Monday, 4 January 2016

A Glimpse into the Future of Modern Marketing

Welcome to the future. Now that it is 2016, we have arrived at the next stage of modern marketing. To make sure you are prepared for the future, we have asked global experts for their thoughts about what will have the most impact in 2016. We've included some below, both in this post and in the short slide deck. Make sure you download the full ebook at the link below for more predictions of the future.

Erik Qualman, Pulitzer Prize Nominated Author, says companies need to understand millenials because half the world’s population is under 30. And 53% of them would give up their sense of smell before they gave up their phone.

Meagen Eisenberg, CMO of MongoDB, reminds marketers that they must be driving engagement and revenue in 2016. That’s their job!

Doug Kessler, Co-founder and Creative Director of Velocity, thinks it’s time to create the Center of Content Excellence to try to tame this content beast. Why? Because 76% of marketers will produce more content next year than this year.

Kushal Sanghvi, CEO of World Wide Open, says that the launch of 4G in India will impact how consumers interact and transact with brands. Marketers will be compelled to re-think their online investments and mobile commerce strategy.

Jodie Sangster, CEO of ADMA, warns that the skills and talent gap will continue to affect our ability to get the most out of data for some years to come. 90% of managers said recruiting analysts was harder than, or as hard as, last year.

Matt Heinz, President of Heinz Marketing, reveals that sales enablement is the most important marketing function heading into 2016 to drive increased lead conversion and sales pipeline contribution.

Alp Mimaroglu, Marketing Luminary at Symantec, encourages modern marketers to build cohesive marketing technology stacks to ensure future success. This makes sense when 51% of marketing execs say their marketing technologies and data are only loosely integrated, or not at all.

Michael Brenner, Head of Strategy at NewsCred, connects two important trends shaping modern marketing. The changing digital consumer, along with the decreasing effectiveness of promotional advertising, is leading to the rise in brand storytelling techniques.

For more predictions on what the future of modern marketing looks like, as seen by global experts, download the full version of The Future of Modern Marketing: 2016.



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16 Digital Marketing Resolutions to Make & Keep in 2016

2016-Digital-Marketing-Resolutions

Ah, the dreaded New Year’s resolutions. Every year, just like clockwork we spend time putting together a list of things that we’ll do better or differently in the coming year. And just like clockwork, that list is soon forgotten.

When it comes to your digital marketing, you can’t afford to fall into the same bad habits that you may have in previous years due to the increasingly competitive landscape. Marketers today are getting increasingly savvy and motivated to beat the competition.

The important part of making digital marketing resolutions is that they are things that you can reasonably accomplish. You could spend time putting together a list of all the of things that you dream to do in 2016, but may not have the time, funds or resources to get them accomplished. That is a surefire way to find your digital marketing resolutions in the wastebasket.

So, let 2016 be the year that you create and keep your digital marketing resolutions that are directly tied to your business goals and objectives that will help you become the best answer for your customer’s problems, wherever they are looking.

Below is a list to get you started.

#1 – Optimize all of your content first for humans, and then for search engines. It’s important to always follow the best practices set forth by search engines while keeping the needs of your customers top of mind.

#2 – Create a stellar user experience. If a customer has a negative experience they will quickly find another source that better meets their needs.

The basics:

  • Create a mobile optimized website
  • Understand what types of devices your audience uses most
  • Develop scannable and easy to read content
  • Make it easy for visitors to complete calls to action

#3 – Understand that digital marketing is not one dimensional. In order to compete today, you must take an integrated approach to digital marketing that at the very least includes elements of content, SEO, social media and online advertising. This approach will undoubtedly help you better serve your customers.

#4 – Use data to make important digital marketing decisions. Making moves based on a hunch is not a competitive way to do business in today’s world. The amount of data available today is so vast, that it can quickly become overwhelming. For good measure, utilize data found from analytics, social monitoring and of course, your customers.

#5 – Use content marketing to help your customers solve problems. Consumers are becoming increasingly self-directed and rely heavily on quality content to help them solve business problems and make decisions about which vendors or partners to choose.

#6 – Always start with a well developed content strategy. A failure to plan is a plan to fail. Understand that you may need to make adjustments to your digital marketing strategy as you begin to gather more data and see how your online audience reacts to your content.

#7 – Identify where you are and where you want to be. Understanding your content marketing maturity can help you to develop a roadmap to creating even more effective content in the future.

#8 – Create engaging content. Content that is informational, incorporates storytelling, is entertaining, visually appealing and super creative can help you stand out in a sea of content and create an experience for your prospects and customers that they won’t forget.

#9 – Remember that popularity does not equal influence. Spend time identifying and recruiting influencers that make them a best match for your marketing goals.

#10- Provide value for influencers. Many influencers receive dozens (if not more) requests each week to co-create or participate in marketing initiatives. Always highlight the benefit to influencers for participating.

#11 – Make it easy for influencers to participate. If you are going to venture on an influencer marketing initiative, you need to have your ducks in a row before you hit send on your request. Keep your message to influencers simple, enticing and actionable by clearly outlining what you’re looking for and even providing examples if appropriate.

#12 – Test out remarketing. Remarketing campaigns present a great opportunity to create and target a new audience of engaged users. From the data, you’ll be able to invest your online advertising dollars into those that have visited your website and provided signals that they have an intent to purchase.

#13- Use social media advertising to reach your existing audience. Social media platforms have dramatically improved targeting capabilities, begin using this as a means of lead generation and nurturing those that have already chosen to receive information from your company.

#14 – Develop content amplification plans. There is no point in developing great, creative and very shareable content assets if you don’t have a well-developed plan for how that content will be amplified on social channels. Always create a plan for each of your social media platforms.

#15 – Create stunning visuals for social promotion. Data has found that social media posts with an accompanying visual are much more likely to receive engagement. As your customers are scanning their social platforms, catch their eye with some great visuals to accompany your content.

#16 – Take advantage of social tools. Make sure to use social media marketing tools that will help you keep a pulse on your online community to uncover additional opportunities for engagement. You can learn a great deal about your audience, their preferences and what types of content they interact with most.

Go Forth & Develop Your 2016 Digital Marketing Resolutions

Depending on the makeup of your current digital marketing strategy, some of these resolutions may or may not be a fit for you in 2016. That is why, I encourage you to use this list as inspiration and begin developing the resolutions that make the most sense for your business.

I would love to hear what some of your digital marketing resolutions are in the comments below.

Header image via Shutterstock


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Sunday, 3 January 2016

Weekend Favs January Three

Weekend Favs January Three written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Quuuclientsuccessvisualping

This week I found three great tools – tools to help you keep up with changes on your website, an awesome way to create hand-crafted social media updates and a CRM-like tool for managing existing customer relationships.

Good stuff I found this week:

visualping – Tool that send you an email alert when something changes on your website or any site you want to follow

Quuu – Hand-crafted social media update – pairs nicely with Buffer

clientsuccess – Tool to help you manage, grow and retain customers



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Comparing the Pros and Cons of Solar Energy

Solar energy is an incredible type of renewable energy and energy source that is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. More and more homeowners have discovered the true benefits of solar energy. However, like all other energy sources, there are advantages and disadvantages of their use. The advantages and disadvantages of this modern power source are listed.

Advantages of solar energy

1. renewable. First, our planet will never run out of solar energy in the sun dies. On the other hand, it soon runs out of non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil fuels and nuclear energy. According to NASA, the sun will live another 5 billion years from now. Do not worry.

2. plentiful. The potential of this renewable resource is unimaginable. The surface of the Earth receives more than 120,000 terawatts of energy, resulting in 20,000 years of energy for the actual application.

3. environment. We can use as much of it as you want without contamination. This is a very important in the fight against the climate crisis step.

4. sustainable. Another advantage is that it can meet the needs of this generation and generations to come.

5. Low energy costs. Owners can enjoy reduced electricity bills if they choose to go outside the network. They can also enjoy various incentives and agreements to finance the purchase of a new solar system.

6 can be used for more purposes. Finally, one of the most exciting benefits of solar power is that it has many applications. Mankind uses solar to generate electricity in remote areas of energy, space satellites power, heat swimming pools and even distill deep water in Africa. In addition, solar energy can be used for electrical appliances, recharge and store up electricity.

The disadvantages of solar energy

The disadvantages of solar energy are less than their advantages. They are:

– Huge initial investment. Although the price of solar panels has dropped by over 40% in the last couple of years, they are still expensive compared to traditional sources of renewable energy.

– Intermittent. Another drawback that must be mentioned in the pros and cons of solar energy article is that access to sunlight is limited. For example, on cloudy days or at night, the efficiency of a solar panel falls below 1%.

– Require a lot of space. Solar farms require much space, either on the roof of the building or on the patio.



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Saturday, 2 January 2016

Cheapest Solar Panels

Solar panels provide an effective and environmentally friendly source of energy cost. This is attributed to reject what does not smoke or gas and are therefore environmentally friendly. Also, your only cost is the purchase of the panels and maintain properly. The purchase price must not be huge because there are cheap solar panels. Some of these panels are as effective or better performance compared to those sold at relatively high prices. All you need to know are the right ways and places to get affordable solar panels.
Among the ways that you can easily get solar panels at an affordable price includes the direct purchase of manufacturing companies. This is because these companies do not cover costs included by distributors and retailers, such as transport and storage costs. However most companies that manufacture solar panels are sold whole sales prices. Some manufacturers even offer discounts, provide transportation and installation are mostly to buyers who purchase large quantities. It can also be obtained through solar panels discounted buying opportunity. This means that if you have solar panels that are sold as second-hand, then there is a high probability that they will be cheap. Everything you need to check is whether used solar panels are in good condition and performance.

One of the places you can easily get solar panels on promotion is advertising in different forums, such as small sections of local newspapers and online. This is because most people selling solar panels at reduced prices of advertising in general in these forums. This is especially those who travel and need to sell some equipment from their homes. You can also get these panels at reduced prices by visiting various auction sites. This is due to auctions to sell different things at discounted prices. In addition, the auctioneer is to take things in general, people who can not pay various debts and sell them at prices that are designed to recover debts. Therefore, it is possible to get cheap solar panels always knows the right places and ways to achieve them.



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Friday, 1 January 2016

Importance of Wind Energy – Pros and Cons to Save Energy

Wind power is a clean and renewable energy to produce electricity. Today, wind energy is considered a renewable energy leader after the second solar energy. Until the composition of this post, the absolute capacity of wind turbines in place in the world is more than 3,500 TW.

With a whole lot of individuals can receive benefits of wind energy, there are millions of people around the world who put wind turbines to provide electricity to the house for your property. However, wind power is really worth? Can you really save hard earned money of the application of this power? The following are some of the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy that can enhance your knowledge of this renewable energy.

Well, if you need to know the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy. It is essential to think of different energy sources as non-renewable energy resources could not last forever. In this post, you might start by listing the benefits in this list of points cons, then finish with a balanced conclusion.

Benefits
1. No pollution or radioactive waste is created. Similarly, the development and installation of wind turbines is less destructive to the environment.
2. Wind power is much more autonomous. If a normal disaster took place, so fundamental power plants inactive individuals with their own custom turbines certainly still have the ability to apply power.
3. do not exhaust all kinds of non-renewable resources such as coal, oil or fuel.

Drawbacks
1. Some people say that wind turbines spoil the charm of the court. This can be especially true when they are very large, or when there are many of them in one place.
2. Wind turbines can be adversely affected by extreme storms such as an example of a thunder weather.
3. The blades are capable of killing the steal attempt. However, it is good for the thoughts that other methods of energy production, including damage caused by air pollution.

As they pass finite places in the world, is an inescapable truth that we discover options if you prefer environmentally continue living here for many years to come. Similarly, rather than how it is these days, many researchers agree that we must find methods of energy production that will never pollute the atmosphere of how other sources of energy do.

However, it is true that sometimes make wind turbines are substantial one eye sore on certain landscapes. To provide every person with enough electricity, certainly it requires much more wind than we currently have. One way around this is for people to develop their own wind turbines as that can only provide electricity for your home. This has two major advantages:

• Less need for a number of large wind turbines landscape demolition.
• People can be more independent



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Online Marketing News: Greatest Googles, Best Branded, Year Of YouTube

Happy-New-Year-2016

[Note from Ashley: Greetings readers! On behalf of the team at TopRank Marketing I would like to wish you all a happy, healthy and safe start to 2016.]

18 Types of Backlinks Violating Google’s Guidelines [Infographic] – When doing SEO for your website, it’s vital to know what are the backlinks that are violating Google’s webmaster guidelines. Here’s a look at 18 types of backlinks that go against the Google guidelines. Monitor Backlinks

Google Shopping Policies Changing In February 2016 – Google posted a help document that discloses the upcoming changes to the Google Shopping Policy Center including changes to their shopping policies. Search Engine Roundtable

The Best Branded Content Partnerships of 2015 – 2015 was the year that native content moved from experimental to fundamental and nearly every major publisher and brand discovered the power of stories, instead of ads. Here are some of the best from the last 12 months. Ad Age

US Digital Advertising Revenues Hit $15 Billion For Another Record Quarter [IAB] – Another quarter, another record for internet advertising revenues. US internet advertising revenues reached $15 billion in Q3 2015, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC US. Marketing Land

Shareaholic: Twitter Sharing Drops 11% After Twitter Kills Share Counts – Data shows a significant drop in relative use of tweet buttons in the two weeks after Twitter turned off share count display. Marketing Land

Report: Consumers Already Experiencing Holiday Shopping Fatigue – Data from content marketing and activation agency Cofactor suggests that pushing customers to shop earlier may be weakening big sales days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. SocialTimes

YouTube’s Most Iconic Ads Of The Year Awarded To Calvin Klein, Mattel & Always – YouTube asked voters to choose their favorite ads of 2015 for five different categories. Here are the winners. YouTube

Study: 7 Tips For Writing Effective Twitter Ads Copy From Twitter – This week, Twitter’s released their findings from a new study which examined more than 9,000 website clicks and conversions campaigns on the platform to work out which type of wording is most effective for advertisers. And their findings show exactly that – a single word, a small, seemingly insignificant, change – can have a major influence on the end results. Twitter

Facebook Tweaks Power Editor for Users With Multiple Ad Accounts – Facebook rolled out a new feature for its Power Editor that should greatly speed up the process for users with multiple advertising accounts. SocialTimes

Top Searches On Google In 2015 – From devastation to empowerment and tragedy to hope, our 15th annual Year in Search uncovers the moments that captured the world’s hearts—and questions that revealed who we are. From “How can I help Nepal” to “How can the world find peace?” here’s a look back at 2015, through the lens of Google search. Google

What were the top online and digital marketing news stories for you this week?

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Header image via Shutterstock


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