Category: Technology Trends

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Real Life is cool again! The reality of Digital Isolation

I’m a baby boomer, so no, I did not grow up in front of a computer but as any baby boomer I’m an eager adopter. So yes, I do spend an enormous amount of time in my computer, or should I say on my phone just to sound cooler and younger?

If you are a Millennial, you know your phone is becoming an addiction. If only you could set it aside and think about it, it would be scary.

We did embrace technology in a big way and when social media came along we jumped into it without a care. That is how now we keep connected with people like us, with family, with friends and with a lot of strangers. Communication took a whole new format after social media and texting.

There is gratification when you feel connected, when you feel you are aware of things happening ( that is why fake news became a trend and a money making opportunity for some). Many measure their success by number of followers, likes or klout. But what really happens inside? There is that nagging feeling that you are still isolated. It may be cliché but you know that if you get sick almost no one in this digital network of yours would actually visit with you at a hospital. So, it is there, but it is not.

Being connected all the time made us disconnect from face to face conversations and confrontations. We are becoming beings that avoid any conflict which does not help any of us navigate life.

The younger the person the less he/she wants to get a “no” as an answer. To the extent that Millennials avoid phone conversations. Most young people associate phone conversations with high pressure situations. The phone used as a phone becomes a fear inducing device. Because the answer is not known. – You might have to leave a message, then you need to know what you will say if the person is not there. Talking to another human is really becoming an issue.

No matter if it is because you just plain and simple feel isolated or you interaction skills are in crisis mode, Real Life is cool again!

We are going out and looking for opportunities to connect with real people and create new experiences.

Look at Meetup.com. A place where you look for think alike groups to meet people. Currently has 39 million members with no sign of slowing down.

Check companies like Painting with a twist, Plant Nite and others where you go to a place or restaurant to meet people and make something. (two trends here- Real life is cool again and Me and my peeps)

Tea with strangers- Their motto is: Actually talk to people. For two hours you have tea and talk about anything.

Look at apps and you will find Hey Vina- where you can meet other women for fun, for work or for life.

Hello Mamas connect other moms to meet and talk.

We are finding new ways to re-connect and have meaningful conversations, but we are going out looking for real interaction. Finding relevant interaction will fight our digital isolation.

This trend can be a real opportunity for your business. Creating better and richer experiences for your customers in real life.

Tours like sriracha hot sauce does, retreats, meetups in your place, demo day. These are all opportunities for you to use this trend in your business.

About Shahar

Shahar is a neuromarketer fascinated with trends and how brands can benefit from them. With her daughter Nashlah they run BuzzBooster marketing that provides consulting for small businesses. They also run Curious Mondo that provides an innovative way in adult learning

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The Virtual Experience Economy

Let’s take a look on some of the main trends for 2017.

My favorite: Virtual reality.  Virtual reality already has been adopted in many industries but we should see mass adoption this year.  Some say 2017 will be come the year of the Virtual Experience Economy.

A virtual experience where people can interact is quite appealing to consumers. Digital experiences may reach a weight status of physical experiences.

It is attractive because location, accessibility, personal capability are no longer a factor. Only the scarcity of time can play a role here.

Here are a few ways VR is being used:

  • For example, it can be used in therapy to help overcome fear.
  • The group ABBA just announced  a virtual “tour” using VR in 2018 where a whole new generation will be able to experience their music.
  • Alibaba’s shopping platform has BUY + during its “one day” event where it offers VR. People can be transported to Macy’s New York to shop. In 2016 the platform made USD 17.8 billion of transactions in a single day (by contrast, the entire US retail market’s 2015 Black Friday takings were estimated at USD 10 billion, online and offline.

  • Google Expeditions: now in eleven countries. There are more than 200 virtual trips available to such destinations as Buckingham Palace and the Great Barrier Reef.

  • For teaching languages, it has already shown that it is very useful. Progress is being made in environments to get to be collaborative, and then we will be able to get connected to many learners in the same virtual space

  • When learning via virtual reality, learners can do things which are not possible (or practical) in the real world. This means that new types of learning environments become available: you can take a course which involves working in dangerous or high-risk scenarios, such as working with hazardous waste, working in an operating theatre, or even learning how to dispose of a bomb.
  • At the Sundance Film Festival, Merrell, an outdoor apparel brand, set up an experience where users could go trekking up and across treacherous mountain sides, while wearing their hiking shoes, of course.

VR is not only a new way to experience things but also a new way of communication. There is a very small learning curve and the glasses are affordable so adoption should be fast.

Now the question is, from consulting to a supermarket, in how many ways could you use virtual reality in your business?

 

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Do you have what it takes to succeed online?

Online shoppers in the United States will spend $327 billion in 2016, up 45% from $226 billion this year and 62% from $202 billion in 2011, according to a projection released today by Forrester Research Inc.

Are you really ready to get a piece of this pie? Is your website ready and following current trends? Read this post and don’t skip the last praragraph.

Can people easily navigate and take action on your site no matter which type of device they are using?

4 out of 5 consumers use a Smartphone to shop. If you don’t have a responsive website, you are losing sales.

Forrester says that 192 million U.S. consumers will shop online in 2016, up 15% from 167 million in 2012. But the bigger factor in driving e-commerce growth is that each shopper will spend more on average, the report says. U.S. consumers in 2016 will each spend an average of $1,738 online, up 44% from $1,207 in 2012.

People are spending more time online because of their mobile devices and because they do expect better deals than brick and mortar stores.

So it really does not matter if you are an online business, a brick and mortar store or a manufacturer. For you to keep being competitive you need to improve your skills online and have a website that performs according to what people want. Brochure websites telling how great your company is are dead.

Here are a few points to consider related to your site:

1. Clean Design

A quality design is attractive and easy to read with intuitive navigation. Most importantly, a clean design helps viewers focus on the value of your brand and content instead of distracting graphics and large amounts of text. Often, customers associate website designs with the quality of a particular company or product. Hence, a clean design is vital to providing a positive user experience that encourages customers to return.

2.Effective Color Scheme

Color schemes are more important than customers realize. Different colors have the ability to evoke emotional responses, such as calm, happiness, or frustration. When it comes to using colors in your website design, it’s essential to consider your company’s niche, target audience, branding, and the elements of color theory.

3. Usability

Websites that are easy to use are more likely to garner customer interest and encourage business. Usability can be increased by displaying product and service information in a clear, concise manner. Make sure your website has all the features a customer would need for the site to be easily accessible.

4. Call to Action

Placing calls to action on your website encourages customers to contact your business. A friendly suggestion, such as “Contact us today!” demonstrates that your business wants to develop a relationship with its customers. It’s important that calls to action are appropriate for a visitor’s level of engagement with your company.

5. Active Blog

Featuring a blog on your website is a great way to connect with them, especially if your posts encourage readers to interact with your brand. By regularly providing readers with fresh, helpful, engaging content, your brand becomes a trusted resource and an industry authority.

6. Responsive Sites

95% of mobile device users count on their devices to search for local products and services. To effectively reach this growing population of mobile users, businesses need to be sure that their websites are available from any device. Business planning the launch of a website would be better served by choosing a responsive design capable of adapting to any device.

15. Integration with Social Media

Integration with social media is no longer a novelty – it’s a requirement. As technology makes information sharing more convenient, businesses lacking social media integration fail to take advantage of what has been likened to modern day word-of-mouth advertising. Social media provides a venue in which customers can promote your brand, provide reviews, and stay in-the-know about your company’s latest news.

Yes, there is a lot involved in a good website. We’ve been building websites for 12 years and as online consultants we know what makes a site work.

For only 3 days we have a super offer for you: We will build a responsive website, migrate all content you have on your existing site, add an on-site blog and train you or your team members to update the site. All for only $950. Call us ASAP to get started: 801-842-9765

online consumer behavior

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U.S. Online Retail Sales to Reach $327 Billion by 2016 [STUDY]

Before questioning any figures question your own behavior this last Christmas. How many department stores did you visit? Did you shop more online?

The future of ecommerce looks bright. After topping $200 billion for the first time, online retail sales in the U.S. are forecast to reach $327 billion by 2016, a study from technology and market research firm Forrester says. Overall share of the retail market is expected to increase from 7% to 9% during that period.

What’s driving the growth? More consumers are shopping online every day. Last year, 167 million consumers — 53% of the U.S. population — purchased something online. That number is expected to grow to 192 million, or 56% of the population, by 2016. The study also projects that consumers’ average yearly online spending will increase from $1,207 per person in 2011 to $1,738 per person by 2016.

Consumers are also becoming increasingly comfortable purchasing a wider variety of categories online. In a 2001 survey, Forrester found only three of the 30 retail categories were able to attribute more than 20% of sales to online channels. That number grew to eight categories in 2011, and is expected to increase to 14 categories by 2016.

U.S. shoppers are also now finding it easier to shop than ever before, thanks to improvements in mobile and tablet shopping capabilities. Innovative shopping models and loyalty programs — think flash sales sites like Gilt and Woot as well as subscription loyalty programs like Amazon Prime — and aggressive promotions are drawing sales away from brick-and-mortar operations. This was especially true during big discount periods such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, during which approximately 75% of consumers said they shopped online because the deals were better.

Meanwhile, online sales in Europe are expected to amount to 171 billion euros ($230 billion) in Europe by 2016 up from 96.7 billion euros ($130 billion) in 2011, according to Forrester’s estimates.

Just think of all the possibilities for your business if this year you focus a little more on your online presence. Go one step further and consider the use of online video as part of your marketing mix.  Videos alone can increase your sales conversion by 40%

Consumer behavior has changed and it is not going back to what it was. It is up to you as a business owner to adapt and innovate. Take action!

online consumer behavior

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Online Video Micro Moments

from Think with Google

Four types of video micro-moments

Video micro-moments generally fall into four categories: “I want-to-watch-what-I’m-into” moments, when people are seeking videos on their passions or interests; “I want-to-know” moments, when people are trying to learn something; “I want-to-do” moments, when they’re looking for step-by-step instructions on how to make or do something; and I “want-to-buy” moments, when they’re using video to try before they buy.

Three ways to adapt your video strategy to micro-moments

Brands can ensure they’re relevant and useful in these four video micro-moments by understanding their consumer’s intent on YouTube. Expand your focus from just who consumers are (for example, 18-34-year-old women) to what they want (“spring fashion trends”). In a micro-moments world, intent trumps identity.

Here are three ways to make sure you’re staying relevant and useful in moments that really matter—when your brand has a meaningful role to play based on what people really want:

1. Identify the micro-moments where your audience’s goals and your brand’s goals intersect

People come to YouTube millions of times each day, looking for videos that meet their needs, wants, and interests. Reimagine your consumer’s journey as a collection of these video micro-moments: What are his needs and questions, and when does he look for them? Once you’ve mapped out your consumer’s micro-moments, understand your place on the map: Where does your brand have the right to play?

Beauty brand Sephora, for example, knew that beauty content on YouTube grew by 50% from 2014 to 2015 and that YouTube searches related to “how-to” were up 70% year over year. For Sephora, how-to videos and tutorials were the magical intersection of the brand’s beauty-centric message and its audience’s beauty needs. That how-to and tutorial content now makes up more than 60% of Sephora’s library of video content.

2. Be there when your audience is looking with useful content that answers their needs
Once you understand how your brand maps to consumers’ video micro-moments, you can build a plan to be there when people are looking. The first step is creating relevant, useful YouTube content that adds value in those key micro-moments. The second is making sure your brand shows up when they need you, with organic and paid search, for example, or withshopping ads on YouTube.

Sephora has become a resource in its customers’ micro-moments by creating a variety of video content. To answer beauty fans’ calls for on-trend makeup and hair tutorials, Sephora uses the CCC content model: the team creates their own original videos, curates playlists of videos on trending YouTube topics like “beauty hauls,” and collaborates with YouTube creators to make content that feels organic in the YouTube environment. To make sure its content is discoverable, Sephora uses TrueView in-display ads, which give its videos prominent placement at the top of key beauty search results.

3. Help your audience find you, even when they’re not looking, with relevant video ads
Even when people aren’t actively looking for answers, brands can delight them by showing up with messaging that’s relevant to their interests. That means going beyond demographic targeting and connecting with viewers based on signals of intent or context.

Choice-driven ad formats are a great way to show that your brand understands and respects people’s intent; if someone chooses to watch your ad, it’s a powerful signal of their interest. Sephora, for example, usesTrueView advertising, YouTube’s skippable ad format. In-market and affinity targeting can also help your brand serve messaging that’s timely and helpful to consumers based on their most recent and repeated digital behaviors.

Context is also key. First, there’s the context of video. Video ads feel more at home in a video context than non-video environments. But beyond sharing video ads before or during video content, you can share your ads when people are in the mood for that messaging. For example, when Sephora consumers are already watching beauty videos on YouTube, they’re more open to Sephora’s beauty-related ads.

The purchase journey has been fragmented into hundreds of micro-moments. It’s imperative that brands be there in these micro-moments with relevant, useful videos. Those who “get the most points on the board”—and who prove themselves useful and relevant in the most micro-moments—will establish the greatest brand equity in an era of infinite consumer choice. If your brand isn’t there in your audience’s moments of need, another brand will be.

video-micro-moments

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Web Video and Content Marketing

Web Video and Content Marketing

by  BIG & SMALL Productions

With the Internet seeping ever deeper into every pore of modern day life, our consumer habits are drastically changing. As a result, most people have turned their backs on conventional marketing. They skip television ads with the help of various technologies such as DVRs, often ignore magazine marketing, and are proficient in surfing the Internet in such a way as to disregards banners, buttons and pop-ups. In order to reach out to a new consumer, useful content is of paramount importance. A marketing strategy has emerged to address these issues, and it is called content marketing.

Content marketing

The idea is not to simply push a product and make it visible, but rather to provide the target audience with information that will be valuable to them, and that they will enjoy, share and think about. Not only does content marketing create increased visibility and engagement, but it also attracts and retains customers. The focus is on consistently and methodically creating and curating valuable, interesting and relevant content with the goal of enhancing or modifying customer behavior. Rather than having potential customers avoid your ads (the well-known process of channel switching during commercial breaks), the goal is to design your content in such a way that they actively seek it out. If customers enjoy the content, think about it and ultimately learn something from it, they are more likely to buy your product, or at the very least have a positive view of your company. There is a wide array of content marketing tools that you can utilize, just as there are many types of content. The four most frequently used types of content marketing are infographics, web pages, podcasts and videos. This article will deal primarily with web videos, but first a few quick words regarding marketing theory.

The Buying Cycle

According to a well established marketing theory, there are four basic steps in the buying cycle: awareness, research, consideration and, finally, buying. Awareness refers to the first phase when the customer becomes aware that there is an available solution to their need. It is then that they research the desired product and educate themselves on what is available on the market. The consideration stage occurs when the customer begins comparing various products from different competitors in order to ensure a quality product at a reasonable price. After the first three steps are completed, the customer makes a final decision and goes through with the purchase. Conventional marketing and advertising excel at targeting the last two steps, as they increase the awareness of a product and show off its best assets while, in most cases, presenting a competitive price. In contrast to this, content marketing focuses on the first two stages of the buying process: awareness and research. Content marketing aims to educate potential customers. By providing them with valuable and interesting content, content marketing teaches customers about a product that they may not have contemplated buying before.

Web Videos

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth at least a million. Online video content has never been so cheaply and readily available to such a large portion of humanity. Hi-tech personal devices such as tablet computers, smartphones and laptops are everywhere and they make video viewing possible at any time and in almost any place. Videos have many advantages over printed advertising, the most obvious of which is that it is easier and more entertaining to watch a video than to read a long article. And there are solid facts and research to support this. According to a study carried out by Implix in 2010, adding a video to email marketing increases click-through rates by more than 96%. In the same year, Comscore found out that people are 85% more likely to purchase a product if they have first watched a video about it. Another telling fact is that 70% of Google’s top listings include video material of some kind. However, the advantages of videos are not limited to consumers. Forbes Insight found that an impressive 59% of senior executives would rather watch a video than read a lengthy document. If these figures are not convincing enough, web videos have a number of advantages over other marketing tools.

Advantages of Web Videos

When compared to other (often expensive) types of advertising, such as TV commercials or magazine ads, web videos are far more cost efficient. If you are on a particularly tight budget you can even film a video yourself and upload it to the Internet free of charge. If, however, you would like a higher level and quality of production, there are many professional external production companies that specialize in producing web videos. A well filmed and produced video will undoubtedly go a long way in building trust in your brand. The key is to maintain a personal tone throughout the whole video. Avoid using stock footage at all cost, as using real footage of your business gives potential clients greater insight and builds trust. Another thing to avoid is scripts and direct marketing approaches. If someone is appearing and speaking on camera, the viewer will be put off by a mechanical and calculated approach, coming across as natural is key. Not only are web videos great for capturing the attention and sparking interest in potential buyers, they are also a great tool for search engine optimization. Web videos are a tried and tested way of optimizing your results in search engines such as Google and increase the traffic to your website. They are also versatile as they can be posted on almost any online platform or social media. You can post your video on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and even local online business listing sites. As a result, one single advertising web video has the potential to reach a huge number of future consumers.

In Conclusion

Web videos are a powerful method of content marketing featuring great potential for growing your brand and boosting sales. With the significant fall of production costs and a staggering rise in global Internet usage, there has never been a better time for investing in web videos. If done right, a good web video can be a foundation for the expansion and advancement of your business. The key word is value – provide value and everything else will fall into place.

Web Video and Content Marketing

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6 New ways of using video in the healthcare industry

This post is from a company in Australia called Creativa.

Healthcare and video: You may not relate these two concepts naturally, but if we think about it, they really are a match made in heaven. Nowadays, there is a growing demand for both services: public and private healthcare as well as video in all its forms. Due to different reasons (such as ageing population, and the need to access remote populations from centralized facilities, to name a few) communications technology is playing an increasingly important role in this industry and affecting healthcare workers, providers, suppliers, and patients in the most positive way.

Healthcare organizations all over the world are turning to video to improve care and reduce cost. Through video, prevention and wellness programs can easily be shown. A video conference also provides access to expert consultations no matter where or when the need arises. Even video games are having an impact on healthcare! According to a recent study by the University of Utah, video games can help patients with cancer, diabetes, asthma, depression, autism, Parkinson’s disease and more. The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, also indicates that video games can be therapeutic and are already beginning to show health-related benefits. In the end, it’s all about enhancing customer experience. There are many ways to use film in the healthcare industry and I’ve got the videos to prove it.

1-With video, you can document standardized ways of doing things in an attractive format to train the hospital or clinic’s staff. Suppliers and vendors may learn how to best use new products and sell new medicines through this technology. Do not forget healthcare institutions are also businesses with need of internal communications. And what can be more personal and direct than a video?

2-Videos can help educate potential patients, while they are in the waiting room or even at home. Even if people are not sick, it is a great way to reach out to the public to raise awareness on how to prevent certain diseases.

6 New ways of using video in the healthcare industry

Healthcare and video: You may not relate these two concepts naturally, but if we think about it, they really are a match made in heaven. Nowadays, there is a growing demand for both services: public and private healthcare as well as video in all its forms. Due to different reasons (such as ageing population, and the need to access remote populations from centralized facilities, to name a few) communications technology is playing an increasingly important role in this industry and affecting healthcare workers, providers, suppliers, and patients in the most positive way.

Healthcare organizations all over the world are turning to video to improve care and reduce cost. Through video, prevention and wellness programs can easily be shown. A video conference also provides access to expert consultations no matter where or when the need arises. Even video games are having an impact on healthcare! According to a recent study by the University of Utah, video games can help patients with cancer, diabetes, asthma, depression, autism, Parkinson’s disease and more. The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, also indicates that video games can be therapeutic and are already beginning to show health-related benefits. In the end, it’s all about enhancing customer experience. There are many ways to use film in the healthcare industry and I’ve got the videos to prove it.

1-With video, you can document standardized ways of doing things in an attractive format to train the hospital or clinic’s staff. Suppliers and vendors may learn how to best use new products and sell new medicines through this technology. Do not forget healthcare institutions are also businesses with need of internal communications. And what can be more personal and direct than a video? Check out the video for Rural Workforce Agencies:

2-Videos can help educate potential patients, while they are in the waiting room or even at home. Even if people are not sick, it is a great way to reach out to the public to raise awareness on how to prevent certain diseases. Andrology Australia:

3-Explaining concepts or processes through video is always much more effective and attractive than in other formats, which is why you may want to produce a video to show what goes on in a certain type of surgery or procedure. Having all the information will keep the patient happy and more at ease. And it will certainly make the doctors’ lives easier. Dr Michael Rich:

4-With video, you can help families by saving them time in trips and consultations (not to mention the time spent at the doctors and the doctors fees). Videos can also keep relatives informed and up to date with the patients’ needs and procedures without having to rely on their memory – therefore avoiding additional stress and worries. Who would have imagined a simple video can contribute to improving the quality of life of the patient?

5-Waiting rooms can be so annoying sometimes, especially for those who bring the kids along. Spending so much time in a confined, rather dull space is enough to make anyone restless. How about creating an educational cartoon or animation that will keep the kids busy and entertained? That means at least half an hour of peace for you.

6- You can even go as far as creating a channel of information to promote the clinic. http://www.youtube.com/user/dentalimplantscentre

These are just a few of the many ways video can improve communications and collaboration across the entire healthcare spectrum, for better decision-making, efficiency, cost-savings, productivity and of course, the wellbeing of the patient. Ready for more? Give us a call and we’ll discuss this fascinating subject at length, making sure that together, we can make the health care industry make the most out of video.

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Video Quality and Consumer Perception

Does online video quality influence the consumer perception of your brand?

This is an infographic with some interesting data.

Let’s not forget 2 things though:

1. Quality content is more important than video quality

2. People are not willing to watch Tv production type brand videos online
video quality