Glam – eportal social network surpasses iVilliage
Glam.com last week became the number 1 women’s destination site on the web, taking over 800 pound gorilla, iVillage now owned by NBC Universal. Full analysis and story here at Venture Beat
More importantly, I am a 30 year old, tech glam geek gal, and I have just signed up. Having a retail background, I was very skeptical to join being suspicious of the sign up process, as well as participate in the Style Q+A questionnaire…but I did bite. The results? I was happy with the quick sign up and was very impressed with the style survey. Believe it or not, the survey did actually define my unique preferences accurately.
I also discovered that my style may not just be unique to me. Glam.com have taken the time to tell me that I belong to the LA style (i like) and that they actually have a description for my particular style based on the preferences I chose. More importantly it tells me I that I can buy the wardrobe to create my LA style on Glam.com. SOLD.
This good sign up process. The experience built trust for me by delivering what I expected (which were very high).
For women like me who are frustrated with many bad fashion buys and hard to find loves, it makes me want to be part of this community. It makes me think they are really feel and get my demographic. I think iVilliage is great but its not for Gen Y or those close to the Gen Y, “mediavores” and “techievores” like me…
Here is my style below.. wouldn’t it be great to have my style profile as a widget I can share and show off at places on the web? ***Ha, they do I just needed to click on a little text link under the style copy…would have been a good idea to make it a big icon for me to click on…???
Glam Space is their blog profile network, which is currently going through an upgrade to incorporate Video (although personally, I would not have put that message in the intro on the UI) for Glam Space member homepages I would have placed friends up higher on the right. I also believe the social component to the site needs to be more noticeable on the homepage to get members interacting more and that there is a community happening. But, hey they know what they are doing!
With 30 million in funding they have been around for 4 years. It shows what can be achieved with an injection of a lot of money, a clear strategy and strong focus on innovative advertising and revenue models.
Sorry husbands, more shopping on the web for the ladies in the family. For those moms that have put their fashion style in the washing ‘too-hard’ basket, throw away your target mom tees (me – lol) and jump in and re-start your style, get onto Glam.com for some self-esteem strokin!!!
Vibe Capital launches Refurber DIYpedia
Refurber is the latest advice-opedia social network, by Vibe Capital that launched Minti and is a place for passionate renovators and home improvement DIYers to publish their own DIY advice to the world, as well as connecting into a dynamic social peer to peer network.
Existing home improvement enthusiasts already blogging on the web can increase their readership by claiming (mirroring) their existing blog on their ‘Refurber‘ homepage, which also comes with a lounge for just your Refurber friends to post messages and stop by. As you publish more articles you gain a growing reputation within the ‘Refurber‘ community and your articles found by external DIY enthusiasts on the web are able to see how the article has rated in the community, are more likely to read the content and contact you directly…as well as being able to engage with you and their DIY peers in the ‘Refurber‘ community.
This ease of access to advice and the author of that advice may save some DIY newbies a lot of money. Who knows how far the potential for DIY collaboration could go…
I am a co-founder of Vibe Capital and founder of Minti and am happy to see that we have brought out ‘Refurber‘ which in the subsequent releases will become more customized around the passion for home improvement and be distinct from Minti which is focused on the passion of parenting. Refurber is in beta, although already receiving web search traffic from member authored DIY articles.
See Techcrunch post on Refurber.
Tags: techcrunch, refurber, minti, vibecapital, rachelcook, family20, web20, DIY, homeimprovement, DIYpedia, advice-opedia, socialnetworking
Tangler – the place to get beta feedback
Related Web 2.0
Tangler is a social discussion network that allows participants to discuss topics in real time. Not only is it the site for everyone to discuss anything they want to in a very dynamic way, this is also a great place for founders of Family 2.0 sites to set up a live and dynamic discussion, getting instant feedback about your beta site. It is very powerful to get feedback from a free flowing focus group, some with technical backgrounds to give honest opinions and feedback.
How it works it that you go to Tangler.com and…
1. Sign up to Tangler
2. Create a group Companyname Feedback
3. Create some topics
4. Invite your team so they can talk to the users (very, very important)
5. Install the notifier so you know when someone adds a message
6. Invite some friends to get it started
7. Add a link to the group on your web site
8. Add your product to the Beta Network, create personalized feedback topics
and start getting feedback, some beta testers may also do screencasts, which really make you buzz.
I have just set up one for Refurber our new beta DIY/home improvement site here and there is also a current Minti feedback group as well. What I really like is that you can find out more about the tangler members that are reviewing your start up as well as have the opportunity to clarify any mis-assumptions as well as receive great ideas you may not have thought about before. It’s like twitter on steroids, in terms of the application being real time and the level of discussion you can generate just around your own start up, from usability, to suggestions, to any issues you want.
One thing I would love, is to be able to see other community member profiles and see what they participate in and be able to add them as a contact or follow them, like you can with twitter, if the feature exists I am sure someone will tell me, but if it doesn’t I am also sure it’s in the pipeline ;0)
Ha, within minutes of creating my Minti Feedback topic, my Tangler notifier has a beta tester asking a question for me…cool
I’ve been Tangled…
here’s my profile!
Tags: tangler, forums, discussion, groups, instantmessages, web20, twitter, realtimechat
The Nest Baby – a pregnancy resource destination launches
Family 2.0 related
The Nest Baby has just launched as a spin off from the ‘lifestyle media company’ The Knot Inc. The Nest Baby is a destination site focusing on pregnancy for first-time parents. The Knot is a successful wedding planning destination site and The Nest is a successful homemaker site. The Nest Baby taps into a very specific niche and model catering to the very specific needs of first time mothers and all the information and resources they need during the term of their pregnancy and the early months of bringing their baby home.
One of the neat features I like is access to local baby services already reviewed…
“30,000+ BEST-RANKED LOCAL BABY SERVICES Powered by Lilaguide.com
Access to candid reviews and contact information for the best-ranked family-friendly eateries, baby gear retailers, nurses, nannies,pediatricians, music and gym classes, mommy networks, and more, broken down by zip code in thousands of neighborhoods in 30 U.S. cities, from Brooklyn to Newport Beach.”Source PR release
You can also track your pregnancy, ask questions, participate on the boards and blog.
Tags: thenestbaby, thenest, theknot, weddings, pregnancy, family20, lilaguide
Whoo hoo! Happy 2nd Birthday Techcrunch
I was reading through some old content on the web and voila 11th June, marks two years Techcrunch has ridden the blogging meteoric wave!! Techcrunch post here
So it’s…
Tags: MikeArrington, 2ndBirthday, techcrunch
Vibe Capital to launch a new vertical this week
Vibe Capital, the advice-opedia company (I am a co-founder of) has a heavy duty social advice-opedia platform aptly called the “vibEngine”. We aim to add some “vibe” into certain consumer markets and our strategy has been to leverage off the current “vibEngine” API that powers Minti. The second vertical currently in private beta, will now power another “mass market audience” and bring Web 2.0 software to those who aren’t currently serviced with it.
We can’t disclose yet what market yet, but here’s an update on Vibe Capital.
- Minti is the first wholly owned vertical for parents
- Second wholly owned vertical to launch this week sometime
- Vibe Capital secures a pure licensing agreement with a San Francisco company
- Vibe Capital’s first equity partnership with Building In London
- Vibe Capital secures a second equity partnership in an exciting new and under-serviced market
- Vibe Capital raises funds to buy a strategic stake in their technology partner and digital agency, Market United
Stayed tuned for the launch release on the new vertical :0)
Tags: vibecapital, minti, rachelcook, claycook, matthewmacfarlane, marketunited, buildinginlondon, family2.0, vibEngine, web2.0, socialsoftware, socialnetworking
CommonSenseMedia – Your trusted source for family reviews
Related Family 2.0
Commonsense Media is a rich review site for parents, needing to keep abreast of what reviews CSM has assigned to media that our children as watching and are exposed to. Not only providing review guidelines, but information on the effects of celebutants of Paris Hilton and social networking sites aiming at tweens.
Commonsense Media is a non-for-profit organization, with the who’s who’s of the business world on the board. What I do like about this site is the depth and detail about any TV shows, movies, games, books, DVD’s and so on. It would be great to see a place on the site where parents can interact with each other and discuss the ‘media’ issues they may be facing, ask questions and share experiences. I also wonder if commercials that are shown on children’s TV networks are also reviewed, I haven’t been able to find it. Now that would be very interesting :0)
It is a great organization for keep those aware and ultimately making sure the media producers take note, as more parents take active measures to kurb what our children are exposed to.
Tags: family2.0, commonsensemedia, children, reviews, media
Particls – News alerts for mom and dad (LIVE in Public BETA)
The news feed made simple. Particls is now available for use. They have just come out of private beta and available for all those to try. Founder Chris Saad has done a great job of simplifying how RSS content is distributed to your desktop.
Give it a whirl it won’t disappoint. Download Particls…
Tags: ChrisSaad, particls, rss, content, richmedia, family2.0
