Let’s break some ice. Tell readers who you are and then briefly tell us what Bedloo is (we will get into more details later).
My name is Vincent and I’m the Co-Founder of Bedloo. As of late, I handle a lot of the client operations, social strategy, and marketing for Bedloo. When I’m not doing that… I enjoy working on the UX/UI design with my co-founder Todd.
Bedloo is a social media voting platform that utilizes new media (photos, videos, and music). Brands, bloggers, or everyday ordinary folks ask questions using our tool and then crowd source the opinions of the world for instant results and feedback.
Using the Internet or social media to receive input on decisions is not a new thing. How does Bedloo take the (community) decision making process to the next level?
#1. We do it in a more visually compelling way than it’s been done in the past.
#2. We provide forward facing stats and breakdowns (available to the public).
#3. We’re not just a destination site. We’re a multi-faceted platform equipped with a viral widget and a mobile app. All of these provide multiple options and entry points for a user to get feedback on the questions important to them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZEorc8t7Sw
What can Bedloo provide for the independent music community?
Well… first and foremost. I personally self-identify as a musician. In actuality, it’s probably the loudest part of my identity. I have worked in entertainment and moved to Los Angeles years ago to pursue a career in music. I stumbled sideways into Bedloo by being a weirdo social media music blogger/promoter guy. Making this tool cool for musicians is my personal goal. All of the upcoming secret features that I want or am waiting to add to the platform all have to do with music.
That said, it’s a tool for the music community because involving fans in the decision making process is more important than ever. It’s ridiculously difficult to cut through the clutter and the media noise today. The average music listener has a limited amount of time and even less attention or patience with all of the information being hurled at them. So… making the experience about a musician’s fans is the key. Which track should I put on my new album? Help me pick my album cover. Which shirt would you buy if I made it? Which song should I headline with at the next show? Who won the rap battle? This is the kind of stuff that fans love to be involved with. It makes them feel much closer to the creation process with the artist.
Who should be using it?
3 part user scenario.
(1) Ordinary People: When shopping or dressing for a party… Which dress should I buy? Which tie looks better for the work meeting? Which Instagram photo do you like better? That kind of thing.
(2) Bloggers/Content Creators: I would like to see our tool embedded after every post to engage in feedback from the readers. Crowd sourcing opinion is just important for bloggers and media companies… It keeps users engaged and coming back.
(3) Brands: People are too busy to take surveys. But they’re not too busy to click left or right and give you their opinion. We provide a simpler way to discover the same information about your products and it feels like a game. If Nike asks you twenty questions about a new pair of sneakers they’re thinking about selling… wouldn’t you rather vote by looking at pictures than fill out a survey?
When developing and testing this product, did you run into any obstacles or other issues you might not have thought about during the idea phase?
Yes… we didn’t anticipate how difficult it would be to maneuver with the changing web. It’s a moving target. Different social sites are constantly putting out new features. New platforms like Vine and Instagram are popping up. Each time that happens, there are new opportunities to integrate. The product road map can start to look pretty jumpy and the pressure to either adapt or stay the course isn’t always clear. This is a big challenge for startups… especially when resources are tight.
Who uses or has used this product? What type of results have you guys seen since the initial launch?
Right from the beginning, there’s been heavy traction in the urban market. We currently have strategic partnerships with Emmis Communications & Loud Digital Network (Hot 97, Power 106, Funk Master Flex, etc). HotNewHipHop.com & Karen Civil… We’ve worked with Vh1’s “The Gossip Game.” We also have a boy band named Mindless Behavior using our tool to engage with their fans.
We’ve seen a lot of action from these brands using our custom & white labeled embedded widget on their properties. The visibility this has offered, and ultimately, user conversion has been fantastic. We’ve had a blast watching Mindless Behavior drive traffic and having their fans create content. It’s been exciting and very insightful.
What is in the future for Bedloo?
Given that all of our backgrounds are in entertainment, we’ll probably continue to seek out strategic partnerships with musicians, celebrities, and large content heavy media sites. Sports, fashion, technology, politics, etc. We aim to be the household name for voting. There are other product ideas and features waiting to be rolled out, but I can’t comment on that yet.
I am very excited, however, to see the tool grow more robust every day and to connect with gigantic media conglomerates that I never dreamed would be possible. It’s been a wild ride so far since launching in late August.
Where can we connect with you online?
- https://twitter.com/bedloo
- https://www.facebook.com/BedlooQuestions
- http://www.youtube.com/user/bedlooQ
Any last thoughts or shout outs?
Last minute shout outs to Cyber PR for making interesting introductions like this.
