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How Worried Are You About Google Next Year? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 255) – Headlines and Show Notes

Google’s making more noise about ways to stick it to brands and businesses, potentially charging for (currently free) features in Google My Business. Even if your company doesn’t depend on these specific features for your business, it’s part of a larger pattern that demonstrates again how “gatekeepers gonna gate.” And, as we’ve talked about before, that’s a troubling trend. If you’re not worried about Google next year, it begs the question, should you be?

Since we’re begging the question, the latest episode of Thinks Out Loud comes out and asks, how worried are you about Google next year? And whether you’re worried or not, what should you do about it?

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

Relevant Links:

* Should we be paying for Google My Business features? – Search Engine Land

* Over 50% of Google searches result in no clicks, data shows

* Google bringing call intelligence and automation to SMBs, for $39 per month – Search Engine Land

* AI Won’t Steal Your Job: Smart People Who Put AI to Work Will (Thinks Out Loud Episode 208)

* Google is not Evil. They just appear to be.

* What Google vs. FairSearch.org and the US Senate Means to You

* Should Marketers Really Trust Google in 2014?

* Why Verizon Selling Tumblr Should Make Marketers Very, Very Happy (Thinks Out Loud Episode 254)

* Making Personalization Human (Thinks Out Loud Episode 252)

* Why Google is the Beast That Scares Your Industry’s 800-lb. Gorilla (Thinks Out Loud Episode 238)

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Why Verizon Selling Tumblr Should Make Marketers Very, Very Happy (Thinks Out Loud Episode 254) – Headlines and Show Notes

So Verizon dumped Tumblr earlier this week for a measly $3 million, this less than a decade after Yahoo — which sold itself to Verizon in the invervening years — purchased the social blogging site for $1.1 billion. That’s remarkable. It’s also really great news for marketers, though probably not for the reasons you think.

So what is the reason? Why should Verizon selling Tumblr make marketers very, very happy?

The latest episode of Thinks Out Loud takes a look — and helps you understand why this has nothing to do with Tumblr — and everything to do with your business.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

Relevant Links

* Verizon is selling Tumblr to WordPress.com parent, Automattic | TechCrunch

* Automattic

* Tumblr

* Yahoo Buys Tumblr and Promises "Not to Screw It Up" – Peter Kafka – Media – AllThingsD

* Yahoo Sells To Verizon In Saddest $5 Billion Deal In Tech History

* Social media marketing is a good idea: Reason #324 – The Hub and Spoke Model

* You Don't Need a Website

* Digital Gatekeepers and the Death of Organic Traffic (Thinks Out Loud Episode 247)

* Why Google is the Beast That Scares Your Industry’s 800-lb. Gorilla (Thinks Out Loud Episode 238)

* How to Compete With Amazon (and Expedia and Google and…) (Thinks Out Loud Episode 221)

* Google reportedly paying Apple $9 billion to remain default search engine in Safari on iOS

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Why Mobile and Data Go Hand-in-Hand for Marketers (Thinks Out Loud Episode 253) – Headlines and Show Notes

Mobile is a big deal. So is AI. So is personalization. When you address those in isolation, each is useful for your business. But when you put them together, that’s where the true power lies. And that’s why mobile and data go hand-in-hand for marketers.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

Relevant Links:

Introduction

* What the Big Shift to Mobile Means for Your Business (Thinks Out Loud Episode 251)

* What the 2019 Mary Meeker Internet Trends Report Means for Digital Marketers (Thinks Out Loud Episode 248)

* 4 Huge Trends Every Digital Marketer Needs to Know (Thinks Out Loud Episode 250!!!)

* It's Time to Stop Calling Mobile a Trend (Thinks Out Loud Episode 187)

Why Mobile and Data Go Hand-in-Hand for Marketers: Incredible Insights

* Why are marketers afraid of data? – Biznology

* Using Data to Put Personalization to Work for Your Property [Presentation] (Travel Tuesday)

* How Marketers Can Put Data to Work Next Year – Biznology

* Which Sensors Do I Have In My Smartphone? How Do They Work?

* How companies are using cell phone data | MSUToday | Michigan State University

* https://www.ndss-symposium.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/watching-them-watching-me-browser-extensions-impact-on-user-privacy-awareness-and-concerns.pdf

* How smartphone apps track users and share data

Making Personalization Human (Thinks Out Loud Episode 252) – Headlines and Show Notes

Personalization matters in 2020. Customers want it, need it, expect it. And you need to provide it to them. Especially as we enter a world where GDPR and ITP matter to your customers, it's increasingly important that you meet their needs in a way that helps them trust you – and choose you. Fortunately, today's episode of Thinks Out Loud can help you figure out how to do that. And the best place to start is by making personalization human.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

* Keep Your Content from Disappearing into the Blogroll – SoloSegment which includes these staggering stats:

* 31% of customers say they wish their shopping experience was far more personalized than it currently is, and 74% of customers feel frustrated when website content is not personalized

* A recent report from Seismic shows that personalized content helps achieve B2B objectives. 80% of respondents claimed all of their top objectives were better met when content is personalized.

* And their point is that "you need content findability."

* SearchChat Podcast: Your Customers are Begging for (Better) Personalization – SoloSegment

* Personalized messages still feel like mass marketing

* Mary Meeker report and what it says about data

* Personalization – It's Not Just for B2C – SoloSegment

* In a SalesForce report, 65% of B2B buyers switch brands if a brand doesn’t personalize communications. 75% expect companies to “anticipate their needs and make relevant suggestions” by 2020.

* According to the Seismic report, of the B2B marketers who responded, 55% have been personalizing content for two years or less. For a little over half of marketers, the main stumbling blocks are a lack of technology, bandwidth, and data. 67% are using entirely or mostly manual processes for content personalization.

* That's a huge benefit to your. If two-thirds of your competitors are trying to do this manually, as Madeline Moran writes at SoloSegmnt, "With a little automation plus the data on your website, you could be leading the pack."

* Joke about outrunning the bear

* How to personalize your search marketing – Think with Google

* Melissa Goodis, associate VP of media at Celebrity Cruises

* In fact, for the first half of the year, Celebrity Cruises drove 140% more revenue year over year and saw its conversion rates nearly double, up by 98% year over year.

* And Justin Levine, director for search and social at Media Storm (Celebrity Cruise's agency): "Automation was key in making this a success. Leaning into the technology and data meant our strategy wasn’t driven by our own assumptions. For example, we might have thought one audience would perform better, but if they didn’t, we would have wasted resources. Instead, we could simply allow automation to optimize for the best audiences.

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What the Big Shift to Mobile Means for Your Business (Thinks Out Loud Episode 251) – Headlines and Show Notes

Following up on Thinks Out Loud's 250th(!!!) episode last week, host Tim Peter talks through what the big shift to mobile means for your business right now. And, just in case you're curious, it's a much bigger deal than you think.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

Relevant Links:

* More US Adults Own A Smartphone Than Have Home Broadband – Marketing Charts

* A new report from Pew Research Institute revealing that 8 in 10 US (81%) of US adults own a smartphone which is even more than those who have home broadband.

* 96% of 18-29-year-olds and 92% of 30-40-year-olds now report owning a smartphone

* … older generations are somewhat slower than the younger generations to become smartphone owners. The age group of 50-64 year-olds is just below the average at 79%,

* …just more than half (53%) of US adults 65 years and older own a smartphone

* …that does drop to a 40% share for those 75 years and older.

* 17%) of US adults who do not have a high-speed internet connection at home, yet own a smartphone. Some 22% of these smartphone-only internet users are between the ages of 18-29 years old. One-quarter (25%) are Hispanic, while 26% have a high school education or less and 26% have an annual income of $30K or less.

* even when given an option on how they can access the internet, some 46% of smartphone owners (versus 37% of all Americans, as covered in a previous examination of the data) say they mostly go online using their phone. Only 3 in 10 (30% share) say they mostly go online using another device such as a computer or tablet.

* The percentage of individuals who go online mostly using their smartphone varies with age. Three in 5 (61% share) of 18-29-year-olds say they prefer to go online using their smartphone as do about half (51% share) of 30-49-year-olds. However, the numbers decrease considerably with 50-64-year-olds (34% share) and 65 and overs (28% share). Those age groups much more prefer to use a computer or tablet to access the internet.

* It’s Time to Stop Calling Mobile a Trend

* These numbers will likely only go up.:

* Either, older adults begin mirroring the behaviors of younger cohorts, or

* Older adults age out of the marketplace, lowering their skew on the numbers

* Yes, it’s possible that younger adults will need glasses or prefer larger screens as they get older, so it’s not 100% guaranteed we’ll see these numbers rise. However, even as Millennials hit their late 30’s, that’s still likely a few years away.

* The End of Millennials

* And this

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4 Huge Trends Every Digital Marketer Needs to Know (Thinks Out Loud Episode 250!!!) – Headlines and Show Notes

In celebration of Thinks Out Loud's 250th(!!!) episode, host Tim Peter is counting down 4 huge trends that every digital marketer needs to know in the year ahead;. Thank you for listening. And thanks for supporting the show for almost 7 years.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

Relevant Links:

* Duetto's Jason Freed on Content Marketing and Future Trends: The Thinks Out Loud Interview (Thinks Out Loud Episode 228)

* What Digitally Native Companies Do Best (Thinks Out Loud Episode 245)

* Digital Gatekeepers and the Death of Organic Traffic (Thinks Out Loud Episode 247

* In Digital, Is Google Your Enemy? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 249)

* Is AI in Sales and Marketing Real? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 243)

* AI Won't Steal Your Job: Smart People Who Put AI to Work Will (Thinks Out Loud Episode 208)

* Abhi Vyas on Mobile Commerce, Personalization, and AI: The Thinks Out Loud Interview (Thinks Out Loud Episode 218)

* How to Compete With Amazon (and Expedia and Google and…) (Thinks Out Loud Episode 221)

* Why Google is the Beast That Scares Your Industry's 800-lb. Gorilla (Thinks Out Loud Episode 238)

* Disruption? 5 Digital Trends Show Why You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

In Digital, Is Google Your Enemy? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 249) – Headlines and Show Notes

Looking to drive results for your business? Click here to learn more.

Google's been acting pretty crappy lately. They're continuing to take a larger piece of the pie when it comes to paid search and increasingly promoting their content over, well, yours. So it seems fair to ask, when it comes to digital, is Google your enemy?

The latest episode of Thinks Out Loud takes a look — and helps you understand how to make Google work for you, not against you.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

Relevant Links:

* Betteridge's law of headlines – Wikipedia

* Digital Gatekeepers and the Death of Organic Traffic (Thinks Out Loud Episode 247)

* Why Google is the Beast That Scares Your Industry's 800-lb. Gorilla (Thinks Out Loud Episode 238)

* Digital is Like Gravity (Thinks Out Loud Episode 205)

* Who Owns the Customer? Marketing or Digital? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 226)

* How to Compete With Amazon (and Expedia and Google and…) (Thinks Out Loud Episode 221)

* How Badly Has Facebook Effed Up? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 234) –

* Apple Cofounder Steve Wozniak Says Most People Should Get Off Facebook Permanently

* Meet the king, the queen, and the crown jewels: content, customer experience, and data – Biznology

* Content is King, Customer Experience is Queen (Thinks Out Loud Episode 188)

*

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What the 2019 Mary Meeker Internet Trends Report Means for Digital Marketers (Thinks Out Loud Episode 248) – Headlines and Show Notes

So the 2019 edition of the Mary Meeker Internet Trends report is out. And, as ever, it’s filled with a number of fascinating insights for investors interested in the internet economy. But what about marketers and business leaders? How can you use this data to improve your performance in the year ahead?

Fortunately, the latest episode of Thinks Out Loud offers our take on how you can put these trends to work for your brand and business too.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

Relevant Links:

* Here’s Mary Meeker’s 2019 Internet Trends report | TechCrunch

* Digital Gatekeepers and the Death of Organic Traffic (Thinks Out Loud Episode 247)

* Why Google is the Beast That Scares Your Industry’s 800-lb. Gorilla (Thinks Out Loud Episode 238)

* Content is King, Customer Experience is Queen (Thinks Out Loud Episode 188)

* Customer Experience is Queen? What Does That Mean? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 190)

* Data is the Crown Jewels: What That Means for Marketers Today (Thinks Out Loud Episode 239)

* Where Did All the Advertising Jobs Go? – The Atlantic

* AI experts draft algorithmic bill of rights to protect us from Big Tech – Vox

* How to Engage Your Secret Sales Force | Flip.to

* What Mary Meeker’s 2018 In...

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Digital Gatekeepers and the Death of Organic Traffic (Thinks Out Loud Episode 247) – Headlines and Show Notes

Does your company rely on organic traffic — whether from search, social, or something else — to drive your business? Well, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you. Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and the other major gatekeepers in your industry are working towards the death of organic traffic.

Fortunately, the latest episode of Thinks Out Loud offers some good news too: What you can do about it for your brand and business.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you:

* Why Google is the Beast That Scares Your Industry's 800-lb. Gorilla (Thinks Out Loud Episode 238)

* The Hotel Marketing and Distribution Trend You Care About Most This Year

* In a Digital World, Is Every Company a Technology Company? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 236)

* Will Digital Turn Every Business Into a Service? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 235)

*

Ads in the 3-pack have the black label now too. pic.twitter.com/eKQJo3aPb6

— Joy Hawkins (@JoyanneHawkins) May 25, 2019

* Google may decide to charge for Google My Business listings – Search Engine Land

*

Rank #1 in 2013 …you're 330 pixels from the topRank #1 in 2019 …you're 1050 pixels from the tophttps://t.co/7jYDKvKr72

Interesting research by @orbiteers

— Brian Dean (@Backlinko) May 10, 2019

*

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What Good is Social in An AI-Driven World? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 246) – Headlines and Show Notes

We’re seeing lots of changes to social in our AI-driven world. The question is, does that make social media a bad choice for your brand? The latest episode of Thinks Out Loud offers some answers for you. Here are the show notes:

* Hey Marketers: Is 2019 Everything You’ve Hoped For?

* Rand Fishkin presentations channel

* Is Social a Waste of Time for Hotel Marketers?

* Email: The Forgotten Social Network

* How Tumi is using AI in marketing campaigns, online and in stores – Digiday

* How Badly Has Facebook Effed Up? (Thinks Out Loud Episode 234) –

* You Don’t Need a Website

* Mark Zuckerberg plans to make Facebook more private with 6 key changes

* Zuckerberg’s announcement changes everything for Facebook – The Washington Post

* SearchChat Podcast: Making Data-Driven Marketing More Human – Biznology

* How to Make Your Content Convert – Biznology

*