Fast Pitch! Takes It's First Bite of the Apple

Yesterday, we went live with our first version of the Fast Pitch! iPhone application. For now, the application is fairly basic - allowing you to showcase your latest press releases (Platinum Members), and providing you with direct access the latest announcements coming from Fast Pitch! We've also made it easy for you to access your account via the website with the click of a button.

Version 1 gave us an opportunity to learn more about developing for the iPhone and the process of getting things approved. Moving forward, we will continue to add more functionality to the application such as the ability to access your current network, managing your inbox, and updating your profile. Much like our current Android application, we will make it simple to communicate with the people you are already connected to. Beyond that, look for some effective location based networking functionality to reach the application in 2011.

To download the application, search the App Store for 'Fast Pitch Network'

Good Luck!

Bill

Location, Location, Location

Yesterday I took some time to look over some of our newest members profiles. A few years ago when we first launched Fast Pitch! I made it a habit of doing this regularly as a way of understanding who was joining us. However finding the time to do this these days has became more and more difficult as we continue to grow at a faster pace. Also, we eventually got smart and built some nice reporting features that give me pretty good snapshot of who our newest members are at any given moment.

In any event, as I went through a few new member profiles yesterday, I was surprised to see how many people were failing to include their physical location of their place of business (i.e. address) to their profile. By default, we force everyone who joins the network to provide us with their zipcode, but we make completing their address optional. We do this in order to make the initial sign-up process as painless as possible.

That being said, all of our members should take the extra few seconds to type in their street address. Not only does it help other members inside of Fast Pitch! have an easier time searching for your business, but as people outside of Fast Pitch! come across your profile from Google, they too have an easier time locating your business (particularly if they are actually typing in your address) Think about it - your address is a set of very important keywords!

Good Luck!

Bill

Fast Pitch! Vanity URL's - Get Them While They're Hot

Now you can secure your own personal URL for your Fast Pitch! profile. Every member of Fast Pitch! can choose at least one URL extension for their profile such as their name (e.g. http://www.fastpit.ch/billjula), company name, or a variation of both. Premium and Platinum Members can also choose a second URL as part of their membership - which gives them an extra opportunity improve their SEO (Search Rankings). Vanity URL's are a great way to improve SEO for your business because they include the exact wording that most people might type when searching for you or your business.

As people search either your name, company name, or variations of keywords describing your business - there is a better chance of your profile being ranked higher if those words are listed as the extension to your Vanity URL. Also, having a concise Vanity URL such as fastpit.ch, is a great link to add to your Facebook Profile, email signature, blogs and more. Login now and secure your Vanity URL before someone else does... and watch as your Google Rankings improve each week. Login Now >>

Bill

Learn The Tools

After taking a brief hiatus from our live web demonstrations, we've recently scheduled four new webinars in November and December. As always, the webinars will last about 30 minutes and provide attendees with a fairly exhaustive overview of all of the tools and features that have helped hundreds of thousands of professionals worldwide grow their network and market their business.

Sit back in your office and listen as our CEO & Co-Founder, Bill Jula offers up his very own tips and tactics for how to not only use Fast Pitch! but also how to leverage other social media tools such as Foursquare, Facebook and others.

To sign-up for an upcoming event visit: http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com/learn_webinars.cfm