Leaks from iCloud and Home Depot show cracks in security, the newspaper industry continues its slide, social acquisitions continue, Twitter maps out its product offering, Facebook patent acquisition hints at new developments, why listening matters, the gaps in cross-channel marketing, how to stand out in a boring industry, social media strategy in one slide, the updated CMO Survey and more, it's This Week in Digital.
A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.
Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, social media, mobile, digital communications and marketing in order to keep leaders up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in their jobs.
If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful, I'd encourage you to add some via a comment below. And if you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links by subscribing to the This Week in Digital Magazine.
Industry
- It should be no surprise that newspapers are dying. (Boing Boing)
- Case in point: USA Today announced this week that it is laying off 60-70 people due to a slowdown in print advertising revenue. (USA Today)
- A look at Will Steacy's project Deadline, with some stark photos from inside newsrooms. (Esquire)
- With its acquisition of Brightkit, a solution for creating customized social marketing campaigns, social media platform management system Hootsuite announced Hootsuite Campaigns based on the Brightkit solution. (Hootsuite)
- Enterprise social media platform Sprinklr has acquired Branderati, a social media toolmaker, marking its third acquisition this year on its way to an expected IPO next year. (WSJ Digits)
- Home Depot is the latest victim in a widespread data breach that may affect all of their stores. (ComputerWorld)
- Online and mainstream media alike were abuzz last week with the news of the hacking of celebrities' iCloud photos, resulting in leaks of nude photos. (The Verge)
- In response, Apple's new iPhone 6 will be complete hack-proof. (Funny or Die)
Platforms
- Twitter:
- CFO Anthony Noto gave clues to Twitter's product map at an investors conference. These include better search results, an improved algorithm and group chat, in an effort to make Twitter more relevant and sticky with users. (WSJ Digits)
- Want to make purchases directly from a tweet? Twitter is working with payments startup Stripe to let you do just that. (re/code)
- Twitpic will be shutting down on September 25, citing a trademark dispute with Twitter. (Twitpic blog)
- Facebook:
- How cost effective is Facebook advertising? Better than ad networks, portals and exchanges, in terms of reach efficiency and average cost. (Inside Facebook)
- Facebook is rolling out Privacy Checkup, in an effort to let users have better control over who sees their content. (AllFacebook)
- A look at recent patent acquisitions by Facebook indicates a move toward digital printing of images, personalized content delivery and interactive wearable devices. (Envision IP)
- Google:
- Here's a handy guide for getting your business up on Google My Business. (Telefunction)
- Listening matters: 6 benefits of paying attention to your community. (The Next Web)
- Southwest Airlines saw immediate results of their new listening center. (Ragan.com)
Measurement / Metrics / Big Data
- A study by Econsultancy and Oracle Marketing Cloud shows that while cross-channel marketing is viewed as a priority, few marketers are doing it and even fewer are measuring it. (eMarketer)
Legal / HR
- Legal departments have traditionally put the "no" in innovation. But that doesn't have to be the case. Here's how to work with your legal department to ensure your brand publishing efforts go smoothly. (Contently)
Content
- Do you work with clients or in an industry that's "boring"? Well, here are three examples of brands in "boring" industries that are great storytellers. (Contently)
- Good content should provide value to the reader. Considering a simple framework for five different kinds of content should give you ideas on how to do just that. (Content Marketing Institute)
Essential Reading / Watching / Listening
- You use a number of social media sites every day. But were you aware of these 30 features that can help you be more productive? (Buffer)
- An in-depth look at the celebrity photo leak and the security issues behind it shows just how pervasive this type of activity is and why you should be aware of it. (New Web Order)
"What we see in the public with these hacking incidents seems to only be scratching the surface. There are entire communities and trading networks where the data that is stolen remains private and is rarely shared with the public. The networks are broken down horizontally with specific people carrying out specific roles, loosely organized across a large number of sites (both clearnet and darknet) with most organization and communication taking place in private (email, IM)."
- Social media strategy in one slide. (Christopher S. Penn)
- The August 2014 update to the CMO Survey from Duke's Fuqua School of Business is out. Prof. Christine Moorman comments on some of the highlights in a video below. (CMO Survey)
- Spending on social media is high, but like branding, its value is difficult to prove.
- Currently 9% of marketing budgets are allocated to social, with 13% expected next year and as much as 21% within five years.
- The growth is likely being allocated toward infrastructure and technology rather than human capital.
- Still, social media strategies remain only loosely connected to companies' marketing strategies.
- Next year, traditional marketing budgets are expected to drop by about 3.6% and digital marketing budgets will increase by 10.8%.
Image credit: Aaron Escobar (Flickr)
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