Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market

The digital advertising scene is about to get very interesting in 2018. After experimenting with various advertising products in the past, Amazon is now ready to make its presence felt and is seriously planning to challenge heavyweights Google and Facebook.

At the moment, digital advertising revenue is virtually a duopoly between 'The Big Two'—Facebook and Google. This is not surprising since advertisers have long been flocking to them in droves because of the potential that their ads might reach the billions of users of the two platforms.

Amazon to expand digital advertising efforts in 2018 https://t.co/Ydlp04K8MQ

— Snip (@SnipToday) December 29, 2017

However, reports are now saying that Amazon is now ready to make waves and shake up the current power structure of the digital advertising arena.

According to a CNBC report, Amazon aims to bolster its market share by looking for additional ad revenues within its e-commerce search feature and video products. Also, there are talks that the company is mulling over the possibility of selling beyond Amazon sites and products. Citing unnamed sources, the report added that Amazon is working out a partnership deal with third-party mobile advertising companies such as Kargo for an advertising product that covers both TV and mobile platforms.

While Amazon has yet to respond to queries regarding its advertising business plans, industry watchers noted that the company is revving up hiring for its advertising division. This observation supports CFO Brian Olsavsky previous disclosure during the Q2 earnings call last July where he mentioned that Amazon was hiring more ad sales staff.

At the heart of all the corporate warfare is a gargantuan market that has not shown any signs of slowing down. The size of the global digital advertising business in 2017 alone is estimated at $209 billion. By 2018, analysts project that the industry will experience a 13 percent growth to balloon to $237 billion.

Six largest digital advertising platforms by US rev, per @eMarketer:

1. Google -- $35 bn
2. Facebook -- $17.37 bn
3. Microsoft -- $3.6 bn
4. Oath (AOL/Yahoo) -- $3.6 bn
5. Amazon -- $1.65 bn
6. Twitter -- $1.21 bn

GOOG & FB control more than 63%https://t.co/QE4rbUu8bi …

— Tim Stenovec (@timsteno) December 27, 2017

But if Amazon were to fulfill its grand ambitions in becoming the third member of a triumvirate, it will have some serious catching up to do. At the moment, it only accounts for 2 percent of the $80 billion U.S. digital advertising market while the Big Two (Facebook & Google) combined, account for more than 70 percent of the total market.

[Featured Image via Amazon]

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3 Holiday Social Media Campaigns to Emulate for Your Business

Twitter Announces New Enterprise-Level API

Twitter is making big changes to its API that could greatly benefit developers. On Tuesday, the San Francisco-based social media giant announced that it has rolled out an enterprise version of its Account Activity API, allowing developers greater access to the activity data such as mentions, retweets, and likes.

Twitter has had its fair share of criticism for missteps in developer relations. In the past, it encouraged the integration of third-party apps on its platform but later backtracked by placing crippling restrictions on them. The company also offered free developer tools only to go against its word by selling them instead and had abruptly canceled several of its developer conferences.

It now appears that Twitter is trying to make amends for past blunders. Its recent announcement is seen as an initial step toward a larger revamp and expansion of its API and the rebuilding of its relationship with developers.

Twitter Announces #Enterprise Grade Account Activity #API https://t.co/GZPC22GGz3

Twitter API pic.twitter.com/WU0jfljExS

— ProgrammableWeb (@programmableweb) December 26, 2017

The new enterprise Account Activity API  hints of Twitter's commitment to making developer-focused improvements. With the new API in place, it will be easier for developers to create apps for chatbots and customer service interface.

Previously, developers could only access the full set of activities of a specific account using the old Account Activity API. With the new enterprise API in place, however, developers will now have access to a larger number of accounts, and other useful data such as retries.

Meanwhile, Twitter has now reclassified view typing indicators and read receipts of Direct Messages as activities that developers can access via the Account Activity API. The ultimate aim of these additions is to make it easier for developers to finetune their apps and create a more personalized customer chat experience.

Direct Messages (DM) will also be eased out of the beta. To create a more streamlined process, DM will be replaced by a suite of developer tools such as Buttons on messages, Welcome Messages, Customer Feedback Cards, Quick Replies and Custom Profiles.

[Featured Image via Pixabay]

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4 Ways to Steal Your Competitor's Social Media Followers

Social media is a great tool for boosting a company's online presence, build their brand, drive traffic to one's website, and close sales. However, building a decent following is challenging.

One effective way to build a following is to tap into an already existing base – that of the competition – and convince their followers to choose you instead. Here are four ways on how you can steal your competitor's followers.

1. Start Casting Your Networking Net

Successful business owners have one particular skill in common – they're all expert networkers. So if you want your company to grow, you have to start casting your net and begin networking. Reach out to sites that are in a similar area of interest, as well as other overlapping niches.

The first step to your networking journey would be to scope out the competition and learn more about them and their followers. One way to do this is to follow them on social media. You can also search Google for competitors which have the most active fan base and community. There's a lot to learn from observing your rivals, like how often they post or how reactive they are to their followers. From there, you can pinpoint which followers have the most influence or the most active. You can then reach out and start engaging with them.

2. Share Information to Develop Relationships

You want to develop good relationships with your social media followers. One great way to do this is to offer value without expecting anything in return (yet). You can start by answering questions they posted on social media. Not only do you get to interact with them, but you can also start to establish yourself as an expert, someone they can go to for answers. You can also offer to connect them with someone they need.

Once you have helped them, it would be easier to ask them for their assistance in return. They would also be more willing to help you, whether it's by sharing content, purchasing a product, or referring someone.

3. Make Referrals a Good Thing

Your social network would undoubtedly include some customers. Take advantage of this by incentivizing referrals. A lot of businesses have a referral program so they can leverage their social network. This often comes in the form of freebies or discounts.

Affiliate marketing is another way to leverage your social media followers. Tell them about your affiliate programs but make sure that you do it in a way that won't make them feel pressured. Try to convince your followers that this is a win-win situation; they get incentives when they refer someone and you get to secure some sales.

4. Don't Forget to Say Thanks

Sadly, many companies forget to express their gratitude to their followers. When your loyal customers or followers go beyond what's expected of them, make sure they know how much you appreciate it. Thanking the individual immediately after they helped is the best practice. You should then follow it up a few weeks later and thank them once again.

Building your social media followers is a fool-proof way to secure new clients, score new leads, and develop connections with peers that can assist you in building your company. You can build your base by stealing your rival's followers. Interacting with them, creating strong connections, and showing that you're grateful for their help are just some ways to do this.  

[Featured image via Pixabay]

The post 4 Ways to Steal Your Competitor's Social Media Followers appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/4-ways-steal-competitors-social-media-followers/

5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget

Every company wants to have a successful ad campaign. Unfortunately, most don't have the big budget necessary to compete with major companies. But that doesn't mean you're stuck with a losing marketing campaign. It just means your company has to be more creative and determined. If you're using Google AdWords, you have to narrow down your campaign and opt for a more targeted approach. Here are five ways that can help you make the most of your AdWords budget.

1. Develop Several Variations of Your Ads

You might think that being on a budget means you have to stick with just one ad. But having a generic ad is unlikely to generate the conversions you want. It's better if you have several variations of your ad that target various audiences.

For instance, if you're running an online bookstore, don't just target all the bookworms. Tailor your ads and focus on the different types of book lovers. Target young adults by pushing the latest works of a popular YA writer. Entice art buffs with an ad showcasing the different art, design and DIY books you carry.

2. Use Multiple Keyword Tools

Google's keyword tool is undeniably helpful, but it doesn't give out the best results all the time. There are instances when long-tail keywords they recommend simply do not have any data available. Or Google simply ignores really popular keywords.

A better strategy would be to utilize various keyword suggestion engines or keyword planners. You should also trust your knowledge of what keywords consumers are searching for when they came upon your site. Once you have a good list of keywords, test them yourself.

3. Create a Conversion Tracker

You need different ads to test which keywords are successful. More importantly, you need concrete data that can be tracked on a per-ad system. Let's say you're running eight ads and had $500 in sales, how will you know which ads generated that conversion?

You need a good conversion tracking system to help narrow down which ads are good and which ones are doing nothing for your campaign. AdWords has a tracking system that you can use and which can send your data directly to Google Analytics. But it's also a good idea to look for other conversion tracking tools and apps to get even more comprehensive analytics.

4. Be Smart About Your Ads Schedule

If you want to get the most out of your AdWords campaign, then you should only run your ads during hours when you'll have a better chance at conversions. For example, if your company's office hours run from 8 am to 5 pm, then it's not a good idea to have an ad running at midnight.

The only way to know what schedule is best is to test. Check your data analytics to see which hours and days your ads are performing well. Once you have narrowed down the optimal hours for your campaign, you can schedule your ads better.

5. Use AdWords Extensions Wisely

Google AdWords extensions can help you stand out and boost your ranking. Extensions can make your ad bigger and give you more room to work. It helps draw more attention to your ad and lets you emphasize more benefits and features. There are a variety of extensions that a business can use, but a company has to choose carefully as some might not be appropriate.  

The post 5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget appeared first on WebProNews.

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https://www.webpronews.com/5-tips-making-google-adwords-budget/

4 CRM Trends to Watch Out for in 2018

There's no denying that Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has changed a lot since the 1990s. These days, CRM software is the go-to tool for managing business relationships and closely studying customer data and interactions.

CRM systems are continuously evolving, but what can it offer businesses next year? Here are four CRM trends to watch out for:

Artificial Intelligence to Become More Intelligent

AI is here and from the looks of things, it's not going anywhere. It will even be making serious strides in terms of how companies will be doing business. From deep learning to machine learning, AI is expected to have a greater hand in evaluating and changing business systems so companies can get their expected results.

AI assistants are already being utilized in the consumer environment, but analysts are predicting that businesses will benefit from this program by automating the repetitive and mundane parts of the marketing or sales cycle. So expect to see more companies taking advantage of AI chatbots as more businesses begin to see the benefits of using them as the first point of interaction with their customers.

Intelligent Security to Become Even More Vital

Researchers believe that more security applications enhanced with AI will appear in 2018, especially with the upcoming implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union.

The passing of the GDPR is expected to strengthen data protection for citizens, and AI-enhanced security apps can help marketers ensure that their clients are complying. AI can help by alerting companies of expiring consent that they need to take action on. Or they can warn of possible exposure due to customers moving to another country with a different set of regulations.

Intelligent security is also essential to fight data breaches and other malicious hacking, especially now that hackers are getting smarter and bolder.

Augmented Reality Will Make Its Presence Felt

A more sophisticated augmented reality technology is expected to be seen in 2018, and with it are more instances for its use.

Market analysts agree that there was a lot of studying and experimentation with AR in 2017. Because of this, there were a lot of use cases developed in marketing, sales, and service for AR. It's inevitable that companies would use AR more and 2018 might just be the year this technology breaks through in the sales and marketing business.

Companies can utilize AR to showcase in greater detail large products, like furniture and automobiles. Architects and designers can also use it to preview layouts or designs. Meanwhile, marketers can even use AR to develop interactive campaigns and complement advertisements with virtual reality.

Digital Market Will be Reinforced and Transformed

Data enhancement tools, email syncing, and VOIP connections used to be features that companies would like to see in CRM systems they're eyeing, but things are different now and 2018 is expected to bring even better enhancements.

On top of that, industry leaders will continue to try and exert their dominance on the market. Niche vendors will attempt to fill vertical-specific systems while third-party applications try to integrate with CRMs to supply more capabilities. Experts believe that the market will see a growth of third-party vendor space as more businesses develop applications and products that would be offered in exchange stores.

Companies like Sugar CRM and TenFold have already started on this trend. The former has rolled out HINT, a software that automatically searches the internet for company and personal information while the latter is developing a VOIP/CRM/ marketing connector with features like smart agent AI and Zoom meeting integrations.

It's still too early to determine what CRM trends will really shake up 2018, but users and businesses can expect to see more focused AI capacities, new uses for AR, and more offerings from vendors as they compete to set themselves apart from their competitors.

The post 4 CRM Trends to Watch Out for in 2018 appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/4-crm-trends-watch-2018/

Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market

The digital advertising scene is about to get very interesting in 2018. After experimenting with various advertising products in the past, Amazon is now ready to make its presence felt and is seriously planning to challenge heavyweights Google and Facebook.

At the moment, digital advertising revenue is virtually a duopoly between 'The Big Two'—Facebook and Google. This is not surprising since advertisers have long been flocking to them in droves because of the potential that their ads might reach the billions of users of the two platforms.

Amazon to expand digital advertising efforts in 2018 https://t.co/Ydlp04K8MQ

— Snip (@SnipToday) December 29, 2017

However, reports are now saying that Amazon is now ready to make waves and shake up the current power structure of the digital advertising arena.

According to a CNBC report, Amazon aims to bolster its market share by looking for additional ad revenues within its e-commerce search feature and video products. Also, there are talks that the company is mulling over the possibility of selling beyond Amazon sites and products. Citing unnamed sources, the report added that Amazon is working out a partnership deal with third-party mobile advertising companies such as Kargo for an advertising product that covers both TV and mobile platforms.

While Amazon has yet to respond to queries regarding its advertising business plans, industry watchers noted that the company is revving up hiring for its advertising division. This observation supports CFO Brian Olsavsky previous disclosure during the Q2 earnings call last July where he mentioned that Amazon was hiring more ad sales staff.

At the heart of all the corporate warfare is a gargantuan market that has not shown any signs of slowing down. The size of the global digital advertising business in 2017 alone is estimated at $209 billion. By 2018, analysts project that the industry will experience a 13 percent growth to balloon to $237 billion.

Six largest digital advertising platforms by US rev, per @eMarketer:

1. Google -- $35 bn
2. Facebook -- $17.37 bn
3. Microsoft -- $3.6 bn
4. Oath (AOL/Yahoo) -- $3.6 bn
5. Amazon -- $1.65 bn
6. Twitter -- $1.21 bn

GOOG & FB control more than 63%https://t.co/QE4rbUu8bi …

— Tim Stenovec (@timsteno) December 27, 2017

But if Amazon were to fulfill its grand ambitions in becoming the third member of a triumvirate, it will have some serious catching up to do. At the moment, it only accounts for 2 percent of the $80 billion U.S. digital advertising market while the Big Two (Facebook & Google) combined, account for more than 70 percent of the total market.

[Featured Image via Amazon]

The post Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/amazon-set-take-facebook-google-digital-advertising-market/

3 Holiday Social Media Campaigns to Emulate for Your Business

Twitter Announces New Enterprise-Level API

Twitter is making big changes to its API that could greatly benefit developers. On Tuesday, the San Francisco-based social media giant announced that it has rolled out an enterprise version of its Account Activity API, allowing developers greater access to the activity data such as mentions, retweets, and likes.

Twitter has had its fair share of criticism for missteps in developer relations. In the past, it encouraged the integration of third-party apps on its platform but later backtracked by placing crippling restrictions on them. The company also offered free developer tools only to go against its word by selling them instead and had abruptly canceled several of its developer conferences.

It now appears that Twitter is trying to make amends for past blunders. Its recent announcement is seen as an initial step toward a larger revamp and expansion of its API and the rebuilding of its relationship with developers.

Twitter Announces #Enterprise Grade Account Activity #API https://t.co/GZPC22GGz3

Twitter API pic.twitter.com/WU0jfljExS

— ProgrammableWeb (@programmableweb) December 26, 2017

The new enterprise Account Activity API  hints of Twitter's commitment to making developer-focused improvements. With the new API in place, it will be easier for developers to create apps for chatbots and customer service interface.

Previously, developers could only access the full set of activities of a specific account using the old Account Activity API. With the new enterprise API in place, however, developers will now have access to a larger number of accounts, and other useful data such as retries.

Meanwhile, Twitter has now reclassified view typing indicators and read receipts of Direct Messages as activities that developers can access via the Account Activity API. The ultimate aim of these additions is to make it easier for developers to finetune their apps and create a more personalized customer chat experience.

Direct Messages (DM) will also be eased out of the beta. To create a more streamlined process, DM will be replaced by a suite of developer tools such as Buttons on messages, Welcome Messages, Customer Feedback Cards, Quick Replies and Custom Profiles.

[Featured Image via Pixabay]

The post Twitter Announces New Enterprise-Level API appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/twitter-announces-new-enterprise-level-api/

4 Ways to Steal Your Competitor's Social Media Followers

Social media is a great tool for boosting a company's online presence, build their brand, drive traffic to one's website, and close sales. However, building a decent following is challenging.

One effective way to build a following is to tap into an already existing base – that of the competition – and convince their followers to choose you instead. Here are four ways on how you can steal your competitor's followers.

1. Start Casting Your Networking Net

Successful business owners have one particular skill in common – they're all expert networkers. So if you want your company to grow, you have to start casting your net and begin networking. Reach out to sites that are in a similar area of interest, as well as other overlapping niches.

The first step to your networking journey would be to scope out the competition and learn more about them and their followers. One way to do this is to follow them on social media. You can also search Google for competitors which have the most active fan base and community. There's a lot to learn from observing your rivals, like how often they post or how reactive they are to their followers. From there, you can pinpoint which followers have the most influence or the most active. You can then reach out and start engaging with them.

2. Share Information to Develop Relationships

You want to develop good relationships with your social media followers. One great way to do this is to offer value without expecting anything in return (yet). You can start by answering questions they posted on social media. Not only do you get to interact with them, but you can also start to establish yourself as an expert, someone they can go to for answers. You can also offer to connect them with someone they need.

Once you have helped them, it would be easier to ask them for their assistance in return. They would also be more willing to help you, whether it's by sharing content, purchasing a product, or referring someone.

3. Make Referrals a Good Thing

Your social network would undoubtedly include some customers. Take advantage of this by incentivizing referrals. A lot of businesses have a referral program so they can leverage their social network. This often comes in the form of freebies or discounts.

Affiliate marketing is another way to leverage your social media followers. Tell them about your affiliate programs but make sure that you do it in a way that won't make them feel pressured. Try to convince your followers that this is a win-win situation; they get incentives when they refer someone and you get to secure some sales.

4. Don't Forget to Say Thanks

Sadly, many companies forget to express their gratitude to their followers. When your loyal customers or followers go beyond what's expected of them, make sure they know how much you appreciate it. Thanking the individual immediately after they helped is the best practice. You should then follow it up a few weeks later and thank them once again.

Building your social media followers is a fool-proof way to secure new clients, score new leads, and develop connections with peers that can assist you in building your company. You can build your base by stealing your rival's followers. Interacting with them, creating strong connections, and showing that you're grateful for their help are just some ways to do this.  

[Featured image via Pixabay]

The post 4 Ways to Steal Your Competitor's Social Media Followers appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/4-ways-steal-competitors-social-media-followers/

5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget

Every company wants to have a successful ad campaign. Unfortunately, most don't have the big budget necessary to compete with major companies. But that doesn't mean you're stuck with a losing marketing campaign. It just means your company has to be more creative and determined. If you're using Google AdWords, you have to narrow down your campaign and opt for a more targeted approach. Here are five ways that can help you make the most of your AdWords budget.

1. Develop Several Variations of Your Ads

You might think that being on a budget means you have to stick with just one ad. But having a generic ad is unlikely to generate the conversions you want. It's better if you have several variations of your ad that target various audiences.

For instance, if you're running an online bookstore, don't just target all the bookworms. Tailor your ads and focus on the different types of book lovers. Target young adults by pushing the latest works of a popular YA writer. Entice art buffs with an ad showcasing the different art, design and DIY books you carry.

2. Use Multiple Keyword Tools

Google's keyword tool is undeniably helpful, but it doesn't give out the best results all the time. There are instances when long-tail keywords they recommend simply do not have any data available. Or Google simply ignores really popular keywords.

A better strategy would be to utilize various keyword suggestion engines or keyword planners. You should also trust your knowledge of what keywords consumers are searching for when they came upon your site. Once you have a good list of keywords, test them yourself.

3. Create a Conversion Tracker

You need different ads to test which keywords are successful. More importantly, you need concrete data that can be tracked on a per-ad system. Let's say you're running eight ads and had $500 in sales, how will you know which ads generated that conversion?

You need a good conversion tracking system to help narrow down which ads are good and which ones are doing nothing for your campaign. AdWords has a tracking system that you can use and which can send your data directly to Google Analytics. But it's also a good idea to look for other conversion tracking tools and apps to get even more comprehensive analytics.

4. Be Smart About Your Ads Schedule

If you want to get the most out of your AdWords campaign, then you should only run your ads during hours when you'll have a better chance at conversions. For example, if your company's office hours run from 8 am to 5 pm, then it's not a good idea to have an ad running at midnight.

The only way to know what schedule is best is to test. Check your data analytics to see which hours and days your ads are performing well. Once you have narrowed down the optimal hours for your campaign, you can schedule your ads better.

5. Use AdWords Extensions Wisely

Google AdWords extensions can help you stand out and boost your ranking. Extensions can make your ad bigger and give you more room to work. It helps draw more attention to your ad and lets you emphasize more benefits and features. There are a variety of extensions that a business can use, but a company has to choose carefully as some might not be appropriate.  

The post 5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/5-tips-making-google-adwords-budget/

4 CRM Trends to Watch Out for in 2018

There's no denying that Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has changed a lot since the 1990s. These days, CRM software is the go-to tool for managing business relationships and closely studying customer data and interactions.

CRM systems are continuously evolving, but what can it offer businesses next year? Here are four CRM trends to watch out for:

Artificial Intelligence to Become More Intelligent

AI is here and from the looks of things, it's not going anywhere. It will even be making serious strides in terms of how companies will be doing business. From deep learning to machine learning, AI is expected to have a greater hand in evaluating and changing business systems so companies can get their expected results.

AI assistants are already being utilized in the consumer environment, but analysts are predicting that businesses will benefit from this program by automating the repetitive and mundane parts of the marketing or sales cycle. So expect to see more companies taking advantage of AI chatbots as more businesses begin to see the benefits of using them as the first point of interaction with their customers.

Intelligent Security to Become Even More Vital

Researchers believe that more security applications enhanced with AI will appear in 2018, especially with the upcoming implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union.

The passing of the GDPR is expected to strengthen data protection for citizens, and AI-enhanced security apps can help marketers ensure that their clients are complying. AI can help by alerting companies of expiring consent that they need to take action on. Or they can warn of possible exposure due to customers moving to another country with a different set of regulations.

Intelligent security is also essential to fight data breaches and other malicious hacking, especially now that hackers are getting smarter and bolder.

Augmented Reality Will Make Its Presence Felt

A more sophisticated augmented reality technology is expected to be seen in 2018, and with it are more instances for its use.

Market analysts agree that there was a lot of studying and experimentation with AR in 2017. Because of this, there were a lot of use cases developed in marketing, sales, and service for AR. It's inevitable that companies would use AR more and 2018 might just be the year this technology breaks through in the sales and marketing business.

Companies can utilize AR to showcase in greater detail large products, like furniture and automobiles. Architects and designers can also use it to preview layouts or designs. Meanwhile, marketers can even use AR to develop interactive campaigns and complement advertisements with virtual reality.

Digital Market Will be Reinforced and Transformed

Data enhancement tools, email syncing, and VOIP connections used to be features that companies would like to see in CRM systems they're eyeing, but things are different now and 2018 is expected to bring even better enhancements.

On top of that, industry leaders will continue to try and exert their dominance on the market. Niche vendors will attempt to fill vertical-specific systems while third-party applications try to integrate with CRMs to supply more capabilities. Experts believe that the market will see a growth of third-party vendor space as more businesses develop applications and products that would be offered in exchange stores.

Companies like Sugar CRM and TenFold have already started on this trend. The former has rolled out HINT, a software that automatically searches the internet for company and personal information while the latter is developing a VOIP/CRM/ marketing connector with features like smart agent AI and Zoom meeting integrations.

It's still too early to determine what CRM trends will really shake up 2018, but users and businesses can expect to see more focused AI capacities, new uses for AR, and more offerings from vendors as they compete to set themselves apart from their competitors.

The post 4 CRM Trends to Watch Out for in 2018 appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/4-crm-trends-watch-2018/

Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market

The digital advertising scene is about to get very interesting in 2018. After experimenting with various advertising products in the past, Amazon is now ready to make its presence felt and is seriously planning to challenge heavyweights Google and Facebook.

At the moment, digital advertising revenue is virtually a duopoly between 'The Big Two'—Facebook and Google. This is not surprising since advertisers have long been flocking to them in droves because of the potential that their ads might reach the billions of users of the two platforms.

Amazon to expand digital advertising efforts in 2018 https://t.co/Ydlp04K8MQ

— Snip (@SnipToday) December 29, 2017

However, reports are now saying that Amazon is now ready to make waves and shake up the current power structure of the digital advertising arena.

According to a CNBC report, Amazon aims to bolster its market share by looking for additional ad revenues within its e-commerce search feature and video products. Also, there are talks that the company is mulling over the possibility of selling beyond Amazon sites and products. Citing unnamed sources, the report added that Amazon is working out a partnership deal with third-party mobile advertising companies such as Kargo for an advertising product that covers both TV and mobile platforms.

While Amazon has yet to respond to queries regarding its advertising business plans, industry watchers noted that the company is revving up hiring for its advertising division. This observation supports CFO Brian Olsavsky previous disclosure during the Q2 earnings call last July where he mentioned that Amazon was hiring more ad sales staff.

At the heart of all the corporate warfare is a gargantuan market that has not shown any signs of slowing down. The size of the global digital advertising business in 2017 alone is estimated at $209 billion. By 2018, analysts project that the industry will experience a 13 percent growth to balloon to $237 billion.

Six largest digital advertising platforms by US rev, per @eMarketer:

1. Google -- $35 bn
2. Facebook -- $17.37 bn
3. Microsoft -- $3.6 bn
4. Oath (AOL/Yahoo) -- $3.6 bn
5. Amazon -- $1.65 bn
6. Twitter -- $1.21 bn

GOOG & FB control more than 63%https://t.co/QE4rbUu8bi …

— Tim Stenovec (@timsteno) December 27, 2017

But if Amazon were to fulfill its grand ambitions in becoming the third member of a triumvirate, it will have some serious catching up to do. At the moment, it only accounts for 2 percent of the $80 billion U.S. digital advertising market while the Big Two (Facebook & Google) combined, account for more than 70 percent of the total market.

[Featured Image via Amazon]

The post Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/amazon-set-take-facebook-google-digital-advertising-market/

3 Holiday Social Media Campaigns to Emulate for Your Business

Twitter Announces New Enterprise-Level API

Twitter is making big changes to its API that could greatly benefit developers. On Tuesday, the San Francisco-based social media giant announced that it has rolled out an enterprise version of its Account Activity API, allowing developers greater access to the activity data such as mentions, retweets, and likes.

Twitter has had its fair share of criticism for missteps in developer relations. In the past, it encouraged the integration of third-party apps on its platform but later backtracked by placing crippling restrictions on them. The company also offered free developer tools only to go against its word by selling them instead and had abruptly canceled several of its developer conferences.

It now appears that Twitter is trying to make amends for past blunders. Its recent announcement is seen as an initial step toward a larger revamp and expansion of its API and the rebuilding of its relationship with developers.

Twitter Announces #Enterprise Grade Account Activity #API https://t.co/GZPC22GGz3

Twitter API pic.twitter.com/WU0jfljExS

— ProgrammableWeb (@programmableweb) December 26, 2017

The new enterprise Account Activity API  hints of Twitter's commitment to making developer-focused improvements. With the new API in place, it will be easier for developers to create apps for chatbots and customer service interface.

Previously, developers could only access the full set of activities of a specific account using the old Account Activity API. With the new enterprise API in place, however, developers will now have access to a larger number of accounts, and other useful data such as retries.

Meanwhile, Twitter has now reclassified view typing indicators and read receipts of Direct Messages as activities that developers can access via the Account Activity API. The ultimate aim of these additions is to make it easier for developers to finetune their apps and create a more personalized customer chat experience.

Direct Messages (DM) will also be eased out of the beta. To create a more streamlined process, DM will be replaced by a suite of developer tools such as Buttons on messages, Welcome Messages, Customer Feedback Cards, Quick Replies and Custom Profiles.

[Featured Image via Pixabay]

The post Twitter Announces New Enterprise-Level API appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/twitter-announces-new-enterprise-level-api/

4 Ways to Steal Your Competitor's Social Media Followers

Social media is a great tool for boosting a company's online presence, build their brand, drive traffic to one's website, and close sales. However, building a decent following is challenging.

One effective way to build a following is to tap into an already existing base – that of the competition – and convince their followers to choose you instead. Here are four ways on how you can steal your competitor's followers.

1. Start Casting Your Networking Net

Successful business owners have one particular skill in common – they're all expert networkers. So if you want your company to grow, you have to start casting your net and begin networking. Reach out to sites that are in a similar area of interest, as well as other overlapping niches.

The first step to your networking journey would be to scope out the competition and learn more about them and their followers. One way to do this is to follow them on social media. You can also search Google for competitors which have the most active fan base and community. There's a lot to learn from observing your rivals, like how often they post or how reactive they are to their followers. From there, you can pinpoint which followers have the most influence or the most active. You can then reach out and start engaging with them.

2. Share Information to Develop Relationships

You want to develop good relationships with your social media followers. One great way to do this is to offer value without expecting anything in return (yet). You can start by answering questions they posted on social media. Not only do you get to interact with them, but you can also start to establish yourself as an expert, someone they can go to for answers. You can also offer to connect them with someone they need.

Once you have helped them, it would be easier to ask them for their assistance in return. They would also be more willing to help you, whether it's by sharing content, purchasing a product, or referring someone.

3. Make Referrals a Good Thing

Your social network would undoubtedly include some customers. Take advantage of this by incentivizing referrals. A lot of businesses have a referral program so they can leverage their social network. This often comes in the form of freebies or discounts.

Affiliate marketing is another way to leverage your social media followers. Tell them about your affiliate programs but make sure that you do it in a way that won't make them feel pressured. Try to convince your followers that this is a win-win situation; they get incentives when they refer someone and you get to secure some sales.

4. Don't Forget to Say Thanks

Sadly, many companies forget to express their gratitude to their followers. When your loyal customers or followers go beyond what's expected of them, make sure they know how much you appreciate it. Thanking the individual immediately after they helped is the best practice. You should then follow it up a few weeks later and thank them once again.

Building your social media followers is a fool-proof way to secure new clients, score new leads, and develop connections with peers that can assist you in building your company. You can build your base by stealing your rival's followers. Interacting with them, creating strong connections, and showing that you're grateful for their help are just some ways to do this.  

[Featured image via Pixabay]

The post 4 Ways to Steal Your Competitor's Social Media Followers appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/4-ways-steal-competitors-social-media-followers/

5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget

Every company wants to have a successful ad campaign. Unfortunately, most don't have the big budget necessary to compete with major companies. But that doesn't mean you're stuck with a losing marketing campaign. It just means your company has to be more creative and determined. If you're using Google AdWords, you have to narrow down your campaign and opt for a more targeted approach. Here are five ways that can help you make the most of your AdWords budget.

1. Develop Several Variations of Your Ads

You might think that being on a budget means you have to stick with just one ad. But having a generic ad is unlikely to generate the conversions you want. It's better if you have several variations of your ad that target various audiences.

For instance, if you're running an online bookstore, don't just target all the bookworms. Tailor your ads and focus on the different types of book lovers. Target young adults by pushing the latest works of a popular YA writer. Entice art buffs with an ad showcasing the different art, design and DIY books you carry.

2. Use Multiple Keyword Tools

Google's keyword tool is undeniably helpful, but it doesn't give out the best results all the time. There are instances when long-tail keywords they recommend simply do not have any data available. Or Google simply ignores really popular keywords.

A better strategy would be to utilize various keyword suggestion engines or keyword planners. You should also trust your knowledge of what keywords consumers are searching for when they came upon your site. Once you have a good list of keywords, test them yourself.

3. Create a Conversion Tracker

You need different ads to test which keywords are successful. More importantly, you need concrete data that can be tracked on a per-ad system. Let's say you're running eight ads and had $500 in sales, how will you know which ads generated that conversion?

You need a good conversion tracking system to help narrow down which ads are good and which ones are doing nothing for your campaign. AdWords has a tracking system that you can use and which can send your data directly to Google Analytics. But it's also a good idea to look for other conversion tracking tools and apps to get even more comprehensive analytics.

4. Be Smart About Your Ads Schedule

If you want to get the most out of your AdWords campaign, then you should only run your ads during hours when you'll have a better chance at conversions. For example, if your company's office hours run from 8 am to 5 pm, then it's not a good idea to have an ad running at midnight.

The only way to know what schedule is best is to test. Check your data analytics to see which hours and days your ads are performing well. Once you have narrowed down the optimal hours for your campaign, you can schedule your ads better.

5. Use AdWords Extensions Wisely

Google AdWords extensions can help you stand out and boost your ranking. Extensions can make your ad bigger and give you more room to work. It helps draw more attention to your ad and lets you emphasize more benefits and features. There are a variety of extensions that a business can use, but a company has to choose carefully as some might not be appropriate.  

The post 5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/5-tips-making-google-adwords-budget/

4 CRM Trends to Watch Out for in 2018

There's no denying that Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has changed a lot since the 1990s. These days, CRM software is the go-to tool for managing business relationships and closely studying customer data and interactions.

CRM systems are continuously evolving, but what can it offer businesses next year? Here are four CRM trends to watch out for:

Artificial Intelligence to Become More Intelligent

AI is here and from the looks of things, it's not going anywhere. It will even be making serious strides in terms of how companies will be doing business. From deep learning to machine learning, AI is expected to have a greater hand in evaluating and changing business systems so companies can get their expected results.

AI assistants are already being utilized in the consumer environment, but analysts are predicting that businesses will benefit from this program by automating the repetitive and mundane parts of the marketing or sales cycle. So expect to see more companies taking advantage of AI chatbots as more businesses begin to see the benefits of using them as the first point of interaction with their customers.

Intelligent Security to Become Even More Vital

Researchers believe that more security applications enhanced with AI will appear in 2018, especially with the upcoming implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union.

The passing of the GDPR is expected to strengthen data protection for citizens, and AI-enhanced security apps can help marketers ensure that their clients are complying. AI can help by alerting companies of expiring consent that they need to take action on. Or they can warn of possible exposure due to customers moving to another country with a different set of regulations.

Intelligent security is also essential to fight data breaches and other malicious hacking, especially now that hackers are getting smarter and bolder.

Augmented Reality Will Make Its Presence Felt

A more sophisticated augmented reality technology is expected to be seen in 2018, and with it are more instances for its use.

Market analysts agree that there was a lot of studying and experimentation with AR in 2017. Because of this, there were a lot of use cases developed in marketing, sales, and service for AR. It's inevitable that companies would use AR more and 2018 might just be the year this technology breaks through in the sales and marketing business.

Companies can utilize AR to showcase in greater detail large products, like furniture and automobiles. Architects and designers can also use it to preview layouts or designs. Meanwhile, marketers can even use AR to develop interactive campaigns and complement advertisements with virtual reality.

Digital Market Will be Reinforced and Transformed

Data enhancement tools, email syncing, and VOIP connections used to be features that companies would like to see in CRM systems they're eyeing, but things are different now and 2018 is expected to bring even better enhancements.

On top of that, industry leaders will continue to try and exert their dominance on the market. Niche vendors will attempt to fill vertical-specific systems while third-party applications try to integrate with CRMs to supply more capabilities. Experts believe that the market will see a growth of third-party vendor space as more businesses develop applications and products that would be offered in exchange stores.

Companies like Sugar CRM and TenFold have already started on this trend. The former has rolled out HINT, a software that automatically searches the internet for company and personal information while the latter is developing a VOIP/CRM/ marketing connector with features like smart agent AI and Zoom meeting integrations.

It's still too early to determine what CRM trends will really shake up 2018, but users and businesses can expect to see more focused AI capacities, new uses for AR, and more offerings from vendors as they compete to set themselves apart from their competitors.

The post 4 CRM Trends to Watch Out for in 2018 appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/4-crm-trends-watch-2018/

Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market

The digital advertising scene is about to get very interesting in 2018. After experimenting with various advertising products in the past, Amazon is now ready to make its presence felt and is seriously planning to challenge heavyweights Google and Facebook.

At the moment, digital advertising revenue is virtually a duopoly between 'The Big Two'—Facebook and Google. This is not surprising since advertisers have long been flocking to them in droves because of the potential that their ads might reach the billions of users of the two platforms.

Amazon to expand digital advertising efforts in 2018 https://t.co/Ydlp04K8MQ

— Snip (@SnipToday) December 29, 2017

However, reports are now saying that Amazon is now ready to make waves and shake up the current power structure of the digital advertising arena.

According to a CNBC report, Amazon aims to bolster its market share by looking for additional ad revenues within its e-commerce search feature and video products. Also, there are talks that the company is mulling over the possibility of selling beyond Amazon sites and products. Citing unnamed sources, the report added that Amazon is working out a partnership deal with third-party mobile advertising companies such as Kargo for an advertising product that covers both TV and mobile platforms.

While Amazon has yet to respond to queries regarding its advertising business plans, industry watchers noted that the company is revving up hiring for its advertising division. This observation supports CFO Brian Olsavsky previous disclosure during the Q2 earnings call last July where he mentioned that Amazon was hiring more ad sales staff.

At the heart of all the corporate warfare is a gargantuan market that has not shown any signs of slowing down. The size of the global digital advertising business in 2017 alone is estimated at $209 billion. By 2018, analysts project that the industry will experience a 13 percent growth to balloon to $237 billion.

Six largest digital advertising platforms by US rev, per @eMarketer:

1. Google -- $35 bn
2. Facebook -- $17.37 bn
3. Microsoft -- $3.6 bn
4. Oath (AOL/Yahoo) -- $3.6 bn
5. Amazon -- $1.65 bn
6. Twitter -- $1.21 bn

GOOG & FB control more than 63%https://t.co/QE4rbUu8bi …

— Tim Stenovec (@timsteno) December 27, 2017

But if Amazon were to fulfill its grand ambitions in becoming the third member of a triumvirate, it will have some serious catching up to do. At the moment, it only accounts for 2 percent of the $80 billion U.S. digital advertising market while the Big Two (Facebook & Google) combined, account for more than 70 percent of the total market.

[Featured Image via Amazon]

The post Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market appeared first on WebProNews.

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https://www.webpronews.com/amazon-set-take-facebook-google-digital-advertising-market/

3 Holiday Social Media Campaigns to Emulate for Your Business

Twitter Announces New Enterprise-Level API

Twitter is making big changes to its API that could greatly benefit developers. On Tuesday, the San Francisco-based social media giant announced that it has rolled out an enterprise version of its Account Activity API, allowing developers greater access to the activity data such as mentions, retweets, and likes.

Twitter has had its fair share of criticism for missteps in developer relations. In the past, it encouraged the integration of third-party apps on its platform but later backtracked by placing crippling restrictions on them. The company also offered free developer tools only to go against its word by selling them instead and had abruptly canceled several of its developer conferences.

It now appears that Twitter is trying to make amends for past blunders. Its recent announcement is seen as an initial step toward a larger revamp and expansion of its API and the rebuilding of its relationship with developers.

Twitter Announces #Enterprise Grade Account Activity #API https://t.co/GZPC22GGz3

Twitter API pic.twitter.com/WU0jfljExS

— ProgrammableWeb (@programmableweb) December 26, 2017

The new enterprise Account Activity API  hints of Twitter's commitment to making developer-focused improvements. With the new API in place, it will be easier for developers to create apps for chatbots and customer service interface.

Previously, developers could only access the full set of activities of a specific account using the old Account Activity API. With the new enterprise API in place, however, developers will now have access to a larger number of accounts, and other useful data such as retries.

Meanwhile, Twitter has now reclassified view typing indicators and read receipts of Direct Messages as activities that developers can access via the Account Activity API. The ultimate aim of these additions is to make it easier for developers to finetune their apps and create a more personalized customer chat experience.

Direct Messages (DM) will also be eased out of the beta. To create a more streamlined process, DM will be replaced by a suite of developer tools such as Buttons on messages, Welcome Messages, Customer Feedback Cards, Quick Replies and Custom Profiles.

[Featured Image via Pixabay]

The post Twitter Announces New Enterprise-Level API appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/twitter-announces-new-enterprise-level-api/

4 Ways to Steal Your Competitor's Social Media Followers

Social media is a great tool for boosting a company's online presence, build their brand, drive traffic to one's website, and close sales. However, building a decent following is challenging.

One effective way to build a following is to tap into an already existing base – that of the competition – and convince their followers to choose you instead. Here are four ways on how you can steal your competitor's followers.

1. Start Casting Your Networking Net

Successful business owners have one particular skill in common – they're all expert networkers. So if you want your company to grow, you have to start casting your net and begin networking. Reach out to sites that are in a similar area of interest, as well as other overlapping niches.

The first step to your networking journey would be to scope out the competition and learn more about them and their followers. One way to do this is to follow them on social media. You can also search Google for competitors which have the most active fan base and community. There's a lot to learn from observing your rivals, like how often they post or how reactive they are to their followers. From there, you can pinpoint which followers have the most influence or the most active. You can then reach out and start engaging with them.

2. Share Information to Develop Relationships

You want to develop good relationships with your social media followers. One great way to do this is to offer value without expecting anything in return (yet). You can start by answering questions they posted on social media. Not only do you get to interact with them, but you can also start to establish yourself as an expert, someone they can go to for answers. You can also offer to connect them with someone they need.

Once you have helped them, it would be easier to ask them for their assistance in return. They would also be more willing to help you, whether it's by sharing content, purchasing a product, or referring someone.

3. Make Referrals a Good Thing

Your social network would undoubtedly include some customers. Take advantage of this by incentivizing referrals. A lot of businesses have a referral program so they can leverage their social network. This often comes in the form of freebies or discounts.

Affiliate marketing is another way to leverage your social media followers. Tell them about your affiliate programs but make sure that you do it in a way that won't make them feel pressured. Try to convince your followers that this is a win-win situation; they get incentives when they refer someone and you get to secure some sales.

4. Don't Forget to Say Thanks

Sadly, many companies forget to express their gratitude to their followers. When your loyal customers or followers go beyond what's expected of them, make sure they know how much you appreciate it. Thanking the individual immediately after they helped is the best practice. You should then follow it up a few weeks later and thank them once again.

Building your social media followers is a fool-proof way to secure new clients, score new leads, and develop connections with peers that can assist you in building your company. You can build your base by stealing your rival's followers. Interacting with them, creating strong connections, and showing that you're grateful for their help are just some ways to do this.  

[Featured image via Pixabay]

The post 4 Ways to Steal Your Competitor's Social Media Followers appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/4-ways-steal-competitors-social-media-followers/

5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget

Every company wants to have a successful ad campaign. Unfortunately, most don't have the big budget necessary to compete with major companies. But that doesn't mean you're stuck with a losing marketing campaign. It just means your company has to be more creative and determined. If you're using Google AdWords, you have to narrow down your campaign and opt for a more targeted approach. Here are five ways that can help you make the most of your AdWords budget.

1. Develop Several Variations of Your Ads

You might think that being on a budget means you have to stick with just one ad. But having a generic ad is unlikely to generate the conversions you want. It's better if you have several variations of your ad that target various audiences.

For instance, if you're running an online bookstore, don't just target all the bookworms. Tailor your ads and focus on the different types of book lovers. Target young adults by pushing the latest works of a popular YA writer. Entice art buffs with an ad showcasing the different art, design and DIY books you carry.

2. Use Multiple Keyword Tools

Google's keyword tool is undeniably helpful, but it doesn't give out the best results all the time. There are instances when long-tail keywords they recommend simply do not have any data available. Or Google simply ignores really popular keywords.

A better strategy would be to utilize various keyword suggestion engines or keyword planners. You should also trust your knowledge of what keywords consumers are searching for when they came upon your site. Once you have a good list of keywords, test them yourself.

3. Create a Conversion Tracker

You need different ads to test which keywords are successful. More importantly, you need concrete data that can be tracked on a per-ad system. Let's say you're running eight ads and had $500 in sales, how will you know which ads generated that conversion?

You need a good conversion tracking system to help narrow down which ads are good and which ones are doing nothing for your campaign. AdWords has a tracking system that you can use and which can send your data directly to Google Analytics. But it's also a good idea to look for other conversion tracking tools and apps to get even more comprehensive analytics.

4. Be Smart About Your Ads Schedule

If you want to get the most out of your AdWords campaign, then you should only run your ads during hours when you'll have a better chance at conversions. For example, if your company's office hours run from 8 am to 5 pm, then it's not a good idea to have an ad running at midnight.

The only way to know what schedule is best is to test. Check your data analytics to see which hours and days your ads are performing well. Once you have narrowed down the optimal hours for your campaign, you can schedule your ads better.

5. Use AdWords Extensions Wisely

Google AdWords extensions can help you stand out and boost your ranking. Extensions can make your ad bigger and give you more room to work. It helps draw more attention to your ad and lets you emphasize more benefits and features. There are a variety of extensions that a business can use, but a company has to choose carefully as some might not be appropriate.  

The post 5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Google AdWords Budget appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/5-tips-making-google-adwords-budget/

4 CRM Trends to Watch Out for in 2018

There's no denying that Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has changed a lot since the 1990s. These days, CRM software is the go-to tool for managing business relationships and closely studying customer data and interactions.

CRM systems are continuously evolving, but what can it offer businesses next year? Here are four CRM trends to watch out for:

Artificial Intelligence to Become More Intelligent

AI is here and from the looks of things, it's not going anywhere. It will even be making serious strides in terms of how companies will be doing business. From deep learning to machine learning, AI is expected to have a greater hand in evaluating and changing business systems so companies can get their expected results.

AI assistants are already being utilized in the consumer environment, but analysts are predicting that businesses will benefit from this program by automating the repetitive and mundane parts of the marketing or sales cycle. So expect to see more companies taking advantage of AI chatbots as more businesses begin to see the benefits of using them as the first point of interaction with their customers.

Intelligent Security to Become Even More Vital

Researchers believe that more security applications enhanced with AI will appear in 2018, especially with the upcoming implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union.

The passing of the GDPR is expected to strengthen data protection for citizens, and AI-enhanced security apps can help marketers ensure that their clients are complying. AI can help by alerting companies of expiring consent that they need to take action on. Or they can warn of possible exposure due to customers moving to another country with a different set of regulations.

Intelligent security is also essential to fight data breaches and other malicious hacking, especially now that hackers are getting smarter and bolder.

Augmented Reality Will Make Its Presence Felt

A more sophisticated augmented reality technology is expected to be seen in 2018, and with it are more instances for its use.

Market analysts agree that there was a lot of studying and experimentation with AR in 2017. Because of this, there were a lot of use cases developed in marketing, sales, and service for AR. It's inevitable that companies would use AR more and 2018 might just be the year this technology breaks through in the sales and marketing business.

Companies can utilize AR to showcase in greater detail large products, like furniture and automobiles. Architects and designers can also use it to preview layouts or designs. Meanwhile, marketers can even use AR to develop interactive campaigns and complement advertisements with virtual reality.

Digital Market Will be Reinforced and Transformed

Data enhancement tools, email syncing, and VOIP connections used to be features that companies would like to see in CRM systems they're eyeing, but things are different now and 2018 is expected to bring even better enhancements.

On top of that, industry leaders will continue to try and exert their dominance on the market. Niche vendors will attempt to fill vertical-specific systems while third-party applications try to integrate with CRMs to supply more capabilities. Experts believe that the market will see a growth of third-party vendor space as more businesses develop applications and products that would be offered in exchange stores.

Companies like Sugar CRM and TenFold have already started on this trend. The former has rolled out HINT, a software that automatically searches the internet for company and personal information while the latter is developing a VOIP/CRM/ marketing connector with features like smart agent AI and Zoom meeting integrations.

It's still too early to determine what CRM trends will really shake up 2018, but users and businesses can expect to see more focused AI capacities, new uses for AR, and more offerings from vendors as they compete to set themselves apart from their competitors.

The post 4 CRM Trends to Watch Out for in 2018 appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/4-crm-trends-watch-2018/

Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market

The digital advertising scene is about to get very interesting in 2018. After experimenting with various advertising products in the past, Amazon is now ready to make its presence felt and is seriously planning to challenge heavyweights Google and Facebook.

At the moment, digital advertising revenue is virtually a duopoly between 'The Big Two'—Facebook and Google. This is not surprising since advertisers have long been flocking to them in droves because of the potential that their ads might reach the billions of users of the two platforms.

Amazon to expand digital advertising efforts in 2018 https://t.co/Ydlp04K8MQ

— Snip (@SnipToday) December 29, 2017

However, reports are now saying that Amazon is now ready to make waves and shake up the current power structure of the digital advertising arena.

According to a CNBC report, Amazon aims to bolster its market share by looking for additional ad revenues within its e-commerce search feature and video products. Also, there are talks that the company is mulling over the possibility of selling beyond Amazon sites and products. Citing unnamed sources, the report added that Amazon is working out a partnership deal with third-party mobile advertising companies such as Kargo for an advertising product that covers both TV and mobile platforms.

While Amazon has yet to respond to queries regarding its advertising business plans, industry watchers noted that the company is revving up hiring for its advertising division. This observation supports CFO Brian Olsavsky previous disclosure during the Q2 earnings call last July where he mentioned that Amazon was hiring more ad sales staff.

At the heart of all the corporate warfare is a gargantuan market that has not shown any signs of slowing down. The size of the global digital advertising business in 2017 alone is estimated at $209 billion. By 2018, analysts project that the industry will experience a 13 percent growth to balloon to $237 billion.

Six largest digital advertising platforms by US rev, per @eMarketer:

1. Google -- $35 bn
2. Facebook -- $17.37 bn
3. Microsoft -- $3.6 bn
4. Oath (AOL/Yahoo) -- $3.6 bn
5. Amazon -- $1.65 bn
6. Twitter -- $1.21 bn

GOOG & FB control more than 63%https://t.co/QE4rbUu8bi …

— Tim Stenovec (@timsteno) December 27, 2017

But if Amazon were to fulfill its grand ambitions in becoming the third member of a triumvirate, it will have some serious catching up to do. At the moment, it only accounts for 2 percent of the $80 billion U.S. digital advertising market while the Big Two (Facebook & Google) combined, account for more than 70 percent of the total market.

[Featured Image via Amazon]

The post Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market appeared first on WebProNews.

from
https://www.webpronews.com/amazon-set-take-facebook-google-digital-advertising-market/