5 Marketing Technology stories you might have missed 8-11-12

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 Edition: #49

Hope you had an awesome week. Things here have been busy. Still working on learning Ruby on Rails and sneaking in bike rides whenever I can.  So, on with the show…

Stories This Week: social innovation slows, the cloud gets hacked, Olympic visualizations, mobile-social growth and B2B marketing technology

1. Social Networks Are Maturing & Innovation Has Slowed

[MIT] Hundreds of thousands of developers know that building apps that rely on the Facebook or Twitter platforms comes at a risk—at any time, the companies can change their access rules or launch a competing feature.

My Take: It’s like Harvey Dent said, “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

2. The Cloud Gets Hacked

[Wired] A wired reporter was hacked – HARD. By taking advantage of poor security practices in Apple and Amazon customer support, the hacker was able to wipe the reporters laptop. And, because he wasn’t backing up, he lost everything.

My Take: Mashable published this guide on what to do to keep this from happening to you. This incident highlights the security problem associated with cloud based computing. Even Woz agrees.

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3. Olympic Visualizations

The New York Times created these great digital illustrations of three Olympic events. Check out these dynamic illustrations.

Men’s 100-Meter Sprint

Men’s Long Jump

Men’s 100-Meter Freestyle

4. Americans Get Social on Their Phones

US Mobile Social Network Growth

US Mobile Social Network Growth

[eMarketer] Social networking, aided by the widespread adoption of smartphones in the US, is quickly making the jump to mobile, according to eMarketer estimates.

My Take: Too often I forget that me and my friendly fishes are swimming in our little socia-mobile-local pond. I forget that the rest of the world is not wound up in this stuff.  They’re just, you know, living.  I expected these numbers to be higher. Almost everyone I know has a smartphone. The percentage of my friends that are social-mobile has to be above 85%.  My take on these numbers relates to the first story this week. The early and late adopters as well as early majority segments have been captured. The rest of the growth will be on attracting the late majority and laggards to the space and the features and apps that will attract them have already been developed.  

5. Concepts Every B2B SEO Needs To Know In Today’s Internet Marketing Environment

[SearchEngineLand] In response to the assertion that SEO dead, SE Land responded by pointing out that search engine marketing is more than a set of tricks to gain traffic, it’s an evolving marketing technology discipline.

My Take: Marketing is too often ruled by “rules of thumb”  and historical knowledge. Marketers are wise to add Conversion Rate Optimization, Lead Management, Lead Nuturing and Content Curation to their skill set.

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5 Marketing Technology stories you might have missed 8-4-12

Marketing Technology 5

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 Edition: #48

Stories This Week: Augmented Reality (for real), Twitters growth or death plan, the future of apps, a flipping fantastic crowdsourcing model & the top 9 networks for business.

1. Augmented Reality Is Finally Getting Real

[MIT] As smartphones explode in popularity, augmented reality is starting to move from novelty to utility.

My Take: What will the killer AR app be? Or will there be just one.  Perhaps there will be hundreds of purpose built AR apps like these:

  • At Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum, visitors can use iPads at a dinosaur exhibit to see how the beasts would have looked in real life.
  • For NASCAR race in which fans, who can’t see the entire 2.5-mile track, can point their phones at distant turns and get photos and videos generated by others who were closer to the action.

2. Twitter’s Growth Plan Could Destroy It

[MassiveGreatness] In this OpEd piece, MG Siegler suggests that Twitter’s attempt to become profitable may ruin the service by going against it’s own DNA. Twitter is intended to be simple and short.  Moving into longer, richer formats may push it into crowded waters and destroy Twitters ethos.

My Take: I remember a stat that 12% of Americans use Twitter but 85% are influenced by it.  It seems Twitter needs to find a way to monetize the 85% without pissing off the 12% dedicated use base.  If it fails to do so Google+ and other social network services will step in to fill the void. 

3. Are Smartphone App Downloads Sustainable?

[eMarketer] Smartphone users download a high number of apps—especially free ones—but that download spree may not last forever.

My Take: There are two arguments going on here.

1st: Which mobile platform, HTML5 or native, will prevail. This is a pretty technical discussion that on the pros/cons of each and the right answer is dependent on your mobile app needs.

2nd: The second issue is a maturity question. At what point will users have all the apps they need? Feature-based apps will be M&A’d or copy-catted into broader apps. The app model will feel crowded. There will be less room for innovation.  While I don’t think we’re there yet, in last weeks video, Jeremiah Oywang suggested that if you haven’t built your app by now, you may have missed your window of opportunity.

4. The Crowdsourcing Business Model At Work

[VentureBeat] FlyingFlips – this flip flop manufacturing company is demonstrating the power of crowdsourcing.

My Take: This business model does so much for a company:

  • Reduces product risk by letting your customers decide which products should be manufactured
  • Reduces design costs by letting customers submit designs
  • Increases loyalty by involving customers in the process
  • The charitable giving angle gives the company a noble purpose that customers respond to
Every entrepreneur should be looking closely at this model.

5. The Top 9 Social Networks For Businesses

[B2B Marketer Insider] This article lists the search growth rates of the 9 major social networks that I think are most important to businesses and their social media marketing efforts.

My Take: Just click the link and study the results.

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5 Marketing Technology stories you might have missed 7-28-12

Marketing Technology 5

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 Edition: #47

It was a slow week and I was a bit under the weather. I feared I wouldn’t have 5 stories, but no fear, the stories were there.

Stories This Week: Foursquare gets MORE pushy, curation = reporting?, the Future of the Internet, social media success secrets and Olympic apps.

1. Foursquare adds Promoted Updates, for on-demand geofenced advertising

[TheVerge] Last week Foursquare announced Local Updates, allowing businesses to send info to existing customers. This week they announced Promoted Updates as a way for businesses to reach potential new customers.

My Take: I worried about this announcement but in reading the details Foursquare is doing two things right:

  1. Keeping promotions relative to your (or your friends) interests.  
  2. Putting the promotions on the Explore tab. This makes sense because the Explore tab is used to discover new venues. If Foursquare pushed promotions to a more prominent, disruptive position such as the home screen, users would be more likely to revolt.

2. NBC Links Up With Storify For Real-Time Curated Olympics Coverage

[TechCrunch] NBC journalists will be mining content from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social media sites, and putting into the Storify platform to create running narratives of the Olympic stories.

My Take: Remember reporting? Remember when reporters had to chase down stories? Increasingly established newsmakers are relying on your content to tell the story. Is that lazy or an attempt to remain relative?

3. Andrew Keen and Jeremiah Owyang on Future of Internet

[TechCrunch]

 

4. Five Secrets of USAA’s Success in Social Media

[Experience:TheBlog] Augie Ray, Executive Director of Community and Collaboration at USAA, provide’s five secrets for social success.

My Take: What makes Augie’s success so amazing is that he’s experienced such success despite executing social in the highly regulated financial services industry. If you’re a Forrester customer you can read their case study here.

5. 5 Essential Apps for Olympic Fanatics

[Mashable]

My Take: Since I’m writing this during the opening ceremonies I thought these apps were worth sharing.

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5 Marketing Technology stories you might have missed 7-21-12

Marketing Technology 5

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 Edition: #46

Stories This Week: Foursquare gets pushy, Google+ usage and user satisfaction rises, Facebook ad rates jump, the Facebook Want button debate and social media spending.

1. Foursquare: Check In With Favorite Businesses, Even When You’re Checked Out

[FastCompany] The new feature let businesses push specials to you when you’re nearby without making you feel like you’re getting spammed.

My Take: The fine line between creepy and and charming is as grey as the hair on my head *sigh*.

But Foursquare is putting users in control by focusing on the brands/venues that users frequent. Ultimately this will work because Foursquare is providing a valuable service to users AND because they’re providing a social-based customer loyalty program for businesses.

Social Media Customer Satisfaction

Social Media Customer Satisfaction

2. Google+ Usage Jumps & People Like It Better Than Facebook

[TheVerge] Google+ reportedly saw 43 percent jump in US visitors during June

[cnet] Facebook users not as satisfied as Google+ users

My Take: Well, a big increase on a small number is still a small number. That said, Google+ has good features, a relatively good security/privacy model and they don’t push a ton of ads – why wouldn’t users enjoy the experience?

3. Facebook ad rates surge 58 percent, leaves Twitter in the dust

[cnet] Facebook’s average cost per thousand impressions has increased by 58 percent in the second quarter of 2012 compared with the year-ago period, meaning Facebook is earning more and more from its ads.

My Take: Amazing to see that Facebook’s mobile ads have a click through rate over 1%, over 4 times Twitters mobile ad click through rate. It shows how effective Facebooks targeting is and how important local, mobile search is to social network services.

In related news, Twitter announced targeted ads.

4. Facebook’s Want Button

A & G’s SchneiderMike & Charlie Hale review and debate Facebooks planned “Want” button.

http://youtu.be/sWw1xCXQmYQ

5. What Are Marketers Spending on Social Media?

[eMarketer] When it comes to how much money to spend on social media, most marketers have less than 20% of their marketing budget set aside for outreach on social sites—including advertising and maintaining a social media presence.

My Take: If you compare these numbers against the number of Marketers who measure return on their investment in social media you’ll see that many continue to invest in social media without tangible business results

 

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5 Marketing Technology stories you might have missed 7-14-12

Marketing Technology 5

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 Edition: #45

Stories This Week: Amazon aims to become retail, Google+ redefines +1, Facebook’s creepy goes to 11, a new LinkedIn design and Marketers shun Facebook.

Back after a week off. Hope your fourth of July was a blast.

1. How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

[Slate] The story of why Amazon stopped fighting taxes and decided to play for keeps is crazy interesting.

My Take: This is ambitious.  This is huge.  Amazon is looking to become retail. First they stole business from retailers. Then, through their app, Amazon provided consumers with the ability to “showroom” (check prices and reviews) until retailers started revolting. Now, through the ability to set up same day delivery, Amazon is looking to fully displace Walmart and Target. Personally, I love Amazon (especially Amazon Prime) and for people like me being able to shop without having to enter a store AND still get the satisfaction of having goods immediately.  Yes…I want that.

2. Launching Google +1 Recommendations Across the Web

[Google] Google +1 recommendations can now be viewed within a site such that you can know if your friends liked a product or page on a site.

My Take: Google+ just reinvented the Facebook >Like<.  Congrats. Welcome to the 2009 party.  As Google+ increases it’s functionality, I continue to use it. The fact that “+1’ing” a page actually has relevance, beyond search, shows that Google is still figuring out how to fully execute their social platform. 

3. Facebook Considers Mobile Ads That Know What You’re Doing

[MIT] Last week Google announced “Google Now” and attempt to provide assistance and context based on what it knows about you (because you use their free services).  Facebook, in an apparent move to ‘one up’ Google is looking to do something similar but it’s focusing on serving Ads.

Golden Girls WTF Award

Golden Girls WTF Award

My Take: I’m giving this the Golden Girls WTF Award.  —–>

Really? The microphone is going to listen to what’s going on around me?  How much fun will we have hacking/making fun of that feature.  Way to go Facebook.  Just in case anyone forgot how much you disregard your users – you come up with a fantastic way to remind us how much you hate us.

4. LinkedIn Is Gearing Up For A Redesign

[TechCrunch] LinkedIn will soon be rolling out minor updates to their site.

My Take: It seems LinkedIn is trying to get more Facebook-y. The real story is how LinkedIn dropped it’s integration with Twitter.  All social network services are drawing lines in the sand because they are looking to further monetize their services and they perceive a need to wall off functionality to force users to visit their websites so users can view the ads. More impressions + more clicks = more revenue.

Examples:

  • As stated: LinkedIn drops Twitter integration
  • Google+ retains tight controls over API integration with other social apps
  • Twitter buying Tweetdeck and…. aren’t they taking steps to reduce API integration? (the facts escape me)

5. Marketers Lessen Focus on Facebook Compared to Rest of Web

Facebook vs. Rest Of Internet

Facebook vs. Rest Of Internet

[eMarketer] Marketers are drawing down emphasis on Facebook, increasing budgets and time spent attending to the rest of the web.

My Take: Honestly. I don’t get this.  I would understand if Marketers were shying away from Facebook Ad spending – the way GM did. But this is about time spent on Facebook.  

Interestingly, Marketers are spending more time on relatively niche sites like Tumbler and Pinterest.  Your thoughts are welcomed in the comments.
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Well enough of the geek stuff, are you ready to Break  Badly?

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