Marketing Technology 5

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 Edition:  #23

This week: 50 tools you should know, CMAD3, “Showrooming”, Google consolidates its privacy policy and opens to teens.

1. 3rd Community Manager Appreciation Day was Jan 23rd 2012

[Web Strategist] Jeremiah Owyang started CMAD 3 years ago to celebrate and support those who support us!

My Take: I’m glad Jeremiah started the special day to salute community managers. In addition it also raised awareness and helped define the position with greater clarity.

2. Showdown Over ‘Showrooming’

[WSJ] Box retailers are tiring of customers coming to their stores to inspect products then buying them online at a discount. Essentially consumers are using retailers as showrooms.

My Take: Target is trying to squeeze vendors to match price. I just can’t see that working.  So what will work?

Apple is extending its Best Buy program to put Apple outlets in more stores. like Target. Will that be the future? Will Amazon partner with retail stores or open actual its own retail stores?

3. Google Consolidates It’s Privacy Policy

[VentureBeat] Google is changing its privacy policy, consolidating 60 different policies into one. You cannot opt-out of it unless you stop using all Google products.

My Take: This is part of Google’s plan to unify it’s properties under one umbrella. Thankfully you can manage all of your Google apps on one Dashboard as well as download all of your data in Google’s cloud with Takeout.

4. Google+ includes Teens

[Mashable] Google, which had previously barred consumers under 18 from joining Google+, is attempting to avoid such a situation on its network via a series of enhancement aimed at protecting people on the network aged 13-17.

My Take: Google continues to ramp up it’s ability to compete against Facebook (and twitter). It’s easy to forget that Google+ is still a new product. It’s only been broadly available for the few months. Will teens adopt Google+?

Consolidating it’s product platform, opening to teens and allowing for pseudonyms – are all part of it’s competitive strategy.

5. 50 Tech Tools You Should Know About

[CNN] CNN tallied 50 tools/apps that caught its eye.

My faves: Path (love), Flipboard, Hipmunk, Instagram, Pinterest, Tweepi, Zite (love)

BONUS Social media cheat sheet

[Mktg Tech Blog]

Social Media Cheat Sheet

Marketing Technology 5

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 – #22 Stories this week: new apps for Facebook open graph, dead SOPA, Google includes social in SERP, paid search in B2B, and social ROI.

1. Facebook’s biggest change yet: Actions are here

[AllThingsD] Facebook announced 60 new apps will join Spotify and Runkeeper in accessing the Facebook open graph.

My Take: With these innovations Facebook extends its lead over other social network services. Although we’ve seen timeline integration used as a blunt instrument in the past, the newest edition of open graph allow apps like Fab and Ticketmaster to create a more nuanced integration.

2. SOPA Is Dead: Smith Pulls Bill

[Mashable] The Republican senator pulled SOPA on Friday responding to criticism. SOPA drew battle lines between old media and new media.

My Take: New media and silicon valley  won this round.

3. Search Rankings are Dead: Long Live Search Placements

[SearchEngineLand] The newest change to the search engine results pages (SERP) is Google’s inclusion of social in the results page. This is a technical, hand-to-hand breakdown of the impact of the changes.

My Take: These changes are not well received by people who get paid to game the system or competitors, but ultimately I believe search results are more relative the more personal context is included. It’s becoming harder for brands to game the system.

4. Using Paid Media to Achieve Remarkable B2B Conversion Rates

[CMI] With SEO starting to “break” CMI breaks down how to drive a successful paid search campaign – the elements: discipline, a niche-marketing strategy and lots of testing.

Wildfire Social Media ROI

5. Marketers Lack Standard Social Media ROI

[MarketingCharts] The top metrics used by social media marketers for ROI are increased fans, likes, comments, and interactions (38%), increased revenues (24%), and increased brand awareness (15%).

My Take: This is a hot button issue for me. If someone is asking you about the ROI for a social program that doesn’t yet exist, what they are telling you is they don’t understand how social supports the business. Respond with information about your customer’s social-graph. Show where are you customers and how can you benefit them using social media. If you’re not serving your customers on social media it’s an opportunity for your competitors to serve them.

However, if you have a social program you really need to be tracking metrics associated with your social and business goals.  The popular metric categories are: audience( size and engagement), cost (savings or revenue) and brand awareness.

Marketing Technology 5

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 – #20

Stories this week: Spotify unlimited streaming no longer free, Ultrabooks are fake technology, huge Google+ growth, Klout picks up $30mm and learn to code.

1. Get Ready To Pay For Spotify Music Service

[link] Spotify launched with 6 months of free desktop streaming. If you signed up when it first released you can expect to get an email soon regarding upgrading to a paid service.  It’s reported that users will be able to stream 10 hours per month for free. In looking at the pricing plans, it appears free users will have to pay $5 to continue to get unlimited streaming.

My Take: Spotify’s product launch has been pitch perfect.  They used klout to launch to influencers and early adopters and their product has worked as advertised.  People are hooked and I expect a number of people really enjoy the service and will gladly pay $5 a month. However, I ALSO expect many to jump back to ad supported (free) services like Pandora.

2. Ultrabook Laptops – Are they “Technology” or “Marketing”?

[link] This Fast Company asked if the laptop is dead, drawing comparisons between the marketing strategies of the once hot, now marginalized, netbook and the Ultrabooks that are set to light up CES next week.

My Take: Here are Ultrabooks being announced at CES. Do they look much different than a typical high-end business laptop to you? To me it seems Ultrabooks are a Marketing ploy, not a new category of laptops.

Google+ Growth in Dec 2011

3. Google+ Sees Massive Traffic Growth in Dec.

[link] Google+ visits jumped 55% in December.

My Take: Maybe a lot of people had time on their hands over the holidays…maybe people are taking Chris Brogan’s advice and setting up their Google+ profile…in any case, Google+ is not a Facebook killer.  It will continue to grow in 2012 because Google is going to use it as a mechanism to unify all it’s properties, but will the sum be greater than the parts?

API Billionaires Club

4. Klout Picks Up C Level Funding

[link] Klout secured $30 in funding.

My Take: Klout gets so much attention for things it is and isn’t. It’s neither savior nor devil – but it is hot.  Look for klout to look past the super influential and focus more on the “kinda influential” in 2012. There are also rumors of a mobile app.

5. Learn To Code

[Code Academy] [Code Year] Sites are popping up that teach you to code. Basic programming is a great skill to have and here are great ways to get started. Since I haven’t used these sites, I don’t know if they are free or freemium.

My Take: It saddens me that I have a Computer Science degree but I don’t code. I’ve forgotten so much that these services are highly attractive to me.  Yet, taking on yet another obligation is against my 2012 resolutions…speaking of which I need to write that post before 2013 hits.

1. Report: iOS and Android apps fighting for retention, not discovery

[link] Great report on the state of mobile app development.

In summary:

1. Android is catching up to iOS in terms of quantity of apps
2. The number of monthly downloads has quadrupled in a year
3. Retention is replacing app discovery as the number 1 problem

My Take: No surprise – quality content still wins. Mobile app developers can pay their way to a high ranking in app stores, but if the app doesn’t kill, it will quickly drop in the rankings.

2. How To Go Mobile with Google

[link] Google launched a microsite that helps companies mobilize their website

1. provides free tools: in this case it rates your current website’s look/feel and functionality
2. provides free advice: why site mobility matters
3. It provides a clear call to action: companies that you can work with to mobilize your site

My Take: Why did Google do this? Perhaps it has a revenue sharing agreement with the companies that it provides but I imagine that will be peanuts to Google. I suspect the real reason is the lack of mobile sites will impede Google’s future ability to sell mobile ad space. HowToGoMo.com helps fill that gap.

3. Mom’s Rule

Getting to Know (and Like) the Social Mom

[link] This Nielsen report shows the purchasing power of social moms. They are much more likely to share product experiences online.

Mom Bloggers, A Force To Be Reckoned With

[link] This Scarborough report shows that Mommy bloggers are “Not just media users, they’re media makers”

My Take: These articles, along with being married to a mom that works in this space, highlights the influence power of social moms. They have a strong voice, they’re super-social and well organized. Smart brands already know this and include them in their social campaigns.

4. Interactive Email: 6 tactics to leverage the influence of social reinforcement

[link] Marketing Sherpa provides great detail on how to integrate social into your traditional email marketing campaigns.

My Take: I suspect Marketers are realizing email and social aren’t “either / or” propositions. Figuring out how to integrate traditional and social marketing is key and you’ve got to love this level of detail.

5. Google Revamps AdWords Location Targeting Tool

[link] Google is integrating Google Maps with AdWords. The first of these changes provides a graphical interface and more information such as reach.

My Take: PPC isn’t my thing, I suspect this is a minor update. It is also consist with the general theme of product integration and rationalization Google has undertaken.

Some yummy goodies this week: ice cream, Dynamic Search Ads from Google and TWO LBS BONUS links!

1. Mmmmm…Ice Cream Sandwich

[link] Google released a new version of it’s Android operating system.

My Take: As an ardent Android fanboy I’m excited for the new features. From the basics, like screen shots (FINALLY) to new awesome features, like face recognition, this is a big upgrade for Google. What they really need to do is to partner with manufacturers (Samsung, HTC, Motorola) and feature these new ICS phones – there’s so many Android phones customers can’t get behind them the way they can get behind the iPhone 4S.

2. Google AdWords Redesign Looks Beyond Keywords

[link] Google Adwords is basically being rewritten to include “Dynamic Search Ads.” According to product manager Baris Gultekin:

With the new product, advertisers just point AdWords toward the pages that they want to promote. Then Google matches the ad with the best searches and generates an appropriate headline.

My Take: Did Google just put the squeeze on SEO agencyies and vendors?

3. Content Marketing Key to B2B Sales Funnel

[link] This report highlights the content that marketers find most valuable for lead generation, conversion and brand awareness. Notice that there are some different between B2B and B2C.

My Take: Content is king. Marketers know that. The next step is to present the correct content at the right time to support their buying need.

If content is king; context is gawd.

4. The Kings and Queens of Media Stacking – Tablet Users

[link] 42% of tablet users use their tablet while watching TV. The most common activity is checking email, followed by surfing and using social media sites.

My Take: Less obvious in the report is that many tablet users look up program information, product information or ads/deals related to what they saw on TV. If I’m making a broadcast spend I’m looking for ways to integrate digital and social into my tactics.

5. Top Marketers Look to Invest Big in Social Media

[link] Fortune 100 companies are looking to double, triple or even quadruple their social media spend over the next three years.

My Take: No real surprise here. 2011 is the year Marketers go hard at social media. I expect 2012 to be a year where Marketers refine their practices and do more than just “check the social media” box. Next year is going to be insanely creative.

BONUS!  BONUS!  BONUS!

6. Location Based Services: Check out Roamz

[link] I’m intrigued by Roamz. Using local data is the kind of innovation the location based services market needs

7. Q&A with the Authors of Location Based Services for Dummies

[link] Check out what Aaron Strout and Mike Schneider have to say.

I’ve seen a few ideas:

• Travel offering? Another option if the ITA acquisition falls through
• Upgraded Location Based Services? Reviews increase the value of Google’s LBS checkin service
• Local Advertising? I don’t see how Zagat significantly ads value local search

I believe the sum is greater than the parts. I think the Zagat acquisition is part of Google’s larger mission to create a full suite of services that embed itself to peoples lives.

The Mobile Lifecycle

Mobile

Android already has the largest share of mobile systems. Although the Android ecosystem doesn’t have the best or most apps, Android itself does a lot of things well.

Search

Good old search. Search is typically the start of the transaction.

Reviews

This is where Zagat comes in.  Users will value the high quality reviews that I expect are much better than the reviews available from Yelp (whose review quality is often spotty).

Deals

Google has a GroupOn like coupon service called Offers in beta.  Most pundits are predicting the demise of GroupOn and I never understood the $6 Billion offer from Google.  There are no barriers to entry for competitors.  GroupOn has little competitive advantage and I believe retailers will come to see coupons as just another part of their Marketing spend.  If Google can bundle that into their ad spending the customer has a more convenient option.

Check-in

Google has check in capability with Places.  I’m not certain that Places integrates with Google+ Circles, but it should.  I know many people are still wary of the idea sharing their check-ins publicly and being able to share your connection with a specific circle of friends is an added safety.

Payment

Google is an early leader in Near Field Communications (NFC), also known as mobile payments.  Google Wallet is on the way and currently testing with the Google Nexus 4G and Citi MasterCard.

Sharing

After the decision making about where to go (eat, shop, hangout) has been made Google mobile users can share their activity with their circle of friends using Google+ Circles.

What’s missing?

The mobile lifecycle makes sense to me, but I’m not convinced it’s complete.  What is missing?

1. Elegance - As typical with Google, it’s solution will be fully functional but it’s implementation will most likely miss the grace, easy of use and subtlety Apple iOS users have come to expect. I’ll be surprised if people fall in love with Google’s mobile life.
2. Favorite Places - it’s a bit of a pet peeve but as a Foursquare user, I don’t think the interface does a good enough job at showing my favorite Places and matching them up with my friends favorite places.  Google could jump on that opportunity
3. Gamification - is the experience fun?  I’m thinking of Mayorships and badges and such.  Don’t forget the game layer.

What do you think of Google’s mobile platform? Hit me in the comments.