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A Look Ahead to India’s Top FinTech Trends in 2017

A Great 2016 Leads to a Greater 2017

Bigger, Better, Bolder Than Before

Just like the sequel to your favorite film that you watched in your neighborhood theatre, 2017 promises to top a fantastic 2016. 2016 has laid the groundwork impressively.

The year started with a bang, featuring UPI’s launch in February. Many other stories impacted the scene throughout the year. Then, in November, PM Narendra Modi’s televised address announced the demonetization of India’s two largest currency notes.

The landscape has shifted – and FinTech is shifting into high gear in 2017. Let’s look at the coming attractions:

The Blockchain Blockbuster

Invented by person/persons using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, blockchain has brought a wave of security into the Internet pool. Bitcoin and other blockchain based cryptocurrencies are offering a safe and speedy alternative to hard currencies.

Bitcoin transactions in the US in 2016 averaged $200,000 US per day. Goldman Sachs is a great believer in the tech and reports that it could bring global savings of $6 billion US per year. As India moves towards a cashless economy, blockchain tech will prove integral.

The government has created a panel to bring recommendations on cryptocurrency before the end of the third quarter this year. And the Ministry of Finance has suggested in the Watal Report that regulation for digital payments should be separated from central banking operations.

With the burgeoning interest and implementation in 2016 of e-currency, investment and savings are just two of many areas which are projected to see real revolution this year.

Biometrics and Other Security – Not Just for James Bond

How secure is secure? When it’s your money – you can’t be safe enough. Hackers pose a new age threat to everyone using the internet, but there are methods to bulletproof your online financial security that can – and should – be brought to market this year.

Authentication means that you can prove that it’s you and no one else verifying transactions and approving credit or loans. From fingerprint sensors to facial recognition to retinal authentication, the technology is here to be implemented – even on your smartphone with the proper app. As a bonus, you won’t have to remember all those passwords anymore. Look for enhanced security features to create even more consumer confidence.

Micro-Payments and P2P Steal the Show

With the new availability and affordability of smartphones, rural areas have also opened up to the opportunities of micropayments. The government’s digital literacy campaign is even showing consumers how to use e-wallets to make payments, along with other methods such as Aadhaar. And 30 million Kisan cards being converted to RuPay cards will allow farmers to skip the trips to the bank and make their transactions digitally.

P2P lending will surge with roughly 5.7 million Indian small businesses out there exploring their options. India has approximately 30 P2P platforms already. The government will be providing regulations to help safeguard the process as well.

If UPI isn’t enough already: look for UPI 2.0 to hit the market with a new set of bells and whistles. This is what makes the process more adjustable and personalized.

Robo-Advisors – Hasta La Vista, Loan Officer

Artificial intelligence, algorithms – FinTech. A.I. and big data analytics will streamline the lending process and bring it to real-time decision making. There are already 39 robo-advisory firms in India.

SMEs are benefitting from Government enhancement of credit programs, as per the PM’s December 2016 address. SMEs now qualify for funds worth two crores, rather than the previous one crore. FinTech enterprises are providing close to 40{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of this year’s lending. A. I. will make that process even more attractive.

Investments? Yes – there are robo-advisors for that too. BigDecision, 5nance, and others are already helping with financial planning and will become more mainstream. Also, watch for more and more banks offering the chatbot option of customer service.

Go For Knowledge, Once You Have It Success Will Follow You

We’ve seen 2016 and the opportunities created. We know what trends to expect. What Sholay is to movies, FinTech is to our financial future. Now is the time to move boldly forward. India’s future lies in its innovators and its entrepreneurs – and that future has never looked brighter.

LSI Keywords

UPI, demonetization, FinTech, blockchain, Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, cashless economy, digital payments, e-currency, micropayments, e-wallets, Aadhaar, RuPay cards, P2P lending, UPI 2.0, Artificial intelligence, algorithms, big data analytics, SMEs, financial planning, chatbot

Fintech Trends in India

Socio-economic and demographic changes have increased the demand for innovative and secure Fintech in India. Fintech startups are piggybacking on the government’s initiative to reach the majority of the population with their tech-friendly regulations.

National Payments Corporation of India [NPCI], Digital India, Smart Cities, Startup India and Aadhaar are some of the prominent Government programs that help build and support this ecosystem.

The growing interests in Fintech Markets put the transaction value of Fintech sector $33 billion as of 2016, and it is expected to grow and reach $73 million by 2020 putting the annual growth rate at 22{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616}.

There is wide scope for development in the Fintech Sector, and they can be categorized into the following spheres:

Growing FinTech trends to watch for in 2017:

Micro-Payments – Companies focusing on the FinTech Sector are capitalizing on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and NPCI (National Payments Corporation India) to expand the ecosystem of digital payments. The increased efficiency and security of digital payments systems have increased the adoption rate of transactions via smartphones. A growing acceptance in this space will enable the objective of a cashless society.

Blockchain Adoption – Blockchain is the technology behind “Crypto Currency.” It is an innovative integration of cryptography, mathematics, and economics that helps create and maintain an expansive database of transactions. It resembles a single consolidated ledger of financial activities.

The scope of applicability is large as Blockchain also promises security and credentials. According to the World Economic Forum [WEF], 80{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of the banks are expected to start Blockchain projects with big players like Goldman Sachs getting behind the concept.

Even the RBI is considering this as a means to mitigate cheque fraud.

Blockchain also guarantees operational simplicity, reduction in process & settlement time and risk mitigation.

Marketplace Lending – Online lending platforms (P2P) are becoming very prominent. They primarily use non-traditional data to determine a customer’s creditworthiness. Given that almost 75{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of the Indian population does not have an established credit report, this works well in their favor.

These platforms data analytics backed by algorithms to make a risk assessment for lending.The categories predominant in P2P portfolios include personal loans, commercial loans, and microfinance.

Reg Tech – Regulatory technologies are evolving to accommodate the barriers to business entry. The goal here is to provide the right tools and services that will enable automation of compliance tasks, improve the accuracy of identity management and reduce risks of fraud.

Delegating a lot of the redundant tasks to technology removes the burden of repetitive tasks and enables a lean business. This is a newly discovered market with promises to provide a lot of potential savings to organizations.

Robo-Advisory – This market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate [CAGR] of 68{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616}. The projected estimate for managed assets by 2025 is expected to be USD 5 Trillion.

Currently in India the apart from the wealth and asset management sectors, retail space is capitalizing heavily on robo-advisory services. Increasing investment in biometrics and security promises to enhance customer experience through digital transformation.

References:

“ The India Fintech Market Map: 72 Startups Working Across Lending, Payments, Insurance & Banking” – CB Insights
“#5 Fintech Trends That You May Want To Watch Out For in 2017” – Kumar Srivatsan [Entrepreneur]

“3 Ways Fintech Is Disrupting The Indian Lending Space” – Manavjeet Singh [CXO Today]

Notes of a Digital Consumer(Content Strategi- SEO)

It is quite hard to imagine a world without technology. We’re well past the point of doing anything without it. To be honest, I don’t really feel like standing in long queues to pay my bills, or even buy something (no exception for a pizza either). These are the days when even my cat has to take lessons in computers to get a grip on his mouse (!). Pun, of course, is intended.

Technology has always evolved at a good pace. The past few years have seen it rise exponentially. We’ve seen the rise of the Internet of Things, cars that can drive on their own and even ‘smart’ cities – capable of performing numerous tasks on their own. How can mere mortals like us cope up with this growth?

Well, here are a few notes I made during my travels in the digital realms.

It’s only a Phone if it’s smart.

The world and everything in it have changed a lot over the last decade. It is hard to remember a time when the internet could only be accessed via PCs or laptops. I could go on to say that it was a simpler time – easier to understand and describe. However, then came the smartphones.

Apple’s iPhone, Samsung’s Galaxy series, OnePlus 5 and even Motorola are household names these days. If I was to go into figures, 44{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of the world’s population owns a smartphone.

We’ve become so used to them that we can’t really go without them. In ways, they’ve made life much faster. You can now connect and control different aspects of your life from your phones. Have a bill to pay? Do it on your phone! Need GPS navigation? Your phone’s got you back.

There have been concerns over the security of our phones, as well as the classic case of “all eggs in one basket.”Nonetheless, Smartphones are an essential part of our lives now – and they’re here to stay.

The IoT Revolution

One of the few ‘fad’ terms that really caught my eye a few years ago was the ‘Internet of Things.’ I had my doubts tough, for I’d heard about too many ‘game-changing’ new technologies to hold my breath. The more I read about IoT, the more useful I found it.

How good would it be for your home to know when you’ll be back and have your water heated up? Seems too futuristic? Well, it’s already here. We can now control almost any gadget that can communicate.

Essentially, anything that can be connected – will be connected. Almost 8.3 billion things will be a part of this ‘revolution’ by 2020. IoT enables you not only the ability to control appliances but also monitor your health. The wearables can track all your movements and then provide you with analyzed results. Even the toasters are now able to make breakfast for you, without the physically touching part.

Feeling like a Jedi, yet?

IoT has affected us as consumers in a great many ways and will continue to do so. Amazon’s Alexa is probably the best example of IoT and how it is changing our homes.

Even our cities are smart

These are the days where smart meters and grids are used quite a lot. The US is one great example of this. Almost 50{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of their 150 million endpoints are covered under this ‘smart-grid.’

The grid essentially prevents voltage theft and saves energy – helping us save our own money. Long have we paid extra cash to the electricity company. However, that is now changing with the introduction of smart meters – that enable a pay-by-usage model.

As a consumer, this is value for money. Even healthcare is improving, with sensors alerting nearby hospitals about any accident. Effective traffic monitoring using satellites not only enables us to save time but money as well. Google Maps are one such technology that smart cities incorporate a lot to find out about street clogging, traffic jams, and even accidents. Traffic Detection using the RUT9 routers enables a better road efficiency across the entire city.

Better services to us

Big data analytics have picked up their slack over the past couple years. As consumers, we generate a lot of data on a daily basis. Collection of this data and its successful analysis enables companies and firms to provide us with a better service.

Knowledge is power, they say. We can know about a company and the products it offers – all from the comfort of our homes.

Is it worth it?

Definitely, yes. Grown and change are the only constants in this world and technology is a superb instrument for the same. As a consumer, I want comfort, as well as the best goods and services that I can afford. A better tech-savvy world will amount for us to have more time pursuing what our heart desires. One can only hope though, that this doesn’t’ lead to a Terminator-type scenario. 

Source

-None, original article and ideas.

Keywords: Internet of Things, IoT, Smart meters, digital consumer, value for money, wearables, M2M

Machine Learning – The Effects of Artificial Intelligence(Content Strategi-SEO)

Machine Learning – The Effects of Artificial Intelligence(Content Strategi-SEO)

Machine Learning is an area of technology that has helped to improve the quality of service on the web and our smartphones. The term, often used as a synonym for Artificial Intelligence is pretty distinct from AI, yet, connected to it as well.

I could go on to say that the end goal of AI is to create a machine, capable of mimicking the human mind. To achieve this, it needs learning capabilities. That being said, Artificial Intelligence, as an area of computing is pretty broad. It includes reasoning, representation of knowledge and even abstract thinking. On the other hand, Machine learning focuses simply on software that can ‘learn’ from past experiences.

Machines learning from past experiences? Yes, it’s quite possible! Also known as ‘Analytics 3.0’, it’s closely related to statistical analytics and data mining.

Intrigued? Well, read on.

What is Machine Learning?

Earlier in this article, I’d said that machine learning is quite distinct, yet connected to AI. Let’s expand that statement. Machine Learning is simply the ‘leading-edge’ of Artificial Intelligence. It’s the field of computing that enables computers (aka, machines) to learn from past experiences, be it success or a failure and use that information to predict outcomes for the future.

To understand this further, let us assume that you have to buy a new house.

There is a small house that’s available for $70,000 and a bigger one that costs $160,000. However, you’d like to buy one that’s medium in size.

Using past trends, and something that’s called ‘Linear-Regression’, your computer can successfully predict the cost of the medium sized house you want. The best part of this is that once you buy it, the sample space increases and the computer will be able to predict an even better price in the future.

Simply put-in, machine learning enables a computer to improve its performance, as it learns from what has happened in the past. Another example can be seen in the simple game, Tic-Tac-Toe. Your software evolves and gets more accustomed to your moves, making it harder for you to win. It learns on the go and makes you think more and more.

How does it all work?

Engineers use quite a lot of different techniques to build systems that are capable of learning. As already mentioned, a lot of these ‘techniques’ are related to the mining of data and statistical analysis. Let us consider the following image:

The top-left image is a data-set. This consists of everything that has happened and is of two types –red and blue. As this example is purely hypothetical, these red and blue dots can represent anything, be it petals on a flower or coins and their diameter.

In terms of pattern, or grouping, you can see that the top part of each image is red, whereas the bottom is blue. Towards the middle, there seems to be some sort of a union. Machine Learning uses different algorithms to predict where a new, unseen sample will be placed. All other pictures in that figure are different algorithms, which you needn’t know (Unless you’re an engineer!).

Machine Learning: Use cases

Climate Change Modelling

With the growth in the number of Earth-observing satellites and climate models becoming more powerful, scientists are turning to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to overcome any deluge of data.

To put this ‘data’ into perspective, the UK MET office holds about 45 petabytes of information as of now (Although, I wonder what they use it for, as it’ll probably be raining there!). Machine Learning has led to the growth of climate informatics. This has helped officials develop better climate models and predict accurate changes in weather.

This has further evolved into correct predictions for tropical cyclones, atmospheric rivers, and even weather fronts.

Autonomous Vehicles

Since computers have the ability to continuously learn from experience, discern their surroundings and come to accurate results, more developers are working towards autonomous vehicles.

The number of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) have increased in numbers over the past years. They’re expected to reach a total of 122 million (!) by 2025. These autonomous vehicles use multiple cameras, sensors and radar systems to analyze and adapt to a rapidly changing environment.And with deep learning, they can know the behavior of other vehicles on the road, making for a save mode of transport.

Medical Research

If the availability of a lot of data is key for machine learning, medicine is a gold-mine. Providing the industry with improved efficiency, optimized innovation, and tool creation, over a $100 billion can be generated – annually.

In 2016, IBM and Quest Diagnostics teamed up and announced the IBM Watson Genomics, which aims to integrate genomic tumour sequencing and cognitive computing. Another prime example of the use of machine learning in medical research is Google’s DeepMind Health.

What machine learning is doing for medical research is simply reaching accurate diagnostics by going through a tonne of data, which can never be studied manually by a physician. Machine learning not only provides speed of diagnostic, but a personalised result report as well.

Machine learning has a lot, lot more use-cases. You can read about Forbes’s top 10 following this link.

Worth all the hassle; and the risk?

Have you ever watched the movie Terminator? Before going further, I have to say that it peaked with Judgment Day. Plus, they shot the heart out of dear ol’ Arnold in that new one…

Anyway, I really do not wish to live in a world that is ruled by machines. As with all things that aim to change the world, there’s a moral component with machine learning and AI. What will happen if Artificial intelligence outstrips our own and someday becomes bigger than humanity? Facebook did shut down it’s AI program after robots started to develop their own language. There will also be times when the decision a machine makes, while as good as it may be, it might not be morally right for us to follow.

The BBC did a wonderful piece on the above, which you may read here.

As for risk assessment, some machine learning strategies can fail up to 90{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of times when applied to a real-life situation. So, is it worth the try, and the risk? At this point of time, I’ll go with a tentative yes. I suppose it’s just a case of ‘we’ll deal with the future when we get there!’

Final note

Machine Learning, unlike many areas of Artificial Intelligence, is not intangible. It is already here and is continuing to improve our services and daily lives. That being said, it is not perfect, nor will it be for the foreseeable future. This is simply because of the fact that not all data we feed the machines are perfect.

Perfection though, is a journey, and as we grow as humans, so will our machines and gadgets. The trust between them and us will grow steadily, and transparency in algorithms may help it develop faster.

And in my humble opinion, this ‘learn-by-doing’ process is pretty good, so we might as well work towards making it even better!

Sources:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161110-the-real-risks-of-artificial-intelligence

https://www.techemergence.com/machine-learning-in-pharma-medicine/

https://www.informationweek.com/big-data/big-data-analytics/ai-machine-learning-drive-autonomous-vehicle-development/d/d-id/1325906?

https://www.nature.com/news/how-machine-learning-could-help-to-improve-climate-forecasts-1.22503

https://www.androidauthority.com/what-is-machine-learning-621659/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2017/07/07/machine-learning-artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-accounting/2/#3651a26ef510

https://www.coursera.org/learn/machine-learning/lecture/Ujm7v/what-is-machine-learning

http://www.expertsystem.com/machine-learning-definition/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63NTeLmDANo&t=5s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_uwKZIAeM0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpGxLWOIZy4&t=551s

Hyperlinks:

The 5 Content Marketing Strategies Defining 2017(Content Strategi – SEO)

Every good business knows that their success almost always relies on the quality of their marketing strategies. As shown in the chart below, most marketers have a marketing strategy, whether it is documented or not. 40{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of organizations have a marketing strategy that is documented:

34{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} have one, but they have not documented
23{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} do not have a marketing strategy in place but plan to have one in the next year
Only 3{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} do not have a strategy for marketing in place and have no plans to implement one

The five content marketing strategies currently defining 2017 are social media, the use of the mobile website, content diversity, using research/data, and email. There is more information about each of these topics in the sections below.

Social Media

There are many different types of advertising. Paid advertisements and Social media are right at the top of the list for various tactics used to distribute content, as shown in the chart below.

The reason that social media is the number one way to distribute content is that people put more faith into the words of their family and friends than they do into any other source of information. Social media sites, such as Facebook, have quickly become the primary form of “word-of-mouth” advertising. Individuals not only like and share things on their Social Media accounts; but in today’s world, Social Media is used by many as their primary form of communication.

Diversified Content

Businesses utilize marketing strategies to be successful. It is important to ensure that you are engaging your users. Most businesses have a diversified client group.

The reason that your 2017 marketing strategy should include diversified content is that individuals are diverse. The same type of content for your marketing strategy does not apply to everyone in the world. It takes different content to engage and entertain diverse populations.

The more diverse the type of content for your marketing strategy, the more is the likelihood for successful strategies in 2017.

Mobile Sites

The world is going mobile. It is a fact that every business is going to need to come to terms with if they want to succeed. Individuals like to have information available to them while they are on the go.

When information isn’t easy to pull up, individuals tend to look elsewhere. For this reason, it is critical that a mobile websiteis part of your 2017 marketing strategy. This is one of the most efficient ways to promote your site.

The following chart shows the percentage of B2B marketing executives in the world that find a mobile website is critical to your marketing efforts.

Email

The days of randomly calling consumers are over. Thanks to social media, businesses now have a harder time controlling their reputation. The good news is that we live in a technological world.

The reason that this is good news is that email is making a comeback. It is important that marketing efforts include email to distribute content. More and more individuals are using and checking their email every day.

Email is also a good way for you to follow consumer trends and use it to your advantage. You can send out newsletters to engage your target audience. Emails can significantly assist in ensuring you have developed successful marketing strategies in 2017.

Research/Data

Another important element that should be included in your 2017 marketing efforts is research and data. Individuals do not want a lot of fluff in articles. They want articles that include some investigation and data. They want to know that you know what you are talking about.

The chart below shows the importance of different types of content to use on your website.

Your marketing efforts should make sure that you are doing active research on your client population and using data to your advantage. Research and data mean more than just incorporating it into the type of content for your marketing strategy. You want to ensure that your 2017 marketing strategy includes using consumer data to your advantage.

This means that you need to research what is and is not working for your 2017 marketing strategy and adjust accordingly. You need to pay attention to the trends and patterns of your target population. This is one of the main elements required for marketing strategies to be successful.

Wrapping it Up

Your marketing strategy can make or break your company. It is important that your strategy for marketing is individualized and diverse at the same time. You want to make sure that you are using the most efficient ways to distribute content.

Your 2017 marketing strategy should be used to promote your website. Promoting your site helps promote your business. Your marketing efforts should be as diverse as your content for your marketing strategies to be successful.

There is more than one type of content for your marketing strategy. Your 2017 marketing efforts need to include diverse content. Successful strategies in 2017 are aimed at engaging and entertaining target audiences to promote loyalty in consumers and growth for the business.

LSI Keywords:

Marketing Strategy
Strategy for marketing
distribute content
2017 marketing strategy
Promote your website
Marketing Efforts
Marketing strategies to be successful
Type of content for your marketing strategy
2017 marketing efforts
Successful strategies in 2017

References:

http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/2017-top-5-content-marketing-trends-01758847#Y4G2yXV6PIOjuA6C.97

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2016/12/content-marketing-trends-watch/

https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/5-trends-will-shape-content-marketing-2017/

http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/content-marketing-predictions-for-2017/

https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/content-marketing-trends-2017/

http://www.pr2020.com/blog/influencer-roundup-top-5-content-marketing-trends-for-2017

The 5 Content Marketing Strategies Defining 2017 (Content Strategi – SEO)

What We’ll See and How We’ll See It as Marketing Matures

From the Lightning Rod to Today

In 1732 Benjamin Franklin started printing and distributing “Poor Richard’s Almanack” to promote his written business. That was one of the United States’ first and best examples of content marketing, used by one of the ultimate innovators and inventors we’ve ever seen.

Just as he invented the lightning rod to attract lightning (by the way, he never applied for a patent for any of his inventions), he used his publication to attract buyers. Over the years, content marketing has grown to become a staple for businesses intent on connecting with consumers.

Franklin would nod approvingly at the increased scope of intricate consumer outreach employed now. He loved a good story – as do we all. The best content marketing tells that good story and adds bells and whistles to enhance its message.

Franklin had an audience generously estimated at 700,000 (man, woman, and child) to play to back in the day. Facebook itself today has 1.13 billion daily active users. The numbers have skyrocketed and the techniques refined over the years as technology blossomed.

Today’s Storytellers

Companies have found that the best way for people to become hooked on its products is to have a long-term narrative. Keep them coming back for more. The modern attention span is short, so it is imperative to draw the consumer in and for them to want to hang out for a while.

Many methods have been employed with success. 2017 will see further refinement with something old making a comeback, as well as fresh spins on established practices. Here are 5 Content Marketing Strategies which will shape and define 2017:

Email – You have Mail!

It’s been done before, right? But it’s making its comeback. Companies already have your data – and they want to make something out of it. Now they’re making their emails relevant by using that info to inform you of things you want to know instead of mindless spam.

The average click-through rate for emails is roughly 25{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616}. Different factors increase that rate.

Emails that use the consumer’s first name in the subject line have a higher rate.
Emails that say “Thank You” in the subject line have the highest above-average level of engagement.
64{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of people prefer text-rich emails
86{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of consumers welcome monthly promo emails from companies they already do business with.

With email users expected to top the 3 Million mark by 2020, that’s a lot of bang for the buck. Already, 75{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of companies have concluded that email offers “good to excellent” Return On Investment (ROI)

2.Video – Lights, Cameras, Action!

Consumers want information, but they also want entertainment. Videos are an excellent way to accomplish both. Experts have provided several facts about visual impact:

98{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of info transmitted to the human brain is visual.
Visuals are processed at a rate 60,000 times faster than text.
Visuals stay in the long-term memory for a longer period.
Visuals cause a stronger emotional response than text and can be more meaningful to the viewer.

If you want your story (and product) to be more impactful and memorable to your audience, a video is your way to go. The big guy (Facebook) is featuring more video sharing and videos are easier to produce than ever. Ride the wave!

Mobile – With You Wherever You May Go

More and more people are making purchases on a mobile device. Make it easier for them. How are we more into mobile? Let me count the ways:

Tablet or smartphone access over 66{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of emails.
95{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of smartphone users use their device to look up local businesses to call or visit.
Over 2 Billion mobile users will make a commerce transaction by the end of 2017.
It’s projected that by the end of 2018, 27{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of e-commerce sales will take place on a mobile device.

To make use of the trend, make the process easier – apps, fewer clicks, buyer information carried over from platform to platform. Create an entertaining and welcoming virtual environment for your customers.

Authenticity Over Celebrity – Trust Over Popularity

Celebrity endorsements are a dime a dozen. It’s either their product or they’re being remunerated. The message might be entertaining, but can you take it to the bank?

Enter the influence marketers. Their word might not be gold, but it will have enough gold-like characteristics to sway. Whether it’s a leader in their field or someone giving an honest review, their word goes a longer way with the consumer.

Experts giving a video review on their blog or podcast can be the deciding factor for many potential buyers. They want facts to cement their decision. How many times have we heard the hype and then heard the consumer reviews and got a different story? That’s what we’re looking for, a real story – and enough true stories and we listen.

Diversify Content – Hit Them on All Fronts

If the video doesn’t get them, maybe the galleries, podcasts, or infographics will. Everyone has different tastes – and different things catch different peoples’ eyes. Hit them on all fronts, and something will click and draw them in. Even if it’s mostly the same information, the delivery mechanism makes it a different animal.

Different content can also apply to effectiveness on various platforms. Tailoring towards a video presentation will, of course, be more suitable to Facebook and YouTube than Pinterest or Twitter. Flashy images with brand placement are right up Facebook and Pinterest’s alley. Hit the consumer where they live and where they browse.

Facebook – 1.9 Billion unique monthly users
YouTube – 1 Billion unique monthly users
Twitter – 317 Million unique monthly users
Pinterest – 317 Million unique monthly users
LinkedIn – 106 Million unique monthly users

Different demographics using various sites – adapt and diversify your message to take the advantage of all your audiences.

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You know the trends, but how do you take advantage of them? Spike Native Network at spike.com.au is the Content Recommendation Platform for business pros.

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Keywords

content marketing, click-through rate, text-rich emails, mobile device, smartphone, e-commerce, influence marketers, podcasts, infographics, platforms, brand placement, Spike Native-Network, spike.com.au, Content Recommendation Platform

ShoeBoxOne is reinventing the meaning of shoe storage (Content Strategi – SEO)

Why should you have specialized shoe storage?
Let’s face it; you sneakerheads don’t drop over $100 on a pair of Nike Air Jordans, old-school Adidas sneakers, retro leather Pumas or comfy Vans, just to wear them for a week and then move onto something else. Well, not unless you’re Kanye West and you have millions of dollars to spare.
For most of you kick connoisseurs out there, you want to make sure that your sneaker investments stay fresh all year round, and that every time you put them on, it feels like you’ve just bought them new out of the shop.
Whether your shoes are fabric, leather or suede, looking after them means two things: putting in the work to keep them clean and well-maintained, and having a high-tech storage solution for your kicks that not only looks stylish but also keeps them in optimum condition when you’re not wearing them.
Best conditions for your shoes
Humidity, heat, sunlight and dust all create problems for your shoes if you allow exposure. White soles become yellow and oxidized, the material becomes stiff, and those natural creases and folds you get in your sneakers from wearing become cracks and fissures over time.
The lifespan of a poorly cared-for pair of sneakers can be as little as one year, while a well-maintained and stored pair can last you for three years or even more. Given how much you spend on a pair of sneakers, would you not want to get all the possible extra mileage out of them that you can?
Say goodbye to shoe racks, boxes and cabinets
Now, of course, any storage for your kicks is better than no storage, and all of them have their advantages. A simple rack keeps them off the ground, allowing your shoes to breathe, and freeing up space in your crib – whether it’s a bedroom or a lounge – for all those other important things, like your beer fridge.
A transparent cabinet or stack of plastic boxes goes one step further and turns your sneaker collection into not just something you wear on your feet, but an impressive decorative piece. This piece allows you to fit your collection into small spaces; why have a collection of sneakers if guests can’t come around and admire them when they’re not on your feet?
The ShoeBoxOne solution to all of your storage needs
ShoeBoxOne takes an innovative and high-tech approach to storing your sneakers. Our shoe boxes are made from high-quality transparent plastic and can be stacked on top of each other up to 8 boxes high. In addition to this, customizable LED under-lighting makes your sneaker collection look even more impressive.
But it’s not just all about looks. Our boxes can be vacuum sealed to prevent oxidation and yellowing. Sensors within the boxes can alert you about temperature and humidity levels. And all of this can be synced up with a smartphone app allowing you to care for your shoes remotely.
LSI Keywords
shoe storage, sneakers, sneakerheads, plastic boxes, rack, shelves, cabinet, bedroom, small spaces, drop front
Client: shoeboxone.com
Audience: Young, streetwise people, USA
Language: US English, street casual
Subject: high-tech shoe storage for expensive sneakers.
Intention: Marketing and brand awareness, emotional connection. Subtly mention the client and what they offer without hard selling.

6 customer and sales enablement tools you need right now(Content Strategi – SEO)

Businesses inherently are customer driven. Irrespective of the business model (B2B, B2C or B2G), the client is the key to enduring business results.

Customers these days are tech-savvy, and 93{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of them begin the purchasing process through an Internet search. This increases an organisation’s need to be more proactive, targeted and customer-centric in their sales efforts. In fact, 87{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of them prefer that approach according to studies by inContact.

Sales enablement tools pave the path to operational efficiency by providing the right insights, analytics and talking points tailored to each customer. They are a smart mix of training and technology that reinforce knowledge & critical skills and enable guided selling for the right product positioning and value proposition.

Sales Enablement tools: The various types

Sales enablement is an all-encompassing term that includes a wide range functionality impacting all areas of the business. It helps bridge the gap between business vision and strategy implementation.

The 6 major types of sales enablement tools that will integrate your sales and marketing functions and make your approach more customer-centric include –

CRM
Marketing Automation

Lead Management

Content Management
Sales Intelligence
Customer Experience

I. CRM: Customer Relationship Management tools

As of 2017, 91{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of sales organisations use CRM to track their interactions with potential and existing customers. Gartner forecasts that it will be a USD $37 billion industry this year.

While it is not an all-inclusive tool, CRM does cover one important aspect of sales enablement; it includes the functionality of a database and productivity tool. Providers like Salesforce allow third party developers to supplement their programs with add-ons to improve the scale and scope of their programs.

Some features to look for in a CRM include –

Software as a Service (SaaS) – Research from Software Advice indicates that 81{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of CRM users access CRM from multiple mobile devices. It lowers the initial cost, it is a lot quicker to rollout across the business, and it provides the all-important mobile compatibility.

Mobile features – Statistics from Innoppl indicate that 65{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of salespeople who adopt mobile CRM achieve their sales quotas. Businesses that adopt mobile CRM have shown an 87{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} increase in productivity and a 73{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} increase in business process efficiency according to research by Forrester.

Customer Experience Management (CEM/CXM) – The growing trend is towards a customer-centric engagement approach; connecting with customers through multiple channels. A forecast by Walker indicates that Customer Experience will influence buying decisions by more than 50{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616}.

Categories of CRM

Enterprise CRM
Mobile Applications
Social CRM
Small Business CRM

Enterprise CRM: It is more large scale and includes features of contact management, sales process automation and data analytics. It helps make meaningful decisions out of massive data dumps. It empowers the transformation of information into strategy.

The Market Leader in Enterprise CRM is Salesforce.

It has a cloud platform and the most comprehensive features package. It comprises of mass emailing, customisable dashboards, web services API and more. It also includes opportunity and contact management, lead management, marketing automation, and forecasting, reporting and mobile compatibility. It allows for custom app building and add-ons as necessary.

Comparable products: SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics.

Mobile applications: Most sales forces are mobile these days, so the top-tier brands already offer mobile compatibility for their products. There are, however, CRM products specifically designed for mobile use. They include features like geo-location that helps the rep in charting the best routes to their clients and optimising their trips. They are particularly useful in the real-estate and energy or utility industries.

The Market Leader in Mobile CRM is Base.

It is an app lauded for its effectiveness. It offers the full functionality of a desktop-based platform with added extras like geo-location, route planning, offline access and push notifications. It combines functionalities of sales tracking, analytics, phone and email with navigation to provide one-touch driving directions, trip optimisation and territory management.

Comparable products: Saleslogix, SugarCRM

Social CRM: Nucleus Research suggests sales productivity can increase by 26{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} with social media integration. 95{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} social media users expect organisations to have an online social presence and 85{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} expect to communicate with companies through social media. The more advanced products encompass features like data tracking to record likes, comments, followers, mentions, text analysis, and lead suggestion.

Market Leader in Social CRM is Nimble. It includes functionality of social listening tools, contact importing and monitoring social selling tools

Comparable products: Zoho, Batchbook, Astute Solutions

Small Business CRM – This is custom made for niche industries and Small businesses. It is not as feature rich as the enterprise CRM and is lighter on the budget.

The Market Leader in Small Business CRM is Insightly. Its free version allows access for 2 users. It has Project Management features. It is Cloud based and integrates with other programs like Outlook, Office 365, Quickbooks, Google Apps, Evernote, Box, DropBox and many others.

Comparable products: Mothernode, Salestrakr, Sellsy

II. Marketing automation

55{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of B2B marketers use Marketing Automation tools in their marketing strategies. It has led to 68{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} more customer engagement and 58{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} more opportunities according to reports by Adestra.

Marketing Automation tools harness customer data from multiple sources, enable audience segmentation and help marketers build campaigns to match each stage of the buyers’ journey. They also tailor content to specific customer needs and help nurture potential customers and build more meaningful relationships. Studies show that organisations that focus on lead nurturing produce 50{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} more qualified leads at a lesser cost.

Marketing Automation tools include several categories of functionality – email, social media, web marketing, analytics and more.

The leading contenders in each category are

Enterprise – Eloqua, Marketo, Pardot, Siverpop
SMB – Infusionsoft, Hubspot, Salesfusion, Act-on
Email only – Mailchimp, GetResponse, ActiveCampaign, Aweber

III. Lead management

It is related closely to marketing automation. It involves tracking prospect interactions, qualifying inquiries and distributing qualified leads to appropriate sales team members.

Taking only to the right leads improves productivity and reduces time spent on qualifying leads. Lead quality is a priority for 74{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of B2B marketers.

Types of lead scoring

Traditional /Rules-based – Involves assigning a value to a prospective lead’s behaviour.

Predictive lead scoring – Involves predictive modelling to qualify leads. The system uses internal data in CRM and marketing automation systems and supplements it with data from external resources to create acomplete profile for the lead.

Leading vendors for Lead Scoring are LeadMaster CRM, Bpm’Online and LeadSquared.

IV. Content Management

Research by RO innovation indicates that 65{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of sales reps cannot find the right content to send to prospective clients at the right time. A content management system is a single repository of all sales content.

Categories of Content Management Systems and the leading vendors:

All encompassing and feature rich – BlackMOnk, ARALOC
Sales focused – Docurated
Content function focused – LiveHive

V. Sales Intelligence

Sales Intelligence is defined as any insight, data or automation that improves the sales process. It enables increased productivity and better follow-ups that lead to faster lead to client conversion times.

Sales Intelligence systems track buyer engagement through email content and user engagement through web content. They capture contact information from emails, fill incomplete contact information in the CRM and have predictive models for customer behaviour.

Overall they increase the depth and scale of prospect information available to the sales teams.

Categories of Sales Intelligence tools

Data Enrichment and Maintenance: Experian, Netprospex, Datanyze, Reachforce.
Sales Reporting and Forecasting: Tableau, SAS, Sisense, Spotfire
Pipeline management: InsightSquared, Pipeliner, Close.io
Behavioural analytics: LiveHive, Yesware, Marketo

VI. Customer Experience

Since customers these days connect with organisations on multiple platforms it is necessary to analyse the interactions and detect behavioural patterns and emerging trends. Customer Experience and Customer Engagement tools collate the unique and disparate customer experience data. These tools of analytics combine features of contact sequencing, contact reasoning, journey mapping and predictive analytics to give the organisation a complete picture of the customer’s experience.

Market Leaders in Customer Experience and Customer Engagement tools include IBM Customer Experience Analytics, HubSpot Analytics, Site core and Zuora.

Keywords: Customer enablement, Sales enablement, business vision, business growth, customer-centric engagement, Customer experience, customer engagement, Sales intelligence, Sales analytics, content management, CRM.

References:

Technology Advice: Buyer’s Guide to CRM Software
Technology Advice: Buyer’s Guide to Marketing Automation Software

Slide Share: Marketing Automation Trends

Sirius Decisions: What is Sales Enablement
Hub Spot: 107 Mind blowing sales statistics that will help you sell smarter
Super Office: 18 CRM statistics you need to know

CRM Next: Why your business needs a mobile CRM strategy
Super Office: CRM Mobile App – The rise of CRM

Walker: Customers – The future of Customer Experience 2020
inContact: US Consumers Want Today’s Companies to be Proactive in Customer Service
VeInteractive: 11 Marketing Automation stats that will surprise you

The Drum: Marketing automation growth is unprecedented, yet B2B marketers agree it is time-consuming

The Importance of Free Learning Content for the Individual and Society (Content Strategi – SEO)

Education is necessary for helping society and the individual self-thrive to its fullest potential. With greater access to free learning content for people, we can see more of our important ideas come to life.

An ancient Indian proverb states, “Let noble thoughts come to me from all directions.” But what are noble thoughts?

Noble thoughts are ideas that, like seeds, can grow and blossom into wonderful things. Art, science and all good things in this world started out as someone’s noble idea.

Where do noble thoughts come from?

These vital and important thoughts come from everywhere and can strike at any time.

You can have them on the bus, at work, in bed before you go to sleep at night. You never know when a brilliant thought will come to you. But where do they come from, exactly?

They come from what you know.

Education is important for this reason. A stifled mind cannot flourish. But when you open your mind to new learning opportunities, great things will happen.

The more you know, the more powerful knowledge you can apply to the world and your life. When you do this, you not only improve upon yourself but the world around you, too.

Before a thought blossoms into action, it starts as a seed inside your head.

Every day, whether you realise it or not, you’re applying what you know about the world. Your opinions, actions and even your relationships with others are based on what life has taught you so far.

This is why it is important to learn something new and interesting every single day. If you arm yourself with knowledge, you can do anything.

If a topic interests you, it is important to water that seed of intrigue. You never know what will come of it.

Why is free learning content important?

Sometimes you might be particularly interested in one or more topics. This is like a tiny spark that, if fed enough, can become a roaring fire.

So you have the idea. But what happens now? This is when research begins!

You must delve deeply into your thought, find important concepts and nurture your mind. This can’t happen if there is no access to learning content.

Education is vital to great ideas becoming something bigger.

Information is all around us. We process it all the time, every day, whether we realise it or not. But sometimes, we need to know more than just what we see and experience.

This is where educational tools come in. At school, you can learn a great many things, but this is not where learning opportunities end. If you have the right learning content in front of you, you can become an expert on anything through day-to-day actions outside of any classroom.

Unfortunately, the cost of education can keep people away from the information that they need.

No-cost learning materials bridge the gap between those who can afford higher education and those who cannot. Lack of personal, financial wealth should never prevent a mind from growing.

The world never knows when the next great idea will come along to change all of our lives. We all deserve the opportunity to let these ideas become something great.

Everybody should have access to free learning content. Without it, life-changing thoughts might just stay inside the mind of the thinker, stagnant and craving to be nurtured.

Primary Keyword: learning content

LSI Keywords:

Variants: access to learning content, right learning content, free learning content important, free learning content for all individuals

Antonyms and Synonyms: No-cost learning materials, classroom learning, independent learning, at-home learning, High-cost education, private education, tuition, education availability, at-home learning, educational tools, free education

‘He Who Studies Understands, Not the One Who Sleeps’ – From the Wisdom of Rigveda 5.44.13 (Content Strategi – SEO)

Ancient Indian wisdom asks the following of knowledge: ‘let noble thoughts come to me from all directions’. For noble thoughts to exist, though, you need to have a baseline of education already. Without the availability of free, quality learning content, there is no platform for forward-thinking minds to grow.

Education as a Right, Not as a Privilege

Education should be thought of as a right for every person. The most influential people in our society are the most educated.

For individuals to innovate, debate, and make tough decisions, they must first have had the freedom to learn what inspires them. Education provides this freedom, and so it should be available for everyone.

If all learning content were free, people from every walk of life would have the opportunity to be the best that they can be. To develop wisdom, knowledge and experience is key. Education can become a metaphorical springboard to boost someone up the societal ladder.

Without the freedom of knowledge and education, there is no chance for the social mobility that is so crucial to a healthy society.

Do We Ever Stop Learning?

Education is often compared to the lighting of a flame, rather than the filling of a vessel. This is because people always have the capacity to continue learning if they’re given the opportunity. By denying access to learning material to those without the ability to pay for it, we lose out on a vast portion of potential talent.

Every Day is a School Day

Every day we have the opportunity to learn something new. To utilise this, we must be willing to make an effort. If an individual is hampered by the excessive cost of quality education, studying becomes much harder.

Benefits of Free Learning Content

Having free learning content and education means:

We gain a diverse and thriving community, filled with innovative people.
People can earn a higher wage so that they will pay more in taxes.
The rates of unemployment decrease.
More educated people report higher levels of health and happiness.

The Messages of the Vedas

The benefits of open and inclusive education, with freely available learning materials, are exemplified by the Vedas. Rigveda, where the above quotation is found, was created as part of collaborative work. It has been proven that the Vedas were formed by numerous different scholars, whose combined wisdom is as relevant today as it was so long ago.

The importance placed through the lessons of Rigveda on the benefits of learning, and working together, is applicable even now and shows that education never ceases to be vital.

Wisdom in Life is Necessary for a Successful Existence

Thoughts can be thought of as seeds. Once they’ve been planted through education, we can allow these seeds to germinate and bloom into creative ideas. If we shut them away without the possibility of inspiration, they will never grow.

Without the wisdom provided by studying, our society would be far less advanced. We wouldn’t have the progressions in medicine and science that we do today. We wouldn’t be leading the way in technological advances. Ancient texts like the Vedas would never have been written.

In short, our civilisation would be bland and boring instead of the wonderful and thriving place it is today.

Primary Keyword: wisdom – used 4 times including title

LSI Keywords:

Variants: Without the wisdom, Ancient Indian wisdom, combined wisdom, develop wisdom

Antonyms and Synonyms: knowledge, understand, education, educated, learning, studying, scholars, learning material, potential talent, inspiration, Thoughts

Category: SEO

A Look Ahead to India’s Top FinTech Trends in 2017

Fintech Trends in India

References:

Notes of a Digital Consumer(Content Strategi- SEO)

Machine Learning – The Effects of Artificial Intelligence(Content Strategi-SEO)

The 5 Content Marketing Strategies Defining 2017(Content Strategi – SEO)

The 5 Content Marketing Strategies Defining 2017 (Content Strategi – SEO)

ShoeBoxOne is reinventing the meaning of shoe storage (Content Strategi – SEO)

6 customer and sales enablement tools you need right now(Content Strategi – SEO)

The Importance of Free Learning Content for the Individual and Society (Content Strategi – SEO)

‘He Who Studies Understands, Not the One Who Sleeps’ – From the Wisdom of Rigveda 5.44.13 (Content Strategi – SEO)

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