St. Louis Startup LockerDome Hits 4 Million Users, Preps for a Busy 2013

Two weeks ago, The St. Louis Business Journal reported that startup company LockerDome hit 3 million monthly unique users.

But there’s even more reason to celebrate today—another 1 million reasons to celebrate to be exact.

This week, LockerDome hit the 4 million monthly unique users mark.  The St. Louis-based startup grew its user base a whopping 5.6% on Sunday, December 8, 2012 alone.  The company saw more growth in that one day than it had in the first 12 weeks of launch. Fifteen times this year LockerDome has set a new single week growth record.  Each week, the startup’s user base grows about 14%.

LockerDome is a social media network for sports fans, professional athletes and even young athletes.  The social network allows for interaction, content production, posting and sports-related networking and connecting.  The platform allows its now 4 million plus users to create a profile for free, choose communities that interest them (over 1350 to choose from) and displays those interests in order to create connections.

“LockerDome is a place to interact with like-minded people who share the same sports interests that you do,” says LockerDome CEO Gabe Lozano.  “At first, we referred to it as Facebook for sports.  These days, however, LockerDome is all about consuming content and interacting in a manner that nurtures more relevant, deeper conversations about what you’re passionate about.”

What’s the secret sauce to LockerDome’s incredible growth?  According to both Gabe Lozano and LockerDome’s Director of Business Development, Mark Sanders, it takes a little bit of everything.  First and foremost, the platform incorporates a model that works seamlessly with the social media platforms we already use today, particularly Facebook and Twitter, while adding value in the places that those platforms don’t address particularly well.

“We figured out that we add an enormous amount of value to publishers, such as professional athletes and brands,” explains Lozano.  “Facebook doesn’t do everything on a social standpoint...especially for professional athletes and brands.  LockerDome fills the gaps.  It amplifies content and generates more followers and fans.”  In fact, professional athletes and brands utilizing the LockerDome platform have been noted to grow by 50% more Facebook fans and Twitter followers within just 4 and ½ months.

In addition to finding a niche-y need in the market, LockerDome utilizes contests in order to drive higher conversion rates.  The startup has seen immense success with their contests, with a 23% conversion rate.  The average rate of conversion for contests in the industry is around 2-3%.

Although 4 million users seems like a major reason to celebrate, both Lozano and Sanders believe that the startup has a long way to go.  On top of operating at a million miles per hour, the entire team at LockerDome is focused solely on “staying alive” and grabbing the opportunity while it’s still there.

“We’re taking things one day at a time,” says Sanders.  “We are happy to be in the situation we’re in right now.  What we do in 2013 depends on the users—we are going to build what they want.”

Many publications predict that LockerDome will quickly become one of the top 10 sports sites for online traffic behind (or perhaps in front of) competitors such as Bleacher Report.  All other top 10 sports websites are owned by major media or sports organizations.

“We believe firmly in the channelization of social.” states Lozano.  “There are times, especially in sports, when most people would rather communicate with like-minded people that share the same interests than merely with their friends. We are solving for that.”

Follow LockerDome! @LockerDome 

Since When Did Networking Become Such a Huge Deal?

Using LinkedIn, Facebook, and business events to your advantage.

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

This cliché can certainly pertain to all different aspects of life, but none truer than that of business.  In business, it truly is all about who you know, not what you know.  From landing your first job out of college to partnering with some of your community’s biggest movers and shakers, building and maintaining business relationships is critical when working in and working on a business.

But when did networking become such a big deal?  Networking and building strong relationships has always been an important in the business world.  But today, with tools such as LinkedIn and Facebook, networking seems to have taken a dramatic turn.   And perhaps for the better. 

Let’s take a look at the facts. 

66,266,528 :: the number of people that are currently using LinkedIn.  Almost half of these users are located within the United States.  But are you utilizing LinkedIn correctly? 

1.5 million :: the number of local businesses that have Facebook pages that you can visit and network on.  But are you using these Facebook pages to your advantage?

79% :: your chances of sealing a deal are 79% higher when business networking is involved.  But are you meeting the right people in the right settings to get the deals sealed?

To answer all of these questions (and many more) Think Big Partners is hosting Launch and Learn: Marketing You Through Networking in collaboration with KC Young Professionals.  LeadTunnel co-founder and networking expert James Moburg will present real-life lessons from his networking experiences and provide tips and strategies to network effectively on- and offline.

“Most young people have a ton of opportunities to network.  They just don’t know how to do it right," says Moburg.  "Time is an investment itself, and i can help people get a big return on their investment by following my techniques."

The Launch and Learn Series will take place on March 9, 2011 from 11:30AM until 1:00PM at Think Big Partners location (1800 Baltimore, Kansas City, MO). 

During Marketing You Through Networking, Moburg will focus on the following areas:

• How networking can improve and empower you (with examples from real life stories)
• The two crucial networking areas you can personally focus on in 2011
• The 101 crash course in how to maximize your networking event experience
• Marketing yourself effectively in the long run and becoming more memorable

But Moburg is looking forward to teaching more than just that. 

“I want people to leave this Launch and Learn event with three things,” he said.  “First, I want people to feel empowered to take their networking skills to the next level.  Second, I want attendees to use my personal examples of networking as proven strategies.  Third, I want to help people to stand out for the rest of their lives.”

Are you ready to stand out for the rest of your life? 

If so, join Moburg, Think Big Partners and KC Young Pros for an inside look at playing the networking game.   

Register today!

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer for Think Big Partners, Kansas City’s mentorship-based startup accelerator and business incubator.  To read more of Allison’s work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner as well as her articles on Helium, eZine and BrooWaha.  Follow Allison! @AllisonThinkBig

Top 5 Tips to Effective Speed Networking

Most people have heard of speed dating, a program in which singles have the opportunity to meet other singles in the area, talk for a few minutes, and then move on to engage in conversation with the rest of the people in the room.  


Now, switch out the cocktails for coffee, the late-night chat to early-morning conversation, and exchange of phone numbers to the exchange of business cards—that’s speed networking, and it’s happening in Kansas City.

Every first Friday of the month, the Chamber of Commerce hosts Face2Face, a Kansas City networking opportunity for businesspeople to make quick professional connections.  Tomorrow, October 1^st, Face2Face speed networking is taking place at the Overland Park Marriott at 8:30am.  This Kansas City networking program allows entrepreneurs and small business owners the opportunity to present their products, services, company and themselves to at least 25 fellow networkers looking to gain similar exposure.  Registration for the event starts at 8:00am, and costs $10 for Chamber members.  Face2Face allows for Kansas City entrepreneurs to broaden their horizons and develop new business connections apart from social networking.  


To enhance your startup, freshen up on some speed networking skills.  Read our Top Five Tips to Effective Speed Networking:

1.  Come Prepared

Don’t walk into speed networking expecting to be able to fly by the seat of your pants.  Prepare for the event well in advance by practicing a one-minute elevator speech about you and your startup.  Some speed networking events time out the elevator speech to the second—so make sure yours is exactly one minute long.  Additionally, be sure to bring at least 50 business cards and a stack of company flyers.

2.  Keep the Result in Mind

The reason that you network is to connect with each and every person that you have the opportunity to sit with.  The result of speed networking is usually not to bag the big one or eliminate referral sources or partners.  The result should be meeting other local people and getting the word about your startup out there.. 


3.  Speed Networking is Like a Mini Interview

When the two people networking with one another treat the experience as an interview, a better conversation will be accomplished.  Ask about goals, character traits, business opportunities and success stories, etc.  It’s best to ask questions that will clarify where and how you can best help your new referral source


4.  Take Notes

In most networking experiences, you will not have the opportunity to take notes.  But in speed networking, notes are encouraged.  Bring a pen and a pad of paper to write down any information that you discover.


5.  Follow Up

Hands down, one of the most important aspects to networking is following up.  If you do not follow up with those that you meet during the speed networking experience, you will only have succeeded in wasting your time.  Follow up with lunches, phone calls, and emails so that you ensure that the person will also keep in touch with you and recognize your startup's eagerness.

Sometimes an entrepreneur needs to do more than just social networking, and meeting people face-to-face can be a very positive networking experience.  For more information about speed networking, check out the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce or SpeedNetworking.com.  Utilize speed networking and enhance your startup's web of networks today!  


Written by Allison Way.  Allison Way is a writer and videographer for Think Big Partners and bizperc. To read more of Allison's articles, visit the Entrepreneurship Examiner.