Looking for a leg-up in digital marketing? Start by getting these certifications

Marketing as a process has existed for over a millennium, with the word first finding a reference in 16th-century dictionaries. In its 19th-century form, marketing was defined as the commercial activity of buying and selling a product or service. Moving to the present, the definition of marketing has seen a substantial makeover, and many owe it to the dawn of social media. In a time where trends and pattern change at unforeseeable whims, keeping yourself abreast with the relevant and marketable skillset is an absolute necessity. In the case of a marketer, digital marketing knowledge is all but expected, given that brands are fighting for digital real estate like never before.

So lapping up a few certification courses will not only look fancy on your resume but also keep you ahead in the race. A recognised certification acts as proof of your prowess and stamps credibility all over your CV. We list out a few digital marketing certification courses that you can add to your arsenal.

HootSuite Certification

Social media management platform HootSuite offers social media managers a tailor-made certification course for their product. The online exam is marked at $199 and involves 60 questions, which will test your knowledge of the core principles of social media marketing. Hootsuite even provides a free tutorial for its social marketing training course. The video format tutorials cover everything from creating a social media strategy and optimising your social profiles to creating and sharing effective social content and effective social media ads.

Hubspot's Inbound certification

The Inbound certification has classes that cover topics like SEO, blogging, email marketing, social media marketing, etc. You need to get 45 questions right out of 60 to get the certificate. There are more than a lakh marketers who are certified with this, a proof of the popularity of this certification. The certification's methodology is all about converting strangers into customers and brand advocates. You can watch each course sequentially, take the time to complete the short quizzes, and even read the transcripts of the video if you are more of a 'text' person.

Bing Ads certification

Though Google reigns supreme as the most preferred search engine, Bing has seen a resurgence. As it takes the mantle of being the default search engine for Apple's Siri and Amazon assistant devices, many are calling it the comeback kid. Keeping the recent turn of events in mind, the free certification course offered by Bing would definitely come in handy for all digital marketers. Bing even provides a fundamental guide to search engine marketing, search advertising campaign and optimization, and managing your budget.

Video Marketing with YouTube Certification

In 2017, the global video content consumption increased by a fifth. It's safe to say that we are not watching but rather devouring video content. As everybody likely knows, YouTube is the biggest aggregator of video content on the web. Since video marketing is going to continue being relevant for years to come, wouldn't it be frugal to get a YouTube certification in the nitty-gritty of the segment? The certification, valid for 18 months, can help you learn the ins and outs of channel creation, growth, and monetization.

Google Analytics

This is easily one of the most popular tools that you can use to measure your visitors. Google wants you to use data sets that the tool creates to create informed decisions for your business. In fact, knowing GA is more of a qualification than a certification because most businesses expect someone to be well-versed with this tool when they hire a digital marketer. It's a free course, and to pass, you need to take the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) test. You need to pass with a score of 80 percent and take the exam every 18 months if you want to renew your certification.

Facebook Blueprint certification

A certificate that is recognized officially by Facebook, it helps you stay updated with Facebook's advertising and best practices. Professionals can use two certifications that FB provides – Facebook Certified Planning Professional and Facebook Certified Buying Professional. You have to achieve a passing score of 700 or higher on both of these. The test lasts for 75 minutes and you can take proctored exams at home, office, or at a Pearson testing centre. Facebook's website says that it costs equivalent to $150 USD and the actual exam fee will be displayed during the checkout process.

Content Marketing University certification

This certification is geared towards content marketing and it has more than 30 hours in its curriculum. It talks about a plethora of areas like connecting with the audience, finding different channels to market the content, converting the leads that you get, measuring the leads, planning, and the entire process that you need to create a content marketing plan. It gives you a firm foundation in content marketing. A lot of companies these days do produce content but are at a loss as to how to market them to the right audience. This certification will give you the skills and knowledge you need. Its cost is $995 USD.

These are some of the top certifications that your employers would love to see you have. Other certifications that will add value to your repertoire are HubSpot's Content Marketing certification, Optimizely certification, and Marketo Specializations. While some of the courses we have mentioned might be a little expensive, if your employer can cover the charges, these are worth having. These certifications can certainly affect your standing in the digital marketing world.

Source: Looking for a leg-up in digital marketing? Start by getting these certifications

TeamSnap Appoints New Director of Marketing Communications

BOULDER, Colo., Dec. 19, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — TeamSnap, the household name in integrated sports management, announced today that Sarah Berg has been appointed the company's new Director of Marketing Communications.

Berg brings to TeamSnap a wealth of digital and technology marketing experience. She will be responsible for overseeing the company's brand, communications and content strategy, focusing on the expansion of TeamSnap's popular Club, League and Tournament platforms.

A graduate of the University of Dayton, Berg has spent more than 10 years in senior brand, marketing and communications roles for technology companies, including Zagat Survey, Google and most recently, Sittercity.

Berg will embrace TeamSnap's successful remote workplace policy and oversee the Marcom team from her office in Chicago.

"We are thrilled to have a marketer with an expansive background on board to help us grow the TeamSnap brand," said TeamSnap Chief Growth Officer Ken McDonald. "This is an exciting time for the sports management industry and Sarah's drive for tech branding and innovation will be key in ensuring we expand our position as the go-to source for coaches, administrators, players and parents to coordinate everything for the season."

About TeamSnap:Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, TeamSnap has taken the organization of youth, recreational and competitive sports into the 21st century. Over 15 million coaches, administrators, players and parents use TeamSnap to sign up, schedule, communicate and coordinate everything for the team, the club and the season. TeamSnap makes organizing sports as simple as click, tap and go.

For more information, visit https://www.teamsnap.com/.

*LOGO for Media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/17-1219s2p-teamsnap-300dpi.jpg

MEDIA CONTACT:For additional information, please contactGreg McIsaac Communicationsgregmcisaac@yahoo.ca416-458-3591

News Source: TeamSnap

Source: TeamSnap Appoints New Director of Marketing Communications

Calling all marketers: Our top mobile marketing columns of the year

Get the most important digital marketing news each day.

Mobile has come a long way since the iPhone made its debut in 2007, forever changing the way we look at our mobile devices. From voice search to the Internet of Things, this year brought with it the continued rise of mobile technologies, and our columnists were on hand to share their insights into the developments that had the greatest impact on mobile marketing.

Of course, innovation isn't easy, and companies are bound to struggle with change. One of the stories that resonated the most with readers discussed the mistakes companies continue to make with their audience's mobile experiences. As columnist Aaron Strout pointed out, if you're not an Amazon or an Uber, does your company really need that mobile app?

Our readers were to keen to learn more about increasing mobile engagement and building a stronger relationship between brands and consumers. As consumer expectations have changed, marketers have had to adapt accordingly and provide their mobile users with a personalized digital experience.

But what's the use of mobile engagement if brand safety — a hot-button issue for the industry this year — is still at stake? Our most popular column looked at the challenges of brand safety and explained why an unlikely app category, mobile games, could be the answer.

For these stories and more, check out our top 10 mobile marketing columns of 2017:

The most brand-safe app category is not what you'd expect by Andrew Dubatowka, published on 7/17/2017.

10 common mistakes companies make with mobile by Aaron Strout, published on 5/4/2017.

How marketers should be thinking about voice search by Andrew Ruegger, published on 3/13/2017.

New evidence highlights the conversion lift of mobile optimization by Ben Jacobson, published on 7/5/2017.

Customer engagement in the age of mobile, social and messaging by Rob Begg, published on 6/19/2017.

Apple's move to kill cookies isn't a crisis — It's an opportunity by Mike Sands, published on 10/17/2017.

7 key components to a winning mobile marketing budget in 2017 by Gilad Bechar, published on 1/6/2017.

Mobile engagement just got even more important for marketers. Here's what you need to be thinking about by Shani Rosenfelder, published on 4/10/2017.

A simple checklist to prep for the Google mobile-first index by Bryson Meunier, published on 1/13/2017.

Mobile marketing predictions for 2017 from 11 industry veterans by Aaron Strout, published on 1/12/2017.

About The Author Desiree Everts DeNunzio is Associate Features Editor at Search Engine Land and Marketing Land and a longtime digital media editor and writer. Formerly, she was an associate editor at PBS MediaShift, where she contributed to Digital Content Next's Intelligence Report. She's also worked for CNET, GigaOm and Wired magazine.
Source: Calling all marketers: Our top mobile marketing columns of the year

8 Quick End-of-Year Marketing Planning Tips to Start the New Year Off Right

It may already be the end of 2017, but let's face it, it's never too late to get your head around a plan for the new year. Investing time to understand where your marketing plan is now and where you want it to go in 2018 will give you a positive start to hit the ground running for the first quarter.

High-Level Objectives

1.    Budget

Unsurprisingly one of the biggest obstacles you'll want to tackle is your marketing budget for 2018. To do this, you'll need to understand what you spent in 2017, what your return on investment was, and how you want to move forward. For example, did your retargeting program work? If not, take the time to understand why not and how you can improve it for next year. It's important to understand where you want to go and how you can get there before you begin to strategize.

2.    Content (Web and Email)

It's also important to take a look at the content you created this year to help shape your upcoming editorial calendar. Make a list of the top 10 performing pieces of content and brainstorm more ideas off of those to understand what made it successful - well designed, well written and timely? Did you target a specific audience that was very receptive? Take the time to make a spreadsheet with your content to track headlines, word count, social media shares, target audience and more to ensure you can replicate the process in the future. Allowing yourself to see where you've done well and where you can improve your content is essential. On the flip side, take the time to see what content didn't perform well and why.

Don't be afraid to revisit your content to keep it up to date as well. Once you've written a piece of content, it can get stale pretty quickly. That content is yours to own, so get some use of it. Revisit your content and update where and when possible and then reshare! You can also take this opportunity to tweak the target audience or headline as well to get a higher response rate.

3.    Social Media

Understanding your content and what worked this year should also be done for your social media content. Take a look at the analytics from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram (among others) provides to understand what content your followers interact with most. Make a plan around more of that content and brainstorm ways to improve the content that didn't work well. You may also want to take stock in who you're following and who follows you. Keep close to your industry and unfollow anyone who doesn't fit the mold of what you're trying to create, and don't forget to also research new important voices in your arena and follow them. Learn more about the social media trends to be on the lookout for here.

So, how do you actually navigate this end of year planning process? Here are some tips:

1.    Understand trends in your industry. You can't always control what is happening in the industry at large and it's important to stay up-to-date on industry trends and economic impact. You'll want to be aware of any changes in order to stay ahead of the game.

2.    Watch your competitors. This may be a given, but double check their marketing content, website and social media channels. What seems to be hitting the right notes and can you replicate in an interesting and different way?

3.    Refocus on your brand. Take the time to re-introduce yourself to your brand. It's easy to get into the minutia of the brand and forget some of the other details that truly make your company stand out. Grow your marketing efforts around your brand and find new ways to communicate your company's mission and vision.

4.    Have clear objectives. Your yearly objectives are the goals of your marketing efforts that should be measurable and tied to a specific timeframe. Once you've identified your goals, create a strategy to meet those goals - whether it's raising brand awareness, getting more referrals or more in-store traffic - then identify the tactics to achieve them such as more digital advertising, billboard use or increasing your social media presence.

5.    Focus on impactful projects. I don't want to say focus on the big stuff versus the small stuff, because sometimes the small things can make the biggest impact. But what's most important is understanding the events and activities that really make an impact and focusing on those. If you spread yourself, your budget and your time too thin, all these amazing things you're planning won't be as impactful.

6.    Share your marketing plan. If you devise this amazing and detailed marketing plan, but haven't shared it with the organization, then what's the point? If you're trying to spread the word about your social media updates, the best way to do that is involve your colleagues who can like and share your content to their followers. Not just that, it's important to have company support in how you want to brand and share your company. If they feel involved and excited, they'll want to support it.

7.    Get support from the top. Nothing is better than having the president and CEO of the company supporting your marketing plans. Like in No. 6, if the top executives feel involved in the marketing plan, they'll be more likely to share it with their contacts.

8.    Get the support you need. You can't plan and brainstorm every good idea, no matter how good you are! Get a small team together to help create focused processes and protocols for moving the marketing plan forward.

Take the time to understand where you are currently, what you did to get there, and how to improve for next year. You don't have to follow the same plan and you don't have to have a huge budget to make an impact. However, understanding where your budget needs are and the type of content that works is important before moving forward into 2018. Use your current content to propel your company's image and vision forward and spend marketing dollars where needed to make it happen. Revisit content to update and reuse and look, you're saving money already!

Finally, don't be afraid to get the support of your organization - it can only help with your social media campaigns. Plus, that will help your colleagues feel more involved in the company's goals. So, carve out some time in the coming weeks to set yourself up for a running start in 2018. Cheers!

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

Source: 8 Quick End-of-Year Marketing Planning Tips to Start the New Year Off Right

Top Reads to Get Your Digital Marketing in Order for 2018

As we barrel towards 2018, you and your team are likely in the thick of goal setting and planning how to expand your brand awareness in the new year. It's also likely that part of your strategy for maintaining that top-of-mind awareness involves some form of digital marketing, whether it's content marketing, search engine optimization, paid media, search, etc.

While the fundamentals of digital marketing hold true, this is one area of the marketing mix that is constantly evolving as it has to keep pace with the technology platforms that deliver it. To get your team primed for 2018 strategic planning, the following are a few good reads from our content marketing and digital team. These books, blogs and other online resources keep them current on the trends and best practices, but also help keep them rooted in the tried-and-true tactics and strategies of good marketing and productivity.

On content marketing: Picks by Carey Ballard, Brand Strategy

I have two rather non-traditional books I frequently turn to. The first is "Give and Take" by Adam Grant. I love, and recommend all content marketers read, this book because it illustrates why being truly giving is beneficial to both individuals and organizations.

Fundamentally, I believe that's what content marketing does. It is a function of giving --through information, education, entertainment -- without asking for anything in return. In the long run that approach is beneficial for any business and its brand, and this book outlines how givers can achieve extraordinary results.

The second book is "Primalbranding: Create Zealots for Your Brand, Your Company, and Your Future" by Patrick Hanlon. I recommend it because it explains why branding and marketing professionals need to tap into human nature's most primal instincts to connect with them emotionally.

If you can get past the creepy cover, the content is stellar. I have returned to the teachings in this book many times over the years.

On paid media: Picks by Ryan Grimes, Director of Paid Media and Analytics

One oldie, but a goodie is "Ogilvy on Advertising" by David Ogilvy, the "father of advertising." Though it was originally released in 1985, the fundamentals still ring true today and it has become a bible of sorts for many marketers across all specialities, whether advertising, PR, search, etc.

Another favorite, this one for analytics, is "Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity" by Avinash Kaushik. It will bring a new perspective to the way you approach analytics, and digs into strategies and techniques for navigating the more challenging components of analytics such as measuring omni-channel campaigns. As more organizations look for ways to leverage data, this book can serve as an invaluable resource for doing so efficiently.

On local search: Picks by Nolan Alexander, Director of Local

To stay current on local search best practices and trends coming down the pike, I have a few favorite blogs I frequent. The first is Blumenthals blog. It covers a variety of topics surrounding Google My Business and local search, and has a backlog of content dating to 2006 giving perspective the evolution of things like Maps, mobile and AdWords.

The other two include Search Engine Land, specifically the "local" channel, and Catalyst. Both cover the new rollouts and features in Google's suite of search products, how to optimize reviews, and tactics for winning search results in specific verticals. Though Catalyst's aesthetics can be off-putting, the content is robust and worth exploring.

On overall productivity and efficiency: Picks by Oliver Tani, VP of Digital Marketing

While I do read up on SEO frequently, I actually get the most value out of topics around improving productivity, effectiveness and efficiency. Though you'll have to figure out how to adapt the learnings to your own work day and lifestyle, the following are a few of my favorite books and ones I've found most valuable.

I also have a host of blogs I read to stay current on my industry. These include:

Hopefully these resources support your team in building a winning digital marketing strategy into the new year and beyond. Keep in mind, many of the teachings referenced in these reads are timeless and can even be useful across various departments in your organization.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

Source: Top Reads to Get Your Digital Marketing in Order for 2018

3 reasons that completely sell the idea – Customer Experience is the NEW Marketing!

This story is a version of a post published here.

At the cost of repetition, let me tell you that customer experience is the new marketing. I don't say this, but Mr. Steve Cannon, the President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, sure does! Cannon says that in today's world of online social interaction, a good experience can spread to thousands of connections, and a negative experience can spread to much more than that. Basically, one negative review can negate the good reputation created by ten good reviews.

One of the most renowned business journals, Forbes magazine, says,

The future, the metaphorical keys to the kingdom, will belong to those brands that create the most awesome customer experiences.

If you are not sure of the experts' views, here are a few reasons why your business should focus on building a product around the needs of the customer, and then go an extra mile to make the experience memorable (surely, in a good way).

Brand recall happens through experiences

We live in a world where everything has a rival to your business before you can say the word "copied". I am even inclined to say that perfect competition exists only in economics textbooks today, and has no existence in the real world. In today's cut-throat competition, your brand has to stand out in the minds of the consumer, it has to make a lasting and memorable experience. And that is what we call brand recall, in the pure marketing sense. Interestingly, this has less to do with your advertising and branding, and more to do with the customer experience these days!

For instance, you have a furniture brand, and are a new player in the game. Pricing and promotion gets you your first customer, and he purchases a detachable wardrobe from you. Fast forward two hours – he tweets talking about how complicated putting together a wardrobe from your band is. Your customer, and countless other prospective customers, have started associating your brand with inconvenience. To counter such a situation, you could get a customer service representative to followup and assist him in setting up the wardrobe. Another could be to send links to help him put it up himself. Indeed solutions can be countless, but the point remains that the customer must be attended to immediately, or might I say, proactively. Because the experience he would share with your product will play a bigger role in marketing your brand than your ad campaigns.

Bad customer reviews will, for sure, spread fast

Customers have access to a medium that helps them voice their opinions in a jiffy – the Internet. And you know what they say – the Internet never forgets! We have said it before, and we will say it again – bad reviews spread on half the globe faster than wildfire! Needless to say, this can't be a very pleasant scenario for your business. In one of my posts, I've disclosed the Dark arts of negative customer review, and how it can kill sales. I am sure everyone reads product reviews before making a purchase these days. Not only product reviews, people read about other people who are speaking at a conference, the hotel they are about to book for a holiday, the bus they are planning on taking to travel from one place to another, and even the Uber driver who's about to pick them up from office. Customer review is a tool to compare customer experience, and, no matter how valuable a brand is or how much it is spending on marketing, a stream of negative customer reviews ca n kill the sales almost instantly!

You need to reach out to people's needs before the word gets around of "bad service", which is only second to people not talking about you at all.

Customer Experience is the Game of Thrones for brands, both new and old

If new brands need to make their mark, the oldies need to match up their game. Once a king, would not mean forever a king! Perhaps one of the best example is that of Nokia and Blackberry losing their market almost overnight to the iPhone. In hindsight, one might argue that these companies refused to change with the needs of the consumers, and therefore lost their market to the ones who did. However, simply put, iPhone delivered a far better customer experience that beat the incumbents to the ground.

This is just one of the several examples of how a newcomer captured the market because it could conquer the customer's heart. Despite having the marketing muscle, businesses, both old and new, need to focus on delivering exceptional customer experience above everything else. That's the new power game and that's the new way to gain a bigger share of the market!

Would love to hear your opinion and suggestions in comments below.

Source: 3 reasons that completely sell the idea – Customer Experience is the NEW Marketing!

Top Reads to Get Your Digital Marketing in Order for 2018

As we barrel towards 2018, you and your team are likely in the thick of goal setting and planning how to expand your brand awareness in the new year. It's also likely that part of your strategy for maintaining that top-of-mind awareness involves some form of digital marketing, whether it's content marketing, search engine optimization, paid media, search, etc.

While the fundamentals of digital marketing hold true, this is one area of the marketing mix that is constantly evolving as it has to keep pace with the technology platforms that deliver it. To get your team primed for 2018 strategic planning, the following are a few good reads from our content marketing and digital team. These books, blogs and other online resources keep them current on the trends and best practices, but also help keep them rooted in the tried-and-true tactics and strategies of good marketing and productivity.

On content marketing: Picks by Carey Ballard, Brand Strategy

I have two rather non-traditional books I frequently turn to. The first is "Give and Take" by Adam Grant. I love, and recommend all content marketers read, this book because it illustrates why being truly giving is beneficial to both individuals and organizations.

Fundamentally, I believe that's what content marketing does. It is a function of giving --through information, education, entertainment -- without asking for anything in return. In the long run that approach is beneficial for any business and its brand, and this book outlines how givers can achieve extraordinary results.

The second book is "Primalbranding: Create Zealots for Your Brand, Your Company, and Your Future" by Patrick Hanlon. I recommend it because it explains why branding and marketing professionals need to tap into human nature's most primal instincts to connect with them emotionally.

If you can get past the creepy cover, the content is stellar. I have returned to the teachings in this book many times over the years.

On paid media: Picks by Ryan Grimes, Director of Paid Media and Analytics

One oldie, but a goodie is "Ogilvy on Advertising" by David Ogilvy, the "father of advertising." Though it was originally released in 1985, the fundamentals still ring true today and it has become a bible of sorts for many marketers across all specialities, whether advertising, PR, search, etc.

Another favorite, this one for analytics, is "Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity" by Avinash Kaushik. It will bring a new perspective to the way you approach analytics, and digs into strategies and techniques for navigating the more challenging components of analytics such as measuring omni-channel campaigns. As more organizations look for ways to leverage data, this book can serve as an invaluable resource for doing so efficiently.

On local search: Picks by Nolan Alexander, Director of Local

To stay current on local search best practices and trends coming down the pike, I have a few favorite blogs I frequent. The first is Blumenthals blog. It covers a variety of topics surrounding Google My Business and local search, and has a backlog of content dating to 2006 giving perspective the evolution of things like Maps, mobile and AdWords.

The other two include Search Engine Land, specifically the "local" channel, and Catalyst. Both cover the new rollouts and features in Google's suite of search products, how to optimize reviews, and tactics for winning search results in specific verticals. Though Catalyst's aesthetics can be off-putting, the content is robust and worth exploring.

On overall productivity and efficiency: Picks by Oliver Tani, VP of Digital Marketing

While I do read up on SEO frequently, I actually get the most value out of topics around improving productivity, effectiveness and efficiency. Though you'll have to figure out how to adapt the learnings to your own work day and lifestyle, the following are a few of my favorite books and ones I've found most valuable.

I also have a host of blogs I read to stay current on my industry. These include:

Hopefully these resources support your team in building a winning digital marketing strategy into the new year and beyond. Keep in mind, many of the teachings referenced in these reads are timeless and can even be useful across various departments in your organization.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

Source: Top Reads to Get Your Digital Marketing in Order for 2018