OKCupid also experimented on users

Uber, Airbnb take aim at business customers | Why small businesses should embrace the sharing economy | Marketers' real-time efforts go beyond Facebook, Twitter Created for sugengaria@gmail.com |  Web Version   July 29, 2014 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF        SIGN UP | FORWARD | ARCHIVE | ADVERTISE The Big Story Sponsored By Uber, Airbnb take aim at business customers Uber and Airbnb have announced versions of their core applications focused at business travelers. The potentially lucrative market could heighten regulatory and safety concerns about the companies' offerings. "When you involve corporate employees, it raises significant questions about who is liable if something goes awry," Crowd Cos. founder Jeremiah Owyang says. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (7/29), Bloomberg (7/29), The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/Bits blog (7/28) Share:  The Essential Guide to Creating a Customer Loyalty Program According to Inc.com, it costs a business 5-10 times more to acquire a new customer than to sell to an existing one. So spend time and effort convincing customers that sticking with you is the right choice. A successful customer-loyalty program can increase your sales by at least 67%. Find out how: download the free white paper today!   Connecting & Collaborating Sponsored By Why small businesses should embrace the sharing economy The sharing economy might seem consumer focused, but many aspects of it -- and cloud technologies in general -- can also be deployed by small businesses to compete with big-box retailers, industry watchers say. "These tools give small merchants the advantages of scale," Shopkeep co-CEO Norm Merritt says. Street Fight (7/28) Share:  TRUSTe 2014 US Consumer Confidence Privacy Report Consumer trust is falling. 55% of consumers (down from 57% in 2013) say they trust businesses with their personal information online. For a valuable barometer of consumer confidence, business impact and recommended business practices, download the TRUSTe research report now. Marketer Moments Sponsored By Marketers' real-time efforts go beyond Facebook, Twitter Marketers such as Kraft and MTV are turning to social media other than Facebook and Twitter for their real-time messaging strategies, and are opting for more paid media in their real-time mix. "A massive amount of planning goes into creating branded executions. We are looking to activate real-time across every platform. It just looks different on each one," said MTV's Tom Fishman. Adweek (7/28) Share:  Online Master's in Integrated Marketing Communications Learn to develop and manage marketing communications for a consumer-controlled media world. Earn your Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications completely online from the Medill School at Northwestern University. Platform News Facebook points users to Messenger app Facebook is eliminating the messaging feature from its mobile application and encouraging users to download and use its separate application, Messenger, for that purpose. The company's goal is to elevate Messenger to the status of premier messaging app for mobile. Computerworld/IDG News Service (7/28) Share:  Don't compare Twitter to Facebook, analysts say Twitter is expected to post strong ad-revenue growth figures, but it might struggle to convince some investors and marketers not to compare its user growth to Facebook. "People who think of Facebook and Twitter as being in the same categories are underestimating both," Visa's Shiv Singh says. Advertising Age (free access for SmartBrief readers) (7/28) Share:  Is Your Small Business Using Social Media? Three in five business owners expect to spend the same or more time on social advertising in the coming year. Social media continues to be a valuable resource for small businesses looking to drive sales, increase brand awareness and reach new customers. Download your free white paper, Going Global: Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses, and learn why it is important to be strategic in choosing your social media platforms. Measurement Matters Sponsored By OKCupid also experimented on users OKCupid has announced that it carries out tests on users to hone its service. Testing is how social websites improve, says co-founder Christian Rudder. "That's the only way you get from Facemash, which Mark Zuckerberg made in his dorm room, to Facebook," Rudder says. Vox (7/28), Time.com (7/28) Share:  "Share a Coke" campaign generates positive social buzz MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (7/28) Share:  Experience marketing like never before! Join the journey at Connections 2014. For one incredible week, the world's best marketers come together to: explore emerging connected technologies, experience world-class education and entertainment, and hear from the brightest innovators and biggest brands. Register before Aug. 1 and save $300! Social Shareable Sponsored By Bump is cleaner than a shake, researchers say The fist bump is a healthier alternative to the handshake, with reduced potential for spreading bacteria, researchers say. "If the general public could be encouraged to fist bump, there is genuine potential to reduce the spread of infectious diseases," biologist Dave Whitworth says. Reuters (7/29) Share:  Improve mobile marketing in 2014. Download the Forrester 2014 Mobile Trends Report to learn about the mobile innovations that will shape the rest of this year. See why analytics is the backbone of every successful mobile strategy, and learn how mobile can change every aspect of your business. Read the report now to stay on top of an increasingly profitable marketing channel. SmartQuote There's no website that doesn't run experiments online." -- OKCupid co-founder Christian Rudder, as quoted by Time.com Share:    Andy Sernovitz, Editor at Large Andy Sernovitz is the New York Times best-selling author of "Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking" and the blog "Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That!" He runs WordofMouth.org, where marketers and entrepreneurs learn to be great at word of mouth marketing, and SocialMedia.org, the community for social media leaders at the world's greatest brands.   Subscriber Tools Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions.   Editor:  Ambreen Ali Managing Editor:  Stephen Yusko Contributing Editor:  Ben Whitford Advertising:  Dena Malouf Jobs Contact:  Jackie Basso   P: 202.407.7871     SIGN UP   SHARE   ADVERTISE   SEND FEEDBACK Update Profile | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe |  Archive | Web version (print friendly) Download the SmartBrief App  iTunes / Android   Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2014 SmartBrief, Inc.® Privacy policy |  Legal Information