the lens of transformation

Advertising agencies are changing the scope of their business. They are seeking solutions across commerce, digital content, and media distribution. This shift has been slow. Quite frankly, they've been wrapped too tight in their own traditions. However, to their credit, they've moved with much precision.

The shift has changed the face of marketing. TV marketing is waning, giving way to social media, digital media, user experience or open source. A new wave of innovators is poised to bring their expertise to this new ecosystem.

Accenture, IBM, PwC, and Deloitte are engaged in the acquisition of agencies that have capabilities in user experiences, digital marketing, design, Web, and mobile. These organizations have services traditional agencies can't match.

Digital marketing must fit into the overall business strategy.

Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men

Client-agency relationships will be revolutionized. A new breed of ad agency will be born. This means that agencies will create websites, app, and video games. Digital initiatives for brands will be created. A variety of platforms will be created for content and production.

Newsrooms will bring a bigger power to brands. The customer experience will be transformed to deliver goods and services with the customer's journey in mind.

The customer will be a major part of a brand, acting as the salesman for the product they buy.

Creation and distribution are key. Many elements will be transformed that will give the entire spectrum of media a new meaning, a new way of doing things.

Source: forbes.com (November 2016) My 'Next-Big-Thing' List: Who Will Transform The Post-TV Ad World In 2017

Related topic: B2B and Social Media

blog marketing

Content marketing with a blog helps get better rankings on the search engines. We need to concentrate on more, like engagement and authority. We have to attract an audience and keep it. We also have to lead this audience to do something, like subscribe to a newsletter, share something, or buy something.

We need content that engages our audience. Your content must tell a story and offer to solve a problem.

Each blog post must have an image that accompanies it. This is important since people are more likely to check out your content if they see an image they're drawn to. This is particularly true with Twitter.

The best images are colorful. Images should be simple with a strong focal point. Remember, simplicity helps find pictures with strong focal points. Strong images are good for mobile. Be sure your images are relevant to your content.

Images are a valuable tool in anyone’s content marketing arsenal

Source: website-designs.com (July 2015), Blogs, Content Marketing, and Images

facebook live

Facebook has some neat, new features.

 

You've probably seen the little icon for Facebook Live. This gives you the opportunity to do live streaming video onto your Facebook page or timeline. 

To start Live, open up the status bar as though you were going to write a new post and click the little camera to the left. It reads "Live". If you have a page click "Post". When that opens up, look toward the bottom for "Go Live". Click that to make a video!

This will push you into a cue to start live streaming. 

You will be prompted to name your video feed and choose your audience. You can live stream to everyone or selected followers. 

Click the bottom to go Live and you're broadcasting! You can save the video if you want to share it later.

Tips:

• Ideal video length: 5 to 20 minutes
• Use a short title. If you need a longer description, do it in the comments.
• After the live event be sure to add a narrative and change up the thumbnail. 1 to 10 images
• Tags help people discover your video.
• You can only tag people under "edit video". You can't edit on mobile... only on a desktop.

Hope these tips help you. If you're in need of direction with your video, contact me to discuss your project.

twitter content

Social media content marketing is becoming more powerful.

Digital marketing is an ever-expanding field that is constantly becoming more and more rich with traffic and consumer mileage. Because social media is so powerful in this day and age, it’s becoming more and more important to stay extremely relevant on social media.

This means keeping your content current based on feature stories and industry news relevant at the time. When you respond to a trending topic with a source, you increase your chances of being found via Twitter searches. 

This kind of thinking should be applied to all your strategies in marketing, but especially those that deal with Twitter.

 

Twitter moves like lightning. As soon as someone finds out new information, they’ve got to comment on it. This kind of relevance is hard to achieve, but doable as long as you implement a strategy that keeps you on your Twitter toes. 

Look to your content. The content you post and share on Twitter should be focused on topics both relevant to you and your chosen audience. When you find your audience niche, it’s easy to post quality content that they care about.

the big refund

CNBC reported today that there was a spike in tickets being refunded to Progressive Field in Cleveland for game seven of the World Series.

The ticket unload was started by Cleveland fans. They unloaded tickets by the thousands. This selling created a flood of tickets to hit the market.

This means the excess will be bought up by Cub fans!

Basically, Cleveland Indians fans have given up.

37% of the "new" tickets are coming from Chicago fans and 22% from Cleveland fans. Almost 25% of the seating capacity for tonight's game is coming from the home team's fans. Extraordinary!

 

curated content

Curation is all about sorting through the vast amount of content across the Web. 

Find and share the gems whether it’s in your newsletters, across social channels, or as research for creating your own content.

When you start sharing more curated content you’ll quickly learn more about your audience. This will also help dictate the type of content to invest in creating yourself. 

Keep things fresh.

don't lose sight

What drew you to music? For me it is a connection. I imagine it's a connection for a lot of us, to connect with other people, whether that's the musicians, audience members, and others connected to the "music thing" in general.

Music has been around for a long time. The first recovered piece of recorded music goes back to 800 BC. So music can be proven to have been with the human race during early expansions into new lands and territories. Where humans went, they brought along their music.

Music probably inspired people to explore and discover, to worship and love, to settle and conquer. 

Music is an exciting topic. For as long as it has been around, no one really understands why we love music. This topic has been studied and researched for three centuries. Researchers, scientists, and philosophers have tried to find a practical function for music. We have a variety of notions and ideas why we put music into our lives, but these are so varied that we often fail to "hit the nail on the head".

Researchers have yet to find a "music center" in the brain.

It's fascinating to contemplate and think about what the point of music actually is. It makes us feel good. It can make us feel bad. Either way, music elicits an emotional response in the listener.

Don't lose focus on the music connection. Keep the connection alive as a musician, an audience member, and a music industry associate. There comes a responsibility with the music focus. Automatically we know what that responsibility is.

Don't lose sight of what drew you to music in the first place.

blogging and influence

Blogging influences customers. Here's how:

• They buy from blogs
• They are inspired by blogs
• They get assurance from buying from blogs
• They discover new products and services
• They get support and answers from blogs
• They refine their choices from blogs

Every time you publish a blog post you get the opportunity to influence your readers.
Blogging is a good benefit.

blogging

Blogging allows you to connect with your audience, the people who want to follow you. You’ll be able to convert readers of your blog into followers.

Continue to engage them via your blog.

A blog will attract the search engines and will be featured highly in the search results. 

Blog regularly, ideally three or more times per week. Consider blogging as online marketing. Once you start to use a blog and make it part of your marketing campaign, you'll find that you won't need some of the other expensive advertising mediums. By being a regular blogger you’ll become an authority figure that others look to for advice within your niche.

You can tailor your blogging activities to meet the needs of your audience. 

margo price

Margo Price is making history. Her debut LP, Midwest Farmer's Daughter, is the first time a solo female has debuted in the Top 10 without any prior releases on the Billboard Hot Country Songs ranking.


The LP sold 4000 units in its first week to debut on the Billboard Top Country Album Chart at No. 10.

Rolling Stone Country named Margo to their list of  Artists You Need to Know in the Fall of 2014.


If that's not enough for this gal with the engaging voice, there's more. She received a stellar review from pastemagazine. com which also named Midwest Farmer's Daughter (Third Man) as a Best 10 Album of  March 2016.


She's coming across as an overnight success, but she is far from that. In show business, the overnight sensation rarely, if ever, happens. She's worked 12 years in Nashville for her current opportunity.

Margo is a 2001 graduate of Aledo IL High School. She then attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb for two years before going to Nashville. In November 2015 she inked with Third Man Records. Her debut effort has garnered rave reviews from several music information outlets.

Her recent appearances have included the Stephen Colbert Show and the CBS Morning Show.

Her next appearance is Saturday, April 9 at 10:35 PM Central on Saturday Night Live. SNL musical guests are very rarely of the country genre, so this is a particular network television honor.

Midwest Farmer's Daughter is available on Amazon

Her voice is a cross between Patsy Cline and Pam Tillis. Fresh and new, with plenty of traditional vibes. Just what country music needs.

Follow Margo on Twitter

cheap trick: bang, zoom, crazy... hello

On April 8, 2016 Cheap Trick will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


The album Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello is their first album since 2009, the longest break between albums. When I Wake Up Tomorrow is the second advance single. This song has been called "Bowie-esque". The similarities to David Bowie are evident, but it's not a rip-off. It's Cheap Trick genuine, and one could argue it's a tribute to Bowie. I could hear Bowie doing it.

"This song always reminds me of a sultry David Bowie song," says Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen. Click here to pre-oder the album.

The album will be supported by a tour that runs from April through September. The tour kicks off April 1st in Chicago. A good idea, since the band is from Rockford. They have been a concert favorite for many years, as they are known to play as much as 25 songs per show.

Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson, Daxx Nielsen, Robin Zander

The vinyl version of the album will be released on May 6th.

task of data

We are entering an age of disruption. Disruptors win big using data and analytics to create winning business strategies. This business strategy needs to come in four forms:

1. A Unified Company Approach
2. Customer Experience
3. Connected Digital Ecosystem
4. New Business Models

To excel at any one of these, a data-centric viewpoint is needed.

Intuition or experienced-based decisions aren't enough. This leads to more failures. In the data-driven era, company leaders need:

1. Trustworthy data
2. Timely data
3. Contextually relevant data

These three items help find a strategic window.

This allows the unthinkable.

Marvin Ellison, new CEO of JC Penney, has taken on the "task of data". He is proving the primacy of customer experience, and more importantly, the primacy of data in driving great customer experience.

Ellison said, "Pure intuition without any data gets you in trouble." 

With data, Ellison was able to change JC Penney's chances of surviving and increase sales by 3.9% during the 2015 holidays. This data-driven influence helped with customer loyalty. Data helped place clothing in the stores' floor plans. He learned women do 80% of the buying in the stores, so clothing was arranged so women could easily shop for men's' apparel. There was also data for appliance shopping.

These decisions were made from data.

be engaging

Tell a story. Paint a verbal picture. This brings your audience into the story. Marketers have created engaging ways to "talk" to potential customers. Infographics, videos, and even webinars allow curators to break down relevant statistics. Creative visuals encourage audience engagement.

Audiences embrace content that is the most relevant to them. This establishes a community of like-minded followers.

A good marketer will use content to tell engaging stories. 

 

the open network

The OPEN mindset is how we grow our personal networks.

OPEN 

(Ordinary Person | Extraordinary Network)

 

Today quality content is in focus. This means quality contributions and quality connections. Those successful in Social Media have developed OPEN Circles.

How do you do that?

ASK:

• What do I have in common with that person?
• Will this person see value in what I am sharing?
• Will I learn anything from them?
• Is this person a potential partner, collaborator or friend?
• Do they have the capacity to refer me to others in their network?
• Can I do the same for them? 

Grow your personal brand. Be OPEN.

music and the internet

The music industry's use of the Internet has come a long way. Let's face it, the Internet was killing music. Digital rights were a problem. Device compatibility was too. Streaming services came next. Big Data and analytics have played a big part in the positive evolution.

What's been moving the evolution?

Recommendation engines designed to make the perfect playlist is redefining the dynamics of the music industry. The relationship is creative between listeners and music. This relationship has built a new horizon for the music and the listener.

In the past, the record industry had limited ways to learn who was buying LPs, cassettes, or CDs. Downloading allowed record labels to begin tracking listening habits and making recommendations like Amazon does for books.

The current streaming model opened the floodgates.

All the listening is up for grabs. The industry wants to gain a deeper understanding of its customers and the music.

Raw music is unstructured data because it is easily digitized. It can be quantified and analyzed. Since 1999, the Musical Genome Project has been structurng music data by manual classification as well as automated algorithms. Up to 450 data points are used. 30 million songs are in the database.

The Musical Genome Project was developed by Pandora.

The Internet of Things could be finding its place in music. The streaming model is popular. Look for crowdfunding platforms to spring up. Live streams translate into revenue streams.

Data Analytics is the driving force.

harper

Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.
― Harper Lee
- See more at: http://positivewriter.com/8-of-the-most-inspiring-quotes-youll-ever-read-i-promise/?utm_content=buffer30bb1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.tGysMhzZ.dpuf

"Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it."
                   - Harper Lee                                    

― Harper Lee
- See more at: http://positivewriter.com/8-of-the-most-inspiring-quotes-youll-ever-read-i-promise/?utm_content=buffer30bb1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.tGysMhzZ.dpuf

Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.
― Harper Lee
- See more at: http://positivewriter.com/8-of-the-most-inspiring-quotes-youll-ever-read-i-promise/?utm_content=buffer30bb1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.tGysMhzZ.dpuf

Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.
― Harper Lee
- See more at: http://positivewriter.com/8-of-the-most-inspiring-quotes-youll-ever-read-i-promise/?utm_content=buffer30bb1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.tGysMhzZ.dpuf

Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.
― Harper Lee
- See more at: http://positivewriter.com/8-of-the-most-inspiring-quotes-youll-ever-read-i-promise/?utm_content=buffer30bb1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.tGysMhzZ.dpuf

Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.
― Harper Lee
- See more at: http://positivewriter.com/8-of-the-most-inspiring-quotes-youll-ever-read-i-promise/?utm_content=buffer30bb1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.tGysMhzZ.dpuf

Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.
― Harper Lee
- See more at: http://positivewriter.com/8-of-the-most-inspiring-quotes-youll-ever-read-i-promise/?utm_content=buffer30bb1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#sthash.tGysMhzZ.dpuf

the press

Working with the press can be very beneficial to you business. Have the "press friendly" attitude. Keep in mind that one day in the future you'll need the press for earned media, generally in the form of press releases.

Relationships

Working with the press will give you opportunities to create relationships that will help promote your business and brand. Reach out when you can help members of the press. Relationships with the press are two-way.

Resource

Be one where a press reporter can go to to get information. A resource. You'll be valuable. Keep up your reading on a variety of subjects. Write about them. Do your homework. Reach out to members of the press when you see a story that's on a topic you know about. The reporter may need another source for a follow-up article. If they received help from you, they'll turn to you when they need your help.

When you're there for the press, they'll be there for you. Working with the press is smart business.

a post on website-design.com was the source for this post

cell-phone novels

We've had e-books on Kindle and Nook, but are you ready for novels delivered to cellphones?

They'll be delivered one chapter at a time. Breaking down novels into installments really isn't a new concept. Novelist Charles Dickens did so when he published small novels in London newspapers. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave the world Sherlock Holmes in installments before he wrote the first Holmes full-fledged novel.

Mobile publishing, though, is a new idea and has merit.

Chiki Sarkar, the former head of Penguin India  has launched a new publishing venture specializing in mobile "books". Juggernaut Books has a strong editorial team and a good backing.

Mobile publishing is an exciting business with plenty of potential. There's an "experiment" feel to digital publishing. I'm sure there is still much to decide.

Read more from a source post on Vogue India

Read more from a source post on Deccan Chronicle

What we have now is Juggernaut Books, a publishing house with strong investors and one of the most high-powered editorial teams in the business.

Read more at: http://www.vogue.in/content/what-chiki-sarkar-wants-you-to-know-about-her-new-publishing-house-juggernaut-books/

What we have now is Juggernaut Books, a publishing house with strong investors and one of the most high-powered editorial teams in the business.

Read more at: http://www.vogue.in/content/what-chiki-sarkar-wants-you-to-know-about-her-new-publishing-house-juggernaut-books/

What we have now is Juggernaut Books, a publishing house with strong investors and one of the most high-powered editorial teams in the business.

Read more at: http://www.vogue.in/content/what-chiki-sarkar-wants-you-to-know-about-her-new-publishing-house-juggernaut-books/

What we have now is Juggernaut Books, a publishing house with strong investors and one of the most high-powered editorial teams in the business.

Read more at: http://www.vogue.in/content/what-chiki-sarkar-wants-you-to-know-about-her-new-publishing-house-juggernaut-books/

What we have now is Juggernaut Books, a publishing house with strong investors and one of the most high-powered editorial teams in the business.

Read more at: http://www.vogue.in/content/what-chiki-sarkar-wants-you-to-know-about-her-new-publishing-house-juggernaut-books/

What we have now is Juggernaut Books, a publishing house with strong investors and one of the most high-powered editorial teams in the business.

Read more at: http://www.vogue.in/content/what-chiki-sarkar-wants-you-to-know-about-her-new-publishing-house-juggernaut-books/

What we have now is Juggernaut Books, a publishing house with strong investors and one of the most high-powered editorial teams in the business.

Read more at: http://www.vogue.in/content/what-chiki-sarkar-wants-you-to-know-about-her-new-publishing-house-juggernaut-books/

What we have now is Juggernaut Books, a publishing house with strong investors and one of the most high-powered editorial teams in the business.

Read more at: http://www.vogue.in/content/what-chiki-sarkar-wants-you-to-know-about-her-new-publishing-house-juggernaut-books/

replacing old blog posts

Every content piece has value, and while you may need to replace an old blog post, for example, you can update it with fresh, new information, even while keeping in a link that is still good and, most likely, has search engine optimization (SEO) attached to it. When you get ready to repost the updated version, use an editor’s note at the top under the title, or at the bottom, indicating when the post was first published and noting that it's been updated for new information.

what to do

I came across a website on LinkedIn that gave 10 items to do to become a millionaire. I liked it because there is one item on it that I feel is important and I wished to pass it on.

Rule of 500

Simply put, if you wish to become a millionaire, make contact and reach out to 500 people a month. I post this mainly for a reminder to myself, to reach out to "the 500". This makes sense if we're wanting to make money. But I'm not looking at the money angle so much. I want to make contact with a lot of people. But wait..... "the 500" a month does not mean a different set of 500 people per month. It can be the same people.

Now.... the article states to reach out by phone or email. I originally thought of social media when I saw the heading. I'm spinning my head to begin an email campaign. I'm going to have to glean my social media contacts to get a list of 500. I'll do that. I'm starting tomorrow morning. If you're interested to hear from me on a regular basis, email me to follow this blog. The submit area is at the bottom of the right-hand column of this blog.

I'll most likely send them blog post info and other items of interest. That's where my work comes in, to find the right "500".  I'm not going to be a pest. I wish to be of help. That's more for me to do.

I urge you to do the same thing. Remember...... email or phone. I suggest email first.

The article tells us that to expect at first a 5% conversion rate when reaching out. That's OK. Remember to concentrate on building relationships. That's where to start.

I tend to think email as a social media channel. To me, Facebook Messenger is glorified email. Same with Twitter. That's me though...... to make email a bit more social.

blog about it

A blog is an extremely powerful tool for awareness and engagement. It assists in driving more traffic to your website, and is also a place to build your relationship with visitors. Similar to your homepage and other site pages, be sure to include a clear call to action at the bottom of each blog post. You can encourage the visitor to read a related post, signup for your newsletter, or register for a webinar or event. Whatever the case may be, use the blog to support that goal.

Be sure to get updates to this blog via Email. Signup - bottom right-hand column of this blog.

value and engagement

You might be wondering what the difference is between value and engagement.

Engagement is visible social media reactions. Comments and "likes" on Facebook are examples.

Value can be entertainment and information. 
News is a subset of information and stops to be informative after a limited time.  

High level social media advice given by consultants can be summarized to:

• Provide value.
• Get and grow engagement.
• Grow your audience and increase return on investment (ROI).

We don't get to decide what value is.
Our social media plan is about the value we provide to our audience. 
But what audience? The TARGET AUDIENCE. The target audience really is the key to unlocking social media success. Value is a goal and our job is to provide a lot of value.

What is target audience and value exactly?
The target audience is who you want to reach. Say males from 25 to 34 years of age. Value is information that is useful to your target audience.

Let's say you sell diapers. You could blog how to best use your products. Or perhaps about children's toys or toy safety. Another subjects is tips on handling a busy life with a child. Let's assume that your audience already knows you sell diapers. Your not blogging about your product to give value to the audience. Blog about items that are related to your product or to the people who use your products.

What is exactly the right item to blog about?
Well, that's a challenge. We really don't know for sure. It's up to trial and error. If your blogging to a niche market, initial data helps. 

We can only measure.
But what? 
Engagement is an indicator for value.
Engagement. Traffic. Sales.    

Look for engagement within the context. 

Relate to your audience. Personalize your blogging. Try to anchor your audience with the initial information they receive. 
 

 

interest and inform

Blog posting can be a challenge. Although not difficult, posting an entry deserves attention so it gets noticed and read.

Posts should be carefully thought out so it develops and builds your brand. Promotion is important, but don't overdo it. If you do come back with informative posts in which you put selling on hold. Do your research. This pays off. Perhaps not immediately, but for long-term growth research is very valuable.

Content is king. Remember that. Keep your content focused on what you do. Don't get too far off your path to success. Develop and care for the interest you've created. That a content goal of yours.

biz plan

You may or may not have a business plan. It's essential. It maps your territory, whether you've blazed a trail or not. I've put together a list of items to have in mind when you create a plan or review your current one.

A business plan gives you an advantage. It puts you in the position of knowing your limitations and what to expect for future growth. Don't be afraid..... the knowledge you'll gain will give you all new perspective.

1. Know your competition.

Stand for something, even if it means standing alone. Often the one who stands alone has the strongest wings. You'll learn creativity. Be an oak.... oak tree that is. Take care of others and others will take care of you. You'll automatically continue your journey and know that what you do is more important than what the competition is doing. But you'll learn who your competition is too.

2. Know your audience.

When you do what you do with passion. You want much and you have given much, but to who? Did you pay attention to that? You should have. That's your audience. How old are they? Where are they from? What gender? Pay attention and keep track of this.

3. Have proof to backup claims.

Enough said.

4. Be Conservative in all your financial estimates and projections.

Don't make a mess. We all seem to think we'll do better do we actually do. Apparently that's a human condition. Speak less and listen more.

5. Be realistic with time.

Ask yourself what you want. If you want something you've never had before you'll have to do something you've never done before. That means you'll have to venture outside your safety zone. Not easy, and it'll take time. Use that time wisely, it's a precious commodity.

6. Be loyal and write what bankers want to see.

Create a plan you can be proud of. Let your confidence come through. If your business plan is good it shows that you are worth every risk and you'll pursue every opportunity that comes your way. Pay attention and the banker will pay attention to you.

These may help you to get organized to produce your plan or review what you have. Go get what you're after.

This article from inc.com was inspiration to write this post: 18 Business Lessons

data for growth

Data grows up to 60% a year. 90% of the world's data was created in the last two years.

6 billion people have cell phones. The world population is 7 billion.

Business analysts spend 80% of their time looking for information, and only 20% using it. Data analysis is crucial for companies that want to grow.

An analytical specialist collects chaotic data, structurises it and delivers it.

There are 3 types of data analysis:

1. Prescriptive Analytics
2. Predictive Analytics
3. Descriptive Analytics

Analytics does not remove the need for human insights. There is a compelling need for people to understand data, think from the business point of view, and to come up with insights.

There is a need for professionals with analytic skills that look to harness the power of big data. The ocean of big data is vital to the organization.

To grow visuals come into play. 66% of social media posts are visual according to inc.com. The brain processes visuals better and faster.

Imagery grabs attention
Visuals are easily shareable