14 Digital Trends on Kleiner Perkins' Venture Capital Radar

 Mary Meeker on who shall inherit the Web By Garett Sloane

• May 28, 2014, 2:10 PM EDT
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Snapchat and WhatsApp both account for 700 million photos shared daily. The average Google user is six times more valuable than the average Facebook user. Buzzfeed is big on Facebook but not as big on Twitter, where BBC is the top media brand. And 25 percent of global Internet use is on mobile, but only 4 percent of ad dollars is.

These are just some of the key Web trends that Mary Meeker of VC firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers shared at Re/Code’s conference today. Here is part of the 164-page State of the Internet report and what the top investment firm is looking at when it makes its billion-dollar bets on the future:

Messaging services

They’re called “over the top” messaging services, a category that includes Snapchat, WhatsApp, Line, We Chat, Viber and KakaoTalk. In less than five years, a billion people will be using them.

Snapchat
The app serves 1.2 billion messages a day (700 million “snaps” and 500 millionSnapchat “stories.”) WhatsApp users share 50 billion a day and Line users (big in Japan) share 10 billion.

Facebook’s photo play
Why did Facebook pay $1 billion for Instagram and $19 billion for WhatsApp? Because it now controls more than 1.1 billion photos shared daily between the three services, compared to Snapchat’s 700 million.

Web trends
A look at emerging players shows that Snapchat and Twitter’s Vine now have an equal number of monthly unique visitors, more than 20 million. This year, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine and Instagram have seen a downtick in monthly users, according to comScore. Snapchat users were increasing as of February.

Mobile
On mobile, apps still dominate in revenue, over advertising. In 2013, mobile revenue totaled $38 billion, and less than $15 billion came from advertising.

Mobile ad potential
20 percent of media consumption in the U.S. is on mobile, but only 4 percent of ad dollars are allocated there. Kleiner Perkins calls that a nearly $30 billion opportunity.

Google, Facebook and Twitter
Google is killing Facebook and Twitter when it comes to the amount of money it makes from each user. Average revenue per Google user is $45, the average for a Facebook user is $7.24, and the average on Twitter is $3.55.

Desktop versus mobile
Global Internet advertising was $116 billion last year, more than $100 billion of which went to desktop. However, 25 percent of Web usage is on mobile now.

Facebook publishers
The top three Facebook publishers by number of shares, comments and Likes: Buzzfeed, Huffington Post and ABC News.

Twitter publishers
The top three Twitter publishers by number of shares: BBC, New York Times and Mashable

Buzzfeed phenomenon
130 million monthly visitors, 50 percent mobile, 75 percent social, 50 percent ages 18 to 34.

Tinder dating
The dating app makes 11 million matches of men and women a day, up 21 percent year over year.

Digital music
In 2013, digital track sales declined 6 percent to 1.3 billion tracks, the first ever down year. However, music streaming was up 32 percent, 118 billion songs last year, showing streaming services are in demand (like Beats, which Apple is looking to buy).

Social TV
Twitter’s second screen strategy is working for advertisers: 53 percent of TV viewers re-exposed to a brand’s message on Twitter recalled the ad, while 40 percent of TV-only consumers recalled the ad. Similar boosts were experienced when asking about brand favorability and purchase intent.

11 Best Practices for More Effective Content Curation

by Matt Heinz

May 30, 2014 at 2:30 PM

Our content curation objectives focus on keeping our broader prospect/customer/partner/pipeline network engaged with value-added content. We also hope it helps drive increased, pass-along awareness for other brands.

These best practices are based primarily on what we do at Heinz Marketing, plus what we’veseen scale well in the curation efforts of our clients and partners. 

With that in mind, here’s what we recommend for more effective content curation.

1) Be intentional about your themes & topics
.

Stay reasonably focused on a small handful of themes, but make sure the body of work reflects the human element as well. For example, the vast majority of content in our curation streams focus on sales, marketing, and productivity. But you’ll also occasionally see content about cocktails, company culture, baseball, and more.

2) Pull from a consistent set of sources (to save you time).


You’ll likely encounter good content from all over the place, but identify a core set of sources you can count on for both consistently good content as well as a variety of sources of similarly-themed content. This includes a handful of great blogs and newsletters, plus topical aggregation sites like Alltop. I also like the SmartBriefs newsletters for this reason, since they pull from a wider variety of sources than I typically read on a daily or weekly basis.

3) Use an automated queuing and distribution system
.

This technology helps offer a one-click, easy to curate process so you can queue content from your browser, as well as several feed aggregation apps such as Feedly. Anything that makes it easy to pick content to curate, quickly choose which channels it will be published through, and then automatically space it out over days and weeks is preferable.

4) Always give credit back to the publisher.


A quick “via @twitterhandlehere” at the end of your curated posts is typically enough. It’ll be their attention-grabber, and could drive more reciprocation and curation of your own content as a result.

5) Post across channels to increase reach and awareness growth.

Don’t go overboard on this (i.e. don’t post to 50 LinkedIn groups three times a day). But don’t be afraid to curate good content across Twitter, your Facebook company page, and your Google+ page at the same time.

6) 3-4 curated posts a day is fine.


Think of social media as akin to driving by a house at 35 miles an hour and trying to throw a newspaper into the mailbox. Sometimes it’ll get in, most of the time it won’t. You’ll need to play the numbers game a bit so that a small percentage of your curated content reaches and impacts your intended audience.

7) Actively curate 2-3 times a week, max.


If you’re using an automatic distribution system, you don’t need to find new content every day. I typically reserve time twice or three times a week to get through my reading material and queue up new stuff.

8) Make instant curation one-click easy from your browser.


If your tool has a bookmarklet, use it so that you can do one-click curated content from anywhere you happen to be reading. I end up curating at least 2-3 pieces a day just this way.

9) Use team tools to increase contributions.


Social Inbox, Buffer, GaggleAMP and other tools make it easy for teammates to suggest their own curation recommendations. It's a great way to get others involved and cut down the time required from you to curate everything yourself.

10) Spread out posts from the same consistently-good sources
.

There are a handful of blogs and sources I read on a regular basis that consistently have great stuff. And when I curate content only 1-2 times a week, it would be easy to queue up content from one source all in a row. Instead, try to space it out a bit. Spacing adds to the perceived comprehensiveness and reach/value of your overall curated body of work.

11) Prioritize content from partners and prospects.


Might as well make an impression with the people you care about most at the same time you’re curating. Show them you’re paying attention!

Personalizing Personalization: It’s About More Than Just Knowing Your User’s Name

Robert Springer

May 26, 2014

       

 

Content personalization on the web is quickly becoming the standard. Amazon and Netflix have mastered it, presenting product or content suggestions so enticing it's as if the companies can perform black magic by reading consumers' minds. Research shows that personalized content done well can make websites more sticky and dramatically increase sales. But experts say that good content personalization is much harder than it looks. And yet, most customers seem to crave personalized content, and retailers see gold in the tactic, which means that its usage will only increase.

Something as simple as a personalized Google doodle on a site user's birthday can create excitement and a sense of loyalty to a company, says Amanda Elam, marketing director at EarthIntegrate, a Houston-based marketing firm, who was ecstatic when she saw her personalized doodle on her birthday.

"When you ask buyers what they want from their shopping experiences, they tell you they want to be recognized; they want to be valued; and they want to be known," says Penny Gillespie, a research director at Gartner, Inc. who focuses on electronic and mobile commerce. "And if they have purchased something from a seller, they believe they have a relationship with that seller, and that the seller should know them."

In a research note on personalizing the online shopping experience, Gillespie cited a couple of studies that show acceptance of personalization by retailers and consumers. According to a survey from Accenture, 64% of respondents prefer a personalized shopping experience over an anonymous one. And according to Internet Retailer, The Container Store found "that online shoppers who click on a recommendation spend, on average, 30% more than other customers. Moreover, open rates for e-mails with personalized product recommendations are two times higher than for the retailer's other e-mail marketing messages."

It's not only retailers that are embracing content personalization. So are some news sites, according to Jake DiMare, a digital strategist and senior project manager at ISITE Design and managing editor at CMS Myth, citing The Huffington Post as being particularly good at personalization, even if a viewer hasn't registered. "The Huffington Post is incredible at it," he says. "It seems like no two people have the same experience when they go to The Post. News websites like The Huffington Post are delivering content to you not only based on things like geography, but what you've looked at in the past."

He continues, "You're getting personalized information from The Huff Post if you've been there a few times. They're tracking what's called engagement analytics. Even if you're totally anonymous to them, they know who you are by [your] IP address, and they're going to pay attention to what you've looked at in the past and [create] an experience around that."

DiMare (whose ISITE clients include several Ivy League universities and smaller, liberal arts colleges) says that Amazon and The Huffington Post are light-years ahead of higher education in the use of content personalization. Most schools haven't even dabbled with personalization, and even the ones that have aren't nearly as sophisticated as Amazon or The Huffington Post, he says.

Retailers are discovering that mobile provides personalization options that aren't available on desktop or laptop computers. "Mobile brings the added dimension of context. I see mobile being used primarily two ways from a personalization perspective. One is to draw the customer into the brick-and-mortar store through recognizing proximity and extending an offer to entice them in," Gillespie says. "And the other way I'm seeing it used is for efficiency. Where maybe I have a shopping list on my mobile app, and I walk into the store-Walmart's been testing this-and now I'm directed to where the items on my shopping list are in the store."

As enticing as content personalization is for retailers and content publishers, the process can turn into an organizational train wreck unless all parties go into it with eyes wide open, DiMare says. "It's a lot of work and a big investment," he says. "If your organization can't support it and do a good job, then it could have a deleterious effect. If you can do it well, it's proven to have a positive effect on the revenue. If you can't do it well, I don't think it's a good idea."

DiMare says that the biggest obstacle to successfully implementing personalization is having enough (good) content to support it. It's one thing to have generic content that all users see, he says, but content producers need to create a great deal more once they start segmenting website visitors. The technology is not that difficult, as several vendors, including Drupal and Adobe, support personalization in their CMS offerings, DiMare says.

Retailers, content producers, and consumers desire personalization, yet experts say not every website should customize their visitors' experience. "I think the biggest risk facing sellers today is crossing the boundaries of being wise stewards of their customer data to potentially invading their privacy," Gillespie says. And that can lead to regulation, as Gillespie experienced during her time in the financial services industry when banks didn't properly protect customers' data.

Another strike against personalization is that "some people don't like the idea of websites tracking who they are or their behavior online," DiMare says. "So that's a bigger sort of public relations risk. I think it's possible to hedge that risk by being open and honest about what your privacy policies are, to be clear about what the value proposition is."

As personalization becomes more mainstream, Gillespie predicts that consumers will have a very low tolerance for content that is not personalized, especially on mobile devices. "Studies show that the personalized experience, showing content that resonates, increases customer satisfaction, loyalty, and sales," she says.

Like it or hate it, personalization appears to be here to stay. That's a good thing, DiMare says. "I like websites to know who I am," he adds. "I like my Android app that makes recommendations about what the traffic is like because it thinks I might be going home soon. Some people don't like that, but I see it as incredibly valuable."

3 alternatives to the mobile banner ad

By Wendy Parish
MAY 27, 2014 | Print: 

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Advertising on mobile devices has been an uphill battle. Display ads on desktop experienced some success, so, as is human nature, ad developers stuck to what they knew and created the pervasive mobile banner ad. 

With the smaller screens and more intimate use of mobile devices, the banner ads ultimately don’t stand a chance. If desktop display ads are easily ignored by users' eyes, tiny banner ads might as well be invisible. Plus, in a world where content reigns supreme, it’s hard to have any persuasive abilities in such a small space. 

For that reason, some ad and tech developers have been busy working on ways to create effective ads that sync better with mobile screens. Here are three alternatives trying to establish a presence. 

1. Yahoo’s Image-Rich Native Ads 

Since the announcement earlier this year of its Gemini mobile search and native ad marketplace, Yahoo has been working to develop innovative ad products to boost its revenue. The company’s answer to the mobile banner ad is the introduction of image-rich native ads to the marketplace. 

The ads are bigger and more image-centric than mobile banners, but the most impressive thing is that they are responsive to the page around them. The ads —  marked as sponsored — automatically take on the look and feel of the site on which they appear. The native and responsive elements make the ads part of the experience rather than something eyes ignore —  a problem banner ads constantly face. 

2. Peel Smart Remote “Peel-In”

Another problem advertisers face when using traditional mobile banner ads is reaching the right audience. Sure, there are targeting capabilities, but it’s been tough without trusted tools like cookies on desktop browsers. The Peel Smart Remote app has developed an ad product that could set a precedent for targeting on mobile devices —  especially in relation to TV and live events. 

This month, the app launched the “Peel-In” feature for its personalized television app. The app learns what users' TV preferences are to suggest new shows. Users can then tap and instantly start watching a suggestion, some of which are sponsored by the shows themselves, as well as brands. 

For example, The History Channel recently launched an ad campaign for its series “The World Wars” using the Peel-In feature. If the user had the right hardware set-up —  Android phones with IR Blaster capability —  then the user is offered three different options: Switch to the channel with a tap, set the DVR to record, or set a calendar reminder to watch the show. It’s that direct viewing capability that could be a real loop-closer for advertisers looking to draw new eyes to certain shows. That direct-tap technology could open horizons to other types of suggestion-based mobile advertising, as well. 

3. Forbes’s “Info Cards” 

Forbes' innovation comes as it works to meet the needs of a growing mobile readership. One of its answers is a bit of a twist on the boxed display ad — a product that Forbes calls the “Info Card.” On mobile screens, everything on its site has been formatted to a scrollable content stream, allowing readers to move vertically through both editorial and advertorial content. 

Readers can also navigate the Forbes mobile experience by swiping horizontally. This can be done on both editorial content and ads, but when a reader swipes horizontally from an ad, they are offered more information on the ad or the brand behind it. 

Info Cards help to solve some of the big problems that mobile banner ads face. First, Info Cards are much larger, making them easy to spot and read, while also making them harder to ignore. The horizontal swiping portion of the ad also offers even more real estate for brand messaging. 

AXE'S ALGORITHM CAN TELL YOU IF YOU'RE TRYING TOO HARD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

BY JEFF BEER

There's a fine line between laziness and over-sharing--find out how many pics of your abs could be the difference.

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Not all selfies are created equal. There's a difference, say, in the one of someone donating blood for those in need, and that dude in his bathroom posing for ab shots. Selfie type, along with hashtag use, have become significant factors in how humans now evaluate one other.

Example, Twitter Profile Analysis

But where do you stand on the social media scale of smooth to insufferable? To promote its new Matte Effect line of hair products, Axe and agency Barton F. Graf 9000 are here to help with a new site that will tell you just that. Log in with one of your social accounts and it will pull information and assign you a score of either “effortless,” “trying too hard,” or “not trying hard enough.” According to Barton F. Graf executive creative director Ian Reichenthal, the Social Effort Scale, created with production company Unit9, employs a number of factors to determine overall effort, "including the number and kinds of hashtags and emojis you use, and the frequency/kind of your posts. It's science!" You can then compare your score with friends and find out which cities are trying the hardest on social media in real time.

Like grandma always said, it's not what you do but how you do it. Even if you're going to be an astronaut, have some dignity and try to play it cool, man.

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The Evolution Of Generosity Marketing And Three Trends Today

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This article is by Michael Amar, CEO, Ifeelgoods Inc.

In the 1960s, the S&H Green Stamps launched their famous rewards program. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes would include The Funny Jungleland Moving Pictures Book in their first cereal premium. Both examples brought marketing in a new direction of generosity: an anthropologic means to initiate strong reciprocity bonds. Today, consumers are increasingly social, ever connected and weary of marketing’s charm, so how has generosity marketing evolved to continue to cement this bond between brands and customers?

The need for loyalty has never been more important than today. According to a recent Ernst & Young study, only 25% of customers are loyal in the US. This very low rate can be attributed to the rise of the internet: by removing geographical barriers, it has strongly increased competition between brands, leaving them struggling to retain consumers. According to Kevin Roberts, author of the resounding book Lovemarks, the brands that will succeed in this new ruthless paradigm are only those that will be able to strengthen emotional bonds with their consumers and create “Loyalty beyond reason.”

Simultaneously, marketers have been empowered by the recent evolutions in new technologies to enhance their generosity marketing. First, brands can now interact with their consumers on social networks. Second, the proliferation of smartphones today enables brands to touch consumers intimately, anywhere and anytime. Third, never before have marketers have access to so much data that brands can leverage to hyper-personalize their communication to consumers.

Below, I’ve laid out three tactics marketers are using now to get the generosity juices flowing:

1. Rewards for social engagement.

Earlier this month, Lancôme launched a new loyalty program to reward their fans on social media. Lancôme Elite Rewards allows its members to earn points per dollar spent and for sharing products on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Foursquare.

Today, consumers have become the best brand ambassadors by engaging on social networks. This is a best-in-class example of how brands should express their gratitude to them by rewarding them generously.

2. Instant gratification.

Apple recently offered a $25 iTunes digital gift card for every Apple TV purchase online.

Offering a gift has always been one of the pillars of generosity marketing. The next evolution of it is to do it online with digital gift cards. Consumers are instantly delighted, which is particularly valued by today’s young audiences.

3. Social halo.

Tom’s brand, the shoe empire, recently announced a new program to turn coffee into water. Tom’s launched its own new line of coffee, which specificity is that every bag that will be sold in Tom’s coffee-store will provide a day of clean water.

Toms (Photo credit: A Continuous Lean)

In this fully transparent world, consumers are much more aware of global challenges and ask for social commitment from their favorite brands. Even a small social gesture can make the difference in retaining consumers over competition.

The generosity marketing challenge – and opportunity – for brands is getting bigger with the evolution of both technology and society to keep clients loyal. Brands should act now to win customers over.