Kickanotch helps media publishers turn mobile apps into money

Increasingly, consumers are favoring apps over the mobile web but for some smaller and medium-sized media publishers, it’s not easy to build revenue-driving mobile apps. That’s an opportunity Kickanotch, a Kansas start-up that is building a one-stop app management and monetization platform for media companies starting with radio stations, plans to tackle.

Kickanotch, which launched in May offering to help radio stations go mobile, is now coming out with RevKick, a mobile app content and ad management tool that lets companies easily deploy, manage and monetize their apps from one dashboard. Clients can get their app up in a couple of weeks; manage banner ads themselves; update their media content; push out SMS marketing and push notifications; and deliver local offers and discounts to users through RevKick.

This can be especially helpful for smaller to medium-sized media companies with their own ad sales staffs. They can handle their own ad sales and quickly start generating revenue through their mobile apps. But companies can also lean on Kickanotch to bring in ads. The platform also comes with robust analytics so customers can get quick feedback and user engagement and the efficiency of ad campaigns. Kickanotch currently supports iPhone, Android and BlackBerry and has Windows Phone 7 coming soon.

So far Kickanotch has focused on radio stations but plans on branching out to TV and publishing in the next 60 days. CEO and founder Andy Lynn said there’s a growing need to help companies make the switch to mobile, and do it in a simple way that can make companies money. The heavy focus on monetization, Lynn said, is what separates Kickanotch from other services that help companies build mobile apps.

This is going to be a key point for many companies looking to go mobile. It’s not enough to just establish an app presence, companies need ways to make it pay off. Providing a simple tool to manage apps on multiple platforms can be an attractive way for media companies to go mobile, especially smaller ones who don’t have much mobile savvy or experience. RevKick won’t be for everyone and many companies have already made the move to mobile apps. But tools like RevKick may invite many more on the sidelines to jump into the mobile app market.

Kickanotch, which raised $ 500,000 in seed funding last month, is now working on an Series A round. It has 50 clients so far but that number should go up because there are still many companies that are looking to make the leap to mobile apps.

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