What will the latest digital communications trends for business be in 2014? ▲ ▲ ▲ 'evergreen marketing insighter' by Gloria Buono-Daly

Mobility programs have enabled many companies to replace standard business procedures with more improved, customized and preferred procedures. This applies to internal and external communications programs but also for various other types of physical work environments and activities throughout a company.

As a result of these mobility enhancements, business media communications has become the latest 2014 trend for driving efficiency and productivity in corporations. Communicating more effectively throughout a company and incorporating various mobility preferences based on behavioral work patterns has resulted in improved products and services, increased brand awareness to their consumer audiences and ultimately has resulted in more sales and improved ROI.


QUALITITATIVE BUSINESS MEDIA REPLACING QUANTITATIVE SOCIAL MEDIA?
The latest shift is focusing on business media communications and information programs, particularly qualitative logistics with much less to no concentration on social media campaigns -- i.e., mobile audience behavioral patterns and audience personal preferences for device use. This trend does not appear to be going away anytime soon as business media continues to replace social media.

This, along with anticipated changes in audience perceptions and behavioral tendencies from the use of mobile technologies to clouds and other disruptive innovations, has been transforming real time digital communications and multi-channels.

BUSINESS MEDIA AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MOBILITY
The hottest communications trends have shifted more toward business media, customized communities, and big data. Does this mean that the traditional social media communications strategies will be left out in the cold?

An example of the use of mobility business media, is illustrated in an earlier blog (August 2013) titled, “Mobile and HTML5 integrating big time: "evergreen marketing insights" by Gloria Buono-Daly”.

In this article I reported on how the business mobility trend has been transforming and improving the way people work. Also this latest business communications trend is one of the main reasons why many companies continue to allow their employees to use their own devices at work.

PERSONAL DEVICE PREFERENCE DRIVES MOBILITY
According to a recent gomomentum.com report, two-thirds of companies already let employees bring their own devices to work and use them for business-related purposes because this has helped boost productivity by keeping employees in constant contact (real time) with customers, business partners and colleagues. Also, it makes it easier for employees to work outside of the office. This digital communication concept holds true for communicating to consumers as well. Websites are now developed for all user devices not just the desktop computer.

All things multi-channel and mobility, will become more prevalent in 2014 and onward.

Workforce systems and networks are enhancing communications and work portability, increasing productivity, and improving efficiency.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS DRIVES COMMERCE
2014 will also mark the year that transforms digital communications as measurable results will continue to prove it has become the driving force for commerce. More than branding, it is the communicating and storytelling across the various business media platforms that drive businesses and commerce for 2014.

While many experts indicated that Facebook advertising increased sales (articles written in 2010 - 2012, no articles supported this in 2013 with the exception of one or two articles about small companies), this does not seem to be the case for 2014. Major corporations do not rely on Facebook advertising to increase sales.

Besides no supportive research on business value using Facebook, there are many political, personal, and advocacy pages communicating on Facebook that are offensive yet Facebook policy identifies them as “poor taste” or “crude attempts at humor” pages and therefore are not removed since they do not violate Facebook policy. As a result, many corporations have dropped advertising on Facebook. For more on this, refer to the 4th bullet item in the "RESOURCES" section below.

This latest, disruptive trend -- customized mobility -- will continue to replace “social media” in 2014 as business communication campaigns implement customized “business media” platforms for their audiences – employees and consumers.

What do you think? Are your company’s “business media” programs incorporating the latest digital communications and mobility strategies for driving commerce?

RESOURCES
▲  Out With The Old: 4 Communications Trends for 2014 http://www.gomomentum.com/old-4-communications-trends-2014/
▲  The Top 7 Communications Trends For 2014, B2C http://www.business2community.com/communications/top-7-communications-trends-2014-0717938
▲  “Mobile and HTML5 integrating big time: "evergreen marketing insights" by Gloria Buono-Daly” http://myblog.allthingsdigitalmarketing.com/2013/08/mobile-and-html5-integrating-big-time.html
▲  13 Companies Drop Facebook Advertising Over Domestic Violence Ads, http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/05/28/2064461/13-companies-drop-facebook-advertising-over-domestic-violence-content/
▲  Latest trends in digital communication, http://www.pria.com.au/priablog/2013-trends-in-digital-communication
▲ Econsultancy: A list of 10 retail mobile apps that customers love, http://econsultancy.com/blog/64140-a-list-of-10-retail-mobile-apps-that-customers-love


If you are interested in following I’m on Twitter @gbdaly or http://www.twitter.com/gbdaly

Do feel free to share your digital insights and thanks for visiting.

Please share this blog with your social media and other professional networks. Thanks.


“The latest digital communications trends for business in 2014” is part of the evergreen marketing insighter ▲▲▲ series by Gloria Buono-Daly

Digital marketing and the days of likes & followers ▲ ▲ ▲ 'evergreen marketing insighter' by Gloria Buono-Daly

Brand awareness and user engagement are integral for gauging the success of a marketing campaign. Yet, there are many other factors that need to be considered.

Although many marketers believe measuring the success of a campaign is by the amounts of "likes & followers," etc., research concludes that many companies who incorporate social media are not prepared because they do not have a metric strategy in place. Besides measuring social on engagement, conversion and revenue, there are many other challenges.

When it comes to sales and bottom lines, the digital marketing landscape no longer revolves around social media metrics and communities alone. There's much more to the equation which is more consumer driven and less social community based. With the many social platforms and digital channels, there is much speculation and inaccuracy in determining relationships.

The world of social media marketing is riddled with simultaneous text, images, geo-locations, iPhone, tablets, devices, etc., all in real time. There is no way managers can confidently make decisions based on complex data sources of this nature.

Major privacy programs are taking effect in 2014 and search engines are gradually incorporating hashtag search. Google has already implemented the use of hashtag searches on its search engine.

More and more marketers have accepted the fact that social media communities along with image-centric social media, geo-targeting and mobile marketing, are not meeting expectations. There's a whole lot more that will be going into digital marketing in 2014.

The hottest trends for 2014 are consumer oriented and are heavily involved with consumer protection and privacy.

As more and more people cling to their online devices (e.g., iPhones, tablets, laptops, etc.) marketers have accepted the fact that Web statistics (e.g., hits, followers, friends, likes, etc.) and social communities are not the major contributing factor to sales as originally anticipated.

In a world of big data, information and the feelings of being stalked on the internet, many consumers are opting for “privacy” over “social” despite dependencies on iphones, tablets, laptops, etc.

According to a recent Ad Age article, new laws and industry self-regulation privacy protections are being implemented in 2014 which will have a major impact for marketers and how they market to consumers.

Many thought leaders predict that 2014 will be the year of more customized content, video and technology disruptions; However, the days of tracking every move a consumer makes, will be diminishing as more and more legislative decisions and privacy protection programs get implemented.

In the world digital ecosystem, what marketing strategies are you incorporating for 2014? Do you believe the days of "likes and followers" are over? What impact do you think the digital revolution will bring for 2014?

RESOURCES


▲  10 innovative digital marketing campaigns from Diageo brands, Econsultancy, http://econsultancy.com/blog/63593-10-innovative-digital-marketing-campaigns-from-diageo-brands
▲  Four iPad Stats Every Publisher Should Know, AdAge, http://adage.com/channel/digital/20
▲  Top Digital Marketing Trends in 2014, socialmediatoday, http://socialmediatoday.com/anitaloomba/2035211/top-digital-marketing-trends-2014
6 digital marketing trends to watch out for in 2014, MoneyControl, http://www.moneycontrol.com/smementor/mentorade/marketing/6-digital-marketing-trends-to-watch-out-for2014-1011867.html
▲  Experts outline key digital marketing trend s for 2014, The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/dec/06/experts-digital-marketing-trends-2014
▲  2014 Digital Trends and Predictions from Marketing and Thought Leaders, Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/ekaterinawalter/2013/12/17/2014-digital-trends-and-predictions-from-marketing-thought-leaders/
▲  Three Big Privacy changes to Plan for in 2014, AdAge http://adage.com/article/datadriven-marketing/big-privacy-plan-2014/290885/


If you are interested in following I’m on Twitter @gbdaly or http://www.twitter.com/gbdaly

Do feel free to share your digital insights and thanks for visiting.

Please share this blog with your social media and other professional networks. Thanks.


"Digital marketing and the days of likes & followers" is part of the evergreen marketing insighter ▲▲▲ series by Gloria Buono-Daly

SES 2013 New York Conference: Facebook Graph Search event preview

The annual SES 2013 New York Conference is where marketing and advertising professionals get the most exciting and interesting opportunities. Besides networking with top notch experts, learning the latest trends and insights from the finest industry leaders in search and technology is second to none.

Here's another market-worthy preview of a very relevant and topical social media trend -- Facebook Graph Search, and potential repercussions on privacy.

SPOTLIGHT SESSION: Facebook Graph Search and its Impact on Reputation Management, Privacy, Local Search and More, scheduled for Thursday, March 28, Day 3, from 2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Attendees will learn the nuts and bolts and hear some of the findings from hundreds of Graph Searches - findings that could impact users, SEO's, parents, marketers, local businesses, and more. The goal of this session is to base the content on actual use versus opinion or theory, relevant topics including privacy concerns, online reputation management, local graph search and much more.

Here’s a preview of the quality and topical insights from featured guest speaker, Glenn Gabe, President, G-Squared Interactive (Photo above left, Glenn Gabe).

Q. What does it mean to you to be a part of the leading industry event, SES New York 2013 Conference? How does it make you feel to be invited as speaker?

A. It really means a lot to me. I feel it’s an honor to be a presenter at SES NY. During my career, I’ve always thought SES NY was one of the top conferences in the industry. Every time I have attended, I’ve had the ability to learn, network with peers, check out the latest software and tools, etc. I’m eager to present this year, and I have a lot to share.

Q. What is Graph Search?

A. Facebook Graph Search was released in January (2013), and it’s a social search engine based on the vast information contained in Facebook. It was highly-anticipated, since many in the industry viewed it as a direct competitor to Google (or at least an attempt to pull market share from Google). Graph Search enables Facebook users to search for people, places, interests, and photos, based on the vast data contained in Facebook. It’s important to note that the verticals I just mentioned are only the starting point for Facebook Graph Search. They fully intend to make much more content visible via Graph Search, including updates and comments. As you can guess, the results are heavily influenced by your social connections. For example, you can complete a search for “Italian restaurants liked by my friends” to surface personalized content. The algorithm incorporates many factors, including likes, check-ins, friend activity, Page information, etc.
Graph Search will be continually evolving, and I expect important refinements over time. And one of the biggest refinements could be the addition of search ads. We aren’t sure yet exactly how Facebook will implement search ads, but they are coming. Google generates 96% of its revenue from paid search, and Facebook knows that. Facebook is looking for sustainable sources of revenue, and Graph Search could potentially be one of them (if people use it, the results are strong, etc.)

Q. Where do you believe the biggest privacy concerns lie in regards to social media and the emerging graph search technologies?

A. There are huge privacy implications with Graph Search (and Social Search in general). I have come across numerous examples of Graph Search results that weren’t supposed to be public… It seems that users mistakenly posted photos publicly. Graph Search can surface content that used to be buried in Facebook. That’s a big deal, and users need to double check their privacy settings. And soon.

Q. What is the latest trend and metric indicator/s regarding Facebook users and their concerns regarding privacy issues particularly with the latest Facebook Graph Search features.

A. Facebook has a long history of privacy battles. And they’ve had their share of lawsuits too. I find many users (young and old) don’t understand their privacy settings, how to find them, how to set them up, etc. That leads to a lot of information getting exposed to a larger group of people than they initially intended… And that can lead to a host of problems. People have lost their jobs, kids have gotten in trouble, thieves mine public Facebook data looking for their next job, etc. So, it’s incredibly important to understand this, but many people don’t. To complicate the situation, Facebook wants you to share more information. That information can help fuel their ad platform (by providing more granular targeting). Therefore, it’s a tricky subject for both users and Facebook.

Q. Where can we find more about you? Web sites, blogs, etc. (Any additional information you want to share?)

A. My blog is titled the Internet Marketing Driver and you can find it here: http://www.hmtweb.com/marketing-blog/ I’m also a columnist for Search Engine Watch: http://searchenginewatch.com/author/2623/glenn-gabe You can read my bio here: http://www.hmtweb.com/glenn-gabe.htm

SES 2013 Agenda: http://sesconference.com/newyork/agenda.php

SES 2013 Homepage: http://sesconference.com/newyork/

Subscribe to SES Magazine for Free http://sesconference.com/form-magazine.php


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Q&A is from interview by Gloria Buono-Daly, Founder, AllThingsDigitalMarketing.com.

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About SES
Founded in 1999, SES has become the leading search and social marketing event in the industry. SES is programmed by leading practitioners and industry thought leaders who form the SES Global Advisory Board. The focus is 100% on education with a large sprinkling of networking sessions and events for attendees to share knowledge and experience as well as develop new business relationships.

Google In Your Backyard: Has the internet gone far beyond mainstream advertising and invasion of privacy?

From internet cookies to your backyard, what next? Spying in your bathroom?

According to a recent Wall Street Journal investigation, see article by Jessica E. Vascellaro of The Wall Street Journal “Google Agonizes on Privacy As Ad World Vaults Ahead” (Tuesday, August 10, 2010, A1, or see video) Google senior executives are reviewing their confidential “vision statement” assessing how far they should go in monetizing from it’s massive database, which tracks all forms of internet usage patterns from what video you upload on YouTube, your Gmail messages and your physical home address, to your checkout transactions and what websites you visit.  All this enables Google to customize the ads you see, a term they call intraspace advertising. 

So as you search the web using Google for information, let's say about cars, Google will inundate you with automobile ads which is turning your internet service experience, that you pay for with your own money, for your own personal Web search use, into a plethora of target marketing gimmicks, not only annoying for consumers but essentially invading privacy.  This type of internet advertising self dealing has been going on for some time now, but is becoming more rampant as new technologies are added coupled with the use of thousands of third-party businesses.  Obviously, in the long run,  this is going to do more harm than good.

Statistics from comScore indicate that in the month of June Google had the highest internet usage of all the global web companies with 75% of global Internet users (943.8 million). Included in Google’s vision statement was the admission that while some of their uses of databases are safe, some are “NOT” safe.

Doesn't Google's data-trading marketplace and use of users' personal information from various sources equate to essentially exploiting individuals without their permission? Is the public going to allow Google to essentially cyber-stalk for the sake of target advertising?

Have Google’s aggressions gone far beyond “mainstream advertising” to virtually snooping in backyards? Are Government Officials and Google abusing their power and illegally spying on the U.S. population?

According to Aaron Dyles  of Infowars.com (8/2/2010), local government officials in Riverhead, N.Y. are using Google’s satellite technology to snoop in residents backyards and issue fines to those that have pools without permits. All this without the legal protocol of acquiring a search warrant! Is this a violation of our constitutional rights? From internet cookies to your backyard, what next?  Spying in your bathroom?

Please answer this LinkedIn poll. Should something be done to prevent Google and other internet companies from invading consumer privacy on the Web?


by Gloria Buono Daly
Founder of AllThingsDigitalMarketing.com

Is Facebook Safe?: You've Got the Cutest Little Facebook, But is it Safe?

Is Facebook Safe?: You've Become Social Media Guru, Got the Cutest Little Facebook, But is Your Private Information Private and Safe?

Facebook, that wonderful social media site with the wonderful intention of helping friends stay connected, has recently announced new changes regarding their revised "open site governance" policy which will essentially enable Facebook to automatically share your Facebook user account data with other external sites without the you, Facebook user, ever knowing it and without your permission. This will take effect on April 3, 2010. 

When I first joined Facebook, this was not the case and I was assured that only the Facebook user would control who would get to see my private information. And this why I was willing to be part of the social media action. But now it appears Facebook is pulling the "bait and switch" tactic on Facebook account users,  and I have a few concerns.  Is this ethical?  Do you think Facebook is going too far? 

What this new policy change means is that external web sites that you are not even aware of exist all over  the world, will now be awarded the priviledge of having access to all of your Facebook account information including your photos,  friends, birthday, etc., and other personal information you have on Facebook. All this without your permission!  And to cover itself, Facebook recently changed its open site governance policy to accommodate this new strategy which appears to benefit Facebook and compromise Facebook account members/users all over the globe.

According to Barry Schnitt, Sr. Manager of Corporate Communications and Public Policy at Facebook in an email to ReadWriteWeb.com, "the right way to think about this is not like a new experience but as making the [Facebook] Connect experience even better and more seamless." I beg to differ.  Facebook believes with the advent of social media and blogging, etc., the world is less concerned about privacy and more concerned about making it easier to connect with other sites. But wait a minute, who is Facebook to speak for you and me?  Is all this worth compromising the pricacy and security of Facebook users? What this new change could mean is that Facebook users will now have to be more cautious and spend more time on Facebook  opting-out instead of opting-in. Apparently they will be adding tools which will enable you to "opt-out."

According to Marshall Kirkpatrick Vice President of Content Development at ReadWriteWeb.com's article Facebook May Share User Data With External Sites Automatically "That sounds downright creepy. It's nice to have one-click access to your Facebook info if you decide to share it with other sites - that's what Facebook Connect does - but the prospect of having that information automatically shared when you show up on another website seems like an idea that won't be well received by users. There's a big difference between opt-in and opt-out "data portability"."

My chief concern is that Facebook cannot guarantee that private information can be kept safe especially if you include those additional Facebook applications. So I'm not adding any Facebook applications to my Facebook account and will continue keeping it simple; Be conscientious, cautious, and don't put too much private information on Facebook as there may be big sorry tomorrows. There is an interesting video I viewed from BBC  which explains how malicious Facebook applications could steal the personal details of all your friends, not just your own details. Click here to view it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coczh-f9r_4

How do you feel about Facebook's latest policy change?  Your opinion is valuable, please answer this poll at http://bit.ly/Facebook_Issue

written by Gloria Buono Daly (c) 2010