Mediaboss Marketing

Moving into the future, businesses need expertise in an ever-increasing array of marketing tools: email marketing, social media marketing, Google Ads, blogging, growth hacking, lead generation, SEO, SEM, etc. Understanding which tools and strategies to use to achieve your business objectives can be difficult. Thats where this book list fits in. This list contains nine books that cover almost every aspect of digital marketing, so you can prepare for your marketing future today.

With all of the constant changes in digital marketing, it can be hard even for experienced business professionals, to keep up.

Digital Marketing for Dummieshighlights the importance of digital marketing and how it can be adapted to get the best return on investment for your time and money.

Digital Marketing for Dummies provides a non-technical, strategy-oriented approach for this.

Written by the CEO and Editorial Director (Ryan Deiss and Russ Henneberry) of DigitalMarketer.com, the book helps readers develop or refine their digital marketing strategies to align with their business goals in the areas of content marketing, social media marketing, search engine marketing (SEM), and online advertising.

If you have wondered why your business needs to Tweet, create YouTube videos, or blog when you have more important things to do, this book will provide the answer with a lot more.

Moving forward in the sharing and on-demand global economy, the world of marketing is changing.

Your business cant rely on the traditional marketing techniques of the past. Customers demand a two-way conversation and with that transparency and accountability. They have more options and less patience with pop-ups and commercials.

They seek diversity in the workplace and in their entertainment,

Marketing 4.0, written by three pioneering marketing gurus, helps business owners understand what the transition for digital marketing means to business owners.

In particular, the book shares how businesses can adapt their marketing to be more inclusive, more social and more flexible in the face of an unpredictable future.

If you are looking for a book to help you wrap your head around the bigger picture going in and how it affects your business, this book might be for you.

The first two books on this list talked about the big picture when it comes to digital marketing.

Digital Sensehelpsbusiness owners tie everything together on a ground-floor level.

Specifically, it helps business owners learn how to create an omnichannel presence

An omnichannel presence is the marketing term for a business that maintains a consistent marketing presence across various channels and devices.

It represents the future of marketing.

Digital Sense helps business owners develop this omnichannel presence using two frameworks designed tohelp businesses align their marketing efforts with their customers in a globally competitive world.

This is already a world filled with screens (TV, smartphones, laptops, tablets, even smart appliances) and the world is going to have a lot more in the next few years.

Mobile technology has affected the culture, economy and global society in a variety of ways.

The cultural and economic changes brought about by mobile technology are more obvious. But understanding the psychological impact of mobile technology, both good and bad is a bit trickier.

Thats where The Smarter Screencomes in.

Written by a behavioral economist, the book helps readers understand the complicated world of brains using mobile technology. For example, the book explores why people value shopping on mobile devices more than in the store or why humans remember things when its displayed on a screen.

Using the information in the book, the author of The Smarter Screen hopes to help businesses design mobile technology to help them better realize their objectives and those of their customers.

Mobile Marketingis also concerned with designing mobile technology for the best customer experience.

The difference is how.

In Mobile Marketing, digital marketing expert Daniel Rowles wants readers to upgrade their definition of mobile technology.

Mobile technology isnt all about cell phones and apps. Its a spectrum of devices and services including wearables, mobile payment systems, location-based advertising, virtual reality and more.

Rowles contends that businesses are just starting to tap into the vast potential of the mobile economy and provides strategies (along with case studies) showing how businessescan tap into this expanded concept of marketing technology and use it to drive profits now and in the future.

Businesses that take the lead in marketing will have a competitive advantage over the status quo still stuck in the traditional marketing mindset.

This list has looked at the psychology and technology behind the mobile economy.

Taplooks at the data breadcrumbs we leave while using mobile technology.

The amount and type of data has been a source of controversy with some consumers believing they are giving away too much of their personal information. On the other hand, businesses benefit when consumers share information, such as web clicks, page views and other data helping businesses offer more personalized services.

It also saves businesses money, time and effort that would have been wasted on ill-suited marketing campaigns.

Tap argues that there is a happy medium between offering privacy and participation in the mobile economy. Using research conducted around the world, professor and author Anindya Ghose shares why he believes businesses can achieve this healthy balance of privacy plus utility for consumers.

Ghose also shares the nine primary forces that impact a customers decision to buy. He then provides strategies and recommendations to help businesses adapt their mobile technology to address these forces.

Heather LeFevre worked hard as an advertising and marketing strategist and it paid off. She grew an impressive resume completing behind-the-scenes work for some of the largest brands, including Burger King, Emirate Airlines, Phillips and Pampers.

LeFevre wanted more, though. She wanted more insight into the ultimate question every marketer, advertiser, communications professional or public relations professional has about marketing: How do I get into my customers brain?

Brain Surfingwas the answer.

LeFevre literally went around the world to find the answer to the ultimate marketing question. Before you think this is a book about another marketing guru spouting a few marketing tips, think again.

The author did more than go around the world to pick up a few insights. She tracked down the top marketing strategists and lived in their homes as she learned from them.

Her book is a travel log, marketing advice guide and invitation to take your marketing to a deeper level so you can reach more people than you ever imagined.

What is one big gripe about marketing on social media? They dont see a return on investment.

Many business owners still arent able to connect the dots between their Tweets, pins, posts and updates and their business objectives. As a result, many businesses undermine their own efforts at social media.

Analytics to Actionwas written to help with this problem.

In the book, author Tim Cigelske helps business owners better understand the numbers that appear on their social media accounts.

Cigelske, the current director of social media for Marquette University, shares the principles, strategies and resources he used throughout his career and his current role as manager of a social media team with 30 people and 50 social media accounts.

Throughout Analytics to Action, Cigelske helps readers figure out how social media goals can help them reach business goals, which statistics to look out for, and how to combine all of this data into a consistent and reliable process that leads to success.

As businesses are learning, traditional sales methods are no longer working like they once did.

Cold calling, getting your name in the Yellow Pages, disruptive advertising and billboards are becoming a thing of the past as smart consumers are learning how to dodge and weave communication they arent interested in.

Consumers are using ad blockers, online reviews, social media and more to skip past these old sales methods and find the products and services that fit them.

If your organization is looking to adapt its sales strategies to the modern world of Twitter, Facebook, blogs and YouTube, The Conversion Codemay be the thing that helps you do it.

Written by Chris Smith, a sales coach who raised two million dollars in revenue for the company he founded, The Conversion Code shares the tips, strategies and techniques Smith along the way.

The book covers lead generation starting where your customers are (online) and guides readers through the steps to convert their maybe or no into a yes.

As the books on this list prove, the world of marketing will face a complex and unpredictable future. Social media channels will rise and decline in popularity. Marketing strategies will come in and out of vogue. Trends will come and go. As a business owner, it is your job to steer your business through these marketing decisions. At the end of the day, these decisions pale in comparison to the marketing principles which never change:

Stick to these basic marketing principles and your business will build a marketing foundation, no matter how unpredictable the future turns out to be.

Book Photo via Shutterstock

Read the rest here:
Digital Marketing and Your Small Business: 9 Books to Spark Your Upgrade - Small Business Trends

A white paper on the State of Digital Marketing in the Philippines was presented by GetCRaft, Southeast Asias premier content marketing network last July 26 in Square One, Bonifacio Technological Center, BGC. The market inquiry brings together data and insights culled from a survey conducted in 2017 of marketers across major cities in the Philippines, involving 150 respondents managers, directors, vice presidents and C-level marketers from brands and agencies representing various industries. The report seeks to deliver impartial digital and content marketing industry snapshots and ideas on pushing these findings forward. The goal is to inform readers about the current state of digital and content marketing in the Philippines, identify pain points among marketers, and explore solutions. Here are the highlights of the study:

The total Philippine population is 104 million, 69 million of whom are Internet users, and 69 million are active social media users. Mobile subscriptions number 129.4 million, while active mobile social users are 59 million. On device usage: 88 percent use any type of mobile phone; 61 percent utilize smart phones; 39 percent and 25 percent avail of laptop or computer and tablet, respectively. Average daily use: 9 hours on the Internet via personal computer or tablet; 3 hours and 36 minutes on the Internet via mobile phone; 4 hours and 17 minutes on social media using any device; and 2 hours and 30 minutes on television.

Social media continues to dominate, but content marketing, influencer marketing, and sponsored content are on the rise. Brands view social media both paid and organic as the most effective digital channel for marketing, due to the high number of active users, the enormous amount of time users spend using the channel, and cost efficiency. Social media in the Philippines are used for searching and purchasing products or services by nearly a third of the population, with Facebook as the priority medium.

Shayne Garcia, managing director of iProspect, shares, No one can underestimate the power of social media in the Philippines; this is where we interact with customers, respond to their inquiries and even get real-time feedback about product quality. As consumers are deepening more and more their footprint on social, so should marketers.

Three channels content marketing, influencer marketing, and sponsored content are not far behind social media on marketers priority lists. Companies and brands that want to succeed in social media marketing should understand that one of its critical pillars is content. Pao Pena, chief experience officer at Dentsu Jayme Syfu, believes, Many brands are jumping on influencers as a source of content, primarily because we are selling them as paid media and sometimes without proper guidance on whether they truly add value to the marketing mix.

Marketers spend 21.5 percent of their budget on digital. The drivers behind this growth are mostly demographic: increasing consumerism, an emerging middle class, and rapid mobile youth penetration. Digital marketing will be buoyed by improved technological infrastructure, Internet penetration and broadband speed. Increase in knowledge will also positively impact growth. As marketers better understand the models that allow them to best hit their targets, digital channels will increasingly be viewed as more cost-effective, encouraging brands and agencies to spend more on digital.

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Mobile marketing is expected to reign, with content marketing and customer experience as the next promising areas. Marketers are putting priority on how customers experience their brands throughout the customer journey. Rightly so, as customer experience is critical in either strengthening or weakening purchasing intent, engagement, brand loyalty and brand advocacy. There are many ways for marketers to improve customer experience, including using automation tools, data-powered customization, and prioritizing mobile.

The growing audience of mobile makes it an ideal platform for brands to engage customers through intensified content marketing and enhanced customer experience. But consuming content is only one of three digital behaviors active mobile users engage in. They are also content creators and curators, which presents an opportunity for brands to co-create content with their customers. Emphasis on content places the onus on marketers to ensure high-quality material that targets the right audiences in the right spots. This highlights the need for personalization or the ability of brands and messages to adapt to consumers. Such ability is crucial not only in creating and publishing content but also in improving customer experience.

Budget restraint is a top digital challenge. Even as the value of digital marketing in the Philippines grows, nearly three out of five marketers say they have difficulty in getting financing for their digital campaigns. And besides funding, they lack skills and resources, proper tracking or measurements methods, and digital marketing tools. As there is no one-size-fits-all formula for return on investment (ROI), marketers often struggle to justify their budget requests. This issue highlights the need to solidify key performance indicators. Without ROI tracking, no ROI can be demonstrated, and without ROI, no budget request is justified. Budget restraints prevent companies from hiring the right people and, therefore, from getting strategies right. Skills shortfall is aggravated by the fact that innovation is at a pace unmatched by learning curves and skills available in the market. Carlo Ople, vice president for digital marketing strategy of PLDT-Smart, states, To unlock digital spend, marketers need to stop pushing campaign budgets, and instead propose new analytics-driven business.

Fifty-seven percent of marketers are unsure about how digital marketing drives business objectives. Lack of clarity about the role digital marketing plays in a business highlights the need to intensify education and training among brands. These efforts must involve not only those in the boardroom but the entire marketing team and other teams they work with. Difficulties in gauging digital performance could mean that marketers are measuring too many, too few, or incorrect metrics. Business transformation is key in adapting to the changes of today. However, many are still grappling due to the lack of a seamless strategic view, says Eduardo Mapa Jr., founder of Castle by the River.

Videos lead the way in content marketing. As Filipinos spend more time on social media than on watching television, they are also increasingly watching videos from mobile screens. Global Webb index reports YouTube as the second most active media platform at 56 percent, topped only by Facebook. Of all Filipino netizens, 28 percent watch videos online daily, 21 percent weekly and 19 percent monthly. A clear factor driving online video consumption growth is the rise of mobile in the Philippines with 57 percent of the population watching videos online using mobile phones.

Content marketing is mostly used for awareness. Jonass de los Reyes says, This awareness measure on content marketing is clearly an indicator of the changing mindsets of marketers today who are slowly maturing and understanding the role of digital and content marketing in their overall strategy and marketing plans. He believes this will eventually shift and the goal of content marketing will be more for influencing consideration and evaluation, because this is where its strengths lie.

Skills and resources gaps are top content marketing challenges. Crafting quality content consistently requires not just the right mix of resources but also strategic planning. What many fail to realize is that content marketing is a long-term commitment to build brand reputation, trust, loyalty, and so forth. And to build this, the costs are not cheap, says Patrick Searle, group CEO and co-founder at GetCRAFT.

Most brands do content marketing in-house. The benefits of running content marketing in-house are obvious: It gives brands maximum control, limits back-and-forth movement within the team, and provides employees with opportunities to continuously learn.

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Email bongosorio@gmail.com for comments, questions or suggestions. Thank you for communicating.

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Where are we in digital marketing? - Philippine Star

Years ago, promoting businesses through billboards or newspaper ads were among the only ways to advertise.

That was expensive and if you couldnt afford it, you couldnt advertise and grow your business, said Miche Traina, founder of The Elements Group in Fort Worth.

Traina said now, businesses and organizations have access to free marketing through social media, but most dont know how to take advantage of it.

He discussed the transition of marketing and offered tips to business owners at the Alvarado Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday.

Since 2008, Traina has helped numerous organizations develop successful growth strategies to more effectively reach their target audience.

We are all in the same boat when we are entrepreneurs and have businesses or work on a team, he said. We are looking to grow and expand.

Traina said he often runs into businesses that do not know how to get their own message out.

I thought if there could be a way for them to understand how to articulate their message to get it out, their business would be full, he said. Often times we really overstep some important factors. If you think about how to grow a businesses and get to the step, we a lot of times go with what we already know.

Traina challenges businesses to sit down and figure out their purpose.

Most of the time, people will immediately jump to the product they deliver as oppose to the genuine purpose that they have, he said. Often times people are so interested in jumping ahead, they overlook the on ramp of developing relationships.

Russ Weaver, pastor of Shepherds Valley Cowboy Church, gets it, Traina said.

Pastor Russ is a mentor of mine, and he doesnt even know it, he said. The things he is doing in his community are incredible; I know his character and I know his heart. And when I see somebody who wants to go into the community and affect change, I see that it is about communicating. Not necessarily about who Jesus is, but a place where you can put on your boots and come as you are. Speaking through that as it translates into your own world is the most effective way to communicate.

Traina said so much is happening in Alvarado and hopes businesses are ready for a lot of people to come.

I live in Fort Worth and everything I hear is, Man, can you believe this is coming to Alvarado? he said. In the next five to seven years, there are some amazing things coming. Is your team ready? Are your facilities ready? Is your marketing ready? Are you ready to receive growth?

Traina and his team help businesses come up with a social media calender of comprehensive content and executes it for them.

Alvarado City Manager Clint Davis said Trainas expertise in marketing is valuable to the city.

What a great amount of information he has given us, he said. I was sitting there, going through my own inventory.

Is your team ready?

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Digital marketing pro preps Alvarado for growth - Cleburne Times-Review

When it comes to social network advertising, Facebook and Instagram are leading the pack, accounting for 68 percent of social network revenue in 2016 (a whopping $22 billion). But social marketing is always in flux, so its vital that fundraisers engage strategically and dynamically.

At the 2017 Bridge To Integrated Marketing and Fundraising Conference, Ashley Reed, director of social media at agency BKV, Madeline Ruffin-Thomas, Non-Profit Group account director at BKV and Robert Field, director of digital marketing at March of Dimes, discussed how to effectively implement Facebooks plethora of targeting options and ad types, as well as tips to use organic social insights and social listening to fuel your non-profits paid social strategy.

Take advantage of the multitude of custom audiences that can be built from the Facebook pixel, such as retargeting website visitors who have not donated recently, or building prospecting targets of users who look similar to your current donors. Typically, BKV sees custom audiences as our top performers.

Read more from the original source:
Paid Social: Blowing Up The Basics - The NonProfit Times

Want to learn more about using social media and other digital marketing methods to promote your small business? If so, theres a new weekly livestream show that could be of interest.

The show is called #CoffeeWithCoal and its hosted by Pennsylvania-based digital marketing company Coal Creative. (The whole coal thing comes from the fact that the company is based in and works primarily with companies from Pennsylvanias anthracite coal region.) The show airs every Monday morning at 10 a.m. Eastern on Facebook Live and is simulcast on YouTube and Periscope.

The first episode aired on July 17. Each episode focuses on a different topic. For instance, the first one discusses Facebook cover videos and maintaining a consistent image across social media. You can also catch up on past episodes on Facebook, YouTube and Periscope.

But the hosts also accept audience questions and participation during the show. So if youre able to tune in on Facebook Live, you can get answers to your questions and interact with the team. And since the episodes air on Monday mornings, the team also shares a social media prompt to help viewers get their week off to a great start.

One of Coal Creatives most popular services is assistance with video marketing. For that reason, the company has the equipment and know-how to make really professional looking livestreams. And the ability to showcase that while also sharing helpful tips and information is one of the main motivations behind starting the show in the first place.

Gerard Durling, founder of Coal Creative, said in a phone interview with Small Business Trends, The whole point is to talk about some of the stuff we do on a daily basis like social media and internet marketing while also showcasing some of the services were capable of providing like livestreaming and video marketing.

In addition, the company is using the show as an opportunity to connect with potential customers in other parts of the country. Located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, most of the companys clients to this point have been located nearby. But as a digital marketing company that provides services like video marketing, branding design and social media, the company has the capacity to help small businesses in any location through its content and services.

Image: Coal Creative

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PA Marketing Company Launches Livestreaming Social Media Talk Show - Small Business Trends