This
is an idea from a while back, I s'pose most of what is here could be
achieved using existing social/broadcasting apps IF we could somehow get
towns and cities to effectively streamline and share their information
across agencies.
Loclnation is inspired by the idea that people at local
levels around the world have the need to share information more effectively. While some of this
'local information' is available through a variety of sources, some of it is
not. Loclnation will 'aggregate' all of a user's local info into one
app. The app will update automatically which will prevent the user from having
to check multiple sources to get their local news and information.
Some of this information is also on local websites and
bulletin boards but, again, the user, in almost all cases would need to check
multiple sources. The app is free and easy to use which lowers its barrier to
adoption.
Loclnation looks to inspire people to use technology to
communicate and revolutionize the way they interact with one another.
The main thrust of the idea centers on a mobile framework
that users can upload content to. The content is then relayed to the front end
app/reader.
The Mobile App
The mobile app is downloaded for free, like many other apps.
A user either enters their current zip code to retrieve data or the device's
geo location will be used.
- It is available on both iOS and Android
- It is/has portrait mode only
- It auto updates
-
When updates are present the app indicates this
New updates are always organized to the top of categories
(bulletin board) and announcements that have already been viewed are grayed
out.
The Framework
At its core it is a base mobile framework to which users can
add content pertinent to their locale. It will be built and deployed in a
number of tiers, Base, I and II. These tiers represent different levels of
monetization and may possible represent phases of implementation.
Base
- Police
-
Fire
- Announcements
- Town/City Business
- Schools
- Churches
Once a town or city adopts the framework they will be
encouraged to 'advertise' it. This can be easily achieved by posting on town
websites, bulletin boards and/or sending home announcements with school
children. Sample announcements will be provided to the Towns to be used as a
guideline.
The base framework only allows for text based posting (ala
twitter) and is limited to 200 characters per post/announcement.
Posts can be flagged as sticky (permanent) or they can be
time based. They can also be scheduled, either in the future or to recurr.
The town framework will be great for sharing information
with the community, such as:
- Weather Alerts
- Church Bbqs
- Health Advisories
- School Cancellations
- School Sports
etc.
A pivotal advantage of adopting this framework is that it is
a local aggregator for news and events. By having it in a mobile app these
announcements are delivered instantly to the clients. User will no longer have
to go searching for this info in
multiple places. It will be delivered to their mobile device
automatically and they will be alerted that there is an update present.
Tier 1
Tier one will be a both a free and a paid tier where local
businesses can advertise. By adopting the framework a town will ensure that
there are many local residents using and viewing the app.
For free, the adevertisers can post a classifed of sorts but
will be will limited to 100 characters, 3 days maximum posting and they cannot
schedule any announcements. (Note free postings never shuffled to the top of
the list when an update occurs, they only shuffle to the top of the free
section)
Advertisers that pay
$1 per day to list a special event will enjoy more benefits including
scheduling, and up to 500 characters including a headline. This is mostly a
different service then what is being offered in other outlets. Things to be
advertised here would be:
- Live Music (when and who)
- Garage Sales
- Bake Sales
This low cost advertising would be very attractive to local
residents who don't want to go through the hassle of creating advertisements or
maybe want to promote something cheaply at the last minute.
Both the free and Paid Teir 1 framework(s) only allows for
text based posting (ala twitter). It would seem roughly like classifieds to the
user.
Tier 2
The Tier 2 framework is also a payed tier. It will be used
mainly like by local publishers, free town circulars etc. Many of these local
publishers do not have mobile apps or access to creating them. By using the
loclnation framework they will easily enter into the mobile sector and be able
to generate a profit.
- Tier 2 is a subscription ($99 - $149 per month)
to the full suite of online tools, this will allow publishers to post entire
editions of their publications as native mobile apps.
- User can also upload ads which will periodically
appear at the bottom of stories.
- Users can also flag certain ads as 'feature'
ads. These are basically the equivalent of full page ads and take over the
whole screen when a user taps on a story.
By selling the additional ad space in the mobile app to
their existing clients the cost of the monthly subscription will more than pay
for itself.
Having Schools and town news in the app ensures a local
audience for the publishers.
Further, printed papers are going away. Many local
publishers have been slow to realize this. As the shift to electronic/mobile
medium continues, these local publishers will have more and more users online,
this will eventually allow them print fewer papers. The result will be
thousands in savings on printing costs to each publication.
Loclnation will allow these small publishers to have a
professional, monetized presence in the mobile sector.
Using the Framework
The framework will be simple to use.
To publish to the mobile app users will be supplied with a
suite of online tools. These tools will include areas to cut and paste text and
add photos.
Once the user adds text and photos (if supported) to a story
they can then assign a category in which the story/announcement will appear.
