Perhaps the worst issue with everyday articles on news are quite dry, primarily for the fact that the content is written by one person. Although there are comments section available and the integration of social media buttons that enable sharing on Facebook or Twitter, you can’t really alter content in any way. You can mention the errors in a post, make a very valid point but then wait for the addition to be made if the writer sees the error and more importantly make the amendments within the article.
Flockler makes its entry to resolve the same issue with the launch of its curation tool for publishers that will enable more active user participation on the news sites. The functionality is quite basic, if you are at ease with using any blog publishing tool out there the interface should pose no issues. Users can create topics based on the interest and expertise of your group of friends and experts. This ensures that people involved are more focused on the topic of discussion. You won’t like people who love football commenting on a post that is solely meant for a baseball group. The entire idea is to bring forth better and more focused content.
Each member can utilize the platform as they feel comfortable. They can post photos, videos, tweets, etc to make the content more engaging and ensure the purpose is achieved. What makes it better is the fact that Flockler maintains mobility of content. You can embed or post these topics on any site or device, meaning you don’t have to worry about how or what your content looks like on someone’s iPhone or the Android, a major concern when content is viewed on various screen sizes and resolutions.
The platform has both freemium and paid models. The different account types are:
Free – unlimited users, topics and one basic widget
Premium for 99 Euro a Month – Customizable widgets, analytics and Support
Enterprise for 499 Euro a Month – Unlimited users and topics, customizable widgets, analytics and API access.
Flockler launched its first public beta during the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Aamulehti, the second largest daily newspaper in Finland. Flockler is currently has more than 25 news sites using its platform which include YLE, the national broadcasting corporation of Finland. Flockler is a Finnish company, from Tampere, that recently launched in TheNextWeb Conference in Amsterdam.
The key thing is optimization and engagement, the absence of any ensures that users aren’t coming back to use your service or tool. In short each user within your community online needs to feel important, especially if they are bringing value to your content. Flockler gives them a platform to leverage and places you in the centre keeping an eagle eye on all conversations.
Below is the launch presentation used in The Next Web Conference Amsterdam.
