Monday, August 29, 2016

1968 Has Been Rebooted

Sports and politics are colliding. On one side, Colin Kaepernick speaks out. On the other, Donald Trump’s rhetoric finds Dwyane Wade.


united games sports


 


 month ago, Donald Trump’s campaign announced it was rebooting 1968. With Nixonian gusto, Trump would push the idea that crime in America was out of control, that our inner cities were a “disaster.” The strategy reached its unintentionally comic apex this morning when Trump used the shooting death of Dwyane Wade’s cousin in Chicago for tweet fodder.


If that felt like a replay of the turbulent days of ’68, check this out:


“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and [people] getting away with murder.”


That’s Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers sounding like Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the ’68 Olympics. With Kaepernick subbing for Smith and Carlos, and Trump for Tricky Dick, we have our own versions of the adversaries of ’68 standing on opposite sides of the scrimmage line. The world has changed a lot since then. But our plunge into the sports-politics nexus feels eerily similar. All we need is a new Howard Cosell to interview everybody on TV.


Of the two statements, Trump’s was the least surprising. The only thing that was surprising was that he briefly deleted his tweet, and then resubmitted it with Wade’s name spelled correctly. In the new, gentle Trump campaign, this counts as a nonapology apology — or, to use Trump’s priapic phrase, a “softening.”


But Kaepernick — wow. At last glimpse, he was completing a slow fade into oblivion by losing a quarterback competition to Blaine Gabbert. But there have been signs of an itchy social conscience. Back in December, Kaepernick used Instagram to push back at Trump’s proposed Muslim immigration ban. Now, he’s staked out a position way beyond Michael Jordan’s “brave” statement about police violence, and one with more teeth than the “system is broken” speech that LeBron James and company offered at the ESPYs. Among the big names, only Carmelo Anthony — who wrote “No more hashtags” — has invested similar capital in pushing the conversation forward.



e’ve been here before — and not just in ’68. In 1996, the NBA suspended the Nuggets’ Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf for a game for not assuming a “dignified posture” during the national anthem. By contrast, today both the NFL and Niners released messages saying that, while they’d keep honoring the country, Kaepernick could assume any posture he wanted. That’s a lot of elbow room earned in 20 years.


The comparison to Smith and Carlos isn’t accidental. Players have begun to explicitly cite the ’60s ideologue-athlete archetype as one they want to emulate. At the ESPYs, Chris Paul ticked off Smith and Carlos, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and others as “model[s] for what athletes should stand for.” As Kaepernick said last night, channeling Ali, “If they take football away, my endorsements away from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.”


The Kaepernick story is less than a day old. But it’s already produced a happily antagonistic political sports arena. The Giants’ Justin Pugh declared that he’d stand up during the anthem. Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman got texts from football players backing Kaepernick and football coaches and executives opposing him. The civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson nodded at Kaepernick; a sports-media entity named Ross Tucker took a whack at him. Clay Travis did a remarkable impression of Clay Travis. And as Adam Schefter noted, Kaepernick figures to get an intense reaction in the Navy-friendly city of San Diego this week. (For his part, Abdul-Rauf was booed by Bulls fans back in ’96.)


Remember last week, when NFL players were making “controversial” remarks in the preview magazines? This seems a lot more important. I don’t demand that any athlete weigh in on the news of the day, but it sure is clarifying when they admit they’ve been having the same conversations everyone has been having for the last year.


Finally, my own pet theory is that the uptick in athlete activism has inspired, or at least cleared the road for, an uptick in activist sportswriting. If memory serves, in ’96 you could find writers defending Abdul-Rauf, but they mostly stuck to strict First Amendment grounds. And on the debit side, you could also find two Denver radio idiots — at least one of whom was wearing a turban and a T-shirt with Abdul-Rauf’s picture on it — storming into a mosque and playing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”


Kaepernick has his detractors. But members of the sportswriting class have filed full-throated defenses of both his right to speak and what he said. What was true in 1968 — with Cosell, Robert Lipsyte, and many others — is true again today. An athlete’s decision to sit has given us media types a chance to take a stand.


Join United Games and Signup for Free


MarketHive



1968 Has Been Rebooted

Thursday, August 25, 2016

The Marketing Power of SMS Texts

SMS texts are used by people to communicate with one another and almost replacing the necessity of making voice calls. The number of people that use SMS texting amount to the billions, and marketing experts believe that this is just too good to ignore. According to Anchor Mobile, "95% of all mobile users (both smartphone and non-smartphone users) have been connected to brands that are using SMS marketing to reach their customers.


Over 1.2 billion people use smart and mobile phones, and one of the ways to reach out to your customers that belong to the 1.2 billion populace is to take advantage of SMS text marketing. More companies are using SMS text marketing to consistently generate leads, traffic, and customers. The following are a couple of mobile marketing examples which showcase the power of SMS text marketing.


Orbitz introduced the OrbitzTLC Alerts to its customers as part of its SMS marketing campaign through a radio source. The company even concluded that even one-time promotions can generate long-term customer engagement, based on the number of requests for the promo code and additional opt-ins.


JCPenney also made use of an one-day SMS marketing campaign and were able to reach out to their customers through opt-ins and increased their sales. The text also included a link to their mobile website, which would allow users to shop for Easter clothing. It was a great way to get the word out.


SMS text marketing is cost-effective and simple. The marketing campaign does not interfere on the privacy of your customers, as they can always have the option of unsubscribing to your future messages. Business owners should recognize the fact that marketing strategies are crucial for the growth and success of their business. Mobile marketing is relatively new compared to the more established forms of marketing like print media and commercials, but it's already being recognized as one of the most effective marketing strategies in terms of cost-effectiveness and its reach.



MarketHive



The Marketing Power of SMS Texts

Yоur Dealerships All-In-One Technology Sоlutіоn - Sales TextChat

Engage Faster. Sеll Mоrе. It’s that Simple. 



 

Sаlеѕ TеxtChаt 

 

Our newest feature has juѕt аrrіvеd аnd is аvаіlаblе tо you at nо аddіtіоnаl соѕt whеn you ѕubѕсrіbе tо our ѕеrvісе durіng оur Limited Time Sресіаl Offer!

 
“LаndlÑ–nе tо SMS” 

 

No lоngеr do уоu hаvе tо ѕау “Call 800-988-2000” you can nоw ѕау “Call оr Text 800-988-2000” Our ѕуѕtеm dоеѕ nоthÑ–ng wÑ–th thе vоісе роrtіоn, just tаkеѕ thе unuѕеd tеxt portion. 

 
Kеу PоіntÑ•” 

 

Uѕеѕ оur Sаlеѕ TеxtChаt Ñ–ntеrfасе and dashboard 

Calls Ñ•tÑ–ll ring thrоugh tо уоur Ñ•wÑ–tсhbоаrd, tеxt messages gо thrоugh to уоur TеxtChаt dаѕhbоаrd 

WоrkÑ• with any landline number in USA 

Nо nееd to gÑ–vе a nеw numbеr fоr tеxt, use thе еxÑ–Ñ•tÑ–ng number сuÑ•tоmеrÑ• аlrеаdу саll. 

CuÑ•tоmеrÑ• can now uѕе the tесhnоlоgу they lоvе tо uѕе wÑ–thоut thе ѕаlеѕ over the Ñ€hоnе Ñ€rеѕѕurе. 

Dоn’t make nеw аdÑ• fоr nеw SMS numbers juÑ•t add the wоrdÑ• “or tеxt” tо your current аdvеrtіѕіng 

100% TCPA соmÑ€lіаnt! 

Anу Ñ–nсоmÑ–ng tеxt Ñ•tаrtÑ• a nеw chat!! 


Whаt Ñ–Ñ• Sales TextChat? 

 
It Is Yоur Dealerships All-In-One Technology Sоlutіоn 

 

Cарturе and сlоѕе mоrе leads today with оur new HÑ–gh Pеrfоrmаnсе 2-Wау Sаlеѕ TеxtChаt™ аnd Service TеxtChаt™. With оvеr 6 billion tеxt messages ѕеnt реr dау Ñ–n thе US, how do you thÑ–nk people Ñ€rеfеr tо communicate? Hint – Ñ–t’Ñ• nоt bу еmаіl, web сhаt оr talk. Ok, web chat Ñ•tÑ–ll wоrkÑ• (we hаvе thаt tоо), but thеу juÑ•t dоn’t want to tаlk tо уоu оn the Ñ€hоnе. 

 

Instantly ореn the соnvеrѕаtіоn wÑ–th уоur wеbѕіtе vіѕіtоrÑ•, Ñ€luÑ• сарturе leads frоm your TV, radio аnd Ñ€rÑ–nt аdÑ• аѕ well аѕ thÑ–rd-раrtу ѕіtеѕ. Bу аѕkÑ–ng Ñ€rоѕресtÑ• tо ореn a conversation via text, уоu grаb them nоw, whеrе thеу are (on thеіr Ñ€hоnе), Ñ–n the most реrѕоnаl, уеt lеаѕt Ñ–ntruѕіvе wау роѕѕіblе, and whеn they’re mоѕt in the mооd to buу. 

 

Sаlеѕ & Sеrvісе TеxtChаt™ Prорrіеtаrу FunсtіоnÑ• 

Vіеw your TextChat™ dаѕhbоаrd rÑ–ght from your Ñ€hоnе while easily tеxtÑ–ng wÑ–th customers and Ñ€rоѕресtÑ•. Sеаmlеѕѕlу text a рісturе оr vÑ–dео (MMS) mеѕѕаgе to сuÑ•tоmеrÑ• without violating government compliance lаwÑ•. Set uÑ€ “Tеxt Us” buttоnÑ• on уоur dеѕktор аnd mоbÑ–lе ѕіtеѕ to drÑ–vе lеаdÑ• tо уоur ѕаlеѕ team and Ñ€rоmоtе оffеrÑ• tо your ѕеrvісе dераrtmеnt. Cut Ñ€hоnе tаg with ѕеrvісе сuÑ•tоmеrÑ• in hаlf, Ñ€luÑ• еаѕіlу uрѕеll ѕеrvісеѕ bу bеіng able tо “show” thеm whаt thеу nееd. And thеrе’Ñ• ѕо muсh mоrе undеr the hood. 




 
HÑ–gh Performance Dеаlеr MоbÑ–lе Sуѕtеm 

Website providers аnd most OEMÑ• happily integrate оur simple ѕсrÑ–Ñ€t Ñ–ntо their сlоѕеd system duе tо dеаlеr dеmаnd. Nоw 1000s оf the largest Cаr Dealers in the world rерrеѕеntÑ–ng еvеrу brаnd аrе Ñ–ntеgrаtÑ–ng оur ѕіmÑ€lе ѕуѕtеm with thеіr billion-dollar Automotive SuррlіеrÑ•. Whу? Bесаuѕе our mоbÑ–lе capture ѕуѕtеm wоrkÑ• аnd nоthÑ–ng else compares. Wе lÑ–tеrаllу turn virtual Ñ•hорреrÑ• into BUYERS. 

 

No other system wÑ–ll lеt аn AutоmоtÑ–vе GrоuÑ€ mаnаgе аnd monitor ALL dеаlеrÑ• under thеm. 

 

Fоr уоur Sаlеѕ Tеаm, you саn tаrgеt аdÑ• to customers whÑ–lе thеу’rе “Ñ•hоwrооmÑ–ng” at уоur competitors. Wе саn nаrrоw thаt down wÑ–th оur proprietary algorithm thаt ріnроіntÑ• оnlу vehicle buyers in thе mаrkеt — оnlу mоbÑ–lе targeting саn dо thÑ–Ñ•. 

 

Cаn уоur Sеrvісе AdvіѕеrÑ• send Ñ€hоtоѕ аnd vÑ–dео of work Ñ–n Ñ€rоgrеѕѕ tо obtain сuÑ•tоmеr dесіѕіоnÑ• Ô›uісklу? Thеу can nоw with Service TextChat™. DоwntÑ–mе will be аlmоѕt a thing оf thе раѕt. Aside frоm thаt, thÑ–nk hоw mаnу hоurÑ• wÑ–ll be saved just bу еlÑ–mÑ–nаtÑ–ng mоѕt оf thе “уоur саr Ñ–Ñ• rеаdу” саllÑ• аlоnе. Free уоur advisers up to ѕеll mоrе services. 

 


For mоrе Ñ–nfоrmаtіоn vіѕіt our Sаlеѕ and Service TеxtChаt Website 

 


MarketHive



Yоur Dealerships All-In-One Technology Sоlutіоn - Sales TextChat

American Imperialism (corruption and Obama) has finally destroyed America

Barack Obama may have finally destroyed America’s #1 advantage



In July 1944, just weeks after the successful Allied invasion of Normandy, hundreds of delegates from around the world gathered in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire to determine the future of the global financial system.


The vision was simple: America would be the center of the universe, and every other nation would revolve around the US.


This arrangement ultimately led to the US dollar being the world’s dominant reserve currency which still remains today.


Whenever a Brazilian merchant pays a Korean supplier, that deal is negotiated and settled in US dollars.


Oil. Coffee. Steel. Aircraft. Countless commodities and products across the planet change hands in US dollars, so nearly every major commercial bank, central bank, multi-national corporation, and sovereign government must hold and be able to transact in US dollars.


This system provides a huge incentive for the rest of the world to hold trillions of dollars worth of US assets– typically deposits in the US banking system, or US government bonds.


It’s what makes US government debt the most popular “investment” in the world, why US government bonds are considered extremely liquid “cash equivalents”.


As long as this system continues, the US government can continue to go deeper into debt without suffering serious consequences.


Just imagine being totally broke… yet every time you want to borrow money there’s a crowd of delighted lenders eager to replenish your wallet with fresh funds.


This may be the US government’s #1 advantage right now.


You’d think that they would be eternally grateful and take care to never abuse this incredible privilege.


But no… not these guys.


In fact, they’ve done the exact opposite. Over the last eight years the US government has gone out of its way to eliminate as much of this benefit and alienate as many allies as possible.


They’ve abused the trust and confidence that the rest of the world placed in them by racking up record amounts of debt, waging indiscriminate wars in foreign lands, and dropping bombs on children’s hospitals by remote control.


They’ve created absurd amounts of regulations and had the audacity to expect foreign banks to comply.


Plus they’ve levied billions of dollars worth of fines against foreign banks who haven’t complied with their ridiculous regulations.


(Last week, for example, New York state financial regulators fined a Taiwanese bank $180 million for not complying with NY state law.)


And they’ve threatened to banish any foreign banks from the US financial system who don’t pay their steep fines.


Abuse. Deceit. Extortion. Not exactly great ways to win friends and influence people.


It’s as if Barack Obama pulled together the smartest guys he could find to make a list of all the ways the US government would have to screw up in order to lose its enormous financial privilege… and then he went out and did ALL of them.


The US government is practically begging the rest of the world to find an alternative to the US dollar and US banking system.


Even the government of France, a key US ally, called into question continued US dominance of the global financial system after the US government slammed French bank BNP Paribas with a $9 billion fine.


There have already been some attempts to displace the United States in the financial system.


China has been aggressively setting up its own competing financial infrastructure, something called the China International Payment System.


It’s been a slow start for the Chinese, but they’re building momentum. Though I’m not sure China is the answer in the long run.


While banks around the world may not care for the long and strong arm of the US government, the Chinese government doesn’t exactly inspire trust either.


But now there really is an alternative. Technology.


Ripple, a blockchain-style protocol that’s funded by Google Ventures (among others), is now being utilized by international banks to send and receive transactions directly.


The way international bank transfers work now relies exclusively on the US financial system.


Large foreign banks have what’s called a “correspondent account”, typically at a major US bank like JP Morgan, Citibank, etc.


A correspondent account is essentially a bank account for other banks. Our company holds funds at a bank in Singapore, for example, whose US dollar correspondent account is at Bank of New York Mellon.


Foreign banks’ US dollar correspondent accounts are typically at major Wall Street banks because that’s the epicenter of US dollar transactions.


So when a bank in Australia sends US dollars to a bank in South Africa, that payment actually flows from the Australian bank’s correspondent account in the US to the South African bank’s correspondent account in the US.


The entire transaction effectively takes place using the US banking system.


Again, this gives the US government enormous power over foreign banks. Any foreign bank that doesn’t do what Uncle Sam commands can be excommunicated from the US banking system.


And without access to the US banking system, a foreign bank will be unable to transact in US dollars, and hence unable to conduct any global business.


This is a death sentence for a bank. The US government knows this and has been blackmailing global banks for years.


But now technology is providing another option.


Banks don’t have to use the US banking system anymore; they can send real-time payments internationally using the Ripple protocol.




Two months ago a Canadian financial services company sent the first-ever institutional cross-border payment to a German bank.


This isn’t some wild theory or conjecture. It’s actually happening.


Just this morning a group of 15 banks in Japan signed up to start using Ripple, and dozens of banks plan to use the protocol within the next six months.


The technology is cheaper. Faster. Superior. And it doesn’t come with any US government strings attached.


So it seems Uncle Sam may have finally shot himself in the foot for the last time.


 


Original Article appeared here:
https://www.sovereignman.com

BY: Simon Black

August 23, 2016

Santiago, Chile


MarketHive



American Imperialism (corruption and Obama) has finally destroyed America

SlideShare Demo




MarketHive



SlideShare Demo

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Market-Network: A New Type of Business Model


Market-Network: A New Type of Business Model


Social network. Marketplace. SaaS. These buzzwords are no longer synonyms of massive business opportunities.


The gold rush has already happened.


But a new business model has emerged.


Market-networks are hybrid animals: part social network, part marketplace, part SaaS. [1]


It’s a social network. Professionals use profile pages to showcase their work and demonstrate their credibility. They also connect with each other and build relationships.


It’s a marketplace. Professionals come online together to find other parties with whom they can do business.


It’s a SaaS tool. Professionals use the tools on the top of the marketplace to negotiate, do the job, or manage the paperwork.


Social networks are designed to connect people. Marketplaces are built to sell simple products and services at scale. SaaS tools are here to make your job easier.


Market-networks focus on more complex services; the types of services that are not easily scalable and require more human collaboration. [1]


So get your pick-axe and prepare yourself for the next gold rush.


Think about the number of opportunities in M&A, scientific research, construction, management consulting, marketing, media production…


[1] Thanks to James Currier for sharing his thoughts on this emerging business model.


[2] Here are a couple of examples:


AngelList is a market-network.


It’s a social network for startups and investors. It’s a marketplace where business angels can find startups to invest in and startups can post job openings. It’s a SaaS tool that helps business angels create syndicates and startups get introduced to business angels.


Contently is a market-network.


It’s a social network for freelance writers. It’s a marketplace where companies can find writers to create content—articles, eBooks, and other kinds of marketing collateral. It’s a SaaS tool that helps content marketers organize their editorial calendar, manage the writers’ work, and track the performance with analytics.


Article originated here:
https://boostcompanies.com/market-network/


Meet Writer Guerric



Guerric de Ternay is an entrepreneur

and digital & marketing strategist. A large

chunk of his work focuses on behavioral

science, customer experience, and digital

strategy. His passion?

Helping people and businesses level up.


 


 


MarketHive



Market-Network: A New Type of Business Model

Friday, August 19, 2016

There Is No Such Thing As Flexible Work

Technology was meant to herald a new way of working anytime, anywhere – but that’s not the case.


Original article by Georgina Kenyon


We didn’t get the flying cars or the self-lacing shoes. But we did get the work world of the future – you know, the one where the internet allows us to work anytime, anywhere, resulting in the death of the 9-to-5 life.


Our ability to trust each other has not advanced in parallel with the technology we have created


Oh, wait. As more and more companies promise flexibility, the reality, it turns out, is pretty far from the culture we dreamed of.


For almost all of us, flexible work really means working a few hours each side of the core workday of 09:00 and 17:00. And, if you think about it, that makes sense, because many businesses still run within those core hours when markets are open, banks process deposits and payments and daylight makes it easier for tradespeople to do their jobs, for example.


 


(Credit: iStock)


Flexible hours have made working from home possible for many – but how many people actually make the most of it? (Credit: iStock)


But while digital technology has enabled a very small degree of flexibility around the regular working day for some, there have been unseen and sometimes unsettling repercussions for employees and employers. For instance, experts say that always emailing your staff and colleagues, even though they sit a metre from you, has had a hidden, but very real impact on morale and trust.


That, in turn, has made truly flexible work nearly impossible for most of us.“There can be a dark side of innovation, and unintended consequences of some organisational innovations,” says Almudena Cañibano, lecturer in human resource management at ESCP Europe, a business school in Madrid, Spain.


No matter how much a work rock star you might be, your manager does not trust you


Our ability to trust each other has not advanced in parallel with the technology we have created. And therein lies one of the real reasons flexible work is little more than a catch phrase. No matter how much a work rock star you might be, your manager does not trust you. Your colleagues do not trust your manager. And, truth be told, you probably don’t trust most of your colleagues or your boss, either.


Trust and the digital age


For Rachel Botsman, a visiting economics lecturer at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, it’s simple: “Institutional trust isn’t designed for the digital age.”


 


(Credit: Alamy)


Technology has let us work anywhere, anytime – but trust issues can get in the way (Credit: Alamy)


 


That’s also the case for the trust people have towards colleagues, within organisations. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, we’re also less able to understand or make room to consider each person as, well, a person.


"The digital age… has resulted in an ‘assault on empathy’, that makes us less able to appreciate the situation of another person,” writes Sherry Turkle, director of the Initiative on Technology and Self at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


A lack of trust brings about fear, which goes a long way to explaining why we put in face time, even when we probably don’t need to


In other words, the propensity for email, texting and quick-type apps has led us to forget some of our people skills, including distinguishing the nuances of language and meaning, fostering of a feeling of belonging among groups of people, and knowing our bosses and colleagues well enough to have confidence that others will pull their weight. That, in turn, has diminished implicit and earned trust among the people we work with.


 


(Credit: Alamy)


Technology has disrupted the workplace – and not always for the better (Credit: Alamy)


 


That lack of trust brings about fear, which goes a long way to explaining why we put in face time, even when we probably don’t need to in order to do our work well. It also can explains why we feel we’ve got to have our “butt in the seat” even if our work could truly be done from the corner café or the back garden.


Mother, may I?


Phyllis Moen, professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota in the US, calls this the ‘mother, may I’ problem. It’s when we feel fearful of asking our managers if we can work from home or work altered hours if, say, we need to help a relative or attend a series of medical appointments or simply want to work during hours we’re feeling more productive or efficient.


 


(Credit: Alamy)


While it is technically possible for many to work odd hours, the majority of us only need flexibility a couple of hours either side of the typical 9-to-5 day (Credit: Alamy)


 


Some workplace psychologists take it a step further, saying that modern technology is a way for employers to constantly keep surveillance over their staff. In turn, people are increasingly suffering from the impacts of feeling watched, even when they are allowed to work remotely. The Future Work Centre in London released findings earlier this year that showed the emotional reactions we have to constantly being connected to our work causes “a toxic source of stress.”


As a result, we often start thinking up more ‘creative’ ways of excusing ourselves to create flexibility.


What next


There’s also the worry that flexible work options may actually get more limited as automation and advances in information technology now threaten many traditional white-collar jobs, such as accounting and law.  And that’s led to a feeling of insecurity that keeps people in their seats, playing out face time for the boss, and avoiding flexible options when they are available.


As a result of job insecurity, even when flexible work options are offered in a workplace, employees do not always take them up


One report from the World Economic Forum examines how, just as technology made manufacturing largely automated, now white-collar jobs will be automated (for example, when selling a house, the seller will fill in all the required information for an 'online solicitor').


As a result of job insecurity, even when flexible work options are offered in a workplace, employees do not always take them up. Being present it seems in the workplace, seems the most secure option for most.


 


(Credit: Getty Images)


As automation threatens more jobs, it may seem more important to be present in the office (Credit: Getty Images)


 


But, that could be counterproductive for employers. The more control that we have over our time – of when and where we work – the more job satisfaction increases, says Moen. The University of Warwick in the UK found that being happy at work makes people, on average, 12% more productive. In the paper, the researchers found that happier workers use the time they have more effectively, increasing the pace at which people work without sacrificing quality.


In reality, for some of us, the flexibility of a few hours outside of core hours actually turns out to be enough to improve quality of life. 


In Spain, Iberdrola, one of the country’s largest utilities companies, decided a few years ago to allow its employees to choose working 08:00 to 15:00 with no lunch break – a major change in a country where most people work 09:00 to 19:00 with a two-hour lunch break. The company reported employee satisfaction levels increased as a result and lower turnover (90% of the workforce has been with the company for more than five years).


Changing habits


How do you change a workplace culture? Bring in blanket company rules, say some experts, making benefits universal to all staff if possible. Financial company Moody’s instituted a policy that women returning from maternity leave do not have to fulfil the usual 'billable hours' for several months. “Middle ranking managers can also help introduce flexible and healthy workplaces by getting rid of low value work – like meetings every Monday with no agenda,” says Moen.


“It’s said that to understand something you should try to change it. We are trying to redesign working conditions, giving employees greater flexibility and control over their time with more supportive supervisors,” says Moen.


But, maybe like flying cars in the film Back to the Future, truly flexible work wasn’t ever really going to happen.


If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show on this page.


Stephen Hodgkiss

Chief Engineer at MarketHive

markethive.com



MarketHive



There Is No Such Thing As Flexible Work

What about Advertising

Connect to Facebook


What about Advertising


Advertising keeps Google and many of the websites and services you use free of charge. We work hard to make sure that ads are safe, unobtrusive, and as relevant as possible. For example, you won’t see pop-up ads on Google, and we terminate the accounts of hundreds of thousands of publishers and advertisers that violate our policies each year – including ads containing malware, ads for counterfeit goods, or ads that attempt to misuse your personal information.



How Google uses cookies in advertising


Cookies help to make advertising more effective. Without cookies, it’s harder for an advertiser to reach its audience, or to know how many ads were shown and how many clicks they received.


Many websites, such as news sites and blogs, partner with Google to show ads to their visitors. Working with our partners, we may use cookies for a number of purposes, such as to stop you from seeing the same ad over and over again, to detect and stop click fraud, and to show ads that are likely to be more relevant (such as ads based on websites you have visited).


We store a record of the ads we serve in our logs. These server logs typically include your web request, IP address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request, and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser. We store this data for a number of reasons, the most important of which are to improve our services and to maintain the security of our systems. We anonymize this log data by removing part of the IP address (after 9 months) and cookie information (after 18 months).


Our advertising cookies


To help our partners manage their advertising and websites, we offer many products, including AdSense, AdWords, Google Analytics, and a range of DoubleClick-branded services. When you visit a page that uses one of these products, either on one of Google’s sites or one of our partners’, various cookies may be sent to your browser.


These may be set from a few different domains, including google.com, doubleclick.net, invitemedia.com, admeld.com, googlesyndication.com, or googleadservices.com. Some of our advertising products enable our partners to use other services in conjunction with ours (like an ad measurement and reporting service), and these services may send their own cookies to your browser. These cookies will be set from their domains.


How you can control advertising cookies


You can use Ads Settings to manage the Google ads you see and opt out of Ads Personalization. Even if you opt out of Ads Personalization, you may still see ads based on factors such as your general location derived from your IP address, your browser type, and your search terms.


You can also manage many companies’ cookies used for online advertising via the consumer choice tools created under self-regulation programs in many countries, such as the US-based aboutads.info choices page or the EU-based Your Online Choices.


Other technologies used in advertising


Google’s advertising systems may use other technologies, including Flash and HTML5, for functions like display of interactive ad formats. We may use the IP address, for example, to identify your general location. We may also select advertising based on information about your computer or device, such as your device model, browser type, or sensors in your device like the accelerometer.



Connect to Facebook


Location


Google’s ad products may receive or infer information about your location from a variety of sources. For example, we may use the IP address to identify your general location; we may receive precise location from your mobile device; we may infer your location from your search queries; and websites or apps that you use may send information about your location to us. Google uses location information in our ads products to infer demographic information, to improve the relevance of the ads you see, to measure ad performance and to report aggregate statistics to advertisers.


Advertising identifiers on mobile devices


To serve ads in services where cookie technology may not be available (for example, in mobile applications), we may use technologies that perform similar functions to cookies. Sometimes Google links the identifier used for advertising on mobile applications to an advertising cookie on the same device in order to coordinate ads across your mobile apps and mobile browser. This can happen, for example, when you see an ad within an app that launches a webpage in your mobile browser. This also helps us improve the reports we give to our advertisers on the effectiveness of their campaigns.


To opt out of personalized ads in apps on your mobile device, follow the instructions below.


Android


  1. Find Google Settings in one of these places (depending on your device):
    1. A separate app called Google Settings

    2. In your main Settings app, scroll down and tap Google


  2. Tap Ads

  3. Switch on Opt out of interest-based ads

iOS


Devices with iOS use Apple’s Advertising Identifier. To learn more about your choices for use of this identifier, visit the Settings app on your device.


What determines the ads by Google that I see?


Many decisions are made to determine which ad you see.Sometimes the ad you see is based on your current or past location. Your IP address is usually a good indication of your approximate location. So you might see an ad on the homepage of YouTube.com that promotes a forthcoming movie in your country, or a search for ‘pizza’ might return results for pizza places in your town.


Sometimes the ad you see is based on the context of a page. If you’re looking at a page of gardening tips, you might see ads for gardening equipment.


Sometimes you might also see an ad on the web that’s based on your app activity or activity on Google services; an in-app ad that’s based on your web activity; or an ad based on your activity on another device.


Sometimes the ad you see on a page is served by Google but selected by another company. For example, you might have registered with a newspaper website. From a piece information you’ve given the newspaper, it can make decisions about which ads to show you, and it can use Google’s ad serving products to deliver those ads.


You may also see ads at Google products and services, including Search, Gmail, and YouTube, based on information, such as your email address, that you provided to advertisers and the advertisers then shared with Google.


Why am I seeing ads by Google for products I’ve viewed?


You may see ads for products you previously viewed. Let’s suppose you visit a website that sells golf clubs, but you don’t buy those clubs on your first visit. The website owner might want to encourage you to return and complete your purchase. Google offers services that let website operators target their ads to people who visited their pages.


For this to work, Google either reads a cookie that’s already in your browser or places a cookie in your browser when you visit the golfing site (assuming your browser lets this happen).


When you visit another site that works with Google, which may have nothing to do with golfing, you might see an ad for those golf clubs. That’s because your browser sends Google the same cookie. In turn, we may use that cookie to serve you an ad that could encourage you to buy those golf clubs.


Your visit to the golfing site may also be used by Google to show you personalized ads when you later search for golf clubs on Google.


We do have restrictions on this type of ad. For example, we prohibit advertisers from selecting an audience based on sensitive information, such as health information or religious beliefs.


Chuck Reynolds

Contributor


MarketHive



What about Advertising

Thursday, August 18, 2016

What does the Future of Marketing Automation look like?

Connect to Facebook
cartoon-1294010_1280


According to one marketing automation expert David Raab, nearly 70 percent of marketers are not happy with their marketing automation software.  Clearly, there is much room for improvement in this industry, despite the enormous potential benefits that can be achieved.


One area of particular promise is “predictive intelligence“.  Marketing automation software that embraces this type of model will provide better results for customers and those results will improve over time due to the machine learning aspect of this type of software model.


True AI or artificial intelligence really exists only in the world of science fiction, but we can already see how technology like Google’s “rank brain” are being implemented at a very high level into their search algorithms.


This post is not intended as a treatise on the subject, but only to highlight the development that will inevitably take place in marketing automation to a more predictive and machine learning type model that incorporates elements of artificial intelligence.


So, what would this type of marketing automation software look like, how would it work, and what could it do for clients using the software?


As an example, it is a common marketing strategy to ask the client to start with an avatar of what their ideal customer looks like.  A software with AI elements would be able to examine a company’s current database of customers, and analyze all demographic data as well as social media profiles of all current customers.  It would then perform a detailed and sophisticated search across various websites and social media, and recommend an exhaustive list of potential prospects.


This analysis would be based on similarities with current customers, and would also recommend the best way to connect with them which would most likely yield the best results.


This is a highly sophisticated method of marketing automation that does not currently exist. The ability of this type of software to target potential prospects with laser-like accuracy will likely turn the marketing automation market on its head.


The company that comes out with this kind of predictive analysis model may dominate the industry for years to come, and prove to be a highly sought after commodity, even at a fairly high price.  It is also equally likely that the downward price pressure of open sourcing may prove to significantly lower costs for the consumer.


It is clear that forward thinking companies such as Google are investing in the future by relying heavily on automation in a wide variety of markets.  Look at the investment Google has made in self-driving cars, for example.  Uber drivers may become  a thing of the past in the not too distant future.


Consider what Perry Marshall a well-known marketing expert had to say about automation in a recent email.


“2003-2009 was the age of PPC. 


2010-2016 has been the age of Social Media. 


2017 and beyond will be the age of Artificial Intelligence


Now mind you, this “Artificial Intelligence” is not self-aware. It’s not HAL 9000 reading your lips as you talk outside the spaceship like in 2001: A Space Odyssey. 


Not yet anyway.


But don’t underestimate this AI. 


I have clients who are taking AI to deep levels, re-inventing the future as we speak. You won’t fully see the results of what they’re doing for another year or two. 


But let’s just say that talking to machines like Alexa and Siri is only the tip of the iceberg.


The key to success in 2017-2020…especially in AdWords…is OWNING some of that Automation.


Automation is a rack-the-shotgun, 95/5, winners and losers phenomenon. ”


Prophetic words of wisdom, no doubt, from the marketing and AdWords expert.


Watch for those technologies that claim this type of predictive AI model to emerge and lead the industry by wide margins in the years to come.


Take a look at these four leading-edge marketing automation technologies you can use today.


Markethive – (free) – dramatically increases your reach on the Internet by using cooperative blog syndication technology, and much more


LeadOutcome – state-of-the-art CRM – lead generation designed to work with LinkedIn to fill your email inbox with qualified prospects who want to do business with you.


Social Lead Generator – auto-join and auto-post to open and closed Facebook groups, dramatically expand your Twitter followers, and more.


Linked Group Messenger  – Increase your LinkedIn invitation rate and grow a very large group of 1st level connections on LinkedIn.  Especially helpful to avoid the LinkedIn “idk” limit.


 


Of course, I will keep you informed of these trends, and help you to stay on top of these significant technologies.


John Lombaerde – Goldfinch Digital Publishing LLC



 


Related articles

 


MarketHive



What does the Future of Marketing Automation look like?

Blogging Platform: What You Need To Know

Connect to Facebook
Blogging


 


Blogging Marketing Platform: What You Need To Know


Blogging is a great way to do many things. You can use it to share your thoughts about any topic you desire. Whether you have a hobby that others could benefit from or you just want to share your opinions on varying topics, writing about it and sharing is a great way to get it out there and communicate with others. You can blog to share your life with family and friends that live far away and can’t visit you on a regular basis. You can even blog for yourself if writing is something that you enjoy.


Yes, there are many ways to use blogging, but one of the most profitable ways is to use it as a marketing platform. As you consider blogging as a way to grow leads and grow your business, there are some things you should know that can help you make this journey as successful and as profitable as possible.


MarketHive


One of the best marketing platforms is MarketHive. MarketHive has the easiest to use and most powerful blogging platforms on the planet.


MarketHive is a social networking site designed for entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, MarketHive is not only a social networking site, in addition it contains a blogging platform, plus some amazingly effective web marketing tools to allow entrepreneurs to achieve success marketing their internet business, goods and services.


 Here are some of the internet marketing tools you receive once you join Markethive:


Autoresponders

E-mail Broadcasting

Blogging Platform

Capture Pages

One Click Lead Generation System

Conference Room and so much more


You could be wondering just how much actually does MarketHive charge for these powerful online marketing tools, well the answer really is these tools are completely at no cost for life,no strings attached. These marketing tools would certainly cost you hundreds of bucks monthly, not at MarketHive. This is excellent news for the beginner as well as the expert internet marketer.


To Join MarketHive Is Very Simple Just Click The Banner Below:



One of the first things you want to do is begin blogging. If you have already been doing this, well, then you can keep blogging. While you blog, though, there are some things that you should keep in mind as far as your content goes. Your blog posts should be interesting and engaging. Share information that your readers will appreciate. You may right about a new product that you have coming up.


Another option is to share information about your line of products or the services that you offer. As you do this, be sure to share how what you have to offer will help make your readers’ lives easier. Be careful to not only talk about your business, your products, and your services. While these are all great topics, your reader is interested in more. Share other things that will interest them. For instance, if you sell cars, share information about car maintenance, car washing tips, tips on buying cars, and other topics that can help your readers and your customers.


Content is crucial, but it is also very important to make sure your posts are grammatically correct. Make sure the professionalism in your writing projects the professionalism of your company. Misspelled words, poorly constructed sentences, and the like will make your company look bad.




Also, you should make your posts easy to read. Again, this will depend on your niche, but include headings, lists, and other features that helps to make your content easy to read and scan over. People today want quick and straight and to the point. So make sure that you offer this so they stick around and read your blog posts and then take action.


Now, that you have these helpful tips for blogging in general, knowing how to use your blog to grow your profits is helpful. As you use blogging as a marketing platform, it is important to quickly draw in your readers. You can do this by placing a web banner or a call to action button within your blog. This allows readers to know exactly how they can get the item or service you offer.


While blogging in general is a great thing you can do for your business, using it as a marketing platform by stepping it up a notch is another good choice. Blogging allows your target audience to find you in many different ways, but by adding a call to action quickly and easily into your content, the reader is more likely to visit your site and take action. Use the helpful tips that have been shared here and you can watch your business grow.


 


MarketHive
Connect to Facebook



Blogging Platform: What You Need To Know

Executive Overview of LinkedIn


 


If you would like to learn more about LinkedIn, and you have a spare hour of time, tonight is the best way to come away with a better understanding of this powerful network.


I will be presenting the Executive Overview of all six of the LinkedIn Workshops I have taught in the last 10 months.  Profile Optimization, LinkedIn Search and Invitations,  Privacy and Settings, LinkedIn Groups, Automated Marketing using LeadOutcome, Email Best Practices.  


This is the best way to get an A-Z overview of LinkedIn.  See you there at 7:00pm EST! 


MarketHive



Executive Overview of LinkedIn