New 'How To' Webinars

With the launch of a new website, we've been working tirelessly behind the scenes to enhance all of our support and training videos and documentation. In fact, just last week we began promoting a new series of 'How To Use Fast Pitch!' Webinars. These webinars are designed to teach you everything you need to know about using Fast Pitch! to make connections and promote your business. The webinars are offered at various times and pack a ton of information into a 45 minute online presentation.

To learn more about the upcoming webinars visit:

http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com/learn_webinars.cfm

For those of you who may have attended a 'How To' Webinar in the past, you'll want to re-visit these events. The navigation, and dissemination of content across the network has changed significantly and will be explained in great detail.

In the coming weeks you will also begin to see a series of new 'How To' training videos and presentations from our staff added to the network... in addition to an updated Fast Pitch! User Manual and Pocket Guide.

Best of all...

All of this is FREE!

Bill

It's Great to Be (a) LIVE...

The new Fast Pitch! is up!

Take a look: http://www.fastpitchnetworking.com/

In fact, we're sending out announcements to all of our members as we speak - giving them the opportunity to be the first to experience the new look and feel of the site, as well as some of the enhancements we've made to our industry leading networking and marketing features.


Here's a brief look at what we've done so far (with more to come!):

• More Dynamic Profile
• Better Integration with Social Media
• Ability to Send Messages to your Entire Network
• Improved Match-Making
• Ability to Create a Watch List for Hot Leads
• Send Direct Mail to Your Network
• Simple to Use Interface
• Enahnced Search Capabilities

One of the first things you'll notice is just how easy it is to navigate the network. In short, we've reduced the number of clicks it takes to get things done. Whether you're updating your profile, looking for ideal people to network with, chat live, send email newsletters, or post and share content... you're most likely only one click away!

For those of you who are uncomfortable with change... we will be offering a series of 'How To' webinars in the coming weeks to help everyone become more familiar with how to maximize your time on the network and how it can help you grow your business. Keep an eye out for those dates and times.

In the meantime, login and 'kick the tires'... Update your profile, make a few connections, add some content about your business and more. Start making your 'pitch' to the world... faster than ever!

Bill

It's The Final Countdown...

For those of you who read my post from a few weeks ago (A Sneak Peak...), you'll be happy to know that our development team is in the final stages of officially launching the new and improved Fast Pitch! - which will add even more new networking and marketing features than we originally anticipated.

The process of updating our layout and functionality have spawned a host of new ideas that will lead to a more meaningful networking experience with a host of tools designed to help you manage the way you communicate to your network and the overall network at-large. In short, the slight delay is well worth the wait...

Thanks to everyone for your patience. Now... let the countdown begin...

Bill

Hot Off The Press!

Over the past few weeks, many of you have received a gift in your mailbox courtesy of Fast Pitch! That gift, for those of you who may not have received one just yet, is a 50+ page Fast Pitch! Pocket Guide. The Pocket Guide is a clear, concise paperback book designed to educate our users on using social media to market their business more effectively.

The idea for the Fast Pitch! Pocket Guide came about for two primary reasons:

1. We're the first social network in the world to do it.
Ask yourself, when is the last time an Internet company took the time to send you something tangible (and of value), while asking nothing in return? My guess is never.

2. We're giving our users an alternative way to learn about social media.
Call me old-fashioned but, there's still something about reading an actual book that has it's appeal. Having the ability to flip through pages on my own terms without being bombarded by millions of pixels is actually becoming more of an attractive option these days. My guess is our typical user (average age 40), shares that same feeling.

As of today, over 5,000 Pocket Guides have been mailed out to some of our more recent and active users. Additionally, we're partnering with speakers, and business organizations who are interested in using the Pocket Guides at upcoming events.

• If you haven't received your Free Fast Pitch! Pocket Guide or would like to request Multiple Pocket Guides CLICK HERE >>


• If you are an advertiser and have an interest in gaining additional exposure to Fast Pitch! members by advertising in the Pocket Guide CLICK HERE >>

Best,

Bill

A Sneak Peak...

Over the past three years, despite all of the features we have added to Fast Pitch!, we've been reluctant to make any major changes to the overall user experience. Part of the reason has been the fear of alienating some of our most loyal members who have become so famliar with how to navigate our network. The downside to not making changes however, is a fragmented user experience that has the potential to confuse many of our newest members who are coming to us with certain expectations. In recent weeks, it's become obvious to many of us here at Fast Pitch! that now is the time to make some changes and 'raise the bar' for ourselves and the overall industry.

Our development team has been working around the clock in recent days to overhaul the entire network in order to bring add more (and new) technology to Fast Pitch! The hope is that the overall user experience becomes more intuitive and effective for our members. Without getting into details about how we plan to do this... I can say, I'm excited about what has been developed so far. After talking briefly with my dev team this morning, many of you can expect to see some major changes in the coming days.

Stay Tuned.

Bill

Approaching 1,000 Fans on Facebook.

We launched a Facebook Fan Page for Fast Pitch! a few weeks ago. Within a few weeks we've already had almost 1,000 members become Fans. In fact, at the time of writing this, we're sitting on 999! Become Fan #1,000 and win a one-year Platinum Membership valued at $168 per year.

Quick... Add yourself! http://www.facebook.com/fastpitchnetworking

Currently, we are using the Fan Page to highlight some (not all) of our latest Platinum Members who join Fast Pitch! on a daily basis. Being featured on this Fan Page is a great way to make an introduction to the Fast Pitch! community and bring your business instant exposure. In fact, your featured listing is also posted on our Twitter page which currently has about 7,000 Followers and growing.

Note: in order to be considered for a listing on our Fan Page Wall you must become a Platinum Member, complete your profile AND have a professional headshot.

On a completely separate note... We've been working overtime these past few weeks and plan to unveil some new features, etc. We're excited.

Stay Tuned!

Bill

UPDATE: That didn't take long (less than 1 minute after this blog post)!
Congratulations Mike Grandelli of Rose & Womble Realty in Virginia Beach, VA for becoming the 1,000th Fan! Mike just won an annual Platinum Membership to Fast Pitch!

Help us reach our goal of 2,000 Fans before September 30th. Spread the Word!

Fast Pitch! Turned 3!

Happy belated birthday Fast Pitch!

I woke up this morning in cold sweats realizing that we forgot to celebrate our 3rd birthday in June. Funny thing is, nobody here at the office managed to remember it either.

This reminds me of that 80's movie Sixteen Candles where everyone forgets Molly Ringwald's 16th birthday because they are preocupied with her sisters wedding. In our case it's been a series of summer events happening in our own office that led to the distraction.

Fast Pitch! is the anchor tenant of the new HuB Incubator here in Sarasota, FL. The HuB is a destination for entrepreneurs, artists and professionals to connect and share ideas.
Founded by a group of entrepreneurs the goal of The HuB is to bring a new energy to the creative-class here locally to help transform our city socially, economically and politically.

Over the past three months, The HuB and Fast Pitch! have been involved in launching a new music festival (Vinyl Music Festival), two events aimed at promoting local artists (s/ART/q), the launch of three new technology companies, an exciting new amateur basketball league (Gulf Coast ABA), and a series of non-profit initiatives as well. All this, combined with the continued growth of Fast Pitch! and the demands placed on all of us to service hundreds of thousands of professionals worldwide (we've seen our new member growth continue to increase despite the summer months and a lagging economy)... and I think I understand why the birthday came and went.

In 10 more months, we'll be turning 4! Something tells me it will be here before we know it...

Bill