Scott Monty

The Week in Digital — December 21, 2015

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7XJZkxa_GX4/VneB7-wEdiI/AAAAAAAAkTw/f4Cz3ZVemY8/s1600/IMG_2792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7XJZkxa_GX4/VneB7-wEdiI/AAAAAAAAkTw/f4Cz3ZVemY8/s640/IMG_2792.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It's the year-end predictions, the questionable decision to unbundle, virtual assistants abound, Facebook live video expands, local services get a boost, Uber's dual fate in Seattle and Austin, Airbnb and landlords, video and marketing strategy, shutting down one service guarantees an exodus to another, Watson goes open source and Holmes uses artificial intelligence, the trait that separates great marketers from good ones, plus our weekly trivia challenge, the podcast pick of the week and more, it's the final edition of <b>The Week in Digital</b>.<br />
<br />
A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry. If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links — and additional ones — by subscribing to <i><a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Week in Digital Magazine</a></i> at <a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">smonty.co/flipdigital</a>.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
Please note that this will be the final edition of The Week in Digital. We'll be rebranding and relaunching in 2016. Thank you for all of your support throughout the year and have a very Happy New Year.<br />
<br />
We're using <b>Facebook Mentions</b> each Sunday evening at 9:30 pm ET to bring you 15 minutes of commentary and previews of what to expect from the week's newsletter. If you follow on <a href="http://facebook.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and tune in every Sunday night, you can get a preview and join in the commentary as well.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br />
<div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="1" data-href="/scott.monty/videos/vb.694361624/10153235024191625/?type=3">
<div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty/videos/10153235024191625/">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty/videos/10153235024191625/">#SundayswithScott #13 - Live video commentary and Q&A</a><br />
<br />
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty">Scott Monty</a> on Sunday, December 20, 2015</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Industry</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>This is the time of year when you see the predictions for next year. In this case, eMarketer has <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Trends-2016-Six-Predictions-What-Will-Happen/1013335?ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">six predictions for what will happen in 2016</a>.</li>
<ul>
<li>Included are the rise of mobile payments, marketers will participate in messenger apps, voice-activated search through smartphone-enabled personal assistants, the shift from mobile shopping to mobile buying, and Facebook becoming nearly entirely mobile.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul></ul>
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nrVunK6pPVc/VneHYUK8t6I/AAAAAAAAkUw/3Vy50JdNJ6c/s1600/mobile%2Bcommerce.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nrVunK6pPVc/VneHYUK8t6I/AAAAAAAAkUw/3Vy50JdNJ6c/s1600/mobile%2Bcommerce.gif" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>As equally important to cover are <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Trends-2016-Five-Predictions-What-Wont-Happen/1013340?ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">five predictions for what won't happen in 2016</a>.</li>
<ul>
<li>Ad blocking won't get solved, the definition for a viewable impression won't be determined, Facebook won't kill YouTube, young people won't abandon Facebook, digital ad spending won't surpass TV.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WFt8xvgQrfs/VneHjFv8QNI/AAAAAAAAkU0/N3J_HfRkpd0/s1600/social%2Bmedia%2Bsites%2Byoung%2Bpeople.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WFt8xvgQrfs/VneHjFv8QNI/AAAAAAAAkU0/N3J_HfRkpd0/s1600/social%2Bmedia%2Bsites%2Byoung%2Bpeople.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>But let's not let 2015 get away from us without a little reflection. The Guardian notes that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/14/lena-dunham-and-why-2015-was-the-year-of-the-email-newsletter" target="_blank">2015 was the year of the email newsletter</a>. <i>As you're reading this, we'd imagine you concur. Even thought it may seem like a throwback, logically it makes sense; the rising streams of content across your mobile device means that a predictable and more private communication via email makes an impact</i>.</li>
<li>Facebook made a splash with the unbundling of Messenger from the main Facebook app. But companies are finding that unless they have the scale of Facebook, <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3054603/why-the-great-app-unbundling-trend-is-already-in-trouble?campaign_date=12162015&partner=newsletter&position=1" target="_blank">unbundling isn't all that it's cracked up to be</a>.</li>
<li>The war against ISIS will increasingly be fought online. Which is why <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/15/behind-the-u-s-governments-anti-isis-plan-on-facebook-and-youtube/" target="_blank">the U.S. is recruiting students to help on Facebook and YouTube</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2015/12/the-week-in-digital-december-14-2015.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Last week</a> we reported that Netflix hogs 37% of the Internet's data. Now <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/12/15/netflix-smarter-video-approach-looks-better-uses-less-data/" target="_blank">with its new video encoding, Netflix uses less data</a> than previously.</li>
<li>Virtual personal assistants are the future. And while Siri, Cortana and Google Now are well established, <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/265047/facebook-m-drives-more-buzz-than-siri-cortana-go.html" target="_blank">Facebook's M drove more buzz than its competitors</a>. <i>This is what happens when you release it primarily to the Silicon Valley-area self-anointed technology royalty, who are typically enamored with the latest shiny object Anyone remember Ello?</i></li>
<ul>
<li>If you'd like to know what it's like to have your meetings scheduled by a virtual assistant, <a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2015/217750/" target="_blank">meet Amy</a>. <i>She's been my assistant since I started by own business six months ago</i>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<hr style="text-align: start;" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Sponsor</span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">#1 goal of CMOs in 2016 is lead gen*. Is your agency ready to deliver on their goal?</span></h2>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhXilb73Lto/VlH8IktX5EI/AAAAAAAAjfY/Uo4VTuZYnwE/s1600/SMART%2BSEO%2BHeader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhXilb73Lto/VlH8IktX5EI/AAAAAAAAjfY/Uo4VTuZYnwE/s640/SMART%2BSEO%2BHeader.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>January 20th & 21st in Orlando.</b> Learn step-by-step techniques for driving qualified leads for your clients. You’ll learn 20+ different tactics and get a 200+ page book that gives you step by step instructions. On top of that — we’ll teach you how to bundle/sell these services, give you sample proposals and contracts and much more!</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You made SEO and lead gen understandable and now we have a new revenue stream! Clients love how we can tie our efforts to their ROI and we love how they keep increasing their budgets!“</blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://smonty.co/1T8ld5d" target="_blank">Register today</a> so you can start selling strong in 2016.</span><br />
<br />
<i>*B2B Content Marketing 2016 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends (Content Marketing Institute & Marketing Profs)</i><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<h4>
<b>Platforms</b></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Yahoo</b></li>
<ul>
<li>The questionable decision making continues at Yahoo, as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoo-ceo-marissa-mayer-blows-millions-on-parties-and-sponsorships-says-eric-jackson-2015-12" target="_blank">noted in a report submitted to Yahoo's board</a> by hedge fund manager Eric Jackson. It includes outsized salaries, investments, purchases and budgets for parties and trips.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Google</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Google will make its <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-16/google-said-to-make-driverless-cars-an-alphabet-company-in-2016" target="_blank">driverless car division an Alphabet company</a> in 2016.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
<ul>
<li>If you've been enjoying our #SundaysWithScott live video, you're about to see more like that. <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/12/17/facebook-opens-its-live-video-streaming-tool-to-verified-pages/" target="_blank">Facebook has opened live video to verified pages</a>. <i>Lots of opportunities ahead for brands, from product reveals to Q&A sessions with executives</i>.</li>
<li>With Facebook's local business services page (<a href="http://facebook.com/services">facebook.com/services</a>), <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/15/facebook-takes-on-angies-list-and-yelp-with-new-site-for-finding-top-rated-local-businesses/#.fvmhl3:kZiR" target="_blank">Facebook is taking on Google, Amazon, Yelp and Angie's List</a> with its home services play.</li>
<li>It's too bad Angie's List <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/17/angies-list-rejects-iacs-500m-offer-to-buy-it/" target="_blank">turned down a $500 million offer</a> to acquire it last month.</li>
<li>Facebook Messenger is getting more functional, as you'll be able to<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/technology/facebook-and-uber-follow-asian-rivals-in-plan-to-enhance-messenger-app.html?_r=0" target="_blank"> order an Uber from directly within the app</a>. <i>Very similar to what the Asian messaging apps have been doing for some time</i>.</li>
<li>Instant Articles are <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexkantrowitz/facebooks-instant-articles-go-live-to-andriod-users#.pqojQEXQe" target="_blank">available on Android devices</a> now.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul><ul></ul>
<li><b>Pinterest, Vine, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Pinterest has a feature that will <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/17/pinterest-launched-a-new-way-to-track-price-drops-on-buyable-pins/" target="_blank">notify users of price drops</a> on buyable items.</li>
<li>Vine's "For You" channel has <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/17/10451274/vine-twitter-personalized-channel-for-you" target="_blank">curated videos that it thinks you'll find interesting</a>, in the hope of generating more use.<i> If this sounds like Twitter's Moments feature, it should. Twitter owns Vine</i>.</li>
<li>Brands can learn from <a href="https://www.ama.org/resources/Pages/what-brands-learn-from-gen-z-snapchat-experience.aspx" target="_blank">Generation Z's Snapchat experience</a>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul><ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b> <b><br />
</b></div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Trivia question: What is Uber thinking of replacing its five-star rating system with? *</b></h3>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<hr style="text-align: start;" />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<h4>
<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h4>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Uber's recent spate of layoffs is contained to the communications department. <a href="https://pando.com/2015/12/14/no-one-telling-you-real-story-behind-ubers-policycomm/34b6baddd6b65550af58abb6e2822eb8e2be3ead/" target="_blank">Pando Daily shamelessly brags about how smart it is to have figured it out</a>.
</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">While the rush to go public has plagued some companies, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-is-about-to-raise-a-giant-round-at-a-65-billion-valuation-heres-how-thats-even-possible-2015-11" target="_blank">Uber is in no danger of that</a>, as market rules have changed since Facebook and Twitter went public, and Uber tightly controls its shares. <i>Given the amount of pressure and scrutiny it regularly comes under, Uber may be better off remaining private</i>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">As seemingly innovative as Austin, Texas is, <a href="https://medium.com/@RisingSkylar/how-austin-killed-ridesharing-f66d1a3e0ca9#.z6buggwsh" target="_blank">it still has a problem with ridesharing</a>. </li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile, Seattle has voted <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/12/14/seattle-approves-organized-labor-for-ridesharing/" target="_blank">to let Uber and Lyft drivers unionize</a>.</li>
</ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Big landlords and Airbnb may be cutting a deal that <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi0pufmruzJAhVHTSYKHfDxCgEQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fbig-landlords-airbnb-discuss-partnerships-1450200473&usg=AFQjCNEP2uNKg6UQpNEj5Io-eIS5P1D7Sg&sig2=aargqpjYlPvb52yM8Dzofw" target="_blank">allows the landlords to get a cut of any Airbnb deals by their renters</a>.</li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">It may be a different story <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3054691/college-students-are-renting-their-dorm-rooms-on-airbnb-what-could-go-wrong?campaign_date=12162015&partner=newsletter&position=2" target="_blank">for those who rent out their college dorm rooms</a>, though.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Audio</b></h4>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Something to keep you busy over the holiday break: <a href="http://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/100-podcasts-that-will-make-you-better-smarter-wiser.html?cid=em01016week51a" target="_blank">100 podcasts that will make you smarter, better, and wiser</a>.
</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Pandora will now be required <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/12/copyright-tribunal-slaps-pandora-with-20-percent-rate-increase/" target="_blank">to pay artists 20 percent more</a>, thanks to the judgment of a little-known tribunal.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Podcast Recommendation of the Week</b>. This week, check out <a href="http://www.parkandco.com/thebusinessofstory/" target="_blank">The Business of Story</a>. Learn how to craft and tell compelling stories that drive business results. <i>Do you have a podcast recommendation for us? Add yours to our Google Sheet: <a href="http://smonty.co/yourpodcasts">smonty.co/yourpodcasts</a></i></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Content / Customer Experience</b></h4>
<ul><b></b></ul>
<ul>
<li>Alibaba and Disney have made <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiC0piks-zJAhVM6iYKHVDCCK8QFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Falibaba-disney-strike-deal-to-sell-content-system-in-china-1450168703&usg=AFQjCNEAr-wX9NFU1txc7udhvHjgD_MuyQ&sig2=iP7HgAN3H0js8AotoJMBaQ" target="_blank">a licensing deal for an over-the-top content system in China</a> called DisneyLife. <i>This is a clear strategy to support their new theme park in Shanghai</i>.</li>
<li>Video is more important than ever. </li>
<ul>
<li>Here are <a href="http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/29047/six-ways-to-include-video-in-your-marketing-strategy?adref=nl121615" target="_blank">six ways to integrate video into your marketing strategy</a>.</li>
<li>The good, the bad and the ugly: <a href="https://contently.com/strategist/2015/08/06/the-cmos-guide-to-facebook-video-warts-and-all/?mc_cid=ae5d58c61c&mc_eid=6b50f1b70a" target="_blank">the CMO's ultimate guide to Facebook video</a>.</li>
<li>And if you're looking for <a href="http://www.jonloomer.com/2015/11/12/facebook-video-strategies/?mc_cid=ae5d58c61c&mc_eid=6b50f1b70a" target="_blank">ways to boost engagement on your Facebook videos, here are ten</a>.</li>
</ul>
<li>Content marketers can learn to <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/12/how-content-marketers-can-tell-better-stories-with-data" target="_blank">tell better stories with data</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bulldogreporter.com/brand-pr-is-failing-at-personalization-causing-cex-to-suffer-and-demonstrating-need-for-contextualized-experiences-new-study-reveals/" target="_blank">Consumer experience is lacking</a> the kind of personalization it promised because of the overwhelming volume of conversation coming from brands. <i>The solution? Brand managers need to pay more attention to consumers than themselves, creating contextually relevant interactions based on consumer actions and behaviors</i>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Privacy / Security / Legal</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>A new law in Europe that restricts how companies may use personal information <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiDhrjRt-zJAhWISSYKHQfQAs4QFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fad-tech-firms-and-publishers-in-crosshairs-of-european-privacy-law-1450306964&usg=AFQjCNE0gnb1EV1g80pNhjB9cN9HFIk-5w&sig2=nAwwaRcFe4MbrsWmHwngfg" target="_blank">may severely restrict the likes of Google, Facebook and other ad tech companies</a>. <i>We're not exactly sure Europe understands how the Internet works — or more specifically how it can work if given the right chance</i>.</li>
<ul>
<li>In addition, the legislation will <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/16/europes-move-to-block-teenagers-from-social-media-is-totally-crazy/" target="_blank">restrict anyone from under the age of 16 using social networks</a>. <i>#craycray</i></li>
</ul>
<li>Related: in Brazil, the government <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/16/brazils-congress-has-shut-down-whatsapp-tonight-and-the-rest-of-the-social-web-could-be-next/#.fvmhl3:v3E0" target="_blank">ordered WhatsApp to shut down for 48 hours</a> in the wake of a disagreement with WhatsApp's privacy policy. The closure lasted only 12 hours before the decision was reversed.</li>
<ul>
<li>However, messaging app <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/17/telegram-brazil-spike/" target="_blank">Telegram gained nearly 5 million users</a> during the closure. <i>If you'd like to see how the European under-16 ban will play out, read on. Determined users will always find a way</i>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Measurement / Metrics / Data</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Trends are all the rage, and digital metrics are no different. Here are <a href="https://brianclifton.com/blog/2015/12/16/digital-analytics-trends-2016" target="_blank">digital analytics trends for 2016</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3054660/elasticity/ibm-opens-its-artificial-mind-to-the-world?campaign_date=12152015&partner=newsletter&position=1" target="_blank">IBM is open sourcing Watson</a>, its artificial intelligence system to help advance the Internet of Things.</li>
<li>Where there's Watson, there's Holmes. The BBC is using <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/16/bbc-uses-artificial-intelligence-to-track-down-new-audiences-for-sherlock/" target="_blank">artificial intelligence to track down new audiences</a> for the January 1 debut of <i><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose86" target="_blank">Sherlock: The Abominable Bride</a></i>.</li>
<li>If you enjoy all things data, you might think about becoming a data analyst — <a href="http://thenextweb.com/offers/2015/12/19/beginner-tips-becoming-data-analyst/" target="_blank">with some help</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<hr />
<h3>
<b>* Answer to the trivia question above: </b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Using thumbs up, thumbs down, smiles and other options, Uber is testing out a system of <a href="http://qz.com/574033/uber-may-replace-its-five-star-driver-rating-system-with-emoji/" target="_blank">rating with emoji</a>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<hr />
<b><br />
</b> <br />
<h4>
<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Video stars on YouTube, Vine, etc. may seem like they have it all, but <a href="http://fusion.net/story/244545/famous-and-broke-on-youtube-instagram-social-media/" target="_blank">the stark reality is far from that truth</a>.</li>
<li>Our modern <a href="http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/12/11/men-status-the-pitfalls-of-our-modern-status-system/" target="_blank">status system is not well suited for the online world</a>. How the world has changed but human needs have remained the same. And why you might need to unplug.</li>
<li>The one trait that separates great marketers from merely good ones: <a href="http://www.christopherspenn.com/2015/12/curiosity-separates-great-marketers-from-others/" target="_blank">curiosity</a>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h4 style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Curiosity is the cure for boredom. There is no cure for curiosity."</i></div>
- Dorothy Parker</h4>
<br /></div>
<br />
Each Monday we publish this newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, business, digital communications and marketing in order to keep leaders up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in your job. A new issue is available every Monday morning. <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/subscribe.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Please subscribe</a> to keep up to date on developments.<br />
<br />
In case you hadn't noticed, this took a lot of time to assemble. Do you get any value out of it on a regular basis? If so, please consider <a href="http://patreon.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">becoming a patron</a> to help support this newsletter by <a href="https://www.patreon.com/scottmonty?ty=h" target="_blank">going to Patreon</a>. Yes, you can pledge a dollar a month, but that's a paltry amount, don't you think?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2274959&redirect_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scottmonty.com%2Fp%2Fthank-you.html"><br />
<img height="40" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/widget-images/become-patron-widget-medium%402x.png" width="204" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://smonty.co/announcemt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I advise brands and agencies to help them improve their communications and digital acumen</a>. Please <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/contact.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">get in touch</a> if you'd like to put my experience and digital smarts to work on a project, to consult with your group, or to address an audience at your next corporate or industry event.</div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
--<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

The Week in Digital — December 21, 2015

It's the year-end predictions, the questionable decision to unbundle, virtual assistants abound, Facebook live video expands, local s...

The Week in Digital — December 14, 2015

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--9GsbQM-MTM/Vm5WPgU078I/AAAAAAAAkJs/S8y5NjN8Yc8/s1600/IMG_2758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bow tie pattern: the Whoville, from Beau Ties, Ltd. of Vermont" border="0" height="354" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--9GsbQM-MTM/Vm5WPgU078I/AAAAAAAAkJs/S8y5NjN8Yc8/s640/IMG_2758.JPG" title="The Whoville, by Beau Ties, Ltd. of Vermont" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Television is losing to smartphones, Amazon bundles streaming video services, PR wants to get more involved in content marketing, the open office layout debate, making pharma more digital, Yahoo reverses course, the year in review from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, strong brands matter in the collaborative economy, the best tech company to work for, finding your tone of voice, influencer marketing requires relationships, the Ben Franklin Effect, plus our weekly trivia challenge, the podcast pick of the week and more, it's <b>The Week in Digital</b>.<br />
<br />
A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.<br />
<br />
Each Monday we publish a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, business, digital communications and marketing in order to keep leaders up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in your job. A new issue is available every Monday morning. <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/subscribe.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Please subscribe</a> to keep up to date on developments.<br />
<br />
News items are in regular text; <i>additional commentary has been added in italics</i>.<br />
<br />
If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links — and additional ones — by subscribing to <i><a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Week in Digital Magazine</a></i> at <a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">smonty.co/flipdigital</a>.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<i>Last minute holiday gifts abount at our <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/recommend.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recommended</a> section </i><i>for the marketer or communicator in your life.</i></h3>
<hr />
<br />
We're using <b>Facebook Mentions</b> each Sunday evening at 9:30 pm ET to bring you 15 minutes of commentary and previews of what to expect from the week's newsletter. If you follow on <a href="http://facebook.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and tune in every Sunday night, you can get a preview and join in the commentary as well.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br />
<div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="1" data-href="/scott.monty/videos/vb.694361624/10153222046801625/?type=3">
<div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty/videos/10153222046801625/">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty/videos/10153222046801625/">#SundaysWithScott #12 - Live Video and Q&A</a><br />
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty">Scott Monty</a> on Sunday, December 13, 2015</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Industry</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Nielsen finally admits what we've known for a while: smartphones are winning and traditional television is losing. In fact, <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/12/07/smartphone-tv-report/" target="_blank">traditional television peaked in 2010 and has been declining ever since</a>.  </li>
<ul>
<li>It should be no surprise then that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/07/business/media/digital-ad-spending-expected-to-soon-surpass-tv.html" target="_blank">digital ad spending is set to surpass television ad spending soon</a>. <i>It feels like we've been saying that since 2010</i>.</li>
<li>Expect some of those ads to be sold against Amazon's video offering: <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/08/amazon-starts-building-its-own-bundle-by-selling-showtime-starz-and-more-with-amazon-prime/" target="_blank">Amazon Prime Video is bundling other services such as Showtime, Starz, and more</a>. </li>
<li>Until bundling is a regular thing, it can be difficult to find which service carries the movie or TV show you'd like to see. Now <a href="http://9to5google.com/2015/12/10/yahoo-video-guide/" target="_blank">Yahoo's Video Guide app provides universal searching across streaming services</a>.</li>
<li>You can blame Netflix for your slow internet: <a href="http://www.thewrap.com/netflix-youtube-amazon-hulu-streaming-services-70-percent-internet-data-usage/" target="_blank">Netflix and other streaming video services account for more than 70% of Internet traffic</a>, with Netflix taking up more than half of that.</li>
</ul>
<li><a href="http://www.emarketer.com/article.aspx?R=1013309&RewroteTitle=1&ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">How many apps to smartphone owners typically use?</a> On a daily basis 63% use 1-5 apps; on a weekly basis, 49% use 6-10.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HXNYtwkd7Y4/Vm5p6h_TLhI/AAAAAAAAkKQ/-kUZpRaQDjg/s1600/How%2Bmany%2Bapps.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HXNYtwkd7Y4/Vm5p6h_TLhI/AAAAAAAAkKQ/-kUZpRaQDjg/s1600/How%2Bmany%2Bapps.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<br />
<ul>
<li>It's an Advent calendar for marketers: <a href="http://crowdly.com/2016-brand-marketing-predictions/" target="_blank">24 days of marketing predictions for 2016</a>.</li>
<li>For communicators,  it looks like <a href="https://www.bulldogreporter.com/2016-pr-forecasting-most-corporate-and-agency-pr-pros-will-increase-content-marketing-efforts-next-year-new-study-reveals/" target="_blank">PR will take a more serious interest in content marketing and influencers in 2016</a>.</li>
<li>Did you ever try to minimize or close an ad using that 'X' in the corner and it didn't work? <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/07/business/x-marks-the-spot-that-makes-online-ads-so-maddening.html" target="_blank">That's by design</a>. Marketers try to prolong the amount of time you spend on an ad by getting cute with the functionality of the 'X' button. <i>And marketers have the gall to complain about ad blocking? #self-inflicted</i></li>
<li>Apple is updating its News app with <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/08/apple-updates-its-news-app-to-make-it-more-like-a-newspaper/" target="_blank">a cutting-edge redesign to make it seem more like...a newspaper</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-wal-mart-mobilepayment-idUSKBN0TT0E620151210#YmzFpzeebgMpJpP0.97" target="_blank">Walmart is debuting Walmart Pay</a>, its electronic payment competitor to Apple Pay and Android Pay. But the real blow might be to CurrentC, the consortium of retailers developing their own mobile payment system, of which Walmart is a part.</li>
<li>Some 20 pharma executives shared their ideas on <a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/pharmaceuticals_and_medical_products/how_pharma_can_win_in_a_digital_world?cid=digital-eml-alt-mip-mck-oth-1512" target="_blank">how pharma can become more digital</a>. Changes ahead include: more control over treatments by individuals, changes in the clinical environment, the rise of cost consciousness, and more, leaving pharma companies to be more like solutions companies than asset companies.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<hr style="text-align: start;" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Sponsor</span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">#1 goal of CMOs in 2016 is lead gen*. Is your agency ready to deliver on their goal?</span></h2>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhXilb73Lto/VlH8IktX5EI/AAAAAAAAjfY/Uo4VTuZYnwE/s1600/SMART%2BSEO%2BHeader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhXilb73Lto/VlH8IktX5EI/AAAAAAAAjfY/Uo4VTuZYnwE/s640/SMART%2BSEO%2BHeader.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>January 20th & 21st in Orlando.</b> Learn step-by-step techniques for driving qualified leads for your clients. You’ll learn 20+ different tactics and get a 200+ page book that gives you step by step instructions. On top of that — we’ll teach you how to bundle/sell these services, give you sample proposals and contracts and much more!</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You made SEO and lead gen understandable and now we have a new revenue stream! Clients love how we can tie our efforts to their ROI and we love how they keep increasing their budgets!“</blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://smonty.co/1T8ld5d" target="_blank">Register today</a> so you can start selling strong in 2016.</span><br />
<br />
<i>*B2B Content Marketing 2016 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends (Content Marketing Institute & Marketing Profs)</i><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<h4>
<b>Platforms</b></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Yahoo</b> </li>
<ul>
<li>Hold the phone — <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/10/technology/yahoo-alibaba-spinoff.html" target="_blank">Yahoo is hanging onto Alibaba after all</a>, and is now spinning out its core business.</li>
<li>Speaking of spinning off, <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/10/the-exodus-continues-yahoo-loses-ad-product-chief-prashant-fuloria/" target="_blank">the SVP of Yahoo's advertising product</a> is the latest high-level executive to leave the company. <i>Yahoo needs to get ahead of this constant churn of executive talent, as the story is writing itself with no real input from Yahoo's communications team — although we know that won't stop re/code's Kara Swisher</i>.</li>
<li><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/09/flickr-comes-to-gear-vr-with-360-degree-photo-viewing-experience/" target="_blank">Flickr is getting 360-degree photo viewing</a> for Oculus and Samsung Gear, </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Google</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Maybe Google was off-base with its open office setup. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/12/30/google-got-it-wrong-the-open-office-trend-is-destroying-the-workplace/?postshare=4321449826766109" target="_blank">Is more harm than good being done by the open office trend?</a> <i>I've asked my dog, with whom I share my open office, and he's not talking</i>.</li>
<li>Google is getting more <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/9/9878710/google-adware-unwanted-software-chrome" target="_blank">serious about battling adware</a>, due in large part to Chrome extensions.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
<ul>
<li>After publishers complained that rules made it too hard to generate revenue, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjMtLK169rJAhXLQCYKHTTICkgQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Ffacebook-bends-to-publishers-tweaks-instant-articles-advertising-1449676734&usg=AFQjCNGtGs53MtaeGvLIoyMifP3WFRxAlg&sig2=sVIdDGHAqoabyWMrI7DzCw" target="_blank">Facebook is tweaking the advertising policies for Instant Articles</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/12/09/facebook-to-show-cached-stories-for-those-with-poor-connections-allow-offline-commenting/" target="_blank">Facebook will show a cached version for those with slower connections</a> and will allow offline commenting. <i>Should come in handy when you're using Gogo Inflight. Seriously, it may help with the 2G network Facebook is working on for developing countries</i>. </li>
<li>Facebook is in a race against Google for <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/12/facebook-open-source-ai-big-sur/" target="_blank">deep learning and artificial intelligence</a> — to the extent that Facebook is open-sourcing it.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/9/9878520/facebook-year-in-review-2015" target="_blank">The 2015 Year in Review from Facebook</a> looked at the biggest stories of the year, with the U.S. presidential election topping them, and a call to stand together in 2016 following so many tragedies this year.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/148313339?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/148313339">2015 Year in Review</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/theofficialfacebook">Facebook</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
<ul><ul></ul>
<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Twitter takes a look back at 2015 in both <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2015/this-yearontwitter" target="_blank">a blog post</a> and <a href="https://2015.twitter.com/" target="_blank">a dedicated site</a> looking at <a href="https://2015.twitter.com/top-trends" target="_blank">top trends</a>, <a href="https://2015.twitter.com/most-influential" target="_blank">most influential</a>, <a href="https://2015.twitter.com/new-voices" target="_blank">new voices</a> and <a href="https://2015.twitter.com/retweeted" target="_blank">most retweeted</a>. <i>God help us, the most RTs were related to One Direction</i>.</li>
<li>Twitter is getting serious about advertising as <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/10/logged-out-promoted-tweets/" target="_blank">it tests promoted tweets with users who are not logged into the platform</a>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>LinkedIn</b></li>
<ul>
<li>As an end-of-year retrospective, LinkedIn is taking a look at the <a href="https://lists.linkedin.com/2015/top-voices" target="_blank">Top Voices</a> on its platform. Included are voices in <a href="https://lists.linkedin.com/2015/top-voices/technology" target="_blank">Technology</a>, <a href="https://lists.linkedin.com/2015/top-voices/media-and-entertainment" target="_blank">Media and Entertainment</a>, and <a href="https://lists.linkedin.com/2015/top-voices/marketing-and-social" target="_blank">Marketing and Social</a>. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Microsoft</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Microsoft has <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/11/9890966/microsoft-onedrive-free-storage" target="_blank">reversed course on its decision to withdraw the 15GB of free storage</a> for OneDrive uesrs. <i>Chalk one up for online petitions</i>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>That must mean that <a href="http://qz.com/570009/slacktivism-is-having-a-powerful-real-world-impact-new-research-shows/" target="_blank">slacktivism is working</a>. Online activity gives protests a longer lifespan and reaches more people who are heavily engaged online. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Trivia question: Without peeking, who's the voice behind the classic holiday song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and what else is he most famous for? *</b></h3>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<hr style="text-align: start;" />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<h4>
<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h4>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2015/12/07/why-a-strong-brand-matters-in-the-collaborative-economy/" target="_blank">A strong brand matters in the collaborative economy</a>, because people prefer known brands. <i>But is it enough to power an existing brand to be as nimble and scrappy as a startup?</i></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ford-motor-ridesharing-idUSKBN0TT2VD20151210#xsqT43yH3bu6UAA0.97" target="_blank">Ford seems to think so, as it is investing in ride-sharing capabilities</a> to counter threats by Uber, Lyft and the like. <i>Sounds remarkably akin to trying to build your own dashboard software system, instead of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiouvrn8NrJAhUJ6SYKHc65CjEQFggfMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fauto-makers-losing-battle-for-dashboard-apps-1449713771&usg=AFQjCNHACRA_9CkILlNSP5XvlK8-pGy8ig&sig2=xSrDsXTV9C8ujCSCBojs2Q" target="_blank">letting the professionals do it themselves</a></i>.</li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Samsung is looking to get into the connected car business as it aims to <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/12/09/samsung-car-division/" target="_blank">supply components to companies building connected vehicles</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Jaguar thinks Telsa's Autopilot is one misstep away <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/12/12/jaguar-semi-autonomy/#RzZReAh90Zqo" target="_blank">from causing a great setback to autonomous driving</a>.</li>
</ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/8/9873544/uber-hop-commute-mass-transit-seattle-chicago" target="_blank">Uber's latest innovation is UberHop</a> in Seattle, which matches multiple passengers up with a single driver, requires riders to walk to a location to meet the driver, and will drop riders off along the route. See also "Smart Route" (San Francisco) and "Commute" (Chicago). <i>The concept rings a bell...</i></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bUWXc_cHEOU/VeOpzL6ywWI/AAAAAAAAiEI/j2DA63cUALc/s1600/UberBus.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bUWXc_cHEOU/VeOpzL6ywWI/AAAAAAAAiEI/j2DA63cUALc/s400/UberBus.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/07/airbnb-officially-confirms-gargantuan-1-5-billion-funding-round-in-sec-filing/" target="_blank">Airbnb has raised another $1.5 billion</a> on a valuation of $25 billion, making it the world's third largest unicorn.</li>
<li>It follows that <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/12/08/glassdoor-airbnb-dethrones-google-as-the-best-tech-company-to-work-for-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank">Airbnb has dethroned Google as the best tech company to work for</a>, according to Glassdoor ratings.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Audio</b></h4>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Spotify is considering allowing some of its artists <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiFwbuN9trJAhWBKiYKHVPaACQQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fspotify-to-allow-some-musicians-to-withhold-music-from-free-service-1449603477&usg=AFQjCNGTU3CcufVk6QZp65ykyvUn5HXuLA&sig2=HrkdCxvn2LxQWSDbsA5ZBw" target="_blank">to withhold music from its free ad-supported service</a>. This is in response to artists like Taylor Swift, who pulled her music because of Spotify's previous requirement that all artists had to make music available on the free version.</li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/13/apple-gets-a-giant-taylor-swift-concert-exclusive-because-it-paid-taylor-swift/" target="_blank">Taylor Swift is making a $plash with Apple</a> for her 1989 concert material. </li>
</ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.gitbook.com/book/towcenter/guide-to-podcasting/details" target="_blank">The Guide to Podcasting</a> explores the state of the podcasting landscape in 2015.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Still puzzled on how to listen to podcasts? Here's a handy <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/06/how-to-listen-to-podcasts-a-guide-that-still-has-to-be-written-in-2015/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRons6vKZKXonjHpfsX54uUuT%2Frn28M3109ad+rmPBy93IEBWp8na+qWCgseOrQ8mFkIV8izUs0TrKM%3D" target="_blank">starter guide for listening to podcasts</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Podcast Recommendation of the Week</b>. This week, check out <a href="http://serialpodcast.org/" target="_blank">Serial</a>, now it its second season. A podcast from the creators of This American Life. One story. Told week by week. Hosted by Sarah Koenig. <i>Do you have a podcast recommendation for us? Add yours to our Google Sheet: <a href="http://smonty.co/yourpodcasts">smonty.co/yourpodcasts</a></i></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Content / Customer Experience</b></h4>
<ul><b></b></ul>
<ul>
<li>You're ready to produce content — great. Now get out that handy <a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/publishing-checklist/?mc_cid=72ea98f1fb&mc_eid=6b50f1b70a" target="_blank">16-point content publishing checklist</a> to help guide you through the publishing and distribution process.</li>
<li>As you're creating content, it's essential to <a href="http://www.annhandley.com/2015/12/03/5-keys-to-developing-a-strong-tone-of-voice/" target="_blank">set yourself apart by making sure you've developed a strong voice</a>.</li>
<li>Working with influencers can be an important component of your marketing program. But you should have started on the relationship part of it months ago, not on the day you're getting ready to launch. <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2015/12/influencer-marketing-requires-personal.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Relationships matter with influencer marketing</a>.</li>
<ul>
<li>Want a guide? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119114098/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1119114098&ie=UTF8&linkCode=as2&linkId=QPH4JGMRQS3ZJ53T&tag=thebakerstree-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Get the definitive book on influencer marketing</a>.</li>
</ul>
<li>Here's an influencer to get to know: <a href="http://www.glamour.com/inspired/2015/12/lindsey-stirling-highest-earning-female-youtuber?mbid=social_fb_fanpage" target="_blank">the highest-paid YouTuber</a>. She plays the violin.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Privacy / Security / Legal</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>If you're a fan of the Collaborative Economy section above, you might want to read <a href="http://fusion.net/list/241225/crime-in-the-era-of-sharing/" target="_blank">how criminals use Uber, Tinder and Airbnb</a>: it's crime in the era of sharing.</li>
<li>A landlord in New York says his <a href="http://fox13now.com/2015/12/10/landlord-claims-tenants-illegally-turned-three-bedroom-apartment-into-10-bedrooms/" target="_blank">tenants have turned a 3-bedroom apartment into a 10-bedroom Airbnb rental space</a>. He's not happy and they're using the law to keep him from doing anything about it. <i>We'd have to award them Most Creative Use of Space</i>.</li>
<li>Google has made <a href="https://googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com/2015/12/year-one-progress-in-fight-against.html" target="_blank">great progress in its battle against unwanted adware</a> and they explain how in this post on the Google Online Security blog.</li>
<li>Some Kickstarter projects don't end the way they should. When a $3.5 million project backed by some 12,000 people failed to deliver, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35060123" target="_blank">Kickstarter hired an investigative journalist to track the money</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Measurement / Metrics / Data</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Shel Israel's latest book <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B015NH5DEW" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="505e2f8a95d9841647f301b528a19702" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Lethal Generosity" href="http://www.amazon.com/Lethal-Generosity-Contextual-Technology-Competitive-ebook/dp/B015NH5DEW/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=505e2f8a95d9841647f301b528a19702&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1190198" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lethal Generosity</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1190198" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=505e2f8a95d9841647f301b528a19702&_cb=1450081018920" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> covers the importance of data. But he also covers <a href="http://shelisrael.com/human-faces-data-driven-age/" target="_blank">the importance of putting a human face to company efforts in this data-driven age</a>.</li>
<li>Communications professionals are likely familiar with the Barcelona Principles. <a href="http://spinsucks.com/communication/operationalize-barcelona-principles-2-0/" target="_blank">This 2.0 version shows how to operationalize the measurement principles</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<hr />
<h3>
<b>* Answer to the trivia question above: </b></h3>
<ul>
<li>"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" was sung by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbnH9jNN1I" target="_blank">Thurl Ravenscroft</a>, who was also well known for his time as Tony the Tiger, pitchman for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<hr />
<b><br />
</b> <br />
<h4>
<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
<div>
<ul>
<li>This is a long read, but worth your time: <a href="https://redef.com/original/facebook-is-the-internet-and-13-other-things-media-people-debate-at-dinner" target="_blank">media topics and trends worth paying attention to</a>, including:</li>
<ul>
<li>The pay TV ecosystem is much more robust than it's given credit for.</li>
<li>Facebook is the Internet.</li>
<li>"If you've got an audience, you'll make money" is nonsense</li>
<li>We’re going to see a clear “hollowing out of the middle” in digital media over the next five years.</li>
</ul>
<li>Ben Franklin was a man before his time. <a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/02/20/the-benjamin-franklin-effect-mcraney/" target="_blank">The Benjamin Franklin Effect</a> demonstrates that a person who has performed a favor for someone is more likely to do another favor for that person than they would be if they had <i>received</i> a favor from that person. Read on to discover how, when he asked a hated rival if he could borrow his book, he turned that rival into a fan.</li>
<ul>
<li>Related reading: "<a href="http://www.davedelaney.me/blog/how-to-fend-off-a-jerk" target="_blank">How To Fend Off a Jerk</a>" by Dave Delaney.</li>
<li>Related book: <i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1101980672" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="0a04b6c6a0eea54acf70277a2575f81e" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Hug Your Haters" href="http://www.amazon.com/Hug-Your-Haters-Complaints-Customers/dp/1101980672/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=0a04b6c6a0eea54acf70277a2575f81e&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1382450" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hug Your Haters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1382450" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=0a04b6c6a0eea54acf70277a2575f81e&_cb=1450082064589" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i> by Jay Baer.</li>
</ul>
<li>We're all critics. That doesn't mean we're well informed or expert. Brett Eason Ellis thinks <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/opinion/bret-easton-ellis-on-living-in-the-cult-of-likability.html?_r=1" target="_blank">the cult of likability is at risk of causing too much homogeneity</a>. </li>
<li>One to ponder: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35069707" target="_blank">is there still a point to collecting books?</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
Hey — this took a lot of time to assemble. Do you get any value out of it on a regular basis? If so, please consider <a href="http://patreon.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">becoming a patron</a> to help support this newsletter by <a href="https://www.patreon.com/scottmonty?ty=h" target="_blank">going to Patreon</a>. Yes, you can pledge a dollar a month, but that's a paltry amount, don't you think?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2274959&redirect_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scottmonty.com%2Fp%2Fthank-you.html"><br />
<img height="40" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/widget-images/become-patron-widget-medium%402x.png" width="204" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://smonty.co/announcemt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I advise brands and agencies to help them improve their communications and digital acumen</a>. Please <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/contact.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">get in touch</a> if you'd like to put my experience and digital smarts to work on a project, to consult with your group, or to address an audience at your next corporate or industry event.</div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
--<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

The Week in Digital — December 14, 2015

Television is losing to smartphones, Amazon bundles streaming video services, PR wants to get more involved in content marketing, the o...

Influencer Marketing Requires a Personal Touch

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzgi31X8WfE/Vl5i-K0cVcI/AAAAAAAAjog/FXEFZbpegf0/s1600/Relatoinships%2Bare%2Blike.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yzgi31X8WfE/Vl5i-K0cVcI/AAAAAAAAjog/FXEFZbpegf0/s640/Relatoinships%2Bare%2Blike.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Influencer marketing has become almost commonplace at this point. But often times, it's done in an almost aimless way. Not haphazardly, but perhaps without as much scrutiny and direction as possible — as if someone is checking a box on a campaign effort.<br /><br />We've been a rise in programmatic and a surge in interest in adtech, which are advancing our technological capabilities more than ever. Even Facebook's solutions like Custom Audiences allow us to be smarter with how we reach people by using algorithms and behavioral targeting. Automation takes mass marketing and approximates a personal experience.<br /><br />But frankly, nothing can supplant an actual personal relationship. If you're doing influencer management well, it means knowing more than just the stats and affiliations of the influencers you're trying to reach; ideally, you should be engaging with them on a regular basis and getting involved with them in more than a superficial way. When you start replying to their posts or liking their content just prior to preparing to ask them for something, it's fairly obvious what you're up to.<div>
<br />Influencer marketing is like building a relationship. It takes effort and it takes a personal commitment. Are you ready to make a commitment to your influencers?<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/4RjRgu" target="_blank">hojusaram (Flickr)</a></span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
--</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>

Influencer Marketing Requires a Personal Touch

Influencer marketing has become almost commonplace at this point. But often times, it's done in an almost aimless way. Not haphazard...

The Week in Digital — December 7, 2015

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxrfdyXxDhg/VmT5_sBEKsI/AAAAAAAAkA0/RFb29XNOWvo/s1600/Beau%2BTies%2BLtd..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxrfdyXxDhg/VmT5_sBEKsI/AAAAAAAAkA0/RFb29XNOWvo/s640/Beau%2BTies%2BLtd..JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Lots of speculation around Yahoo and Marissa Mayer, advertisers don't know how to respond to ad blockers, the year of modern marketing, Zuckerberg gives to the Max, live video for all on Facebook, Twitter sharing declines after share count removed, Snapchat and real-time news, Uber runs fundraising like an IPO, Lyft teams up with international partners to create a global alliance, NYC Airbnbs are mostly single apartments, tips on writing a great newsletter and making killer Facebook ads, plus our weekly trivia challenge, the podcast pick of the week and more, it's <b>The Week in Digital</b>.<br />
<br />
A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.<br />
<br />
Each Monday we publish a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, business, digital communications and marketing in order to keep leaders up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in your job. A new issue is available every Monday morning. <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/subscribe.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Please subscribe</a> to keep up to date on developments.<br />
<br />
News items are in regular text; <i>additional commentary has been added in italics</i>.<br />
<br />
If you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links — and additional ones — by subscribing to the <i><a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Week in Digital Magazine</a></i> at <a href="http://smonty.co/flipdigital" target="_blank">smonty.co/flipdigital</a>.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<i>Check out our <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/recommend.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recommended</a> section for tools to help you become a more effective marketer and communicator.</i></h3>
<hr />
<br />
We're using <b>Facebook Mentions</b> each Sunday evening at 9:30 pm ET to bring you 15 minutes of commentary and previews of what to expect from the week's newsletter. If you follow on <a href="http://facebook.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and tune in every Sunday night, you can get a preview and join in the commentary as well.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div id="fb-root">
</div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><br />
<div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="1" data-href="/scott.monty/videos/vb.694361624/10153210559186625/?type=3">
<div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty/videos/10153210559186625/">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty/videos/10153210559186625/"></a><br />
Live Video Chat - Week in Digital Preview/Rant #SundaysWithScott<br />
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scott.monty">Scott Monty</a> on Sunday, December 6, 2015</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>Industry</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Yahoo's Marissa Mayer is <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/12/01/marissa-mayer-yahoo-2/" target="_blank">under heavy scrutiny as she runs out of options</a> with a turnaround plan for the company. This as the company held its regularly scheduled board meeting last week. <i>But is the real problem with Yahoo's board? The company seems to be perpetually flopping around like a fish on a dock</i>.</li>
<ul>
<li>Speculation ran wild about the company selling its Internet business. <a href="http://marketingland.com/who-are-the-potential-buyers-of-yahoo-154540" target="_blank">In that case, who would be the buyers?</a><i> That's meant to inquire who could afford it, but it shouldn't be missed that they might ask who would <u>want</u> it?</i></li>
<li>That speculation fueled further pundits to wonder <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/30/investing/marissa-mayer-yahoo/" target="_blank">if Mayer should be fired</a>. No worries if she were, though: <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/12/04/yahoo-marissa-mayer-severance/" target="_blank">her severance package could cost the company up to $160 million</a>.  </li>
<li>Not to worry, says re/code; <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/02/despite-wall-street-noise-and-sale-rumors-yahoo-board-backs-mayer/" target="_blank">the Yahoo board backs Mayer</a>. </li>
<li><i>If
Yahoo wants to save some money, they might start by unraveling the deal with
Oracle that forces Yahoo to become my default search engine every time I update
Java.</i></li>
</ul>
<li>Samsung is developing a Web browser <a href="http://thenextweb.com/apps/2015/12/01/samsung-is-releasing-a-virtual-reality-web-browser-for-the-gear-vr/" target="_blank">specifically to work with its virtual reality headset</a>. <i>VR needs content, so this makes sense; but will there be a standard across devices, or are we about to see a VR browser war?</i></li>
<li>As we've covered before, ad blocking is a serious problem. But it may be so deep that <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/US-Publishers-Unsure-of-How-Respond-Ad-Blockers/1013304?ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">publishers are unsure of how to respond to ad blockers</a>: over half don't have a strategy. </li>
<li>We made it through another Cyber Monday, although because stores have taken the liberty of beginning sales as early as Thanksgiving, it was a little muted. But did you ever wonder <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/3054025/fast-feed/youll-never-guess-what-the-first-thing-ever-sold-on-the-internet-was?campaign_date=11302015&partner=newsletter&position=2" target="_blank">what the first thing purchased online was</a>? </li>
<li>The Players Tribune was started by Derek Jeter that <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj8q9SZg8nJAhVuqYMKHeVjC8IQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fplayers-tribune-gives-kobe-other-athletes-a-route-around-media-1449166856&usg=AFQjCNHuxfh6aAHaAf6zoFUIjxGR_4DNTw&sig2=h83X4w496cBCfTUfS8_OTw" target="_blank">now consists of over 450 athletes as contributors to this sports journalism outlet</a>. <i>This could prove to be something of a second career for many of them. Just what they need, together with their already inflated salaries</i>.</li>
<li>It was a big year. Check out the <a href="http://bit.ly/2015ReviewIn" target="_blank">The Year in Modern Marketing: 2015</a>, and prepare for next year with the <a href="http://bit.ly/PredictionsIn" target="_blank">The Future of Modern Marketing: 2016</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/5pP3GU08MclsxN" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"> </iframe> </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<hr style="text-align: start;" />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Sponsor</span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">#1 goal of CMOs in 2016 is lead gen*. Is your agency ready to deliver on their goal?</span></h2>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhXilb73Lto/VlH8IktX5EI/AAAAAAAAjfY/Uo4VTuZYnwE/s1600/SMART%2BSEO%2BHeader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GhXilb73Lto/VlH8IktX5EI/AAAAAAAAjfY/Uo4VTuZYnwE/s640/SMART%2BSEO%2BHeader.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>January 20th & 21st in Orlando.</b> Learn step-by-step techniques for driving qualified leads for your clients. You’ll learn 20+ different tactics and get a 200+ page book that gives you step by step instructions. On top of that — we’ll teach you how to bundle/sell these services, give you sample proposals and contracts and much more!</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You made SEO and lead gen understandable and now we have a new revenue stream! Clients love how we can tie our efforts to their ROI and we love how they keep increasing their budgets!“</blockquote>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://smonty.co/1T8ld5d" target="_blank">Register today</a> so you can start selling strong in 2016.</span><br />
<br />
<i>*B2B Content Marketing 2016 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends (Content Marketing Institute & Marketing Profs)</i><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<h4>
<b>Platforms</b></h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>With the uptick in scrutiny on terrorism following the San Bernardino shootings, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi_lNvjl8nJAhVPpYMKHX8-AYgQqQIIJDAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fsocial-media-sites-face-pressure-to-monitor-terrorist-content-1449448238&usg=AFQjCNE_chlbv6LeEAm4SUbmqF9kDJRzng&sig2=b6_ceZevchArBDYwYbugxw" target="_blank">social platforms are going to be under pressure to monitor for activity</a>.</li>
<li>Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat are all battling for dominance in <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/technology/why-its-game-tech-companies-battle-over-breaking-news-168297" target="_blank">being the leading breaking news source</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Facebook-Twitter-Remain-Top-Social-Networks-Used-by-US-Companies/1013290?ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">U.S. companies predominantly use Facebook and Twitter</a>, although they have shown a marked increase in interest in Instagram.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b12ccEOsVAA/VmUweNRxNxI/AAAAAAAAkDw/E2wGvmrIYLQ/s1600/US%2BCompanies%2BSocial%2BPlatforms%2B2015.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b12ccEOsVAA/VmUweNRxNxI/AAAAAAAAkDw/E2wGvmrIYLQ/s1600/US%2BCompanies%2BSocial%2BPlatforms%2B2015.gif" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Yahoo</b></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/3/9837816/yahoo-messenger-relaunches" target="_blank">Yahoo Messenger is finally making a reappearance</a>, as an updated messaging app with powerful image capabilities. It's a product of 10 acquisitions and includes the ability to search for GIFs (what every message system user wants). <i>But one has to wonder — particularly given the above news, if this is too little, too late</i>. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Facebook</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Upon the birth of his daughter Max, Mark Zuckerberg did what any 21st century father would do: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-zuckerberg/a-letter-to-our-daughter/10153375081581634?pnref=story" target="_blank">he took to Facebook to share a Note he wrote to her</a>, and he announced he'd be putting 99% of his Facebook shares (approx. $45 billion) into the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.</li>
<li>Here's food for thought: by the time she's old enough to read, <a href="https://medium.com/@davepell/zuck-marks-the-spot-b943997ec54#.jckrkeu5g" target="_blank">the lines between private and public lines will be so blurred that this article will make no sense at all</a>.</li>
<li>No matter, <a href="https://medium.com/the-daily-show/an-open-letter-to-my-parents-1174b1c14dcc#.yf4bbx6vn" target="_blank">Max already wrote an open letter to her parents</a>.</li>
<li>Facebook is rolling out <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/12/introducing-live-video-and-collages/" target="_blank">a collages feature to photos and the ability to share live video</a> —  to everyone<i>. Any sense as to how the video aspect will play out? See our video above for our thoughts</i>.</li>
<li>Customers can now use Messenger to chat with businesses directly through their websites. <i>This is a bold move against traditional customer service technology and practices and reflects Facebook's desire to control more of the online experience</i>.</li>
<li>You should check out what the <a href="http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/facebook-conversion-pixel-changes/" target="_blank">changes to Facebook's conversion pixel means</a> if you run a Page.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul><ul></ul>
<li><b>Google</b></li>
<ul>
<li>On the mobile version of Google's image search,<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/01/google-turns-image-search-into-pinterest-with-new-collections-feature/#.fvmhl3:vNXz" target="_blank"> users can save images to Collections</a>, which can be found later. This is part of the revamping of Google+.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjBu__pmcnJAhUC5YMKHRNCAXYQFggmMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fyoutube-seeks-streaming-right-to-tv-shows-movies-1449104356&usg=AFQjCNGWC3q4O3-AphZVwulSvGf3hA1Mag&sig2=xGDRWEcmvXo64x_isBSpaw" target="_blank">YouTube is seeking rights to TV shows and movies</a> to bolster Red, its paid subscription offering. <i>Clearly designed to compete with Amazon and Netflix, you would have thought that YouTube would have planned this out prior to the launch of Red</i>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Twitter</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Remember when Twitter eliminated the share count on its embedded buttons? It turns out that <a href="https://blog.shareaholic.com/sharing-to-twitter-declines-11-after-twitter-kills-share-counts/" target="_blank">it's had a negative impact on sharing</a>. <i>Who could have seen that coming? /sarcasm</i></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>Snapchat</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Snapchat is becoming <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/12/04/snapchat-news/" target="_blank">a real source in real-time new</a>s. <i>This is fascinating to observe, and there's a lot at stake</i>.</li>
<li>Snapchat's deep-linking feature that drives <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/12/02/snapchats-new-deep-linking-feature-could-unlock-the-platform-for-publishers/" target="_blank">engagement at the level of specific content or articles</a> could be a head-turner for brands, which have been traditionally scared off by Snapchat's pricey ad products. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<div>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Trivia question: What are more parents naming their kids after these days? *</b></h3>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<hr style="text-align: start;" />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b></div>
<h4>
<b>Collaborative Economy</b> </h4>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Uber is at it again, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-03/uber-raises-funding-at-62-5-valuation" target="_blank">raising $2.1 billion on a $62.5 billion valuation</a>. Insiders say that the company is increasingly <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/inside-ubers-private-roadshows?shared=b6ef17" target="_blank">running its fundraising process like an IPO</a>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/12/02/uber-car-rentals-for-drivers/" target="_blank">Uber is teaming up with Enterprise</a> to provide cars to drivers who don't own a vehicle. <i>But at $210 a week (that's $840 a month), you might be able to do better on your own</i>.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2015/uber-gives-drivers-color-coded-windshield-leds-help-riders-find-right-vehicle/" target="_blank">Drivers will have color-coded windshields at night</a> to give Uber passengers better visibility of their arriving rides.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/02/uber-ride-request-button/" target="_blank">Uber is paying developers $5 for each first-time rider they refer</a> by integrating the "Ride Request Button" inside of their apps. The catch: you can't do this inside Lyft. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Expect stiff competition from <a href="http://recode.net/2015/12/03/lyft-and-didi-kuaidi-add-two-regional-partners-to-global-alliance-against-uber/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRons6vIZKXonjHpfsX54uUuT%2Frn28M3109ad+rmPBy93IIIWp8na+qWCgseOrQ8mFkIV8izUs0TrKM%3D" target="_blank">Lyft, Didi Kuaidi and two other regional partners, who are teaming up to wage a war of global domination</a> against Uber.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://mashable.com/2015/11/30/uber-driver-five-stars/?utm_emailalert=daily#fwKfIPJXW5qo" target="_blank">Want a five star rating from your Uber driver?</a> These suggestions can't hurt. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Startups are relying on <a href="http://mashable.com/2015/12/03/spotify-pager-uber-healthcare/#06o0OTMBuOqa" target="_blank">Pager, the "Uber for healthcare."</a> <i>Back in the day, this was known as "house calls."</i></li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Good news: new data released by Airbnb shows that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-data-most-listings-in-nyc-are-homes-not-hotels-2015-12" target="_blank">most listings in New York City are for single apartments</a>, not hotel-like networks of apartments owned by few individuals.</li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Bad news: <a href="http://gothamist.com/2015/12/01/airbnb_laws_shmaws.php" target="_blank">most New York City Airbnb hosts are breaking the law</a>.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-VOyLvP9qM/VmUlb6yEYnI/AAAAAAAAkDc/z0nNs17qymo/s1600/Airbnb%2Bstats.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-VOyLvP9qM/VmUlb6yEYnI/AAAAAAAAkDc/z0nNs17qymo/s640/Airbnb%2Bstats.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Audio</b></h4>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">As podcasting continues to grow, PRX's <a href="http://blog.prx.org/2015/11/the-coin-the-quilt-and-the-superfan-radiotopia-fundraising-lessons/" target="_blank">Radiotopia has valuable lessons on its fundraising success</a>.
</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2015/12/03/pandora-is-laying-off-more-than-half-of-rdio-employees-following-acquisition/" target="_blank">Rdio and laid off half of its staff</a> after its $75 million acquisition by Pandora.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><b>Podcast Recommendation of the Week</b>. This week, check out <a href="http://swordandscale.com/" target="_blank">Sword and Scale</a>, recommended to us by Stefania Pomponi. Sword and Scale covers the underworld of criminal activity and the demented minds that perform the most despicable and unthinkable actions. <i>Do you have a podcast recommendation for us? Add yours to our Google Sheet: <a href="http://smonty.co/yourpodcasts">smonty.co/yourpodcasts</a></i></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<h4>
<b>Content / Customer Experience</b></h4>
<ul><b></b></ul>
<ul>
<li>Want the scoop on exactly <a href="http://ownerfuel.com/newslettertips/" target="_blank">how to write a consistently good newsletter</a>? Check this out.</li>
<li>If you're serious about content, you'll want to be serious about Facebook advertising as well. Here are <a href="https://contently.com/strategist/2015/11/23/7-ways-to-make-killer-facebook-ads/" target="_blank">7 ways to make killer Facebook ads</a>.</li>
<li>David Edelman of McKinsey on <a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/interviews/identifying-micro-moments-within-customer-journey.html?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRohu6XAZKXonjHpfsX+4u4vUa+g38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YUGTcN0aPyQAgobGp5I5FEMSrTYX7Z4t6MIXA%3D%3D" target="_blank">the micro-moments that define the customer journey</a>.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Privacy / Security / Legal</b></h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/man-sues-apple-retail-employee-deletes-years-worth-144133097.html" target="_blank">A man is suing Apple for the loss of years worth of photos</a> that were on his device that the Genius Bar employee set to factory reset. <i>Evidently this genius never looked into iCloud for backups</i>.</li>
<li>By now, we're all familiar that you can't control the media. But then again most of us are not <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/prince-charles-the-15-page-contract-that-reveals-how-the-prince-of-wales-tries-to-control-the-media-a6756541.html" target="_blank">HRH Prince Charles, who has a 15-page contract for controlling the media</a> that some are calling "North Korean" in nature. <i>Compare this with his mother, HRH Queen Elizabeth II, has been notoriously and systematically mum when it comes to the media</i>.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/china/21679481-more-general-signs-crackdown-expression-article-guilty-spreading-panic-and" target="_blank">censorship is alive and well in China</a>. </li>
<li>In Bangladesh, it's been two weeks since the government blocked access to Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber and other social platforms. <a href="http://www.cjr.org/analysis/bangladesh_social_media.php" target="_blank">This raises major questions for platforms that are moving ahead with growth plans for Southeast Asia</a>.</li>
<li>And if you live in Kazakhstan, you don't have to worry about being censored. That's because the government will force every Internet user to <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/kazakhstan-forces-its-citizens-into-installing-internet-backdoors/" target="_blank">install a backdoor that will allow the government to conduct surveillance on their devices</a>.</li>
<li>You'll be happy to know that <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Cyber-Security-Top-Priority-Marketers/1013284?ecid=NL1001" target="_blank">cyber security is a top priority for marketers</a>. <i>Unless those marketers happen to be in Asia-Pacific, in which case it's e-commerce, followed by the Internet of Things, then cloud technology and mobile app development And then big data. And cybersecurity</i>.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7wZY8QNqAB8/VmUkZAqDn5I/AAAAAAAAkDU/bUKmVg6JwIE/s1600/Marketers%2Bpriorities.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7wZY8QNqAB8/VmUkZAqDn5I/AAAAAAAAkDU/bUKmVg6JwIE/s1600/Marketers%2Bpriorities.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Measurement / Metrics / Data</b></h4>
<ul>
<li>Here's a metrics analysis hack: <a href="http://www.christopherspenn.com/2015/03/combine-bitly-google-analytics-and-google-sheets-for-winning-metrics-analysis/" target="_blank">combine Bitly, Google Sheets and Google Analytics</a> as a dashboard solution.</li>
<li>When you measure the performance of social, it's vital to understand <a href="https://medium.com/@BenBrausen/social-isn-t-solely-responsible-for-social-media-performance-e35b806796b7#.vt38hv8e9" target="_blank">what drives that performance</a>. (Hint: it's not just social)</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<hr />
<h3>
<b>* Answer to the trivia question above: </b></h3>
<ul>
<li>Believe it or not, in the ultimate hipster move, there's a growing trend of <a href="http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/12/01/yep-more-parents-are-naming-their-kids-after-instagram-filters/" target="_blank">parents naming their kids after Instagram filters</a>.<i> Okay, Ludwig, Hudson, Sierra and Willow, I'll grant you. But I hope my kids don't end up in school with Earlybird, Lo-Fi, X-Pro II or Hefe</i>.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<hr />
<b><br />
</b> <br />
<h4>
<b>When You Have the Time: Essential Watching / Listening / Reading</b> </h4>
<div>
<ul>
<li>A new array of devices and services will make it easier to work, stay healthy, live at home, and remain connected to friends and family. That's right, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiL06ufnsnJAhVMpoMKHYy3AFsQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fhow-technology-will-transform-retirement-1448852400&usg=AFQjCNF97DCENuje4NduGZsnDspe1ELDpg&sig2=ZnFjWkhibh_653S4PfLuDQ" target="_blank">technology will transform retirement</a>.</li>
<li>The Internet is a scary place. But then again so it the real world. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-schaefer/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town/10153201063073531" target="_blank">Are we poised for a dystopian online future</a>?</li>
<li>Life is about making choices. And sometimes the choices aren't easy. But when it comes to choosing whom you decide to keep in your circle, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/mitch-joel/facebook-is-a-reflection-of-you/10156264928085506" target="_blank">your ruthlessness may pay off</a>.</li>
<li>Finally, here are <a href="http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/44-social-media-tools-recommended-pros/" target="_blank">44 social media tools recommended by the pros</a>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
Did you enjoy what you read this week? If so, please consider <a href="http://patreon.com/scottmonty" target="_blank">becoming a patron</a>, which means you can pledge as little as $1 a month — or any amount you wish — to help support this newsletter by <a href="https://www.patreon.com/scottmonty?ty=h" target="_blank">going to Patreon</a>. <i>A dollar a month? That's 25¢ for everything you've read above</i>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2274959&redirect_uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scottmonty.com%2Fp%2Fthank-you.html"><br />
<img height="40" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/widget-images/become-patron-widget-medium%402x.png" width="204" /><br />
</a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://smonty.co/announcemt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I advise brands and agencies to help them improve their communications and digital acumen</a>. Please <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/p/contact.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">get in touch</a> if you'd like to put my experience and digital smarts to work on a project, to consult with your group, or to address an audience at your next corporate or industry event.</div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
--<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

The Week in Digital — December 7, 2015

Lots of speculation around Yahoo and Marissa Mayer, advertisers don't know how to respond to ad blockers, the year of modern market...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor

The Week in Digital — December 21, 2015

The Week in Digital — December 14, 2015

Influencer Marketing Requires a Personal Touch

The Week in Digital — December 7, 2015

Blog Archive

Comments