Perfect shots: KC lifestyle blogger launches Depalo app to guide users to Instagram hot spots
July 2, 2019 | Michaela Kitchen
The perfect Instagram-worthy photo location could be within walking distance right now, said Kansas City-based lifestyle blogger Rebeeca Aneloski.
Rebeeca Aneloski, Depalo
A former Missouri representative on the Miss USA stage, Aneloski launched Depalo in June to help users locate picturesque locations across Kansas City — and eventually the globe, she said.
“I [initially] started a blog to continue connecting with others [after the Miss USA pageant], and it quickly came to my attention that finding awesome spots to take photos is no easy task,” said Aneloski.
Depalo offers GPS directions to colorful and interesting locations from Los Angeles to Miami, New York to Kansas City, as well as providing site-specific tips for capturing the best image.
Click here to download and explore Depalo.
A frequent traveler herself, Aneloski knows the struggles of trying to maintain a social media presence on the go — especially when unfamiliar with the local surroundings, she said. While on a trip to Sedona, Arizona, a couple years ago, she realized the potential for a wayfinding app that could point people to the perfect settings.
“I wanted to find some unique, photo-worthy spots in the area,” she recalled. “I didn’t scout beforehand, the sun was setting, it was a high-traffic season, and I said out loud, ‘I wish there was an app that led me to the exact location of the best photo ops near me at any given moment.’”
Millennials make Instagram opportunities a priority when planning trips, according to a 2018 study by UK-based holiday rental home insurance provider Schofields. Aneloski supports the findings, she said.
“When I travel abroad, I book a hotel in a central location to the photo ops I want to get,” Aneloski said, noting that photo sharing is a top way millennials communicate and share memories.
Businesses featured in or near high-traffic Instagram photo locations also are impacted by Depalo users, she said, referencing the value of organic and paid social media marketing.
“Restaurants are creating an Insta-worthy atmosphere because they know that’s important in today’s market,” Aneloski said. “We’ve seen a great response from local businesses who have been featured on the app.”
Depalo launched in the Apple Store, with plans to expand availability to Google Play, she said. Other next steps include building content, perfecting the in-app user experience, and expanding featured cities to international locales.
“We’re going global in 2020, starting with cities in Asia and Europe,” said Aneloski.
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Chris Boyle wants you to reach for kombucha on instinct; his plan: make it as accessible (and tasty) as your favorite beer
Daily Culture Kombucha’s expansion is not quite as effortlessly self-replicating as the scoby that powers the Kansas City brand’s bold, full-bodied flavors — but a commitment to consistency and authenticity has fermented a strategy founder Chris Boyle said keeps his company on the tip of consumers’ tongues. “We’ve just been growing,” Boyle said, noting Daily…
Olathe restaurateur brings comfort food home from the Mediterranean (starting with falafel bowls)
Summer Salem looked around her city for an authentic Mediterranean restaurant and found a gap in the Olathe marketplace. So a year ago she began planning one of her own. She teamed with her husband, Abraham, who also is a partner in a downtown Kansas City Mediterranean restaurant. But the recipes would be Summer’s own.…
Cook to CEO: Chad Offerdahl sticks to Big Biscuit basics as breakfast industry trends funky — ‘That’s not us’
Chad Offerdahl’s journey with The Big Biscuit didn’t start in an office — it began in the kitchen, explained the CEO of the fast-growing, locally owned breakfast brand. That’s where he first learned the classics that define the company, its mission and the menu. “I started as a cook,” said Offerdahl. “I trained in the…
How this founder’s hobby (plus a little trouble) became Oak Park retail incubator’s biggest success story
“Big Chunky Blankets” — soft as a baby’s cheek and custom knitted in any color of the rainbow — folded into the foundation of what would become Maryann Nzioki Hult’s resilient, nearly pandemic-proof foray into entrepreneurship. They put local Tabu Knits on the online map of must-have-items, and then became the seed of two Johnson…