MobilePRWire - a new newswire for multiple platforms

I got a note from Chris Caso that his company, CR Digital Designs, has launched a new press release distribution platform for mobile tech news. Check it out at www.MobilePRWire.com. They're currently working on building their list of media agencies that pick up their news. While it's not fully established yet, the nice advantage of it over PRMac is that it offers channels for both iOS and Android.

The basic press release is $18, or you can add an image and pay $25.

How to Pitch via Twitter

I've been at this PR pitching business for 12 years now and I'm still working on getting my pitch down as tiny as possible. The best pitch is one that captures their imagination in as few words as possible.

If you want to pitch to someone via Twitter, you don't have much choice! You only get 140 characters to make your best impression. I've been told by some that you shouldn't pitch via Twitter and that most journalists don't like it. I think for those that don't use Twitter a lot, that's probably true -- but some are die-hard Twitter users and I think most of them are open to being pitched via Twitter. In fact, they're probably quite comfortable with it by now.

To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question! But if you do "Twitpitch," here are some general guidelines:

1. Be sure yourTwitter profile is complete. If they get pitched by you, they'll likely want to know more about you before they give your pitch any credence. Also, be sure to include your URL in your profile.
2. Speaking of which, include a URL in your tweet. You'll want to be sure to use your pitch to drive traffic to a web site or blog post that provides much greater detail on your company, product or story idea than you could include in your 140 character Twitpitch. You'll also want your URL to take up as few characters as possible, so be sure to run it through a shortener like http://bit.ly.
3. Just like with email pitching, don't be an annoying spammer. Don't pitch the same ideas or stories multiple times, and don't send pitches about irrelevant topics to what the writer/blogger normally covers.
4. Engage in conversation. Twitter provides a great way to dialogue with someone -- but don't make it a one-way conversation. Don't use Twitter to simply broadcast your messages, but look for ways to engage those who follow you on Twitter as well.

Apple still dominates in app market, despite Android growth, report says

Apple is still full of its juicy sweetness when it comes to market dominance in the smartphone app business.

Apple is projected to rake in $2.91 billion selling apps in 2011, a 63.4% increase from the $1.78 billion earned last year from the App Store, according to a report from research firm IHS Screen Digest. But it is Google's Android market that appears primed for explosive growth this year -- predicted to jump almost 300% compared with last year, to $425 million.

But where there's a winner, there's a loser, and BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion is expected to lose its second-place spot in app revenues to Android this year.

The overall app market -- which includes Apple, Google and RIM among others -- will see a 77.7% jump to $3.8 billion this year, IHS said, and in three years' time, that figure is expected to double to $8.3 billion.

Read the full article.