Nowadays companies need to know to about their customers very well because customers collect information from many channels and there is vast amount of data to analyze and little resources to map the insights against business goals. Social media analytics gives us that opportunity. By listening to the voice of the customer and analyzing, filtering and organizing the data, we can create customer segmentation that would benefit any brand. It allows us to go beyond CRM and audience targeting techniques and find out what is important to consumers. To know more, follow Ekaterina Walter (Bestselling Author; International Speaker; Global Evangelist, Sprinklr)’s article link: : http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/social-media-analytics-key-knowing-your-customers

Big Data is everywhere. Big Data also includes data from sources like radio-frequency identification tags, machine sensor data, and other continuous streams. Flow of data is affecting all areas of distribution, including sales and marketing through the customer relationship management (CRM) system. Companies are facing problems while storing large amount of information for their operations and make that information accessible in real time for users. The impact of big data is in improving business operations. So to overcome this problem, predictive models are being embedded in CRM systems. For example, telemarketers use predictive dialing systems to maximize their potential. CRM vendors are also integrating predictive models into their CRM systems. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/how-will-big-data-affect-distribution-crm-64820

According to a recent finding by Technology Business Research (TBR) it was found that business decision makers are seeking cloud professional service guidance at twice the rate of private and public cloud vendors. It was also found that public, private and hybrid cloud integration guidance demand will follow basic cloud professional services growth in coming years and private cloud adoption rate are expected to reach 85 percent by 2018. TBR also believes that there has been an evolution in the type of private clouds adopted -- with 65 percent of third-party-delivered private clouds, compared to 35 percent of self-built private clouds and they also forecasted the growth of the private cloud market to grow at a 15 percent CAGR to $72 billion in 2018. Read more at:  http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/exploring-demand-cloud-professional-services-0

TCN, a cloud based call center systems provider, is making its product Platform 3 Vocal Vision to work with Job Access with Speech (JAWS) technology, which allows visually impaired call center agents to navigate TCN's cloud-based contact center suite. This will help to improve agent productivity and also create new employment opportunities for the visually impaired. JAWS assists computer users with visual impairment to operate a mouse and Vocal Vision helps the agent navigate Platform 3.0's workflows via hot keys that use JAWS functionality during both incoming and outgoing calls, while audible tones signal the connection of an incoming call. Features of Vocal Vision support incoming and outgoing calls, agent dashboard along with reporting and call analytics. Read more at: http://betanews.com/2014/12/02/new-call-center-technology-adapts-to-visually-impaired-employees/

In a recent research by CCS Insight it was found that more than half of online purchases in the UK this Christmas are being made on a mobile device, whether it is from a tablet or a smartphone. But the fact is that retailers are not prepared for mobile advertising. M-commerce is now predominant and it will continue to increase. The retailers who are into mobile advertising have an opportunity to leap ahead of their competitors and capture consumers’ attention. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/mobile-digital-marketing/merry-mobile-christmas/1288

Today’s marketing has moved towards engage, share and buy model. Nowadays marketing is based on permission based marketing and storytelling. Disruptive advertising and brand storytelling – these are the key for marketers. In today’s world every brand has a story, and it is the job of the marketer to find a way to tell that story in a way that echoes the feeling of their customers.  To know more, follow: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/engage-share-and-buy-3-reasons-brand-storytelling-matters-more-ever-0

According to a recent report from Conductor and Ascend2, it was found that 54% of marketing and sales professionals say quality content creation is one of the most effective search engine optimization tactics they employ. It was also found that 50% of respondents say frequent website updating is also considered important to SEO success. To know more about SEO tactics, follow Ayaz Nanji (independent digital strategist)’s article link: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26603/enterprise-seo-benchmarks-top-tactics-challenges-and-metrics

Nowadays mobile is important. So, companies are giving importance to mobile marketing. But we need to know what mobile marketing is. Mobile marketing is optimizing your marketing strategies for people using a mobile device i.e. to create an optimized experience for every single device. Companies should give importance to responsive design and mobile ROI. Read more at: : http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/generating-leads-mobile-marketing

Social media crisis is defined by Gartner a crisis that arises in or is amplified by social media, and results in negative mainstream media coverage, a change in business process, or financial loss. Brand loyalty and trust are elements that need to be built into your crisis strategy. Timely responses and communicating updates will help to keep customers satisfied. Businesses should have a good social media crisis strategy. To know more, follow: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-manage-social-media-crisis

In today’s world, the Voice of Customer (VOC) and data derived from social conversations are valuable as this helps businesses to know their customer. Social data help businesses to give a complete picture about your current and prospective customers, their needs, their likes/dislikes and in turn help to build and nurture long-term meaningful relationships with customers and also helps to make business strategy. To know more, follow Ekaterina Walter (Author; International Speaker; Global Evangelist, Sprinklr)’s article link: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/digital-analytics-unlocking-power-social-data

A feedback survey lays the foundation for decisions and changes within a business. It is an easy-to-use tool for gathering representative and relevant data that helps to take decisions, streamline workflows, improve management processes, and make business changes. Customer satisfaction surveys allow you to get to know what your customers want from your company. It also helps to see how your brand is perceived by audiences. Sabina Stoiciu (writer for 123ContactForm), writes in her article how to use feedback to maximize business effectiveness. To know more, follow: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/24928/three-ways-to-use-feedback-surveys-to-maximize-business-effectiveness

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) supplies a variety of services to business and other customers, such as high speed Internet, TV, and both wireless and traditional phone services. But customer satisfaction is very difficult. CSPs must deliver superior customer service and support in order to retain customers and acquire new ones. First Call Resolution (FCR) is critical because it directly impacts customer satisfaction. Larry Lien (responsible for product definition, product marketing, and strategy at Resolve), writes in his article about the best practices that CSPs can implement. Read more at: http://www.in.techradar.com/news/software/business-software/5-best-practices-to-improve-CSP-call-center-support/articleshow/44997854.cms

E-Marketing has adopted Responsive Design. Responsive Design addresses important layout issues that result from the production of mobile screens (smartphones, tablets).Responsive Design also translates the challenges of new design layouts; combining ergonomic techniques and appeal in one search for optimization.  But for emails, companies focus on reactivity and deliverability. Jonathan Murray (NP6 Country Manager), writes in his article about how to combine trends and emailing, while maintaining good delivery and conversion rates. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-lead-generation/e-marketing-with-all-the-trimmings/1242

CPQ is a set of software applications which enables businesses to Configure, Price and Quote. Nowadays CPQ solutions are providing a platform to quickly adapt and launch goods and services. CPQ tools can be used as software-as-a-service (SaaS) through the cloud. It can help to break down organizational barriers and provide a single view of all aspects of the customer i.e. sales process and product. Mark Bishop (Product marketing manager at CloudSense), writes in his article about key points to consider when a company consider to implement CPQ. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-features/cpq-7-ways-to-get-it-right/1246

Organizations must to exploit social media – whether it is social media listening, online analytics, social media intelligence but few organizations do it. Claire Snook (Content Strategist at sixth sense) writes in her article writes about some tips on how brands, regardless of size, can gain competitive advantage. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-data/how-to-derive-actionable-insight-from-social-data/1078

Small businesses can generate ROI if they integrate email marketing with client engagement platforms. These tools are applications that can be integrated into a business website, email campaigns, or social marketing software – enabling clients to interact with a business from anywhere at any time. Some examples of these tools are online payments, online scheduling, file sharing, electronic forms and signatures, event registration, surveys and more. If email marketing is done in a right way then it can generate ROI and increase customer engagement.  To know more, follow (Ran Oelgiesser, Chief Marketing Officer of vCita)’s article link: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/articles/boosting-email-marketing-campaigns-with-client-engagement-platforms-and-scheduling-tools/1236

According to a recent survey by Dimension Data, it was found that for younger Generation Y consumers, electronic messaging, social media and smartphone applications are preferred over traditional voice calls when interacting with a company. Technology is providing a way of overcoming limitations of the past. Cloud technology will be the game changer in customer service. In another survey by Dimension Data, it was found that 77.6% said cloud technology had helped cut costs to serve customers, another 65% already using cloud-based technology solutions agreed that it had provided access to new and enhanced functionality. For 64.8% of the respondents, the technology had improved flexibility. Read more at: http://www.rcrwireless.com/20141201/opinion/reality-check/reality-check-taking-customer-service-cloud-tag10

According to a survey in UK, it was found that 84 per cent of 18-34 year olds are happy to share their personal data with brands by registering and logging into sites with their identities from social networks. Consumers are worried about sharing personal information out of fear that companies will not use it properly. So, it's important to show consumers how you value data privacy and be clear on exactly how their data will be used. It is essential for companies to give a clear notification to consumers about how their personal data will be used. To know more, follow Patrick Salyer (CEO of Gigya)’s article link: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-data/data-collection-all-consumers-want-is-transparency-relevance-and-convenience/1238

Visual social intelligence brings businesses closer to their customers. If companies have real-time data, they can identify influencers, respond to customer concerns, and track business success. Social media intelligence gathered and analyzed by the marketing team is useful for campaign planning, PR tracking, and influencer identification. Social intelligence provides insightful information to roles across businesses. It measures the success of KPIs and other success measurement factors, thus improving customer service. Read more at: : http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/connecting-businesses-customers-using-visual-social-intelligence

Brands and retailers have the ability to connect directly with their customers and create a more personal shopping experience. Companies can leverage geo-targeting tools to know from where your customer is and user-generated content. Companies can also create a social center with aggregated content from multiple social channels to capture audiences online. Amir Zonozi (Contributor) writes in his article about some tips on holiday social-media marketing. Read more at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240217