The Miami-Dade economic development organization, the Beacon Council, regularly hosts delegations from dozens of countries each year. Contact its office and let them know about your international needs so when the opportunity arises, they may be able to invite you to represent your company, and our community, to foreign visitors. Greater Miami Chamber trade missions are another great way to learn about international opportunities. This year they already went to Peru, the Dominican Republic and Brazil and Mexico is coming up.

Finally, look to your neighbors, many of whom may have spent much of their lives in other countries. Share your concept and understand the needs of their culture. The customers with the greatest need for your product or service may be in a country where you may have never visited, so be patient and open to spending time understanding the country and economic issues. Your efforts could be the beginning of creating jobs and hope both locally and abroad.

Susan Amat is the founder of Venture Hive and the co-founder and executive director of The Launch Pad. In 2012, she was named a Champion of Change at the White House for her work mentoring entrepreneurs. Follow her on Twitter @susanamat   

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/19/3405539/susan-amat-using-your-roots-to.html#storylink=cpy

Hack for Change Miami: Where art and tech meet big government data

By Danny Lafuente

On June 1 and 2, The LAB Miami will host the 1^st Annual Hack for Change: Miami as part of the National Day of Civic Hacking. The event endeavors to bring together citizens in the spirit of collaboration to develop new technological solutions for some our country’s oldest problems. Or, as the national website puts it, “to do what is most quintessentially American: roll up our sleeves, get involved, and work together to improve our society.”

If the idea of a hackathon doesn’t already excite you, and if Uncle Sam’s call to action doesn’t already inspire you, and if you think there is actually a cooler place to be than in the heart of Wynwood, I’ll give you five reasons why you should still register and participate:

1 . Because this hackathon has new faces and new spaces. Most hackathons attract entrepreneurs, programmers, and front-end developers, but this one is also calling on artists, musicians, nonprofits, government employees, and anyone with the time and talent to spare. Hack for Change: Miami has issued three of its own challenges around Art, Technology and Sustainability. With a bevvy of other national challenges, there really is something for just about everyone. In a room full of passionate, talented people -– serendipitous collisions abound.

2. Because the data to which you’ll have access will blow your mind. Datasets and open APIs at the national level have been released by agencies like NASA, EPA, USDA, US Dept of Energy, USAID, US Dept of Labor, Census Bureau, National Science Foundation and the Peace Corps among others, in addition to a growing list of local government data. Folks, this isn’t stuff you find on Google – and
until recently, you would have needed special clearance to access it. The list of challenges range from specific ones like a national farmer’s market directory, to broad challenges on synthesizing data on everything from commute times in every neighborhood in the US to the movement of celestial bodies in outerspace.

3. Because it’s a free lesson in social entrepreneurship. Simply put, social entrepreneurship is a business that aims at solving a social problem. They differ from nonprofits because social entrepreneurs face what is called a double (or triple) bottom line, meaning they measure performance based on profit/return in addition to positive social impact. While its not easy to fix the world and make a buck doing it, companies like TOMS and Kiva have mastered it. With new local offices for organizations like Ashoka and Endeavor, Miami is a prime market for social entrepreneurs. This hackathon will not only further educate you on social enterprises, but it will also give you real life experience using some of the most coveted data in the industry.

4.  Because if you’ve EVER complained about the government, you’d be a hypocrite to sit out. This likely applies to just about everyone who’s lived since Ancient Rome but never has the government enabled, on such a broad scale, its citizens to help in directly impacting the efficacy
of government. The solutions created might lead to less traffic, greater energy efficiency, or better-informed fellow citizens. Who knows? It could even lead to a wait-free DMV…but I may be getting ahead of myself.

5. Because it’s important for Miami. Not just for the tech scene but for all of Miami’s citizens. Events like this create solutions to alleviate social problems. Events like this help build community and consensus, which are hard to achieve in a city so sprawled and culturally diverse. Events like this
bridge an important gap between the private and public sectors. The importance of this event is felt by many and is reflected in the 20-person steering committee composed of representatives from city and county government, multiple universities, local companies, and tech groups. If Miami aims to be the next big startup hub, it’s going to need governmental support. 

If you want to learn more about the different challenges or the event itself, I encourage you to come to The LAB Miami this Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., for a networking info session that’ll be sure to answer any questions. It’s also a great place to start meeting potential teammates, brainstorming on app ideas, or sketching out potential data visualizations. And yes, food & beverages will be provided.

You can also learn more at hackforchange.org/hack-change-miami-arts-more or on The LAB’s website at www.thelabmiami.com.

Go to http://hackformiami.eventbrite.com/ and register today.

Danny Lafuente is the COO and co-founder of The LAB Miami. He is a proud Miami native and alumni of Ransom Everglades School and the University of Pennsylvania. You can email him at Danny@TheLABMiami.com.

TechCrunch Disrupt is calling Miami -- will you answer?

By Pabla Ayala

Over 1,800 people attended TechCrunch’s Disrupt New York 2013 for three full days of startup firepower, April 29-May 1, 2013. 180 companies exhibited in Startup Alley and Hardware Alley, and 30 more duked it out on the Disrupt Battlefield stage for a chance to win $50,000 in cash and the glory and fame of being named TechCrunch Disrupt 2013 Winners. That doesn’t even include the 1,100 coders and designers that participated in the 24 hackathon that presented 164 projects on the eve of Disrupt!

Yes, the speakers were amazing and some of the best in the industry speaking candidly about their opinions, lessons learned and imparting wisdom, which you can read and watch on TechCrunch’s extensive coverage. But one thing was painfully obvious to a local South Floridian: With startups coming out the wazoo, I found only TWO South Florida-based companies present!

Among them were the 2012 SuperConf Winners LiveNinja, a digital marketplace that gives a skilled person the opportunity to become an online entrepreneur by earning additional revenue from teaching what they are best doing such as play a guitar, cook, give legal advice or even give yoga classes. (Pictured below are Will Weinraub, CEO, and Alfonso Martinez, chief creative officer of LiveNinja)

The other company was the 2012 Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge Winner Geopon, a free mobile app allowing users to find coupons and deals on their favorite items, earn points or punches which can be redeemed for prizes, store membership and loyalty card information. (Pictured below are Ido Meros, CEO and Oscar Salguero, lead mobile developer, of Geopon)

 

Both companies are great examples of South Florida’s entrepreneurial success and we are proud to have them represent us, but we need to roll up our sleeves up and get to work South Florida.

TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco is right around the corner, September 7-11, 2013, followed by the first ever TechCrunch Disrupt Europe: Berlin, October 26-29, 2013. This means there is time to apply to compete in the Startup Battlefield or even present at Startup Alley.

Startup Battlefield Requirements:

• Your startup must be live for 3 months or less at the time of application.
• First time startup launches are preferable, but not a dealbreaker. Significant new company products are considered and any company around the world can apply.
• You have not presented at other public launch events.
• Apply here!

 "The first TechCrunch Disrupt we attended was San Francisco in 2012, before going to Disrupt New York. Both experiences were very valuable, but what we got a lot at both events was that most of the people who came to our booth were really impressed  by the fact that we are a startup based in South Florida. They even asked us if there were more startups or technology companies in Florida," says Oscar Salguero, co-founder and Lead Mobile Developer of Geopon. "People think Miami is only about fashion, boat shows, vacations and partying. It seems people have forgotten that it was a team of Boca Raton engineers that launched the first PC back in 1981 and that it was at an IBM/BellSouth campus in South Florida where the first smartphone, the Simon, was born. Silicon Valley and New York should not underestimate Miami, its surroundings and its incredible potential."

LiveNinja's founder found this to be true, too, and believes local companies need to step up to increase awareness. "This was our second year in a row attending Disrupt and both times many people we spoke with were very intrigued when we mentioned that we are a Miami-based company. The more we talk about it, the more obvious it’s become that the attendees, speakers and investors that go to these conferences don't stop to think that there's innovative activity happening here,” says Will Weinraub, CEO of LiveNinja. “Obviously they're not properly informed and fixing that is simple: local companies just need to go where they are and get in front of people's faces. The more startups attending these major conferences the more it will increase awareness, not for just the startups themselves, but for the entrepreneurial ecosystem as a whole. We need more representation on both a national and international level."

Pabla Ayala is co-founder of pFunk Media. Watch pFunk Media's videos and see blog posts from Tech Crunch Disrupt 2013 here.

 

7 ways Google Hangouts can connect you to your customers

By Tasha Cunningham

There is a social network out there that is quickly outpacing the growth of Twitter and if you don’t have a presence on it, you are missing out on potential customer engagement, revenue and exposure for your business. In existence for just two years, Google + is on track to surpass Twitter as the No. 2 most popular social network, behind Facebook according to GlobalWebIndex, a London-based internet analytics company. GlobalWebIndex reports that Google + has 359 million active users. That’s 33 percent more than the 269 million users the social network had at the end of June 2012.

As a small business owner, you probably haven’t had time to explore the ins and outs of this growing social network just yet. You might want to make time because there is a free feature of Google + that you have to try at least once. It’s called Google Hangouts. Hangouts are video chats that you can have with friends, relatives and colleagues over the Internet free. It’s akin to Skype in the way it functions.

If you’ve got Google +, you simply need to log in to your account and click “Start a Hangout”. From there, you get a series of prompts that take you through the steps you need to get schedule and start your Hangout. Be sure to check out Hangouts on Air, a feature that gives you the opportunity to broadcast your Hangout to others on your YouTube channel, on Google + or on your website.      

      And while it has got a lot of pros, Google + does have its cons. One of which, is that you’ve got to have a Google ID to use it. That also means that for people to join your Hangout, they’ve got to have one too. And the more apps you add to your Hangout, the slower your connection speed, resulting in lag time.

So how you use Google Hangouts to market your small business? Here are seven ways to help you get started.

•  Hold a product demonstration.

Use Google Hangouts to hold a demonstration of your product and how to best use it. Offer to hangout one-on-one with anyone who wants more information. You can invite up to nine people to hang out with you at once. Take your nine best customers and give them an exclusive look at your new product.

•  Use Google Capture.

Capture is a new app that allows you to take photographs of a Google Hangout in progress. It’s a great way to share moments with those who couldn’t be there to see it for themselves.

•  Provide customer support.

Use Google Hangouts to provide face-to-face customer service support. This gives your customers the opportunity to connect with you to discuss their problem from the comfort of their home or office.

•  Host an online launch party for a product.

When you launch a new product, use Google Hangouts to give people who can’t be there to host an online launch party. For customers who can’t attend or people who live in other countries, it’s a way to be a party of the action.

•  Create a sponsored Hangout.

While there are currently no ads on Google Hangouts, there are creative ways to make money hosting a one. In April, Glamour magazine recently launched a week-long series of Hangouts that incorporated chats with celebrities and readers alike. They strategically placed new products from major brands like L’Oreal and Pantene. Each brand sponsored the Hangout that their product was featured in. Think about teaming up with other companies to create a Hangout that can result in revenue for all involved.

•  Create a standing Hangout.

Let your customers know that every week at a certain time you’ll be hosting a hangout just to connect with your customers. You could tie into a weekly promotion. For example, you could give out a password or online coupon code during the Hangout and when customers use it, they receive their reward. Be sure to check out the website Google Plus Hangouts ( www.gphangouts.com) to see what other permanent hangouts are happening related to your industry.

•  Join other Hangouts to promote yours.

Spend time checking out other Hangouts and promote your own while you’re at it. Try to find Hangouts in your industry and be a vocal participate. At the end, when it’s time to sign off, take a second to plug your Hangout as well.

Want more information on Google Hangouts? Check out  http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/12/3394118/7-ways-google-hangouts-can-connect.html#storylink=cpy

'Miami Nice' is our special sauce

 

By Brian Brackeen

I am the CEO of Kairos, a tech startup focused on facial recognition in the workforce management and retail spaces.  We moved from San Francisco to Miami last year and it's been nothing less than a stellar experience and a blessing. 

There are a number of reasons that we came to Miami, reasons like weather, a budding tech scene, weather, a growing urban core, the Über hipness of Wynwood, great incubators popping up like The LAB Miami, and did I mention weather? 

But what keeps us here, and what binds us to this amazing city, is relationships. In Miami we are good at relationships, it's our special sauce. Maybe it's the friendliness of our Latin inspired culture, our multiple shared languages, or maybe it's just that weather I spoke of, that makes us just darn happy people. The relationships that Kairos has built in Miami have had a huge impact on our growth and success. 

I'd like to share our still growing success story and encourage others to exploit an amazing natural resource I like to call:  "Miami Nice". 

In August of last year we had just finished the Google sponsored NewMe Accelerator and then returned to Miami.  Fresh off the plane last year from San Francisco, I attended a evening event at the Launch Pad on lean methodologies. It was hosted by Andrej Kostresevic. I enjoyed the free pizza and drinks, sat in the back fully intent on simply watching and learning the scene, yet "Miami Nice" would not allow just that. I met Wifredo Fernandez eating a slice of cheese pizza (folded correctly as any good Philadelphia inspired individual would) and he immediately asked me how I was, what brings me here, that he had lived in my hometown of Philadelphia and that he was happy for us to have completed the NewMe program. He then promptly introduced us to Matt Haggman of Knight Foundation. 

Matt and I had a couple of breakfasts at the amazing Deli Lane in Brickell, and he also was VERY warm and welcoming. He told me all about the budding scene and how Knight it trying to empower and educate our community through entrepreneurship. It was a positive and heartening message. The Philadelphian in me was waiting for the catch, but again the "Miami Nice" struck me. (A reoccurring theme) I told him we were looking to raise a seed round, and he immediately gave me a introduction to a couple of local angel investors including Juan Pablo Cappello and Marco Giberti 

Juan Pablo, Marco and five other investors invested into Kairos's Seed round. Giving us the financing and the chance we needed to close some big deals (JC Penney, etc) and finish some key technology. Beyond money, they have also been great friends. Inviting me to their homes for BBQ's, inviting me to startup events, and even submitting my name to speak at a event on "How I financed my startup" put on by Hispanic Unity of Florida. Their "Miami Nice" is the reason Kairos still exists. 

At the Hispanic Unity event, I met Yvonne Lopez. Her "Miami Nice" was on overdrive. :) She leads community outreach efforts for the City of Coconut Creek and as soon as she saw our technology she thought "That would work great for our city."  She setup a meeting with their IT Director who I met with just yesterday. Coconut Creek is now planning on deploying our facial recognition timeclocks across the city for their 300 employees, including the Police Department. It's a key government customer that will enable us to land more government business. They loved the product so much they even offered to show it off to other potential customers and investors. They plan to install it in their sparkling new building on their government campus. Kairos now has 124 customers in our pipeline, and Coconut Creek will be our first government customer. 

"Miami Nice" is not just kindness, it's really trying to help those you meet. We are giving back by mentoring at places like Incubate Miami and taking five interns from Posse Miami (also funded by the Knight Foundation).  "Miami Nice" is a real asset for Miami, I believe it's our special sauce and why we have such a vibrant and growing tech community. I can tell you, tech events in Miami are much larger than any in Philadelphia or even San Francisco, people are friendlier, and more willing to help. "Miami Nice" is going to be what launches Miami to the next level. I'm proud to lead a Miami-based tech company, and I aspire everyday to be as "Miami Nice" to others as they have been to me and to Kairos. 

Brian Brackeen is the CEO of Kairos, a facial recognition and identity focused B2B. He worked at Apple, IBM, and Comcast before getting bit by the startup bug. He lives and breathes Miami and all of its quirks. His email is brian@kairos.io

 

Outdated technology holds companies back from greater competitiveness

By Joe Levy 

Humans are creatures of habit. And since companies are made up of people, it’s common for companies to get caught in a rut when things seem to go right.  

Yet, nothing lasts forever without some sort of change. Companies that do not keep up with technology, for instance, are sure to fall behind. Many skeptics will agree that if current tools “get the job done,” there’s no need for alternatives.  

Innovators and market leaders will argue otherwise. They’ll tout their business models succeed because they actively research and acquire new technologies to improve efficiency, promote creativity, and grow their businesses.  

Competitive intelligence (CI) technology, in particular, is a new tool the business community is buzzing about. Forward-thinking companies are beginning to use it to cope with today’s information overload, while turning data already available online into profitable ideas and strategies that make sense.  

Using outdated technology holds companies back from knowing what’s really going around them. Keeping up with competitor activity, market trends, and consumer behavior - all of which are important to stay competitive for the long haul- remain unstructured and rarely justify major decisions.  

Below are a few reasons why CI technology can become the upgrade many companies need to stay relevant:    

Expand Online Research to Foster Competitiveness  

A 2012 Frost & Sullivan survey reported that 51 percent of CI functions already use automated data collection technology. Although a little over half use a tool for data collection, a large portion is still left collecting data manually. CI teams aren't the only ones that benefit from using CI technology for data collection. Other knowledge workers are using CI technology to track and gather large amounts of online information from databases, blogs, industry reports, and even social networks to form strategy and make day-to-day decisions.  

Spend More Time Analyzing, Not Collecting Data 

It takes lots of time to find valuable pieces of compelling data. The hunt requires many steps and consistent effort. Most knowledge workers already know what to research: information on markets, competitors, and consumer attitudes. Yet,  many find themselves spending more time collecting it instead of analyzing it. CI technology, like clearCi, allows knowledge workers to organize and capture information from many data sources without having to spend time searching numerous websites and databases to get it.  

Obtain More Relevant Data Online 

Many analysts agree that it’s the quality, not quantity of information that matters. But the amount of data created everyday is taking a toll on companies, causing incomplete analyses, inaccurate assumptions and poor decision making. CI technology alleviates these symptoms by automating data searches with selective keywords based on topics, competitors, products, or other important cues to get the necessary information in any language. The technology then gathers and organizes the information for greater visibility.  

Be Alerted on Critical Data Changes 

In today's tech-driven environment, paying close attention to competitors and other key players is crucial. The objectives should be to find new advances, experiment with trendy technologies, understand consumer behaviors, and exploit market opportunities as soon as possible. CI technology can alert knowledge workers when content on webpages has been modified or removed, keeping them informed about product launches, price changes, marketing campaigns, and tactical efforts that could lead to stark changes in market share. By doing so, key players are able to send early warning signals inside the company when potential threats arise.  

With all of these new capabilities offered by CI technology, the status quo to market research and competitive analysis just seems archaic. 

There are many ways to implement data management and competitive intelligence software to a company's department functions. To learn how to gain a competitive advantage using business intelligence and competitor monitoring software in your department, download one of clearCi’s helpful competitive guides.

Joe Levy is the founder and CEO of clearCi, a Fort Lauderdale-based tech startup that empowers knowledge workers to compete effectively in today's digital era.  He is also co-chair of SCIP's first South Florida chapter. For more ideas and tips to improve your competitive potential with technology, visit clearCi's blog at ideastocompete.com.

Group of Groups issues call for new members

By Jay Moskowitz

The Rokk Miami-Brad Feld event really brought out the tremendous interest in growing the Miami tech community, making it easy for people to learn of the wealth of events and groups meeting throughout the region, allowing people to easily find each other and encouraging others outside of our area to learn why they should start or bring their business to South Florida. What the attendees summarized after their breakout sessions is exactly what the Group of Groups, which started at the beginning of this year, is focused upon. Here is some information about the Group of Groups:

The Group of Groups' focus is to bring together all of the leaders of the various groups in the Southeast Florida region from Martin County to Miami-Dade County, to work together to address common issues and concerns of our region and to promote South Florida as a technology center. This effort is  also educate all of us, both within and outside of South Florida, of all of the diverse groups that exist and all of the events that are happening throughout the area. Just out of our first meeting, many group leaders had no idea of the existence of certain other specialty groups and they have already formed new relationships that did not exist prior to our first event.

The members of the Group of Groups represent the interests of their particular group and can bring back information regarding the work of the full Group of Groups, to their individual membership. They may even solicit assistance from their own membership to assist in initiatives that the entire Group of Groups wish to work on to promote the South Florida community.

Members of the Group of Groups are:

* Group leaders (which is any special interest groups such as software development groups, hardware, life sciences, entrepreneurship, technology, hacker groups, Makerspace groups, etc. as well as Meetup groups)

* Universities (such as the business development groups of such schools)

* Large businesses (such as Scripps Florida, Office Depot, Citrix, Hewlett-Packard Latin America, Nokia)

* Financial organizations (angel groups, venture capital groups, foundations)

* Government representatives

Our first full meeting, consisting of 45 members, was held on Feb. 19. Among this membership are the leaders across each of the areas mentioned above. It was decided, at that meeting, that the full Group of Groups would meet once per quarter and that a steering committee would meet in between meetings to move forward on items of common interest.

We are soliciting more group leaders to join the Group of Groups and to attend our Spring 2013 meeting, which will be held in Miami at the UM Life Science and Technology Park on May 29. This is an event limited to Group Leaders. Please contact the founder of the Group of Groups, Jay Moskowitz, jay@spdControlSystems.com to register as a member. You will receive an Eventbrite private invitation to reserve your seat at the upcoming meeting. If the group leader is unable to attend, please join the group and have an associate attend the meeting on your behalf. Once you join, you will receive the Emails about the activities of the full group. Please provide your contact information, the name of your group and a brief description of your group to Jay Moskowitz to add your name to the invitation list and to introduce you to the other members of the group. The full list of all members will be shared with everyone. It is important to first contact Jay so that we have a proper headcount. If you are interested in joining but cannot attend the upcoming meeting, please still add your group as a member of the Group of Groups.

Please note that a bus is being arranged to bring members in Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties to the meeting in Miami.

Current Members

 

AIFFL – Angel Forum of Florida - Chairman

Athenian Venture Partners

Boca Chamber's Technology Committee

Citrix

CocoaHeads Fort Lauderdale Chapter

Commissioner Palm Beach County

EDC - Enterprise Development Corporation

Entrepreneurs Organization South Florida Chapter

FAU - Adams Center for Entrepreneurship

FAU Computer Science and Engineering Industry Advisory Board

Florida Technology Enthusiasts

GCVCA - Gold Coast Venture Capital Association

iCoast

iCoast CIO Council

Infotech Workforce Development Initiative (IWDI)

Inventors Society

Knight Foundation

LSTHUB - Life Science and Technology Hub

Lynn University, College of Business

Makerspace Development

MIT Enterprise Forum of South Florida

Miami Startup Digest

New Tech Community

New World Angels

Palm Beach County Entrepreneur Task Force

Palm Beach State College

PBC Entrepreneurship Group

Scripps Florida

SFTA - South Florida Technology Alliance

South Florida Hack n Tell

South Florida Life Sciences Information Clearinghouse

Startup Delray

TheLaunchPad.org – University of Miami entrepreneur community

TheReef.biz

Workforce Alliance

 Jay Moskowitz, a holder of many patents, has started eight tech companies. He created the Group of Groups, which currently has a membership of more than 50 leaders of various technology groups from Miami-Dade to Martin County.

 

5 social media predictions for 2013

The LAB Miami is flying in digital marketing expert Katya Constantine to lead a  workshop on customer acquisition and digital marketing that will address how to best use the channels to acquire and retain customers, how to optimize your costs and track and measure performance. More details on the workshop, taking place May 6, are here: http://labcustomeracquisition.eventbrite.com. Below is her guest post.

By Katya Constantine

2012 brought a lot of change when it comes to social media. We saw the rise of gamification. We saw more analytical tools being launched in the social media world.  We also saw brands trying to
figure it out:  What does social media mean to them?  Should they be on Facebook?  Twitter? Pinterest? Google+?  Given the rapid revenue growth and emergence of a number of new platforms, 2013 promises to be an even more exciting year in social media.

Over the last two years, I’ve had the opportunity to be at the forefront of social media trends, as I was responsible for strategy and development of social media for one of the largest consumer brands in the world — Amazon.com, specifically for the movies product line.

Based on that, and what I've been seeing happening in social media, here are my predictions for 2013:

1. The rising use of analytics:  Social media is no longer just a brand channel for businesses. It is a fully-fledged marketing channel, just like search and email.  In 2013, brands will start to assign (if they haven’t already) business goals to this new channel.  Thus, we will see a rise in analytics tools to help businesses measure ROI on their social media spend.  We’ll see some better standardization on metrics as well as the tools that allow businesses to succeed.

2. Increased presence of consumer brands across multiple social media sites: Most brands recognize that even if they are not at the front line of a social media, they need to have a presence. In 2012, new social media channels came in to the mix such as Google+ and Pinterest.  Especially in consumer brands, we will see an increase in brands having a presence across all major social media channels. Expect to see more promotions and messages coming in from your favorite brands across multiple sites.

3. The rise of social game-based promotions: It is very common to see sweepstakes as a pathway to grow your fan base.  Expect to see more social media promotions from brands - whether it’s credits, deals, or sweepstakes -  as brands try to grow their fan base as well as customer database.  This is a great way for consumers to learn and to share their favorite brands with their friends but also one of the key ways that a brand has to build its base.

4. The rise of targeted offers:  Brands are becoming savvy in terms of using social media data to target their messages based on demographics, location, your interests… And the leading social media platforms starting with Facebook and Twitter have recently rolled out targeting mechanisms that allow proper targeting at scale.  2013 will become a year of targeted offers being delivered via social media channels.

5. Increased integration between social media and other digital channels: Expect to see brands integrate social media into all of their digital channels, whether its website, email, or search.  Social media will have deep integration whether it's for personalization or for recommendations - as well the ability to close the feedback loop with other channels. There are some tools out there that are already doing it today.  This will be a standard for how brands engage and bring awareness to their products and services in 2013.

Well, here you go.  These are our top predictions for social media for 2013.  We are yet to see what the next social media channel is that is embraced by brands (mobile messaging, anyone?), but we definitely know that social media is here to stay as an online channel for both B2B and B2C brands.

Katya Constantine is a seasoned marketer with over 10 years of online marketing experience.  Most recently, she was at Expedia and Amazon, leading projects ranging from behavior-based programs to increasing customer acquisition and conversion with great success. Katya is the founder of DigiShopGirl Media and is an active blogger for TechCocktail. Follow Katya on Twitter: @digishopgirl

 

Entrepreneurship Tools: Good things come to those who listen

By Susan Amat

In just a few days, Venture Hive opens its doors to investors for our major pitch session, The Swarm. It has been an incredible three months as numerous visitors have graced our offices with their expertise, and our entrepreneurs have applied their insights with great results. Here are some examples of the power of great advice — when it is applied.

•  Develop your product with the buy-in of strategic partners.

We spent a week with Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovitz, authors of  The Lean Entrepreneur, who emphasized creating value through lean startup principals.     

      Cory Hoffart from Hair Construction is leading a team to revolutionize continuing online education for hairdressers. Cooper spent time with the team on the importance of having customers validate your concepts and be involved in developing your products. Hoffart said that within a few weeks, “we acquired the support of a large beauty school. Hair Construction is now customizing our content specifically for them, which means we will get up to 8,000 users from that one partner alone!”

•  Lean into change.

Many of our entrepreneurs have run successful businesses before rolling the dice on their current startups. Bibhas Bhattacharya has built a mid-sized software training business over the last 12 years before founding Vikingo Games, which uses augmented reality to make a 3D gaming world appear on the printed page. Bhattacharya shared that he had always been frustrated when introducing disruptive innovation to his teams as most see the changes as “too risky and unproven. Now that I know the lean startup model, I can minimize risk and still incrementally implement innovative ideas.”

Having the team be part of the process of gathering information directly from customers and challenging their own assumptions will lead them to leap into new ways of thinking.

•  Understand your customer.

Danny Karbassiyoon brings years of experience in playing and scouting in the professional soccer world in co-founding Soccer WithOut Limits (SWOL), a one-stop authority for fans internationally. “One of the most effective things we learned from Patrick was how to acquire user data when a visitor lands on our page — we’ve been able to capture emails and interests as well as increase our Facebook presence using minimally intrusive methods. This has in turn helped grow and compartmentalize our email list to great effect.”

Your Listen’s Scott Goodman said, “after their sessions we began focusing not just on acquiring more users but acquiring more in depth analytical data on our users, who they are and why they use our site, which has already resulted in significant returns.” Whether your customers are visiting you in person or online, find tools to keep the engagement strong and targeted.

•  Pursuing Letters of Intent can be worthwhile, even pre-launch.

Entrepreneur, thought-leader and blogger Neil Patel was another favorite of our founders. His firm KissMetrics is a top consumer analytics company.

Miami hosts thousands of conferences a year and Danny Beydoun has found a way to help them run more efficiently. His startup MobiCon allows event organizers to run every aspect of their meetings through one platform. Patel helped him see the opportunity in pre-selling the company’s product, which hasn’t yet launched.

“Within 24 hours of his visit we already had appointments to meet with potential customers and within a week we had a verbal agreement for an LOI (Letter of Intent) from a large hotel management group that manages thousands of rooms,” said Beydoun. “Neil energized us and gave us a road map that has helped us transform the value of our business!”

•  Harness the power of the pitch.

Widely considered the foremost expert on angel investing and founder of the investment platform Gust, David Rose gave tactical advice on pitching to investors and coached every startups on their presentations for The Swarm. When meeting with Tabber, which offers a hospitality app allowing users the ability to order and pay through their phones from menus translated to the language of their choice, Rose told founder Ricardo Da Ros, “Treat me like I’m an intelligent 6-year-old.” Said Da Ros: “That helped me to adjust aspects of our pitch and the way we discuss our strategy.”

Susan Amat is the founder of Venture Hive and co-founder of The Launch Pad. You can follow her on Twitter at @susanamat. She writes this column, Entrepreneurship Tools, for The Miami Herald

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/14/3342285/susan-amat-good-things-come-to.html#storylink=cpy