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As a graduate of our digital marketing skills programme, here's the research and news that caught the eye of our strategists this month, grouped in the sections that build on those in your training.
Is your mobile strategy in place for 2013? New research shows smartphone sales up 47%, reminding every brand how the web's gone mobile and apps have replaced many sites. We've more on why mobile ad recall beats TV, and how Google is using Free Zone to capture the 'next billion' internet users.
Highlights this month:
- Digital marketing tips on content marketing and SEO
- China: Market data and growth
- Android on 3 in 4 mobiles
- Instagram and Pinterest boost designs to attract advertisers
- Brands experiment with advertising on Windows 8
- Google launches voice-activated mobile search
- Regulators fine Google for privacy breach
And if you're planning 2013 digital and mobile strategies and need support, mail us back - with our journalists writing hundreds of articles each month, and online classrooms with hundreds more resources, help and links may be closer to hand than you think.
Best from all the digital strategists
Danny Meadows-Klue
President
Digital Training Academy
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Getting your content discovered in search engines has been the battle digital marketers have been fighting for almost 20 years. It's a combination of both art and science, and there are simple steps that should be on every marketers' agenda. Danny Meadows-Klue has been teaching Search Engine Optimisation since the late
'90s, and here he explains how consumer brands should approach content marketing and SEO.
21/11/2012 | Full article...
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China's Web users have increased by over 10% since December 2008, reaching nearly 54 million. However, the chart shows how the rapid growth has decreased over time. As of June 2012 the number of online Chinese citizens equalled just under 40% of the total population.
01/11/2012 | Full story...
This chart shows the rise of smartphone owners compared with previous PC and laptop owners. The growth in PC has slowed considerably since June 2011. The adoption of smartphones over this period has increased dramatically, with smartphone ownership exceeding PC ownership in June 2012.
01/11/2012 | Full story...
Chinese smartphone owners are one of the key drivers for rising web use. This chart shows that in less than 5 years the number of smartphone users has grown by over 33 million, accounting for 72.2% of total web users. One of the main reasons for this growth is attributed to the affordability of smartphones over PCs and laptops.
01/11/2012 | Full story...
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US flavoured milk brand Oak claimed it had been 'inundated with fans complaining they couldn't buy
their product in their local stores. In response, parent company Parmalat staged a series of 'reverse robberies' and posted the results on YouTube and Facebook. See why its our video viral of the week below...
20/11/2012 | Full story...
This interactive YouTube video forms part of John West's latest £6m marketing efforts to showcase its ethical fishing practices. The 'story in a can' campaign invites UK consumers to track exactly where their canned fish comes from. See why it's our video viral of the week below...
08/11/2012 | Full story...
New York City's Comodo restaurant has harnessed passionate foodies by launching an Instagram menu, integrating the photo-sharing site into their dining experience. The restaurant is encouraging people to Instagram pictures of the dishes with a designated hashtag, #ComodoMenu. By using the hashtag, diners can see the Latin American inspired food before ordering (or even before making a reservation) while also engaging in a distinctly modern communal activity.
Watch a video showing how the service works below:
05/11/2012 | Full story...
Coca-Cola continues its Coke Zero marketing tie-in for the upcoming James Bond movie release with a promo that turned commuters into 007, for 70 heart-pounding seconds, all for the chance to win Skyfall tickets. See why it's out video viral of the week below...
05/11/2012 | Full story...
To raise awareness around the perception of blind people in Russia as helpless, charity association "The right to smile" together with the agency Hungry Boys, launched a project called Blind. See why it's our viral of the week below...
14/11/2012 | Full story...
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Samsung has extended its lead over Apple's iPhone in the global smartphone market, while Android now accounts for a massive 72% chunk of the smartphone OS market, according to new data. The research, from Gartner, found that worldwide sales of mobile phones to end users reached almost 428 million units in the third quarter of 2012, a 3.1% decline from the third quarter of 2011.
15/11/2012 | Full story...
Google's Android mobile operating system made up 75% of the global smartphone market in the third quarter of 2012, far ahead of Apple's 14.9%, according to new data. The study from market analysis firm IDC attributed the jump in market share to the faltering market reach for Nokia's Symbian platform and Research In Motion's Blackberry mobile OS. According to the study Google Android smartphone shipments increased by 91.5% during Q3 2012.
05/11/2012 | Full story...
Apple has widened its lead over Samsung in terms of global ad impressions, despite the growing popularity of the Korean manufacturer's devices, according to a new report.
20/11/2012 | Full story...
Google has launched 'Free Zone', a new mobile web service aimed at giving millions of people in the developing world to access the Internet (and Google's ads) via basic mobile phones without data charges.
09/11/2012 | Full story...
Mobile ads are much more effective than broadcast or conventional digital ads on a number of key metrics, such as brand recall and purchase intent, according to new research. The AdColony/Nielsen study, found that almost 6 in 10 mobile users recalled the brands advertised, versus about 1 in 10 for TV and digital users, and mobile ads were also several times more effective at influencing consumers' purchasing intent.
22/11/2012 | Full story...
Google is gearing up to extend its paid results on its Google Shopping tool, as the web giant looks to extend its hugely successful AdWords model to the world of ecommerce. Following a launch in the US this year, Google Shopping will add paid services to the UK, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Brazil, Australia and Switzerland, starting February 13th 2012.
Watch this 'Hangout' video from Jon Venverloh, Senior Manager - Google Shopping, offering a guide to creating and optimising product listings on Google.
16/11/2012 | Full story...
Facebook shares soared 12% on Wednesday as the social network beat expectations following the third stage of its IPO share sale. Wednesday saw the unlocking of hundreds of millions of shares held by insiders now eligible for sale in the open market. The move saw the sale of more than 800 million shares, marking the third and biggest wave after the company's initial public offering in May. The latest lockup expiration is expected to nearly double the size of the company's share float.
16/11/2012 | Full story...
Global online advertising revenues will reach $143 billion in 2017, with the US still leading the market, with China catching fast, according to a new report. The Online Advertising Forecasts report, from Digital TV Research, estimates that the 2017 total is more than double the $66 billion recorded in 2010 and considerably up from the $92 billion predicted for 2012.
15/11/2012 | Full story...
Among a selection of the 100 leading brand pages on Facebook, those using paid media reached 5.4 times more people on average than those using no paid media, according to a new study.
The report, 'Understanding Paid & Earned Reach On Facebook,' published by Facebook together with comScore, forms part of Facebook's attempts to persuade sceptical brand marketers to migrate their efforts from free fan pages to paid for sponsored stories.
01/11/2012 | Full story...
Most websites and online retailers live and die based on their natural search traffic, so when the US clothes retailer Big Tall Direct lost 70% of their traffic, it proved devastating. This video from their President describes what it's like: watch, weep, and wonder how well protected your business is...
22/11/2012 | Full story...
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/online-advertising
This month saw major brands and advertisers starting to experiment with the new Windows 8 in-app advertising opportunities as well as confirming their confidence in online video advertising's effectiveness. A report by ad network MediaSyndicator showing that consumers pay more attention to specific content sites rather than portals was bad news for the likes of MSN and Yahoo!
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BBC Worldwide, Sky, Lloyds TSB and Vodafone are amongst 25 global brands that have signed up to Microsoft's new Windows 8 advertising platform. These brands will be rolling out Windows 8 Ads in Apps campaigns over the next couple of months. These will include Bing apps, Xbox apps, the Skype app and third-party apps independently developed by publishing partners.
02/11/2012 | Full story...
More than half of UK advertisers (52%) think online video ads are more effective than TV, while mobile is set to have the largest increase in media spend this year, according to a new survey. The findings come from BrightRoll's 2012 UK Video Advertising Report. The second annual survey gathers insight from more than 100 top decision makers and media buyers at leading UK advertising agencies and shares their unique perspective of the UK video advertising landscape.
06/11/2012 | Full story...
Major portals such as MSN and Yahoo are losing their stronghold on consumer attention with many turning to sites specific to their interest, according to new research. The study, from Mediasyndicator commissioned research with YouGov (1,987 UK adults) in order to discover the types of websites consumers visit for content and the environments in which they are most engaged and open to advertising.
06/11/2012 | Full story...
More top Advertising stories from this month:
- Nutella Facebook ad campaign outperforms TV
- Daily Mail offers agencies £250,000 prize for driving print readers to online ads
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/search-engine-marketing
Google takes on Apple's Siri with its voice-activated 'Google Search' app for iPhone and iPad and revamps its desktop search. However it sees market share of UK searches dropping to the advantage of its competitors. Meanwhile Yahoo and Facebook are in talks about a closer partnership.
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Google has revamped its 'Google Search' app for the iPhone and iPad, giving the feature a voice search functionality that poses a challenge to Apple's Siri. The app, which is available for free download, opens with a "Try our new voice search" message that sits next to an icon of a microphone. Click on the icon and speak your question into your device.
Watch a promo video from Google here:
02/11/2012 | Full story...
Google is updating its desktop search engine, offering what it claims will be a 'simpler, cleaner' feel than before more closely aligned with its mobile and tablet versions. The most significant change is the removal of the sidebar to the left of the page. The same options (such as Web, Images, Maps, Shopping) are now displayed in a bar along the top.
07/11/2012 | Full story...
October proved to be scary month not just for Halloween but also for Google's share of the UK search market. October figures suggest 89.33% of all web searches in the UK were made using Google. The findings, from Experian Hitwise, mark the first time in the last five years that Google has ever dropped below a 90% market share of UK search.
07/11/2012 | Full story...
Yahoo has been in talks with Facebook over a possible search deal that could see an end to its partnership with Microsoft's Bing, according to a news report. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, unnamed sources said that Marissa Mayer, chief executive of Yahoo!, has held discussions with Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, about how the two companies can work more closely together.
19/11/2012 | Full story...
More top search stories from this month:
- How does Google make $100m in search ads each day? (Infographic)
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/facebook-marketing
To further prove the effectiveness of advertising on their platform Facebook launched a 'conversion measurement' tool that lets firms track conversions from ad exposure. A study from Techcrunch which showed the impact of ad exposure (rather than actual clicks) on conversion also help prove this claim. The platform also launched a recruitment app this month that took them closer to being a major job board.
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Facebook has launched a 'conversion measurement' tool, letting firms track purchases made by social networkers who have viewed their ads, as the firm looks to woo advertisers looking for more accountable ways to run social media marketing campaigns. The tool is geared towards measuring direct response marketing (such as travel sites and online retailers) rather than long-term brand building campaigns.
19/11/2012 | Full story...
As advertisers seek more value from their social media campaigns, a new report indicates that views, not clicks, are the most valuable factor in getting conversions. Yesterday, TechCrunch examined data using Facebook's 'view tag' feature, which allows advertisers to track users who view ads, but who do not click on them.
21/11/2012 | Full story...
Facebook has launched a jobs board in partnership with the Social Jobs Partnership, letting recruiters to post job listings directly on Facebook. The Social Jobs Partnership app has gone live in
the US, and brings together the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) along with the US Department of Labor, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies, DirectEmployers Association and Facebook.
19/11/2012 | Full story...
More top Facebook stories from this month:
- Facebook pushes ahead with external ad network - report
- How often should you make Facebook posts? New survey shows most Facebook brand pages 'are inactive'
- Facebook introduces 'bank-style' security to tackle cyber fraud
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/social-media-marketing
Acquired by Facebook earlier in the year, Instagram has upgraded its online profile page and opened up another brand-friendly social media channel, as has Pinterest with its dedicated business profile page. Meanwhile consumers are increasingly willing to share their customer service experiences online - forcing marketers to pay attention to this important direct channel.
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Instagram has launched online profiles that let users showcase themselves and photos they've taken with the Facebook-owned smartphone app. The move follows Facebook's acquisition of the company earlier this year, as it looks to boost its photo sharing capabilities and keep users on its social network.
06/11/2012 | Full story...
Pinterest has taken another step towards monetisation, offering brands a dedicated business profile on its social bookmarking site. The new business site, gives organisations the opportunity to verify their account, add buttons (Pin It, Follow) and widgets (Profile, Board), and receive updates on future products and services.
16/11/2012 | Full story...
Almost a third (32%) of all web users in the UK are sharing their customer service experiences – whether good and bad – online through social media and blogs, according to new research. The study, from Verint Systems, interviewed 7,000 consumers to examine consumers' attitudes towards services provided by organisations in five sectors - phone, TV and broadband services; financial services; retail; utilities and public services.
22/11/2012 | Full story...
More top social media stories from this month:
- Top 20 social networks in the world in 2012 (infographic)
- Content marketing techniques - boosting engagement through live blogging
- Social media in China: Alibaba planning to but stake in Twitter rival Sina Weibo?
- Social TV merger: Viggle buys GetGlue for $25m
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The way people consume media and shop on their mobile phones is changing rapidly on a global scale, with significant increases in mobile banking, research and the purchase of 'real' goods, according to a new study.
21/11/2012 | Full story...
One in three Brits use the high street just to window-shop, using mobile phones to compare prices, save details for buying online at home or make purchases, according to new research. The study, commissioned for digital wallet provider Skrill as part of its Future of Money campaign, uncovers an evolving shopping ecosystem, where the high street, online and mobile co-exist to deliver an all round experience.
22/11/2012 | Full story...
Online retailers are preparing for strong spending as the Christmas shopping peak approaches, with consumers forecast to spend £4.6bn online over the two weeks commencing 3rd and 10th December according to new research. The study, from IMRG and Capgemini, indicates that just under a billion of that figure (£920m) is expected to go through mobile devices (smartphones and tablets), after the popularity of making purchases through the channel has accelerated throughout the year.
14/11/2012 |
Full story...
More top mobile and tablet stories from this month:
- The rise of the second screen: US consumers surfing web and TV simultaneously (Infographic)
- Nokia brings Apple maps rival to iPhone and iPad
- US mobile trends: Smartphone ownership passes 50% for first time
- Number of US text messages declines for second time
- Samsung Galaxy S3 beats iPhone 4S as best selling smartphone
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/multimedia-content
Competition for cloud-stored music services increased as Google Music launched in UK and Europe to rival the likes of Amazon and iTunes with its free cloud storage for up to 20,000 tracks. And the video-on-demand sector heats up as Vimeo starts to offer a small number of pay-per-view movies and Microsoft considers the purchase of Netflix.
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Google Music service has finally launched in the UK and across Europe, undercutting the likes of Amazon and iTunes by offering free cloud storage for up to 20,000 tracks. The tool, available via the Google play store online and on Android mobile phones, is launched a year after it began in the US. The delay was caused by licensing disputes with record labels.
Watch a video describing how the service works below:
13/11/2012 | Full story...
Online video service Vimeo is to launch a pay-per-view movie service in a bid to compete with Google-owned rival YouTube. The IAC-owned platform is launching the pay-to-view service with six movies that will be available across the US, UK and the rest of the world.
15/11/2012 | Full story...
Microsoft is mulling a bid for online video service Netflix, according to a report by Forbes, as competition in the video on demand sector heats up. The move would be one of the most significant purchases in the technology and television space.
01/11/2012 | Full story...
More top multimedia content stories from this month:
- Microsoft ditches Windows Live Messenger for Skype
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YouTube has launched a Wii U compatible version of its video sharing site, as the Google-owned service looks to expand its use among gamers. The new app uses the Wii U GamePad as a remote keyboard for searching through content on the site, with playback in up to 1080p Full HD.
22/11/2012 | Full story...
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/ecommerce-and-eretailing
A study by Verdict Research estimates that over 10% of total retail spend in the UK will be online in 2012, bolstered considerably by the Christmas spree. While online retailers are getting ever busier they will need to pay attention as to how they use customer data for targeting as the OFT launches an investigation. Meanwhile the fortunes of Groupon seem to be on the wane.
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Christmas shoppers are expected to spend a total of £86bn this year, according to a report* 'UK Retail 2012 and Beyond', just published by Verdict Research in association with SAS
UK. With online sales predicted to account for 10.6% of the total retail spend,
retailers need to ensure their sites are optimised and offer a good experience.
16/11/2012 | Full story...
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has launched an investigation into how online retailers in the UK are using software and data to target individual customers with personalised prices. The move could result in the UK regulator using its powers to clamp down on such activities in the future.
19/11/2012 | Full story...
Online voucher firm Groupon has seen its shares fall 30% after its third quarter revenues fell short of analysts' forecasts. The company, which launched on the stock market back in November 2011, has reached a record share low amid doubts about its business model and a slowing demand for its discounts.
12/11/2012 | Full story...
More top ecommerce stories from this month:
- Tesco debuts 'online commuter zone' for busy shoppers
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www.DigitalStrategyConsulting.com/intelligence/digital-marketing-regulation
While the EU struggles to find a fit-for-purpose regulatory data protection framework for Europe in the UK the DMA releases a report that shows their self-regulation of the industry is improving standards. Enforcing the rule of data protection in the US the FTC fine Google for breaching the privacy of Safari browser users. However in India two teenage girls get no such privacy protection as they are arrested by the state for their Facebook remarks.
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