10 Digital Marketing Trends For 2015

Here’s what the experts had to say when I asked them which digital marketing trends they see dying in 2015 and which trends they see catching more steam.

1. Get Ready For Paid Social

2015 will see both the death of unreasonable expectations from organic social media and the corresponding further growth of paid social.
Countless business owners have come up to me and said that they’re doing everything they should be doing on social media but achieving little, if any, results.
This is happening because every business owner is competing for your attention against other people as well as bigger brands with more resources to spend on both organic and paid social.
If social media was made for people and not for businesses, businesses will always be at a disadvantage. This disadvantage is clear today and the only way to both beat your competition and compensate for those disadvantages is to establish a budget for paid social to supplement your organic storytelling.

Neal Schaffer

Founder, Maximize Social Business

http://maximizesocialbusiness.com/

@nealschaffer

2. Content Libraries Are The New Attraction

I see the act of list building via the single bait piece such as an eBook going away and being replaced with the use of content libraries that attract community members.
In other words, instead of signing up to get blog posts or a generic email newsletter, list builders will offer access to a growing library of useful information that someone will join and consume based on the content that interests them most.

John Jantsch

Founder, Duct Tape Marketing

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/

@ducttape

3. Communities Will Overtake Pages

As social networks like Facebook gear more and more towards “pay to play”, more people are gravitating towards platforms, groups and communities that allow for one-on-one conversations with others and a feed that is minimally “filtered”.
Awesome organic reach on Facebook is still possible and you can get great results with paid ads but the hey-day of businesses solely relying on a profile or page has passed.
Across social networks there is a shift towards Facebook and LinkedIn Groups, Google+ communities, Twitter chats, Pinterest boards and hashtag conversations. It’s a shift back to conversations that we control vs. newsfeeds that are out of our control.
It’s in our DNA to tell stories, connect, debate and discuss. It makes sense to me that we will see marketers get creative to find more “human” ways of interacting with fans and pay more attention to platforms that allow more direct communication. It’s a more enjoyable interaction, builds trust and ultimately results in sales and revenue.

Donna Moritz

Founder, Socially Sorted

http://sociallysorted.com.au/

@sociallysorted

4. The Death of Silo Marketing

Silo marketing will die by necessity in 2015 and rightfully so. Silo marketing in social media began early on as businesses gravitated to one social network and focused solely on that platform for their marketing. This was the restaurant that only had a Facebook Page or the business that had a great YouTube channel but nothing else.
In 2015, that doesn’t work…it’s about integration.
Content on your blog is critical. It must be amplified and engaged with on social media to drive visitors back to your site where lead capture moves them into your email nurture process! Content, social media and email will all work in tandem to deliver results.

Mike Gingerich

Founder, Tabsite

https://www.tabsite.com/

@mike_gingerich

5. Pinterest Is Out, Instagram Is In

I have noticed a distinct drop in the interest and discussions around Pinterest recently and a sharp rise in folks interested in Instagram. As a caveat, I have never been very good at Pinterest as I’m a B2B company servicing B2B clients.
I find this rather fascinating, as they are both similar and absolutely reliant on visuals. From what I can see in my very focused world, for some reason, Instagram is pulling ahead of the game and that’s where I’ll be investing more of my time in 2015.

Viveka Von Rosen

Author, LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour A Day

http://linkedintobusiness.com/

@LinkedInExpert

6. Social Media-Specific Campaigns Are No More

One digital marketing trend that I think is dying is social-media specific campaigns. In 2014 we started to see a small shift in businesses no longer using Facebook to host their apps (campaigns) but a majority of businesses were still relying on the single social network as their “hub.”
In 2015, I believe we’ll see a big shift towards businesses being “platform-agnostic” and using campaigns that work everywhere with differing levels of engagement.
Zipcar UK is an example of a business who stopped hosting their campaigns on Facebook and embedded them on their website instead. As a result, their participation has increased 717% and campaign page visits have increased 203%.
Building a marketing campaign for multiple channels is expensive and with audiences expanding their presence, businesses will shift their offerings to be “everywhere” so their messages can be seen.

Jim Belosic

CEO, ShortStack

http://www.shortstack.com/

@shortstacklab

7. No More Algorithm Chasing

The trend I hope that is dying in 2015 is lazy marketers chasing the Facebook algorithm. You should be aware of it and pay attention to changes, but chasing the algorithm is like a dog chasing its tail. It leads to nothing but heartache and pain.
In 2015, I think we’re seeing businesses move back to posting more original content (videos, graphics and blog posts) and posting less memes and fluff on social media. We’ve lost the human touch on social media and it’s time we got it back!

Scott Ayres

Author, Facebook All-In-One For Dummies

http://postplanner.com

@scottayres

8. The Content Marketing Revolution

I see a lot of social media marketers shifting towards re-branding themselves as content marketers in 2015.
This is part of a bigger trend among all kinds of marketers, especially search optimizers and PR professionals.
A year from now, when everyone calls themselves a content strategist, clients and employers will need to dig deeper to learn what the preferred channels are for that professional.
2015 will also be the year that people learn the difference between marketing automation and content marketing. Too many companies have signed up (and pay big money) for marketing automation tools but they’re really only using these tools as glorified email marketing systems.
This will be the year that businesses get smart about this. Many will cancel their marketing automation contracts and others will learn that they need to actually be active in marketing before it makes sense to automate it.
People who drank the kool aid are putting down their cups and realizing that they don’t need an expensive marketing automation platform to do content marketing. This will be a revelation for many businesses in the New Year.

Andy Crestodina

Author, Content Chemistry

http://orbitmedia.com

@crestodina

9. Paid Fans & Followers Services Will Die

The number one digital marketing trend I see dying in 2015 is the “get more fans & followers” trend. As crazy as it may sound, it’s still a goal too many businesses are pursuing. Don’t believe me? Go in Google Keyword Planner and check the volume of searches for “get more fans”, “get more followers” or even “buy followers”. You’ll be shocked.
This is not sustainable. Businesses will soon all realize that this was useless and that they need to take a different approach.
The trend I see growing in 2015 is that businesses will start to be much more selective with their social media efforts and reducing (or even stopping) them when no evidence of benefit can be demonstrated.
On the other hand, they’ll become smarter at figuring out what works and then focusing their energy there. The market is maturing and that’s a good thing!

Emeric Ernoult

Founder, AgoraPulse

http://www.agorapulse.com/

@eernoult

10. The Year of Social Advertising

2015 is the year of social advertising. Now that many of the social sites have some type of ad platform, and Facebook is basically requiring businesses to have some ad budget for anything promotional, it is time for business owners to understand social ads.
The targeting that you can do on social sites is amazing and businesses should be taking advantage of it. Plus, there is a great capability to track your conversions and understand which targeting and platform works best for you.
Understand how to do split testing, optimize your ads and track your conversions on each platform and you will be effective.

Andrea Vahl

Author, Facebook Marketing For Dummies

http://www.andreavahl.com

@andreavahl

Digital Marketing Trends For 2015: Key Takeaways

Telling Tales Poeple Can Never Forget

By telling this story from my point of view, my intention is to show you - rather than tell you - how memory works.

If you don't know how to tell a memorable story, you can't be an effective leader, can't raise money for a startup, can't be the number one sales professional, and can't even get your kids to listen.
My client didn't die; he slid 300 yards, regained his composure, and hiked back up the slope. After climbing a bit higher, we skied down without incident.
Dr. Carmen Simon is an expert in the science of memorable presentations. She and I just pooled our efforts to create a visual catalog of ten techniques that make communication memorable, five of which I used in this story:

• Evoke emotion
• Spark mental images
• Be shocking and visual
• Tell a story
• Exaggerate (mostly with the implication my client may have died)

We are not just talking about PowerPoint decks. These principles apply to the way you present ideas to colleagues, friends, relatives and casual acquaintances. Whether you are trying to sell a new idea to your boss or raise money for a charity, your first challenge is always to have the other person remember what you said.
Carmen reminds her clients that people remember just ten percent of what you tell them... you can't change this retention rate significantly, but you can influence what other people remember. The way you do this is to use one or more of these techniques in association with the 10% you most want others to remember.

Does Height Matter In Career ?

The average American man is 5’ 9”. Women are closer to 5’4".
The average 20th-century American president, on the other hand, is 6 foot. Nineteenth-century presidents were still taller, at 5' 10". In fact, in more than half of presidential elections, the taller candidate has gotten more popular votes.
It's no surprise that height is strongly correlated to success in professional sports like basketball, where how high one can reach is an explicit part of winning the game. But it's bothersome to think that we would vote for someone based on a physical attribute that has nothing to do with the job.
Are we heightist?


It sure seems like it. Statistics show that an extra inch of height translates to an average of $1,000 more annual income—the six foot man makes five grand more than his 5' 7" colleague.
On the other hand, it's well-known that Hollywood actors skew short—especially leading males. Robert Downey Jr., America's highest-paid actor at the time of this writing, is below average at 5' 8". Other high earners like Mark Wahlberg, Tom Cruise, and Zac Efron are below average. (One of my personal favorites, Kit Harrington aka Jon Snow, is 5' 8" as well.)
Film producer Brian Hennessey sums up a common explanation:

"The dynamic of 'shorter' actors is mostly a result of practicality. There is more of an abundance of actors and actresses of average height so they are easier to cast. They are also by and large easier to shoot. It is somewhat challenging to frame an actor who is 6 foot 3 inches when the rest of the cast averages 5 foot 9. This is especially true when a male actor is significantly taller than a female actor in a romantic themed story. There is also a number of stars who are uncomfortable working with actors who are significantly taller for fear of appearing too short. They can have a significant influence on the casting choices of a film. Then there is the aspect of taller men by and large choosing to participate sports over performing arts early on in school, thus leaving a smaller pool of skilled taller actors for films."

So, on the silver screen, being tall does not provide an advantage like it does in basketball—primarily because height can be made relative by the camera. And being smaller may make things easier on the cameraman. When you roll in social pressure from established short actors to not appear with tall actors, and the assumption that short people opt for high school drama club instead of volleyball, 6 foot up-and-comers may be at a casting disadvantage.
But all of that appears to be bollocks when you look deeper at the earning statistics. Seven of the top 10 highest paid actors last year are above average, and the majority over 6' 0".
Yikes.

The discussion of heightism and success in America mostly revolves around speculation like Hennessey's. We vote for the tall guy "because height conveys power." The short guy gets the leading role "because he's easier to work with"... except he makes less money and gets worse gigs than the tall guy. What a bunch of discriminating bastards, we are.


Fortunately, that's not true either. A few years ago, three economists, Nicola Persico, Andrew Postlewaite, and Dan Silverman, tackled heightism from a clever statistical angle. Controlling for family background, they looked at workers' heights and earnings—which were correlated as highly as race and gender earning disparities—and then investigated how tall those workers were as teenagers.
That data yielded something remarkable:
"Controlling for teen height essentially eliminates the effect of adult height on wages," they wrote. "The teen height premium is not explained by differences in resources or endowments."


In other words, how tall you are now actually has nothing to do with how much money you will earn; it's how tall you were in high school that matters.
Notably, the economists found that height as a pre-teen or child did not correlate to future success. Only during those crucial, awful, self-conscious pubescent years where we struggle to "find ourselves" does height play a pivotal role in our future earnings.
The crucial difference between more and less successful people, it appears, is not height, but what height bestows at age 15: confidence. And just like getting started in sports early correlates to higher chances of professional success, a confident teenager will do more, get more, and be more confident at age 40 than an anxious one.

How To Explore God's Secrets To Success

God is widely believe in by the vast majority of people, but for all intents and purposes we live as if the divine is irrelevant to the duties and challenges of everyday life. I felt that a change of attitude was urgently needed, which led me to write a book, The Future of God, where this new conception can be fully laid out. What would make God useful isn't found "out there" in the rituals, dogmas, and orthodox beliefs that most people focus on when they approach religion. "In here" are aspects of consciousness that connect us to our source, and that source is God.

Therefore God is human insofar as we are connected through our own sense of self; God is divine insofar as he (or she) has infinite scope--cosmic consciousness pervades everything, whereas individual consciousness doesn't. But rather than getting into any abstractions, the essence of the connection between human and divine is pragmatic. If God can't help with life's daily challenges, he is unlikely to have a future in our increasingly secular world.

One attribute of God or cosmic consciousness, is non-judgment. If consciousness is everywhere, then there is only one consciousness. As it expresses itself through each human being, there is an appearance of separation. What you think about politics, for example, or about family, religion, your career, etc., isn't the same as what I may be thinking. But we both draw upon the infinite reservoir of consciousness, with its unlimited creative potential. If you can see that this is true, there is no need to judge other people. Non-judgment is a divine attribute, not because God is a nice person, but because consciousness is a level playing field from which all of us draw purpose, meaning, values, desires, etc.

Here are some behaviors that allow you to test if non-judgment leads to a better life.

• Accept others as equals, not superiors or inferiors.
• Hold off criticizing others.
• Entertain ideas that aren't identical to our own.
• Don't try to improve other people, imposing your own notions of morality or correct behavior.
• Stop making others feel wrong.
• Offer encouragement and approval, which are the positive results of non-judgment.
• Tend to your own shortcomings instead of focusing on the shortcomings of others.
• Avoid using tags of race, gender, politics, and religion.
• Drop wholesale judgments against 'those kind of people" and look instead on each person as unique.

How To Manages 3 Companies And Still Remain Human

Carlos Ghosn, is a businessman born in Brazil, who is half French and half Lebanese and who at the time spoke only enough Japanese to make short, formal speeches. the joint CEO of Renault and Nissan, became such a hero in Japan for saving Nissan that a manga maker released a 7-part comic about him in 2002. That’s right about a businessman. The manga was a best-seller.

Since then, Ghosn has taken Nissan from has-been to industry leader, aggressively pushing into electric cars — the Leaf is by far the top-selling electric in the world — and declaring that “autonomous drive” vehicles are coming up shortly. He’s also continued to expand his reach, this summer completing the takeover of Russian automaker AvtoVaz, which makes the top-selling Lada. Ghosn is now AvtoVaz’s chairman.

In other words, if comic makers thought he was impressive for his leadership a decade ago, the fact that he now steers 3 international car companies, in 3 different languages, responsible for 10% of all cars sold and grossing an expected $140+ billion in 2014 sales should practically guarantee Ghosn an Avengers movie by now (in which, of course, he’d play every role).

But that would assume that Ghosn (pronounced like “phone”) is a larger-than-life, Elon Musk-like character. He’s not. Ghosn lives his life — as he says — “almost like a monk:" everything is planned and everything is telegraphed. (Even our interview ran with precision: He walked in, went over the time constraints, answered the questions and left — in the exact window he had laid out.)

That’s because the discipline of running 3 companies in 3 far-flung countries requires exactly that: insane amounts of discipline. Want to know where Ghosn is going to be next year this week? Ask his staff. His schedule is mapped out 15 months ahead and distributed widely. His plane flights are reserved for sleeping since he knows that as soon as he touches down, he’s going to get hit with questions from the local staff who now have an audience with the CEO. And when he’s in each of those countries, he focuses only on the company whose name is on the local headquarters.

“I start with the principle that when I'm in Japan, I'm making decisions for Nissan,” says Ghosn. “When I'm in Paris, I'm making decisions for Renault. And when I am in Russia, I'm making decisions, eventually, for AvtoVAZ. I don't mix the different responsibilities because I just want to make sure the different teams in charge feel responsible and there is no confusion between the different companies. So, a lot of pragmatism, some basic rules, professional people around you and, at the end of the day, it's possible."

Why 'Stupid' Startups Do So Well During Seed Funding Rounds

Buzzfeed a website filled with animated gifs, listicles and quizzes, just raised $50 million dollars, valuing the company at a reported $850 million. Scoopwhoop which is the indian version of Buzzfeed raised Rs10 crore (1.6 million) from Bharti Softbank (BSB), which has taken a 25% equity stake in the company. The deal gives the 15-month-old website an enterprise valuation of Rs40 crore at this stage. Snapchat, the messaging app known for helping teenagers sext one another, reportedly recevieved a $10 billion valuation from its investors.

I am sure you are wondering why and if the world has gone mad.

Some industry watchers see the recent boom in seemingly trivial apps and websites as foretelling tech bubble 2.0. However, there’s much more to the story.

Our knee-jerk reaction to classify innovation as either important or frivolous is exactly why many are left agast when previously dismissed companies reveal shocking valuations in ridiculous investment rounds.

Vitamins and Painkillers

Most people, including many professional investors, tend to put new products into one of two categories: vitamins or painkillers.

Painkillers tackle important problems. They solve an obvious need, relieving a customer’s specific pain and address a quantifiable markets. Think Tylenol, the brand name version of acetaminophen, and the product’s promise of reliable relief. It’s the kind of ready-made solution for which people are happy to pay.

Innovators in companies big and small are constantly asked to prove their idea is important enough to merit the time and money needed to build it. Gatekeepers such as division heads and managers want to invest in solving real problems — or, meeting immediate needs — by backing painkillers.

In contrast, vitamins do not necessarily solve an obvious pain-point. Instead they appeal to users’ emotional rather than functional needs. When we take our multivitamin each morning, we don't really know if it is actually making us healthier. Efficacy is not why we take vitamins. Taking a vitamin is a "check it off your list" behavior we measure in terms of psychological, rather than physical, relief. We feel satisfied that we are doing something good for our bodies — even if we can’t tell how much good it is actually doing us.

Unlike a painkiller, which we can not function without, missing a few days of vitamin popping, say while on vacation, is no big deal. Likewise, people tend to dismiss innovations like Buzzfeed as vitamins believing it’s a nice-to-have product, not a must-have -- and for the most part, they’re right.

Like a Toy

However, what we often fail to realize is that over time, vitamins can become painkillers. As Buzzfeed investor Chris Dixon wrote, “the next big thing will start out looking like a toy.”

Let’s consider a few of today’s hottest consumer technology products — say Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. What are they selling — vitamins or painkillers?

Most people would guess vitamins, thinking users aren’t doing much of anything important other than perhaps seeking a quick boost of social validation. Before making up your mind on the vitamin or painkiller debate for some of the world’s most successful tech companies, consider this idea: A habit is when not doing an action causes a bit of pain.

Think back to before you first started using these services. No one ever woke up in the middle of the night screaming, “I need something to help me update my status!” Like so many innovations, people did not know they needed Facebook until it became part of their everyday lives -- until it became a habit.

From Vitamin to Painkiller

It is important to clarify that the term “painpoint,” as it is frequently used in business school and marketing books, is somewhat hyperbolic. In reality, the experience we are talking about is more similar to an “itch,” a feeling that manifests within the mind and causes discomfort until it is satisfied. The habit-forming products we use are simply there to provide some sort of relief. Using a technology or product to scratch the itch provides faster satisfaction than ignoring it. Once we come to depend on a tool, nothing else will do.

Seeking pleasure and avoiding pain are two key motivators in all species. When we feel discomfort, we seek to escape the uncomfortable sensation. Over time, the solution to the user’s pain is found in the product’s use.

Habit-forming technologies seem, at first, to be offering nice-to-have vitamins, but once the habit is established, they provide an ongoing pain remedy. It is easy to dismiss these seemingly "stupid" technologies as frivolous when we don’t understand the deeper psychology compelling users to come back again and again.

This essay is an adapted excerpt from Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal. Nir blogs about the psychology of products at NirAndFar.com.

Author: Nir is a consultant at Nirandfar, and has lead two former companies to acquisitions.

Blogging? 4 Important Tips That Guarantees Your Success As a Blogger

It’s very true that you can make up to a six figure income from your blog. But don’t get it twisted; it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Like every other business, you have to pay your dues. What I mean is this, “there is a growing and nurturing period”. During this period, you have to be patient and “feed your blog”, by feeding I mean giving valuable FREE content to your blog readers. This will certainly help you to build trust. Blogging is time consuming, but if you get it right you can command cash whenever, wherever, howeverJ. I mean you could be playing PS4 and receiving payment alerts on your phone. Don’t get all excited too soon lol. Read on!

So, so… I just wanted to prepare your mind again with these 4 great tips that will help you develop the right mindset for your blogging career. You shouldn’t start blogging without putting these things in check! If you are blogging already, you could also learn a thing or two from this tutorial.

So Here Goes!

1.     You Need To Break Out Off The“ Get Rich Quick Mentality”

It’s understandable that you want to make money. I mean, everyone wants to make money and even more… Right now, I need you to slow down and reflect. Most of the guys on the Forbes list probably started from somewhere and then over time, they grew their businesses to their present level. When Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook, he wasn’t as rich as he is now, was he?

Today, every blogger wants to start a blog, throw up some posts and start making money immediately. Hold on bud… It doesn’t work like that. I need you to rid your mind off the “Get Rich Quick Mentality”. As a blogger, when you have that kind of mindset, it will show in your quality of work. You might be forced to start doing the copy and paste method (duplicate content) from other sites and honestly, that isn’t way to go. As a blogger, you need to think about your business for the long term and not short term. Think about it, one year from now how credible would your blog be. I am not saying you have to wait one year to start making money off your blog, but blogging is all about building trust. Can you focus on writing one high quality article everyday for the next one year?

2.    Prepare to Write At Least 100 Quality Articles

If you can write a 100 quality articles without quitting on blogging, then your success is guaranteed! Most bloggers don’t have the persistence to get to that point. I hope you read the lines clearly… I meant “Quality Articles” and not some crappy or copy and paste shit. It’s unlikely that those that give up before they get to the 100^th post would not experience the “Ultimate Blogging Success”

The reason why I am using the 100 article benchmark is this:

If you get to a 100 quality articles; then chances are you enjoy writing! For me, writing comes naturally and I could do this over and again even though sometimes I hit a writer’s block J that shit happens sometimes lol. I always feel fulfilled when my blog post is being read by a stranger who commends my writing either via the comment box, email or phone call. I feel blessed!

If you are considering blogging as a career and don’t enjoy writing, I suggest you think about it over and again. Also, the love of writing can be developed over time… Still talking about a 100 posts; on the long run, you find out that you get better by the day. You don’t have to be an English tutor to write meaningful content for your blog; I mean you don’t need to ACE a TOEFL or something. Just write in such a way that people would feel your personality by more reading your blog posts.

3.    Don’t Burn Yourself Out Focusing on Google Ranking and All That Alexa Stuff…

Until last week, I used to bother my head about ranking on the search engines, checking my Alexa stats and stuffs like that. When my rank goes down, I feel real bad! Truthfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. When you read through a blog that tries to rank certain keywords for the search engines, it becomes obvious that the writing is unnatural.

Of the truth, if your site happens to rank high then that’s fabulous but if not, do not fret over it. All the keyword stuffing in between sentences and things like that doesn’t make your writing feel nice. I advice that you write as naturally as you can, the search engines tends to pick up some long term keywords even when you write naturally.

4.    Build a List and Focus on Your Subscribers

I don’t know if you ever heard of money being in the list. Building an email list is “What’s Up” in the blogging business. I call my list members “My Loyalist”. If you have ever entered your email address on a website to receive something free, I am quite sure you know what happens next! You receive updates from the list owner; sometimes FREE content and other times PROMOTIONAL stuffs.

If you have a list of 10,000 subscribers then it means that whenever you post on your blog, you can send the link to 10,000 people. Even if you get a 1% open rate, you still have 1000 people reading your blog posts and offers. Do you understand?

You need to focus on writing for your subscribers and not for the search engines. When you write knowing that you got 10,000 people waiting to hear from you, it makes you want to write better stuffs. Lastly, It’s not all about building the list; you should also learn to build a good relationship with them. By relationship, I mean putting their problems first before yours. What this does is to build trust. When they find out that you sincerely care about them, they will buy products from you.

Thinking about starting a blog? Or started one already, I am very sure these tips would help you in building your blog business and making you money.

I hope this helps.

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