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

Content marketing – The game changer for your brand

The image has been taken from – http://www.pexels.com

The term 'Content Marketing,' though relatively fresh, has elevated marketing to a whole new plateau. Thoughts and methods to reach a concerned target market have evolved, leading to the grand inception of this concept. Simply put, content marketing is the creation and distribution of posts, videos, blogs and such to stimulate a pre-existing need among potential customers. It is the stimulant which drives them to purchase products or services that meet their needs. Content marketing is essentially a psychological game, which often benefits the most preceptive marketers.

This may seem vague, but don't worry, you aren't alone. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, 55% of B2B marketers said they were unclear about the structure of a good content marketing campaign, despite stats which showed that they allocate 28% of their budget to content marketing. Such is the intricacy and thought that needs to go into content marketing. The next time you think the job of a content strategist is easy, think again!

A content strategist needs to analyze each piece of content, to ensure that the following facets are touched upon:

Social media engagement: Traditional marketing methods have given way to digital channels. The old marketing methods of postal letters and phone directory optimization are dead. Today, everything is online. Without an online presence, no brand would be as grand. With every passing day, the evolution of content marketing brings in newer methods to engage potential customers on social media.

Engagement is not confined to a certain stage in the marketing lifecycle. Before creating content, a content strategist needs to outline engagement objectives and goals to map out a content marketing strategy. After establishing the desired result, it is relatively easy to work backward and create content. However, it does take a good amount of thought to create content that gets clicked and initiates conversations. Content is crucial, as a survey conducted by Demand Gen Report showed that 47% of buyers viewed at least 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep.

Without innovation, it is impossible to attract online interest. Custom URL shortener solution is the latest in innovative content. They are eye-catching and receptive to branding. mylnk.is/MeaningfulLinks is more click-worthy than uvw12xyz90.com/sjddh009. In an age where 76% of people use their Facebook feed to find something interesting, custom URLs are too novel to go unnoticed.

Gain trust with relevant content: Brand loyalty is one of the most important aspects of marketing. Though initial content will surely not get any customer close to the sort of devotion that can be classified under brand loyalty, trustworthy information can go a long way in sowing seeds for a long-lasting relationship. In keeping with this notion, the importance of blogs has steadily risen over the past few years. According to a survey conducted by Hubspot, 53% of marketers stated that blog content creation was their top inbound marketing priority.

It is not easy to initiate a relationship, but it is equally hard to cut ties once a relationship is established. For the purpose of illustration, consider Nike. Though the sweatshop ordeal was widely publicized, brand loyal customers hardly budged to give other sporting brands a second glance.

Create curiosity: Human beings are curious by nature. As we progress in years, we learn to disguise our curiosity, which gives "keen observers" the impression that kids are more curious than adults. But, this is far from the truth.

Content strategists have used shrewd content to pique the curiosity of audiences for ages. Consider the Yamaha advertisement from yesteryear, which began with numerous questions on a blank screen. The questions were very mundane in nature, such as "what should I eat" and "what should I wear."

When the screen was inundated with questions, a rider shattered it with a Yamaha motorbike, and the text read, "It may not be the answer to everything, but at least it doesn't raise more questions." Curious to know the answers to the first set of questions? Well, there are no answers, but Yamaha's shrewd content strategists ensured that people saw the motorbike and were left, not with questions, but the thought of riding to forget the many pedestrian questions that life throws at us on a daily basis.

This advertisement was way ahead of its time. It probably paved the way for the strategic content, which today is vital to the success of any business. A recent study by Adobe showed that 51.9% of marketing professionals trusted videos to deliver the best ROI. It is not just written content, but how it is delivered that truly makes a difference.

The role of content has moved from being product-centric to customer-centric. Extensive studies on this topic have shown that stellar content revolving around a product does not affect sales if a customer cannot relate to it. Potential customers must embark upon a journey of awareness, consideration and decision making, all of which is fundamentally facilitated by strategic content.

Story telling: People love stories! When a brand has a story to tell, people take notice. It is one of the most powerful marketing tools, not only for its ability to attract listeners, but its potential to turn into a juicy piece of conversation. While telling your story, you create compelling marketing content and stimulate word of mouth.

It is like hitting two birds with one stone. This is a competent strategy to gain the attention of your audience. You may need a raconteur to turn your story into engaging content, but it is definitely worth the investment.

A raconteur can turn a dull story into a fascinating fairy-tale, but if your viewers are not stimulated to read it, the effort is wasted. As the adage goes – You can take a horse to the water, but you can't force it to drink… unless it is thirsty. Visual effects create that thirst in viewers to read your content. In fact, research by Xerox has shown that people are 80% more willing to read content that is accompanied by striking visuals.

Search engine optimization: Years ago, brands vied for top stop in telephone directories. Similarly, but with the use of different practices, brands compete for the top spot in search engines, simply because potential customers hardly ever visit the second page when hunting for anything online. The single most important driver of SEO is content.

The research-based marketing firm, Ascend2, noted that 72% of marketers felt that relevant content was the most effective SEO tactic. Google has tacitly monopolized the term search engine, so much so that 'online search' has become synonymous with Google. The fight for Google's top spot is so intense, that though Google regularly changes its algorithms to make its search more relevant for customers, businesses find a way to beat the algorithm.

E.g., if you look for the synonym of any English word on Google, the first three search items will show http://www.thesaurus.com, which logically doesn't make sense. But the people writing content for that website have so flooded it with keywords that other synonyms generating websites don't stand a chance of finding a spot in the top three. This increases their chance of getting more visitors to their website. It is to nullify these illogical search results that Google regularly revises its back-end algorithms.

It goes without saying that businesses have to keep up with Google and its whims and fancies to get noticed by potential customers. Though this is essential for success, there are other simpler ways to get noticed. The us e of custom shortlink generators, is a novel method to get more clicks, views, and shares.

Create brand reputation: With educative and trustworthy content, brands can become reputed sources of information. Once established as the go-to source for information, the reputation itself can create a legacy that will be hard to come undone.

Though this may seem like a tedious way to acquire brand loyalty, it is tried, tested and trusted. Great products create brand royalty, but great content drives brand loyalty. Royalty does not last forever, but loyalty does!

Subtle advertising: Hard selling is a thing of yesterday. Try hard selling to today's savant customer base, and you'll ruin your chances of ever making a sale. Therefore, it is of immense importance to keep away from "in your face" advertising. That being said, divulging information without a go-to-destination can lead your customers to your competitors.

Won't that make your competitors glad!

Nuances of content marketing and intuition play a vital role in judging where the line must be drawn between marketing aggression and customer consideration when advertising a product or service. You don't want to be too passive, and yet being aggressive can implode instantly.

Product manual: It is imperative to provide customers with an easy to read and understand "product manual." Customers who can't use products that they purchase are likely to be so ticked off that their negative opinion can not only keep them away from your brand but stop others who hear their opinion from venturing to try your products or services in future.

This is reinforced by stats, which show that 53% of smartphone users prefer companies whose mobile sites and apps provide instructional video content.

Now you know why it is of vital importance to have the right content specialist on your team. Without a content anchor, your marketing campaign will sail the stormiest of seas and eventually capsize, though the sea maybe full of potential customers who are waiting for the right sort of bait. Get that game-changing anchor on your team, and your brand will certainly flourish.

Source: Content marketing – The game changer for your brand

Win Big with Custom SEO & Marketing Tools

This is a sponsored post written by Rank Ranger. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor's own.

SEO and digital marketing are not monolithic. So why should your reporting be?

It's time to bring data reporting out of the Stone Age.

With each passing day, website optimization and online marketing become more diverse, and as a result more complex.

You can forget trying to get the whole picture from a single dataset. That's so 2017.

With the new year right around the corner, why not get the full scoop with cross-dataset custom analysis? Experience the data revolution with the full-on insights that come from tracking correlations from multiple data sources on a graph that is the definition of versatile.

Plot This! Multiple Data Source Mania

When your Facebook success impacts your traffic, which then impacts your rankings, getting the data picture in piecemeal is about as effective as typing with your toes. Sure, you'll get there, eventually.

But what if you didn't have to flip from chart to chart, from graph to graph, and then back again because you already forgot what the first graph said? What if it was all there for you in one place? What if you could track multiple metrics from multiple data sources on one graph?

Integrations: Google Analytics, Search Console, Email Marketing, Social Media, Call Tracking & much more

What if you could see if your call campaigns are more effective than your email campaigns, which might be more profitable than your paid search efforts combined? How valuable would seeing all of that be (and how much money might it save you)?

Probably about as valuable as seeing if that uptick in your rankings correlates with the number of backlinks you now have, or if it's the number of clicks (as found in Google Search Console) that are driving you up the SERP.

Which might mean nothing next to knowing if your Bing Ads are actually bringing you more business than your AdWords ads, or if your Facebooks ads are a waste of time because your organic Twitter performance puts it all to shame! Which of course is all irrelevant without analyzing your total costs and profits.

You want to plot all this?! Then allow us to introduce you to the ever-versatile, hyper-customizable, data diverse Insight Graph!

From rank, to Analytics, to Google Search Console, to Bing Webmaster Tools, to IBM Analytics, to Adobe Analytics, to AdWords, to Bing Ads, to Majestic, to Ahrefs, to social analytics, to Call Tracking Metrics, to CallRail, to Mailchimp, to Constant Contact, to Aweber, to Yext, to your very own in-house data (truth)!

Take the Insight Graph (and the rest of our reporting tools) for a test spin by signing up for a free trial account.

Customization, Customization, Customization!

Now, what good are cross-data custom correlations if the graphing platform they are plotted on is about as flexible and exciting as your 9th-grade chemistry teacher (no offense to chemistry teachers)?

The name of the game when it comes to analyzing, evaluating, and showcasing your data is versatility. That is, can you show whatever data you want? Can you set up the comparisons that will provide you insight?

More specifically, can you set custom date ranges? Can you compare multiple data periods for multiple metrics, across multiple datasets?

Let's not forget the visual aspect of reporting. Not all data is the same, and not every chart type works for each metric or dataset.

Can you choose which type of chart to show your data with? Can you display multiple chart types on the same graph so that each metric and data source you're showing is actually discernible?

Data reporting is like politics, it's all about the optics. Can you manipulate the way your graphs look, from the color to the very thickness of the lines and markers, to marker types, to label size etc?

We're happy to tell you, with the Insight Graph, the answer is a resounding YES!

Walking in a Widget Wonderland

How versatile would we be if we only gave you one way to plot multiple metrics from multiple data sources according to multiple display options?

Enter Metric Widgets.

All of the data you can compare, correlate, and integrate, just in a series of widgets, each containing one highly visible metric.

Too much data for one graph? Is it starting to look a bit overwhelming? Not sure you want to share that mess with the boss upstairs or your new client? Go with the widgets…

Customizable Insight Graphs, multi-metric widgets & single metric widgets

Any of the prolific data you can access in the Insight Graph is available to you with our Metric Widgets. Perfect for when the data just becomes too much, the Metric Widgets allow you to create, compare, and analyze cross-source data – one metric at a time – via a series of single metric widgets.

Create row after row of data-heavy widgets to highlight correlations from multiple data sources, and to keep things tidy and data sources segmented, insert custom titled row separators.

Quickly compare data to previous values and showcase data changes.

Go crazy with the design. Choose a color theme, resize the widgets, and choose to insert a custom-colored trends chart.

The White Label Revolution Is Now

With all of these custom graphing superpowers, it would be a crying shame not to share your cross-source data creations with your colleagues, clients, or whomever.

We thought so too, so we gave your custom graphs the most suitable environment within which to showcase your data success, a 100 percent white label dashboard with full access to the HTML and CSS. Meaning, you can put multiple graphs (or widgets) all plotted with multiple metrics from multiple data sources within a dashboard that can look and feel like any site you want!

Booyah!

The data reporting revolution will not be televised… it will be seen on a multi-tabbed dashboard accessed via a custom URL.

White label marketing dashboards that give you full control of branding

You've Created a Monster!

There's no shame in it, you've created a monster. A multi-metric, multi-sourced data behemoth that brings correlative insights right to your doorstep.

In fact, by giving you the ability to present your clients with unique correlative data, the likes of which they've never seen (since we're the only ones on the market offering it), the Insight Graph (and Metric Widgets) break the darn door down!

Find out how easy it is to create customized, multi-sourced reports that will help you gain valuable insights and impress your clients.

Start a free trial of Rank Ranger today.

Source: Win Big with Custom SEO & Marketing Tools

Vassar Marketing Launches Website Featuring Quality Outdoor Gear for Dogs

Bradyville, TN -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/12/2017 --Doris Tucker and Jessica Kelley are proud to announce the creation and launch of their new website venture, http://www.BringOutTheWoof.com. The website offers many great items that customers can use when spending time outdoors with their dog including dog hiking gear, swimming and boating gear for dogs, travel gear for dogs, and many other great items. Tucker and Kelley were inspired to start their website by the way that more and more people are beginning to involve their dogs when going on vacation and spending time outdoors. They wanted to provide safety items that would help dog owners care for their dogs and keep them comfortable whenever they spent time outdoors.

There are many incredible items offered within the merchandise of BringOutTheWoof.com. The website offers a huge selection of outdoor gear items for dogs to enjoy when spending time outdoors. Customers will be able to find water safety items for dogs including do g life jackets and dog boat ramps that can help keep your pet safe when swimming and boating. In addition to these items, the website offers some great cooling jackets and sunglasses that dogs can wear while they are out hiking. There are even some excellent health and wellness items to ensure that dogs can remain healthy when spending time outdoors including some flea and tick preventatives and health supplements for dogs. In the future, Tucker and Kelley plan to continue adding more products for dogs and owners who love the outdoors. They want to find some items to help protect dogs from natural disasters and additional items to keep dogs comfortable outdoors.

Providing customers with outstanding customer service and a wide selection of products to choose from, is extremely important to Tucker and Kelley when it comes to BringOutTheWoof.com. Any questions or concerns that may come up for customers during the purchasing process will be answered quickly so that customers don't have to wait for responses. The website will also be stocked with a variety of quality items that are ideal to use in different situations with a dog outdoors. There will be many sizes and styles of items like life jackets and cooling coats so that customers can find one that is perfect for their pet.

In addition to the main website, Tucker and Kelley are launching a blog located at http://www.BringOutTheWoofReview.com.

The blog will cover topics related to spending time outdoors with a dog. Visitors will be able to read about different types of items to help keep dogs safe outdoors, water safety for dogs, and what products can make spending time with a dog outdoors a lot more fun. The hope is that the blog will help people learn a lot more about how to care for their dog while enjoying time outdoors with them.

About BringOutTheWoof.comBringOutTheWoof.com, a division of Vassar Marketing, is owned and operated by web entrepreneurs Doris Tucker and Jessica Kelley.

Doris Tucker & Jessica Kelleyhttp://www.BringOutTheWoof.com

Source: Vassar Marketing Launches Website Featuring Quality Outdoor Gear for Dogs

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: What Happens When Phone Agents Act Like Your Website?

Fuel Travel Marketing is back with another episode that takes a look at what life would be like if we treated our phone reservations like we treat our website visitors.

Fuel Travel Marketing is back with another episode that takes a look at what life would be like if we treated our phone reservations like we treat our website visitors.

Let's face it, a hotel's website is one of the most important investments a property can make. It influences almost every booking in some form or fashion. And yet, we still live in a world where folks take a set-it-and-forget-it approach to their website. Despite more than 50% of direct bookings coming in online, and the fact that the phone reservations probably originated from the website in the first place, people still spend more time focused on improving their agents performance and neglecting their top sales agent…THE WEBSITE.

To listen to Fuel's latest podcast, visit their website.

About Fuel

At Fuel, we think a little differently. We believe that we're making the world just a little bit better by connecting people with the right products and services. "Travel Marketing…Simplified." That's our motto and our commitment. Headquartered in the heart of the travel and tourism industry in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Fuel provides all digital services in-house through a team of experts who understand the potential of well-executed, effective online marketing. To learn more about Fuel and to take your travel marketing to the next level, call (843) 839-1456, visit our website or check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+.

Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

© 2017 Hotel News Resource

Request Information from this organization Please click the link below to request more information from the organization or company featured in this article.

Source: Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: What Happens When Phone Agents Act Like Your Website?

LinkedIn Presents the Future: B2B Marketing Edition

Editor's Note: "LinkedIn Presents the Future: B2B Marketing Edition" is the third video in our LinkedIn Presents the future series; the previous videos can be viewed here and here.

In the not so distant past, B2B marketing consisted of print ads, direct mail, and trade shows. Maybe, if you were IBM and Xerox, you could budget some TV spots.

Now the Internet has expanded the communications options for B2B marketers. Those communication options are only going to get more expansive in the future.

To get a clear picture of this B2B marketing future, we turned on a video camera and asked a cross-section of thought leaders in the industry what they were preparing for. In the resulting video, "LinkedIn Presents the Future: B2B Marketing Edition," Bernie Borges, CMO, Vengreso, said to watch artificial intelligence. Ian Cleary, Founder of RazorSocial, sees power in chatbots. And Margaret Molloy, CMO of Siegel + Gale, said communications must become simpler to break through.

Here are some other thoughts from influencers about the future of B2B Marketing:  

One thing about B2B marketing is the target audience's change has gotten younger and it's more and more the millennial market and marketers don't really realize that in a lot of places. — Mary Matyas, SVP-Client Solutions, Performics

I'm on the creative side of the business, I kind of grew up in that and I love creative, but I got to admit the exciting thing right now, it's the people are putting the data together and starting to figure out what works and actually watch it happen. — Doug Kessler, Creative Director, Velocity Partners

More and more I'm thinking that the future of B2B marketing will be built around the cumulative value of the brands of employees." — Mark Schaefer, Executive Director, Schaefer Marketing Solutions

For a look at what other B2B marketing thought leaders, such as Michael Brenner, Heidi Cohen, Tim Washer, Ann Handley, Tom Goodwin, and Mel Carson, had to say about the B2B future, watch the brief video, "LinkedIn Presents the Future: B2B Marketing Edition."

Source: LinkedIn Presents the Future: B2B Marketing Edition

Mobile Marketing: Here’s What Happened This Week

In case you missed it, here are some of the top stories in mobile marketing and advertising we've been following this week.

FIRST LOOK: Datonics, Kochava Collective Helping Mobile Marketers Easily Reach Desired AudiencesMMW learned Thursday hat online data company Datonics has partnered with Kochava, an industry leader providing holistic measurement solutions for connected devices.

Ionic Brings App Development Suite to Teams and EnterprisesIonic, maker of the popular open source Framework for building cross-platform mobile and progressive web apps, has launched a suite of development tools for enterprise developers and teams.

PubMatic Partners with White Ops to Fight Bot FraudThis week, White Ops announced its partnership with sell-side platform (SSP) PubMatic, to defend against fraudulent, non-human traffic impressions across PubMatic's video and mobile inventory.

Video Creation Platform Wibbitz Releases New Research ReportWibbitz, a leading AI-powered video creation platform, today released Building the Ultimate Toolbox for Visual Storytelling, a report based on responses, collected in November 2017, from 1,478 professionals across verticals such as telecommunications, entertainment, marketing, pharma, and education whose jobs involve the creation of visual content.

Amobee Rolls Out Advanced Brand Safety TechnologyAmobee, a global digital marketing technology company serving brands and agencies, has just announced the launch of the Amobee Inventory Accountability Program, its comprehensive brand safety offering that "ensures marketers have access to a safe, transparent buying ecosystem with the highest quality inventory to more effectively reach target consumers."

Want to get the latest MMW news and insight delivered straight to your inbox every morning? Click here to sign up for our free newsletter.

Source: Mobile Marketing: Here's What Happened This Week

Digital Marketing Trends: Discontinue in 2018

Digital marketing tactics are playing a vital role in our life. Businesses trust them to grow substantially. There is a very simple logic behind marketing, one which is close to the eyes can win the heart of buyers. The ultimate game is about winning the trust of your buyers in order to maintain a long-term relationship with them and achieve success.

Marketers develop strategies and optimize them to gain more profit by their efforts. These strategies are well-planned and tested by experts. After getting the desired result from panned tactics, they analyze the success rate of each. If something is capable to create more benefits such as sales and traffic, can be categorized as trends.In this post, we would like to throw some light on the trends that come around and will be no more in the picklist of latest trends. We can say hopefully they will be discarded completely in a coming year. Well, it may already be working for you, so don't feel less about opting them. Don't freak out. If you are syncing all the eggs in one basket, you should incorporate good changes.

Marketing in the publishing world works differently for different genres, different people, and different audiences. A lot of things in marketing work differently for different people. For example, some people do not like social media while some are addicted to it. So you have to keep your strategies balanced in order to win all type of audience. Let's have a look at the following trends to be aware of what will not be the part of your marketing strategies.

1. Long Text Heavy eBooks

The basic theory behind omitting this trend is due to tremendous increase in a number of mobile users than desktop users. As per the Gartner's report, it is predicted that in 2018, 50% of users will use their mobile device for all online activities. This has created a buzz for marketers.

They are trying to weed out the trend of long text-heavy ebooks as mobile devices are increasingly gaining more popularity among users than any other devices such as laptop or desktop.

One should definitely make his moves according to that. Any content you are providing to your audience must be mobile-friendly and designed according to the mobile's compatibility.

The content must be designed in the form of quizzes, surveys and interactive web pages, have podcast series of audio and video and something more creative like online animations. So, that the users can digest it and will not go mad after watching your heavy text ebooks.

2. Drip Campaigns without Personalization

Drip email marketing is a way of direct marketing to nurture leads with the help of dropping series of emails repeatedly over a longer period of time. Pre-designed content is used to automatically send in emails to retain old contacts and add new ones. There are many automated online tools available for "dripping" your content.

Now it is shown in stats that drip campaigns are 80% more effective than usual single send emails, also the click-through rates are three times higher than other approaches. How amazing is this approach? The question is why it is going to leave the race.

Well, the strategy is effective enough but not optimized in right way. It will stay in next year but with personalization. If you are taken as interest or any service of yours is directly asked by customers, use drip emails for that with the more personalized approach. Otherwise, the customer will get frustrated with you and may even spam you.

3. Delivering much Content without Qualfory

This must be harder for the people who are growing their ranks and traffic with the help of long content. There is nothing wrong with providing long content, but this makes the writer forget about quality over quantity. They are writing more and more words to impress the readers and doing a lot with images and graphics.

Trust us, it really becomes hard for users to find relative information on desired topics. Because craving for words just makes your articles lengthy and worthless at the same time, it has very fewer details of the exact topic. Sometimes, the topics are completely distracted ones and have a very poor quality will leave users unexplained.

Practice quality first so that you can win the heart of your audience and stay trendy for the coming year.Get an idea from companies providing digital marketing services, they will handle all ins and outs for you.

4. Overloading Marketing Automation

Businesses should happen between people, not with machines. Although automated marketing tools made the life easier for marketers. But at the end, if things get messy, turn off your buyers as well. From very early (as mentioned in the third point), it is vital to be more personalized. This is very much simple and will be beneficial if you practice presenting right things to the right contact.

Automation does not work with all kind of marketing activities. For some outside marketing activities, it can damage your real potentials. Everything is designed for a purpose and the actual purpose of marketing is to fulfill the needs of the business. Understanding buyer's behavior is crucial to use any marketing tactics. Automation does not allow you to do so. Make sure you gain buyer's attention with current trends.

5. Overly Complex Lead Scoring Algorithms

Doing complex things will take your time and ultimately indulge you in unnecessary efforts which can be used for the betterment of any other required work. When you are focusing on the lead collection with inbound marketing, these leads are filtered out with the help of a lead scoring algorithm.

The complex algorithm takes time of entire team as they have to perform communications to refine the definitions and it slows down the overall work. A predictive lead algorithm is in everyone's interest and hence you should be aware of this latest algorithm to deliver the right content in order to enhance your sales.

6. Organic Search Query-Facebook

It is very common for businesses to have their page on various social channels which they regularly use to get in touch with their customer base. These businesses used to post four times a day and hope to see themselves in top ranks. What they usually miss here is the social media platforms earn from their ad-generated revenue.

Go creative and useful to expand your reach and you can have more engaged audience. Facebook is no longer a free ad platform, you can go for more tools that are paid but will give you a definite reason to use it. Paid search will give you more authentic leads as if you go with new explorer feed, your post will be available for a long time and more followers can see it.

But if, you go with unpaid feed, the organic search will not do much for you. Being the biggest social channel, Facebook is not available for chasing benefits for you. You can do advertising without paid tools, but that will not make sense because only a few people will view that and respond to it that may even not available for rest of the followers. It is pointless to stick with the trend which is not working for you.

You can fix it by using 'Facebook booster',' new explorer feed' and many new paid and free tools that are provided by Facebook itself to get right benefits of your efforts.

7. Text-Based SEO Strategy

How much text do we use to put our content on our sites, blogs, and other guest blogging sites? The answer is, maximally text is optimized in the form of content. The situation will be better if we focus and use other forms of content too. For example, we can use infographics, audios, videos, GIFs, and memes as well.

Only-text is out of trends now, so try to become concise and boost your visibility with other formats. No doubts, people love reading but they prefer infographics and videos much effective to understand the topic at the time of need. Must try this, it will help retain the audience for a long term. They will surely spend more time on your blog or site.

8. Email Marketing or Email Newsletter or Email Sign up

New email subscribers are considered highly engaged. This trend is going to be banned because some of the marketers are taking advantage of that by warming people up and sending emails without any strong sketch to gain popularity among the audience. But this actually freaks up many of the customers. Be more specific with your user's choice and focus the target audience.

The emails must be sent with a purpose, have a follow-up sequence and some interactive features like asking them to open your email and for dropping a response. This can make your audience more engaged and loyal towards you. They can be able to know you better and trust your services more. Asking a question to your email subscribers is like creating thousands of opportunities. So must give a try on doing interactions in emails instead of dropping unplanned emails.

Conclusion

Even well-planned tactics go out of trends due to its least feasibility with the current system. There is nothing wrong with changing tactics, instead, it can improve your overall working style. Well, above are some of the trends that will be expired by a coming year. Hope you learn how to fix them all. Kindly share your views on this post and anything you want to share related to this topic, you are free for it, do share. Stay trendy and good luck!!

Source: Digital Marketing Trends: Discontinue in 2018

Disqus has been acquired by marketing firm Zeta Global

Interacting with BetaNews -- and countless other websites -- means making use of the Disqus commenting system. Today the firm has been acquired by "marketing technology company" Zeta Global.

Disqus says that "we still are and will remain the same Disqus that you know and use," but there will be concerns from users that the company is being taken over by one with a vested interested in marketing and, therefore, user data.

Zeta's press release on the matter is very brief: "Zeta Global today announced it has acquired Disqus, the web's leading audience engagement platform used by 4 million websites and 2 billion monthly unique users. Combined with Zeta's leading marketing platform, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the acquisition makes Zeta the only company able to offer personalized real-time marketing at scale on the open web."

Disqus, however, goes into a little more detail:

So you're probably wondering what this means and how it impacts Disqus and the service we provide to publishers and users. The short answer is that not much is changing. Our team, our product offerings, terms, pricing, and vision to help publishers succeed remain the same.

Disqus is not changing, but it's no secret that the digital publishing landscape is. Today's publishers are too often not in control of their own destinies. Platforms, whose intentions don't always align with publishers', are exerting more control over how readers find and engage with content. In turn, developing strong relationships with readers is harder than ever. Our vision is to put the power to create, retain, and grow these relationships back into the hands of the people doing the work.

On the face of things, it seems as though the biggest changes are going to be seen by publishers and websites -- moderation should be made easier thanks to the introduction of AI, for instance.

It remains to be seen exactly what the acquisition will mean for users, but you can be sure that we at BetaNews will be keeping a close eye on things.

Source: Disqus has been acquired by marketing firm Zeta Global

Fake News: The Hidden Face of Influence Marketing

The dark industry of fake news

In 2017, ¨fake news¨ was voted the word of the year by the Collins dictionary. No wonder, in recent years it is one of the most popular ¨buzzwords¨ on the Web and social networks.

This is not a recent phenomenon. Trump did not invent the tactics of false news, lies, and misinformation in politics. Others well before him have gone out of their way to build their influence on their way to power. The problem does not only affect the media and politics but concerns us all as consumers. The phenomenon of false news has given birth to a real industry. This was reported last year by an NPR investigative journalist who reported the case of Jestin Colier. He's the head of a veritable empire of disinformation sites like the Denver Guardian.

Over the last few years, it's only gotten worse. Most people don't trust the news. According to the latest annual report of the Edelman Global Trust Barometer study, since the last economic recession (2008-2009), the level of confidence towards the four main institutions of society has reached its lowest historical level this year. And, especially with the media, whose credibility rating has dropped dramatically between 2016 and 2017: in 82% of the countries surveyed there is a loss of confidence. Of which 17 countries have reached the lowest level of all time.

¨There are so many lies coming out of the White House. It's because a large part of the population does not yet know the difference between the facts and the fiction¨, posted recently on the opinion page of the New York Times Facebook page. In another National Public Radio (NPR) article, Tali Sharot, a neuroscientist at the University College of London who has studied how we treat new information coming out revealed that with social media we tend to stay open to new data only if it confirms what we already think. So we find a way to ignore facts which can contradict our beliefs.

According to this new study, users evaluate each other's opinion as valid, without considering the expertise. But the media naturally seeks to amplify the news, to reap the peak of traffic and income, and manipulate the "popular vote" in their favor.

The thin line between influence marketing and false recommendations

In a recent article in the newspaper Le Devoir, written by Pierre Trudel, the phenomenon of false news, which drives the debate as much, rests on two different realities. On the one hand, there are humorous parodies, sometimes so plausible and entertaining that they freeze the genius of the ¨storytelling¨, but on the other, there are the disruptive agents and profiteers who frog behind the curtains behind the scenes to manipulate the opinion of the masses and influence their decisions in their favor. The line between the two is sometimes very thin, and it is at this level that regulation must restore order.

However, despite better control of responsible agencies, such as the Canadian Ad Standards office, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States, some brands, and their associates, do not hesitate to continue to use the same ploy, to deceive the trust of their customers with fake accounts, false recommendations, and disguised advertisements. To the point that it has also become a problem of perception of the role of influencers and influence marketing on social media. Influence continues to be confused with advertising and fooled the public.

In recent years, several cases of false recommendations on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook were however flushed out. There was the scandal of influencers paid by Microsoft to promote Xbox One, the betting bloggers Counter-Strike site, and the famous stories of advertisements disguised as recommended video games on YouTube, including PewDiePie and ImWildCat, which lost hence, a lot of credibility and influence with their fans.

More cleverly, there was also the case of the young Louise Delage, on Instagram. In the summer of 2016, her account (fictional), which published photos of her around the world, enjoying the sun cruising on boats or in exotic places, always a drink in hand, quickly became very popular and attracted thousands of likes a day. After a while, however, the BETC advertising agency started sowing the clues in the comments that it was, in fact, the Action Addiction Fund's Like My Addiction campaign.

In some cases, such as this one, which only aims to influence to raise awareness, or others such as humorous parodies or stagings that only seek to surprise for entertaining or entertaining, there is, fortunately, no bad consequences. But, all too often, marketing agencies and big brands are caught taking advantage of the situation and the shortcomings of the system to deceive the population. Once again, this is a bad perception of influence marketing, which relies more on trust and the quality of relationships.

A phenomenon amplified by social media

If the marketers have been able to take advantage of the ploy as much, by forging false recommendations with the influenceratis, or by mounting disguised campaigns like the one with Louise Delage, it is also that social media open the door for them. Platform algorithms favor what attracts attention and what generates the ¨buzz, and influences the flow of news in this direction.

In a recent article by Larry Kim (CTO of WordStream), recently published on the website of the magazine INC explains however how it could have been especially easy for the Russians (or anyone else) to take advantage of the gaps in the networks to create the ¨buzz¨, and artificially generate traffic with advertising with a fake account. He first created the fake Citizen News Network news site, trading a CNN logo to establish his brand. Not very convincing as tactical, as he agrees, but he had intentionally chosen to exploit an old rumor of false news known, thinking that Facebook would be able to detect it. He then invested a small $50 to promote his news, and it reached more than 4,500 people and got 200 website visits, 44 likes, 27 people shared it, and 20 commented on it. Nearly 300 commitments for as little investment.

Today, the phenomenon of false news is greatly amplified by the extraordinary reach of social media. While the radio had taken 38 years to reach 50 million users, the Internet took only 7, and Facebook, barely 3 and a half years. Since the beginning of the 2000s, we are in an era of consummate information, the overabundance of content and information, which circulates daily on the Web and social networks, also means that we have much less time to consume the info and that our opinions are too often formed on the surface. While 75% of real news dies in less than 120 minutes, fake news reports live four hours more, spread in less than 175 minutes.

In this context, the way we consume information via social networks is also largely responsible for the problem. More than three in four Internet users do not take the time to check the source of information, before sharing it on social networks. And, when we know that a quarter of the information that circulates is just from opinions and that a third of consumer opinions on social networks are false, a minimum of checks should be required.

Making the difference between the facts and the fictions

But, it's not new that we get caught. Some creators sometimes show genius. Nearly 90 years ago, when the radio was booming, was on the air what is still considered one of the most famous hoaxes. On the evening of Monday, October 30, 1938, the day before Halloween, the CBS radio broadcasts an adaptation of "The War of the Worlds", inspired by the novel by HG Wells and staged by Orson Welles, who then directed his troupe theater, the Mercury Theater. To add realism to his adaptation, Welles was then aired for the presenter of a regular music show, which suddenly interrupted his program to leave the antenna to report live an invasion of Martians on the East Coast the United States. With the sound effects and crowd cries recorded in the background, the staging was so convincing and realistic that thousands of people fell into the trap.

The story goes that the CBS and the authority's telephone boards were flooded with calls from scared people who said they had also seen Martians. Welles and the CBS hastened to recall that it was only a theatrical adaptation, broadcast during the popular show Mercury Theater on The Air, but the damage was already done. The next day, the press seized the case, and a large part of the population demanded that they answer for their actions in court. The CBS and Welles escaped with public apologies, and this program allowed the now-famous director to obtain his first film contract, and to realize his masterpiece, Citizen Kane. He later became one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema.

So, during the holiday season, if someone tells you about a conspiracy theory that he has newly discovered on social networks, and that comes from a site with hundreds of thousands of followers, there is maybe some good reasons to beware. And, if you want my humble opinion, and very personal, with the happy reunion that is announced with family and friends, is probably better to enjoy, while it passes, a few moments of respite that loom to empty the sad false news, and instead enjoy every present moment to replenish positive energies for the new year. This is ultimately what matters most in life. Because time passes inexorably.

With all that said, I wish you all very pleasant moments during the meetings of the Holidays and wish to find you in 2018 for the publication of my new book. Then, I suggest you listen of Pink Floyd's song Breathe (Reprise) on Dark Side of the Moon during these peaceful moments: ¨Home, home again, I like to be here when I can, When I come home cold and tired, It's good to warm my bones beside the fire¨.

To pleasure and happiness, for all of you.

Raymond Morin contributes a monthly column on Social Media Influence. Raymond is a francophone author and speaker who has 20 years experience acting as a senior strategic consultant and coach for organizations, SMBs and independent professionals. Author of the books «Culture Web à la portée des PME» (2001) and «Comment entreprendre le virage 2.0» (2010), he has also contributed to several magazines and bloggers platforms over the years. His upcoming new book in French, entitled «Generation C et l'influence des consommateurs branchés», is prefaced by Neal Schaffer, and will be also published in English and Spanish during the next year. +Raymond Morin Latest posts by Raymond Morin (see all)

PUBLISHED ON December 5, 2017, LAST REVISED ON December 4, 2017

Source: Fake News: The Hidden Face of Influence Marketing

Email Marketing and Services Industry Analysis and Key Trends 2025

The Global Email Marketing Market is fragmented. There is intense competition in the market between players such as Microsoft Corp., IBM, Zoho Corp., Responsys Inc., and Epsilon. These companies collectively accounted for 44% of the market in 2016, states Transparency Market Research (TMR) in its new report. The competition is mainly between established players, who are providing solution and services to end use industries. High investments in various technologies and innovations for email marketing the market. Technical advancements in tools of email marketing solution and the growing research activities for the development of services and solutions will attract new players in the market.Request to view ToC of Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/482 According to the report published by TMR, the global email marketing market is likely to expand at 19.60% CAGR from 2017 to 2025. The market will be worth US$22.16 bn by 2025 after being worth US$4.51 bn in 201 6. On the basis of component, the software segment is expected to emerge as the leading one in the forecast period. The increasing uptake of white label software, web based software, and third party standard software is behind the growth of the software segment's leading position in terms of components. On the basis of enterprise, the small and medium enterprises will adopt email marketing on a larger scale. Small and medium enterprises make use of the email marketing tool for targeting various groups of users to advertise their products, services, and solutions. It is estimated that the small scale enterprises in the retail or commerce business will make the most contribution to the global email marketing industry in the years to come.

Asia Pacific to be Lucrative Market for Email Marketing By geography, the market is expected to be led by Asia Pacific. The region is expected to expand at a 22.80% CAGR between 2017 and 2025. North America is expected to witness a sluggish growt h in the years to come on account of the various regulatory laws. In North America, the U.S. and Canada the CAN-SPAM Act and CASL act are governing the email marketing practices. However, the growing internet penetration and increasing number of smartphone users may bode well for the North American email marketing market in the coming years.

Request to view Sample Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=482 Growing Number of Email Users to Fuel Adoption of Email Marketing The increasing use of emails for communication and various other works is driving the global email marketing market. The number of email users is constantly increasing and this is expected to continue to drive the global email marketing market. Email is the most productive medium for advertising and marketing and by 2019 one third of the population will make use of emails. The growing awareness among users as to how email marketing provides a higher RoI rate tha n other forms of digital marketing will drive the growth of this market. On the flip side, the growing privacy issues and security concerns will restrict the growth of the global email marketing market.

About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.

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Source: Email Marketing and Services Industry Analysis and Key Trends 2025

How the end of net neutrality could affect online marketing

Get the most important digital marketing news each day.

The impact on digital marketing from the elimination of net neutrality will be "profound."

That's according to Ryan Singel, a fellow at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society and an expert on net neutrality.

If the proposal from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai is approved at the agency's December 14 meeting, the way the internet has operated since it began as a public communications service in the mid-90s will fundamentally change.

Since that beginning, analyst David Raab pointed out, "it's been a very level playing field in terms of access." Your blog and CBS's have the same ability to reach users, without giant organizations receiving preference or pricing advantages as they do in TV or print distribution.

The basic principle, Stanford law professor Barbara van Schewick wrote recently on Medium, is that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) "don't get to pick winners and losers on the Internet."

This, she noted, has been "a well-oiled free market at work."

[Read the full article on MarTech Today.]

About The Author Barry Levine covers marketing technology for Third Door Media. Previously, he covered this space as a Senior Writer for VentureBeat, and he has written about these and other tech subjects for such publications as CMSWire and NewsFactor. He founded and led the web site/unit at PBS station Thirteen/WNET; worked as an online Senior Producer/writer for Viacom; created a successful interactive game, PLAY IT BY EAR: The First CD Game; founded and led an independent film showcase, CENTER SCREEN, based at Harvard and M.I.T.; and served over five years as a consultant to the M.I.T. Media Lab. You can find him at LinkedIn, and on Twitter at xBarryLevine.
Source: How the end of net neutrality could affect online marketing