Twitter revamp of Direct Messages holds promise for brands

Is the sharing economy just a marketing trick? | The church must go social, Vatican official says | HotelTonight is Instagram's first startup advertiser Created for sugengaria@gmail.com |  Web Version   August 14, 2014 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF        SIGN UP | FORWARD | ARCHIVE | ADVERTISE The Big Story Sponsored By Is the sharing economy just a marketing trick? Companies such as Airbnb and Lyft aren't really about sharing, Noam Scheiber writes, arguing that instead they're about lowering transaction costs and monetizing underused assets. Branding the sector as involving "sharing" and "collaboration" is a smart way for companies to sidestep regulators, but it doesn't say much about their real function, Scheiber writes. The New Republic (free registration) (8/13) Share:  C3: The Dawn of a New Era in Content Marketing [Oct. 8-9, NYC] For two days, renowned speakers including bestselling author, Seth Godin; Marketo CEO, Phil Fernandez; Moz co-founder, Rand Fishkin; and SEER Interactive founder, Wil Reynolds take the stage to address the shift to blend content, SEO, and social into web presence management. Join these innovators at C3 2014. Take 15% off with promo code: SmartBrief15 Connecting & Collaborating Sponsored By The church must go social, Vatican official says Catholics should maintain a presence on social media and use digital technologies to counter "bullies" and bring their message to new audiences, Monsignor Paul Tighe, the pope's top social media adviser, told a technology conference held by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. "If we withdraw, then we're leaving those areas to the trolls," Tighe said. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (8/13) Share:  Top tools and trends for 2014. Download our 2014 Digital Trends report, created in partnership with eConsultancy, to discover the trends that are driving exceptional customer experiences. Based on a global survey of more than 2,500 marketers, our report found that customer experience, mobile marketing, and content marketing are major business imperatives for 2014. Get the report now to uncover more insights for the coming year. Marketer Moments Sponsored By HotelTonight is Instagram's first startup advertiser Startup hotel booking application HotelTonight has launched a monthlong Instagram ad campaign that shows people in everyday situations fantasizing about their dream vacations. Instagram's advertising unit is still in its infancy and until now has been used only by big-name brands such as McDonald's, Taco Bell and Gap. Adweek (8/13) Share:  Groupon picks up followers with its first Snapchat offer Adweek (8/13) Share:  Connecting with the U.S. Hispanic Market U.S. Hispanics are ahead of the curve when it comes to digital, presenting a huge opportunity for marketers looking to connect with them. Visit Think with Google to learn three important lessons marketers need to know when speaking with this growing audience. Platform News Sponsored By Facebook to reveal ad viewing, purchases across devices Facebook on Wednesday announced that it would begin to inform advertisers about which devices consumers use to interact with an ad or take an action, such as buying a product. The move is seen as an attempt by Facebook to demonstrate the effectiveness of its mobile ads. Bloomberg (8/13), Advertising Age (free access for SmartBrief readers) (8/13) Share:  Twitter's revamp of Direct Messages holds promise for brands Twitter is preparing to revamp its Direct Messages service in a way that holds promise for brands to better engage consumers, writes Jon Russell. Separately, Twitter is explaining to clients the implications of its acquisition of data-management firm Gnip and is listening to their concerns. TheNextWeb.com (8/12), Advertising Age (free access for SmartBrief readers) (8/13) Share:  The 4 Essential Features of a Modern Accounting System As your company grows in size or complexity, your current accounting system may not be able to keep up. Download this checklist to discover the key features to look for in a modern accounting system. Measurement Matters Sponsored By Tech firms mine consumers' photos for brand clues Selfies and socially shared photos can provide a wealth of consumer information around brand affinity and interest, and several companies are developing advanced tools to analyze this freely available information. Ditto Labs, which works with Kraft, Coca-Cola and Cadillac, uses consumer photos to find out how products are actually being used. Mashable (8/13) Share:  How to Stop Small Thinking from Preventing Big Data Victories It's time to end small thinking about big data. Enable your business to get the most from big data and data science advancements by thinking big and thinking differently. Asking the wrong questions will limit the capabilities of your data. Learn what's true and false about big data, the right questions to ask and how to start a data movement in your organization. Download the white paper! Social Shareable "Salmon cannon" shoots fish over obstacles Government fish and wildlife officials are testing the use of pneumatic tubes to propel salmon over dams and other obstacles, helping them to reach their breeding grounds. "It's OK to laugh, this is utterly ridiculous," says Todd Deligan of fish-cannon manufacturer Whooshh Innovations. The Verge (8/11) 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. SmartQuote If I looked at two years of your photos, I could tell a lot about you." -- David Rose, CEO of Ditto Labs, as quoted by Mashable 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:  Elizabeth Stack     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