https://ift.tt/2xgSMih
15 Reports Charting the Future of Content Marketing https://ift.tt/2X3rhD9 The post 15 Reports Charting the Future of Content Marketing appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®. Mobile Marketing via Hubspot https://ift.tt/2wiHYzh June 26, 2019 at 05:42AM
0 Comments
Lawmaker, Children's Advocates Push For Privacy Overhaul On YouTube http://bit.ly/2LdS9Ou YouTube should be required to implement new privacy safeguards for children, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) says in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission. “Personal information about a child can be leveraged to hook consumers for years to come,” Markey writes. “It is incumbent upon the FTC to enforce federal law and act as a check against the ever increasing appetite for children's data.” His letter comes in response to reports that the FTC is investigating whether Google's YouTube violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal data from children. That law requires website operators to obtain parental consent before knowingly collecting a host of information from children younger than 13 -- including geolocation data, mobile telephone numbers, and persistent identifiers. advertisement advertisement Last April, a coalition of advocacy groups -- including the Center for Digital Democracy, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, Electronic Privacy Information Center and Public Citizen -- alleged in an FTC complaint that YouTube violates the children's privacy law by logging a host of data from young video viewers. The terms of service for YouTube.com say the site isn't intended for children younger than 13. Instead, Google offers a child-focused video site, YouTube Kids, that doesn't allow behaviorally targeted ads. But advocates say YouTube.com hosts many videos that are obviously aimed at young children. Markey repeats that claim in his letter to the FTC. “For example, Ryan ToysReview, which has over 19 million subscriptions, explicitly characterizes itself as 'Toy reviews for kids by a kid,'” he writes. “YouTube content like this appears to directly conflict with YouTube's claims that the website is not intended for children.” He is asking the FTC to require Google to stop collecting data from children under 13, and to delete any data already collected from them. Markey also says Google should implement a host of new policies. Among others, he says YouTube Kids should prohibit targeted marketing and influencer marketing. The advocacy groups Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and Center for Digital Democracy are also asking the FTC to crack down on YouTube. The watchdogs are asking the FTC to order Google to remove all videos for children from YouTube.com, and place the material on a separate platform where targeted advertising would be prohibited. “By ensuring such changes, the Commission will do a tremendous service to America’s families seeking to provide a healthy media environment for their children, while sending a clear message to all online and mobile operators that no one is above the law,” the groups write. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH June 25, 2019 at 03:13PM Return Path Owner Validity Acquires AppBuddy http://bit.ly/2NnBdYS Validity, which recently acquired the email delivery firm Return Path, has added the purchase of AppBuddy, the firm announced on Tuesday. Terms were not disclosed. AppBuddy is a B2B application that allows brands to extend data quality management to all CRM users and improve sales rep productivity, the company says. In addition, AppBuddy offers a spreadsheet-style interface that allows users to obtain a single view to manage all the data they need on one screen. They can do this across multiple objects, viewing only the fields that they need. The firm notes that salespeople often waste time jumping between screens. AppBuddy runs as a stand-alone web application or as a native framework within Salesforce Lightning, Salesforce Classic or SAP Sales Cloud, the company says. The tool is designed to help brands "interact with customer data," which should help with faster followup for marketing leads, more accurate sales forecasts, and an increase in CRM adoption, states Mark Briggs, CEO of Validity. advertisement advertisement Briggs adds that "poor data quality is a barrier to growth. And yet, one of the key contributors to poor data quality is the underlying CRM user experience.” Despite the linkage with Salesforce and SAP, Validity claims that “the paradigm” for how those systems is deployed has not changed in over a decade. Validity announced last month that it secured new strategic funding that will fuel its expansion. The investment is being led by Providence Strategic Growth (PSG), with participation by Silversmith Capital Partners, a founding investor in Validity. In addition to Appboy and Return Path, Validity has acquired CRMfusion, provider of an application for enterprise CRM data quality, BriteVerify, an email verification platform. GP Bullhound served as financial advisor to AppBuddy.
Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH June 25, 2019 at 02:51PM Shopping Rewards App Company Shopkick Sold Again http://bit.ly/2Fzt78S Shopkick, maker of the location-based, pioneering shopping rewards app, was acquired by computer vision and analytics company Trax. In 2014, Shopkick was sold to SK Planet, a part of SK Telecom, for $200 million in a cash deal. The Shopkick mobile app was early in location targeting at retail, initially using sound signals to interact with smartphones as shoppers entered a store. Over time, the shopping app evolved to offer online content, videos, engagement with products and online and offline purchases. “Shopkick's unique direct access to customers, first-party database on consumer in-store actions, omnichannel insights and access to a broader ecosystem of retailers and brands made this a strategic fit for Trax," stated Joel Bar-El, CEO and co-founder of Trax. Shopkick works with brands including Coty, GE, Georgia-Pacific, Kellogg’s, Lego, TJ Maxx and Unilever. The shopping app company is expected to operate independently under the Trax brand. advertisement advertisement Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH June 25, 2019 at 01:34PM Mediaocean Integrates SpotX Into TV Buying Platform, Extends Cross-Platform Access http://bit.ly/2xetTnc Adding to the list of video advertising tech deals, Mediaocean, the dominant software player among linear TV buying executives, will integrate SpotX, the supply-side video advertising-tech platform, into its systems. SpotX is now available through Mediaocean’s Connect Partner Platform, via Mediaocean’s Spectra OX, Spectra DS local systems and Prisma. The partnership will give media TV buyers cross-platform access to more than 600 publishers offering video inventory through SpotX across all screens and streams -- desktop, mobile and connected TV devices. SpotX clients include A+E Networks, AT&T, The CW Network, Discovery, Electronic Arts, E.W. Scripps, and Fox Corp. SpotX says all transactions made on the platform will also be reviewed by its in-house brand safety team for transparency. Last month, Syncbak, an OTT (over the top) video platform, announced a deal with Mediaocean, giving media buyers access to purchase live and on-demand local broadcast streaming inventory. advertisement advertisement In February, TV programmatic company WideOrbit struck a deal with Mediaocean to automate the buying and selling of local broadcast advertising commercials. WideOrbit’s WO Traffic is used by broadcast station groups in more than 90% of U.S. local TV ad revenue; its WO Programmatic helps more than 1,000 stations in 180 media markets. Previously, another automated TV platform, ITN Holdings, inked a deal last year with Mediaocean for local broadcast television, integrating ITN’s ProVantageX platform with Mediaocean’s Spectra. Mediaocean says its platform handles $150 billion in global advertising spend, serving more than 100,000 users across agencies, advertisers, broadcasters and publishers worldwide. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH June 25, 2019 at 10:49AM Think Small: Every Interaction Should Unlock Value for People http://bit.ly/31RWvAT We live and work in unprecedented times. Technology is advancing rapidly, we are overwhelmed by data and our world is more globally-connected than ever before. But I would argue the single biggest force driving change is people. People today are bombarded by choice and empowered like never before. Armed with technology and endless information at their fingertips and now through their voice, people are in command of every aspect of their lives. They are curating their world and how they experience it, and as a result, have control over where and how they shop, and what content and brands they want to engage. In this new world order, there are no more captive audiences. Today’s consumer rejects anything that appears to be traditional advertising, and they are wise to marketing intended to obfuscate product or brand deficiencies. Case in point: a recent report from Forrester (“The Future of Omnichannel Advertising Must Be Customer Obsessessed,” June 4, 2018) showed that among the most progressive digital consumers, fewer than 10% are willing to engage with a mobile or web-based ad today. advertisement advertisement With abundant choice and empowered and educated consumers, the concept of brand loyalty is also increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Brands can’t count on past buyers to be their current supporters, much less future buyers. Brands need to succeed in every single interaction they have with people, and earn each and every transaction, every single time. And so the companies that will win today and in the future will be relentlessly focused on people and creating value for them. They will strive to understand people on a deeper, more human level. This includes understanding peoples’ needs (both met and unmet), uncovering their emerging and ever-evolving behaviors (at Starcom, we call these desire lines) and meeting them on their terms with each and every encounter and transaction designed to create value for people. Creating value for people is not just about creating positive brand sentiment and or a better social media profile. It’s about unlocking hardcore business outcomes like share increases, sales gains and the ability to sustain price increases. According to a June 2019 commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Starcom (“Building Better Outcomes for Brands and Businesses”), brands that create value for people (human outcomes) are proven to drive business outcomes both short and long-term. As marketers, we need to embrace this new people-first paradigm and the opportunities it presents. When brands combine a relentless focus on creating value for people with creativity and innovation, magic can truly happen. And, we saw many inspiring pieces of work that did just that at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity this week: IKEA created simple adaptations of their furniture, available in-store and to 3D print, to meet the needs of their disabled customers and saw a 37% sales increase. Brahma beer gave people an easier way to purchase their beer – at the same time they were buying pay-per-view futbol matches, creating an entirely new revenue source and 274,000 new beer subscription accounts. RMIT University in Melbourne created a new font that helps people to remember what they have read by creating subtle visual obstructions that force the brain to work harder. The font was downloaded over 150,000 times and generated 87,000 new leads for the University. So what can we learn from these examples and other best-in-class brands that put people first?
By making people the true focus of everyone’s job, brands can truly thrive. Because ultimately, we need to create value for people, not just with products or services, but with every single interaction they have with the brand, along every step of the consumer journey.
Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH June 25, 2019 at 09:10AM Tubi Hits 20 Million Viewers, But Faces Intensifying Competition http://bit.ly/2YbxiiE This column introduces Karlene Lukovitz as editor of MediaPost's Digital News Daily and author of the weekly Video Insider. She also serves as editor of CPG Weekly and author of the CPG FYI column (Fridays). Ad-supported video streaming service Tubi reports having surpassed 20 million active monthly users and 94 million hours of content during May. May also marked Tubi’s single biggest revenue month since its launch in 2014, according to the company — although it didn’t reveal the actual numbers. In January, Tubi announced that its revenue had grown by 180% in 2018, that it had reached profitability in the fourth quarter, and that it would reinvest profits in more content acquisition during 2019. The platform says it’s made good on its promise to spend “over nine figures” on content, and now offers more than 15,000 movies and TV series (totaling more than 44,000 hours) through more than 200 content partners, including studios such as Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, MGM and Lionsgate. Tubi was integrated into Comcast’s X1 platform in late 2018, and into the Cox Contour platform this April. advertisement advertisement All of this would seem heartening for advertisers rooting for the viability of ad-supported VOD (AVOD) ventures. “With linear TV ratings in continuing decline, advertising demand for OTT is strongest from brands replacing lost reach with their TV spend,” Tubi declared in January. “In 2018, over 1,000 advertisers ran campaigns on Tubi, with the majority of the top CPG and automotive advertisers reaching audiences in movies and TV shows on Tubi.” But Tubi and so-far smaller ad-supported competitors including Pluto TV (16 million active users) and Xumo (about 5.5 million) are now facing an even more daunting field of competitors, including next year’s launch of NBCUniversal’s own ad-supported entry. (That platform claims that it will launch with a projected addressable audience of about 52 million, thanks to its free availability through parent Comcast’s cable services.) That’s not even mentioning the pay-for arena. In addition to the ongoing battle for the time and attention, if not money, of consumers against existing subscription-based juggernauts Netflix and Amazon, AVOD platforms will soon be up against in-the-wings subscription-based platforms from players including Disney, Apple and WarnerMedia. As fellow MediaPost columnist Wayne Friedman points out, competitors maintain that Netflix — which now has 60 million U.S. viewers and 140 million worldwide paying around $12 per month — will have to begin taking advertising to support the content investments that in turn drive subscriber acquisition and retention. Netflix spent about $13 billion on content last year, and is reportedly upping that to about $15 million this year. But just over this past weekend, during the SeriesFest conference in Denver, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos flatly denied that Netflix — which currently offers some 80 movies and 700 TV series — has any plans to take advertising or bid on live sports, reports FierceVideo. “Some things are just core to the proposition: ad-free and on-demand are core to the proposition,” he said. “We think that for us, subscription is just a better way to monetize content.” Now, saying a company has no “plans” to do something obviously doesn’t preclude its plans changing at some point — or rule out that it might consider ad-supported offshoots. But Sarandos said that he sees another big plus for the subscription-based business model emerging. Asked about the intensifying privacy, brand safety and antitrust pressures on Facebook and Google, he replied: “I could not begin to predict any of that. I know that I feel good that we’re not in any of those businesses that draw that kind of fire. Another great reason not to sell advertising.” To state the obvious, despite all of the bluster and statistics-based predictions, no one can be certain which model(s) and platforms will prevail over the coming years, as technology and consumer and governmental behaviors continue to evolve. But wide-open accessibility to consumer data — which the industry has assumed will go hand-in-hand with content in determining the future and survival of the fittest — may prove not to be a given going forward. In distancing Netflix from the big social and search platforms during his SeriesFest interview, Sarandos emphasized: “We don’t collect your data. I don’t know how old you are when you join Netflix. I don’t know if you’re black or white. We know your credit card, but that’s just for payment, and all that stuff is anonymized.” But as FierceVideo pointed out, “While Netflix may not collect data initially when its subscribers sign up, it certainly collects a lot of data about them as they watch, even if those subscribers are anonymous… Netflix has the ability to collect myriad data points for its 150 million subscribers, including the date and time people watch; the device used to watch; the location of the device; when a subscriber pauses, rewinds or fast-forwards; the ratings that a subscriber gives; and search history.” That data — much-coveted from afar by advertisers — is currently used primarily to continually refine search and recommendations to drive viewing time, which in turn drives subscriber perceptions of value and subscriber retention, according to Sarandos. However, it’s not inconceivable that the repeated, cynical abuses by players like Facebook, along with the news surrounding various Congressional hearings, might nudge even digital natives to begin questioning whether they really want their every online and mobile move tracked in return for promises of a better, more tailored “experience.” Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH June 25, 2019 at 08:59AM
http://bit.ly/2FwJVO5
12 Must-Have Skills for B2B Content Marketers http://bit.ly/2Nc9YQS Scene from a dinner party: “So, Josh, what do you do?” “I’m in marketing.” “Oh, like Mad Men? Ad campaigns and stuff?” “No, it’s content marketing.” “Oh, like the Wendy’s Twitter account?” “...Sure... like that.” I’ve had variations on the above conversation more times than I can count. I’ll usually leave it at “Wendy’s Twitter account” in the interest of changing the subject. No one has the patience for, “I write business-to-business content designed to help people do their jobs better, which also builds affinity for a client brand, with the end goal of influencing purchase decisions.” So most people think I just write fun stuff all day, that it’s a purely creative job. But my fellow B2B marketers know better. Content marketing requires an incredibly diverse set of skills, and “innate writing ability” isn’t even the most important one. [bctt tweet="Most people think I just write fun stuff all day, that it’s a purely creative job. But as my fellow #B2B marketers know, #contentmarketing requires a diverse set of skills. @NiteWrites" username="toprank"] Here’s my list of must-have B2B content marketing skills. If you’re looking to get into the career, fill out your team, or, say, hire a marketing agency, keep these in mind. 12 Must-Have B2B Content Marketing SkillsThis list is divided into two categories: The "hard skills" that you learn through instruction, and the soft skills that rely more on personal development and human interaction.Four Hard Skills#1 - Search Engine Optimization You don’t have to be a SemRushin’, Google Analytics wizard to be a content creator and strategist. But creating great content does require a solid understanding of modern SEO practices. You should know how to understand search intent, dig into ambiguous keywords, and create best-answer content that meets search demand. #2 - Social Media Marketing You may have a dedicated social media person or team, but content marketers should still know how to create compelling B2B social posts that attract attention without breaking the brand voice. You should be up to date on what type of content performs best on each platform. #3 - Influencer Marketing Content marketers should know how to co-create content with influencers. That means writing a framework that allows for collaboration, asking the right questions to guide influencer responses, and even conducting intelligent interviews. Content marketers' expertise makes all the difference in the resulting content feeling cohesive and compelling. #4 - Measurement Measurement is what turns content into content marketing. Content marketers should be able to strategize, create goals and metrics that match them, track progress, and ultimately optimize over time.Eight Soft Skills#1 - Empathy The heart and soul of any content marketing is empathy. You have to be able to take the customer’s perspective and make a human connection. Empathy is even more important in B2B content, because it keeps the content focused on people. It’s easy to lose the human connection when you’re writing about container-based software-as-a-service platforms. That empathy for the people, the buyer, the end user, should be what drives the content. [bctt tweet="That empathy for the people, the buyer, the end user, should be what drives the content. @NiteWrites" username="toprank"] #2 - Creativity I would argue B2B content requires even more creativity than B2C. The difference is having to work within strict limitations. Big B2B brands have whole departments concerned with brand reputation, brand voice, standards and practices, approved image libraries and fonts… Content creators have to produce something eye-catching and meaningful without breaking any of these limitations. And they have to know when it makes sense to push the boundaries. #3 - Communication The success of B2B content depends on explaining complex concepts in simple terms. You may know all the ins and outs of your solution, but odds are your audience won’t. Clear, jargon-free, conversational writing that offers value is the only way to succeed. #4 - Organization This skill is important for any B2B marketer, but especially if you work at an agency. We’re working on a dozen different clients at any one time, each with multiple assets in various stages of development. Without organizational skills, it would be impossible to get everything done on time (even with a dedicated project manager on staff). #5 - Motivation I read recently about a man who had been on the payroll of a major corporation for over a year without ever doing any work. Seriously. Somewhere between restructuring and management turnover, he simply got separated from responsibility without losing his salary. via GIPHY That won’t ever happen for a B2B content marketer. There’s nowhere to hide: We’re responsible for concrete, quantifiable, and quality deliverables. There’s no such thing as slacking off, and there’s no such thing as writer’s block. The ability to push past obstacles, buckle down and get the work done is vital. #6 - Confidence Part of the job description is defending and explaining your work to stakeholders. For an agency, that includes account managers and clients. For a marketing department, that might include the executive suite, too. B2B content marketers need the (justified) confidence to advocate for content and approach they know will be effective. #7 - Humility The flip-side of confidence is the ability to put the content ahead of one’s individual ego. B2B content is bound to go through layers of review, with each stakeholder adding their own critique and suggestions. Humility means that you can take in constructive criticism and apply it with an eye toward producing the best content possible. While confidence is key, knowing your way doesn’t have to be the only way is equally important. #8 - Collaboration Finally, B2B content marketing is a team sport. It’s not about making a name for yourself — you have blog posts for that. It’s about partnering across areas of specialty to create something stunning. I found that my content got even better when I involved the design team from the start, for example. Working closely with design, SEO, influencer and social specialists only makes the work better. Here's a shot of the gang I get to work with every day:B2B Content Marketing Is a Game of SkillI’ll admit it: Before I got into the field, I thought content marketing was just getting paid to write all day. Now I know there’s a lot more to the job than just filling buckets with prose. Content marketers are writers, strategizers, empathizers, collaborators, and so much more. Need to level up your B2B content marketing? Our highly-skilled team is ready and waiting.The post 12 Must-Have Skills for B2B Content Marketers appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®. Mobile Marketing via Hubspot http://bit.ly/2V5eKQ7 June 25, 2019 at 05:36AM
http://bit.ly/2J9abie
Juniper: Digital Advertising To Hit $520B By 2023; Amazon To Capture 8% http://bit.ly/2X3ek16 Global spending on digital advertising will reach $520 billion by 2023 — up from $294 billion in 2019, according to a new forecast from Juniper Research. The projected growth — averaging 15% annually over the next five years — will be driven by artificial intelligence-based programmatic buying capable of delivering highly targeted ads, says the report. Juniper’s definition of digital advertising for analysis and projection purposes includes online, mobile browsing, in-app, digital out-of-home (DOOH) and over-the-top (OTT) TV services. Because of advertising platforms’ focus on increasing access to contextual advertising traffic data to maximize the efficiency of machine learning for targeting, 75% of global online and mobile ads are expected to be delivered via AI-based programmatic advertising by 2023. advertisement advertisement “Giving algorithms access to the vast amounts of data generated by advertising traffic, including purchasing habits, user buckets and geographical location, is critical to enabling advertisers to secure a return on their ad spend,” observes the research’s author, Sam Barker. Thanks to its “unparalleled” consumer retail data, Amazon’s ad revenue (Amazon display ad example shown above) is projected to rise to $40 billion by 2023, representing 470% growth from 2018. The ecommerce giant’s share of digital advertising is forecast to rise to 8%, from 3% in 2018. Google’s digital ad revenue is expected to exceed $230 billion by 2023. Yet because of the growing competition from Amazon, Baidu and others, Google’s share of the pie is forecast to decline by 1% during the period. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH June 24, 2019 at 08:11AM Get Marketing, Sales On Same Page With Refined Brand Story http://bit.ly/2ICEb7p Don't let internal misalignment prevent you from telling — and selling — your story. The Harvard Business Review found that marketing and sales departments are often disconnected. When these teams have different responsibilities, sales can get frustrated, marketing messages can get lost, and the customer experience can suffer. While marketing attracts customers with well-done materials and messaging strategies, sales has to present a consistent brand identity. For this to happen, marketing has to "hold the story longer" and spend time sharing it with those on the front lines so they can become great storytellers, too. The interpretation problem and the storied solution Sometimes, marketing and sales departments get caught up in their own work and don't communicate much with each other. Building silos is easy when you're trying to do what needs to get done. But silos don't just keep employees locked away from each other — they keep brand stories and messages locked away, too. advertisement advertisement This leaves marketing creating messages that salespeople have to try to interpret themselves. So how can you bridge divides, connect with the front line, and enhance your brand story? Follow these three steps to get buy-in: Translate the language. Marketers and customer-facing teams tend to talk to consumers in different ways. You wouldn't use the language from a billboard when talking to someone in a retail store. For example, Subaru's "Share the Love" campaign offers a great slogan, but what does it mean to a salesperson in a dealership? Translate the essence of your brand story into new language and actions for front-line personnel, The more relevant you can make it to them and the ways they talk to customers, the better. Each department will be more confident telling the tailored story, and customers will be more receptive when they hear it. Break the story into pieces. A great author can pull readers through a story by sharing information piece by piece. Similarly, if you tell your story to your internal audiences like this, you'll keep them engaged and excited for what comes next and give them the chance to learn it as it evolves. Even better, it'll be a story they want to tell. One company created an internal teaser campaign to create buzz for a mobile phone launch. Instead of giving employees every detail about phone and the promotions for it, there were cryptic messages that hinted at what was coming. By taking the bits-and-pieces approach, the company built anticipation and had a solid product launch. Mix up the training style. How you convey the stories you want your employees to tell matters. Hook them by finding storytelling tactics that are compelling and fit the needs of your team members. Some companies use virtual training in the form of quick videos to teach their sales teams, for example. These bite-sized clips are a great way to keep everyone on the same page and engaged with the messages you want them to share. Marketers have an opportunity to make the difference in how their brand story is told. By holding the story longer, they can get audience attention and do it in a way that stays consistent no matter which team is sharing the message. Mobile Marketing via MediaPost.com: mobile http://bit.ly/2oB2PsH June 23, 2019 at 06:15PM |
CategoriesArchives
April 2023
|