Amazon Said to Consider Bid for Stake in Dubai’s Souq.com

• Souq.com advisers reached out to several potential bidders
• Stake sale may also draw interest from private equity firms

Amazon.com Inc. is weighing a bid for a stake in Dubai-based online retailer Souq.com FZ as the e-commerce giant seeks to expand in the Middle East, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The stake, representing at least 30 percent of the company, is also drawing interest from private equity firms and regional, family-owned companies seeking to expand into web sales, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. Souq.com’s advisers reached out to a large number of potential bidders for the holding, which may value the company at least $1.2 billion, the people said. No final decisions have been made, and the company has not agreed to a deal with any of the parties, the people said.

Spokesmen for Souq.com and Amazon didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Souq.com appointed Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to find buyers for a stake sale, people familiar with the matter said in September. Existing investors Tiger Global Management and South Africa’s Naspers Ltd. are open to selling part of their holdings, and the sale may ultimately be for a stake larger than 30 percent, the people had said. A representative for Tiger Global declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Naspers said the company can’t acknowledge or deny its involvement in any deal.

The company secured $275 million from investors after Tiger Global and Naspers, among others, boosted their investments in February. Chief Executive Officer Ronaldo Mouchawar said in an interview at the time that the company would be open to selling shares to the public in the future.

Economic growth and a rising population in the Middle East is leading to increased investments in the consumer industry by companies and private equity firms. Careem FZ, a ride-sharing service that competes with Uber Technologies Inc. in the region, is seeking as much as $500 million in new funding, people familiar with the matter said in September.

By Dinesh Nair and Ruth David @ Bloomberg.

Facebook Unveils 'Workplace' To Take On Slack, Yammer

Facebook doesn’t only want to be a network for friends.

On Monday, the company widely launched a new enterprise version of Facebook called “Workplace“ to support chat and collaboration within businesses. More than 1,000 organizations currently use the tool, previously known as ”Facebook at Work.” With features that resemble Facebook’s main app, Workplace lets users post about their work, follow a feed of colleagues’ updates, discuss projects in groups or watch a live video broadcast by a company executive. Workplace accounts are ad-free and are separate from users’ personal Facebook accounts, and vice versa, which should alleviate concerns among some companies that the app might detract from productivity. Workplace also looks different from Facebook’s main app with a more subdued, gray color scheme.

Facebook faces a host of competitors in the business messaging space, from Slack, to Microsoft’s Yammer and Jive by Jive Software. (Microsoft recently showed interest in further intertwining enterprise software and social networks through its bid to purchase LinkedIn.) But, Facebook’s broad global exposure — nearly a quarter of the world’s population is a monthly Facebook user and 60 million companies actively maintain a Facebook Page – should help propel adoption of the new tool in the crowded space. Companies will likely also be attracted to the simplicity of the tool, which works like Facebook’s main app and requires minimal training, unlike many other enterprise options. 

Workplace will create a new revenue stream for Facebook, which primarily generates sales from advertising. While the tool is free for nonprofits and educational institutions, other organizations pay a monthly rate based on the number of monthly active users: Businesses pay $3 per employee for the first 1,000 employees, $2 per employee for 1,001 to 10,000 users and $1 per employee for more than 10,000 users. The service includes unlimited file, photo and video storage and unlimited groups. (By comparison, Slack offers a free version of its software along with two packages – one that costs $6.67 and one that costs $12.50). 

“Workplace will help more companies create the kind of open culture that encourages people to connect and share,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on Monday, describing organizations’ feedback about the tool as “very positive.”

“People do their best work when they have more knowledge of what’s going on at their company, and people work together better when they understand their colleagues,” Zuckerberg added

Facebook first started testing Facebook at Work in January last year after receiving interest from organizations about Facebook’s own internal communication system, which became the building blocks for Workplace. Facebook said Workplace is designed to support a wide range of organizations, from large companies to international nonprofits and teams that spend much of their time in the field or on mobile phones. Starbucks, Booking.com and Danone are among the companies using the tool, along with nonprofits such as Oxfam and YES Bank in India. The top five countries using the tool are India, the U.S., Norway, U.K. and France. 

By Kathleen Chaykowski @ Forbes

Google finally launches its Allo messaging app

Google promised it would release both Allo and Duo, its new chat and video calling apps, this summer. Duo landed more than a month ago, but Allo is just barely squeaking under the wire before it’s technically autumn.

The Allo site is now live, and it gives you a rundown of the most important features of Google’s new messaging app. The app itself is still rolling out worldwide, and may or may not yet be available for you by the time you read this. As with Duo, Allo is available for both Android and iOS. Android users who just can’t wait can sideload the APK from APKMirror.

Taking another stab at messaging

Google has been criticized for its fragmented approach to messaging. Android phones often ship with Messenger, an SMS/MMS only client. Then there’s Hangouts, which is included as part of Google’s work offerings. We’ve seen Google Wave, then Buzz, and Google+ has backed off from its early ambitions as a “compete with Facebook” social network. Google launched a new group-centric communication app this summer: Spaces. 

In some ways, Allo seems like the most “Google-y” of the bunch. You attach Allo to a phone number (as with Duo), but it has deep ties into Google services. It has all the expected features of messaging apps these days: stickers, quick access to images (and, on Android, the ability to draw over them), the ability to adjust the font size to shout or whisper... but these days, Google is all about machine learning, and Allo is chock full of it.

Smart Reply learns how you respond to common messages and lets you send text or emoji responses that suit the way you normally communicate. The more you use Allo, the smarter its suggestions become.

That’s a nice touch, but it’s the Google Assistant that will make or break Allo. The next evolution of Google Now, the Assistant is a conversational helper. Just message @google (even in the middle of another conversation) to have Google search for that funny cat photo you took last week, or the latest score from your favorite team, or flight info, or the answer to a simple math problem... just about anything you could ask Google Now, you could probably ask the Assistant, and more.

Allo does not encrypt messages end-to-end by default, as Google’s Assistant can’t use all that web-based machine learning stuff to help you if it doesn’t know what you’re talking about. If you want to have a private conversation, you can invoke Incognito Mode to enable end-to-end encryption and control how long messages stick around before they expire.

Google’s latest messaging app is also mobile-only. There’s no PC or Mac client, and no web client. It’s kind of an un-Google thing to do, really. Even WhatsApp, which is similarly tied to your phone number, is available on Windows, Mac, and the web.

We’ll have plenty more on Allo when the app finishes rolling out over the coming hours.

Jason Cross | @jasoncross00 - Executive Editor, Greenbot

New Universal app campaigns and video capabilities for Google AdWords

At dmexco in Germany today, Google announced two new updates to its ad innovations that will help brands connect customers with what they want at the right time. These new capabilities are specifically aimed at mobile-first users.

Click here for the official announcement from Google. 

The new features AdWords is getting are the next generation of Universal App Campaigns and TrueView for action. Both these, Google claims, are sure to allow brands to better connect with their customers.

Apparently, AdWords has delivered more than 3 billion app downloads to developers and advertisers, until now. This is a huge number and Google seems to be very proud boasting it. But a great user base isn’t always everything. Brands and advertisers need to attain customers that are vital to their business — users who can help the company achieve its goal.

Keeping this in mind, the company is introducing whole new Universal App Campaigns. This service will be going live globally to all advertisers and will help them find customers in accordance to their defined business goals.

trivago, a popular hotel search app, has already been using this service for a while now. And according to Sridhar Ramaswamy, Senior Vice President, Ads and Commerce at Google, the company saw a good increase in its value, thanks to the new version of Universal App Campaigns.

The brand cares deeply about helping travelers find the perfect hotel room and knows that users who tap on a deal are more likely to take the next step: book a stay,

he writes.

[…] Universal App Campaigns was able to find users who were more likely to click on hotel deals in app to book a room. As a result, the travel brand acquired customers who were 20% more valuable to its business across both Android and iOS.

The businesses can choose the in-app activity (click here to learn more about in-app activity) they require to achieve their goal. To keep track, you can use third-party measurement partners or Google’s app measurement solutions like Firebase Analytics to measure those activities. With all that set, Google’s artificial intelligence will take it from there. Using the new service, Google will then refine your ads so you can reach your most valuable users at the right price across Google’s largest properties.

Depending on the types of users engaging with the ads, Google will then show more of your ads on those types of consumers. May it be via YouTube, Play or plain old ads on web pages.

Next up is a new format that encourages users to take any online action that’s meaningful for your business. Called TrueView for action, the service makes your video ad more actionable by displaying a tailored call-to-action during and after your video. This means ads can now become skippable — advertisers only pay when an ad gets viewed completely or drives a download or purchase.

Apparently, this new format will be useful for advertisers in “high consideration” industries. These include financial services, automotive or travel.

Google AdWords Multiple Account Access & Management

Google AdWords has added a feature that lets you sign in with one account and quickly switch between different AdWords accounts without using the MCC (My Client Center). Google is calling it "multiple account access and management."

The new features improves multi-account management where you can now access multiple accounts with a single login, quickly switch between accounts, and invite new users. You can now associate up to 5 AdWords accounts (including manager accounts) to a single email address. You can invite new users to access your account with a single click.. Once your colleagues receive your invitation, they can start accessing your account right away -- no email confirmation required.

To do so:

1. Click your email address or customer ID on the top right.
2. Click Manage AdWords accounts from the drop-down menu.
3. You’ll see a list of the AdWords accounts associated with your current Google Account.

Here is the switcher user interface:

Marketo's Definitive Guide to Digital Advertising

Marketo is one of the leaders when it comes to Marketing Automation Software and solutions. They have put together an interesting guide on Digital Advertising. I gave it a look and found it a very good read especially for someone coming fresh into Digital Marketing.

If you want to check it out click on the link at the bottom of this post:

From Marketo.com: Advertising has evolved. No longer is it restricted to print publications, static billboards, radio, and television. Modern technologies have opened the door to a whole new era of advertising–digital advertising. Digital advertising allows marketers and advertisers to reach and appeal to their core audiences in new ways and with more precision.

The challenge of meeting the modern buyer's expectation of a continuous, cross-channel, and personal experience is met with new ad technology and innovations that continue to advance at break-neck speeds. New ad technology platforms, types of ads, methods of tracking, dynamic ad content, and advances such as the Internet of Things now provide endless opportunities for marketers and advertisers to engage their customers personally and across channels.

In this comprehensive, 110+ page guide, we cover topics from the evolution of digital advertising, to how to structure your digital marketing team, to testing and optimization. Loaded with checklists, charts, and thought leadership from digital advertising experts, The Definitive Guide to Digital Advertising will teach you how to create strategic and dynamic digital advertising.

Download The Definitive Guide To Digital Advertising to learn: 

• What makes up digital advertising
• How to create your digital ad strategy
• The different types of ads you have at your disposal
• The pricing structures you can expect
• How to target your digital ads
• How to design your digital ads
• The types of ad technology that are available
• How to test and measure your ads
• Insights from industry experts
  

Click here to visit Marketo.com and download the Guide

Yahoo Sells To Verizon In Saddest $5 Billion Deal In Tech History

Yahoo was once the king of the Internet, a $125 billion behemoth as big in its time as Facebook or Google are today. Now it’s being sold to Verizon for comparative chump change.

On Monday morning, Yahoo is expected to announce the end of the long process to extricate itself from a mess of its own making with a sale of its core business to Verizon for just under $5 billion, according to multiple reports. The transaction ends the independence of one of Silicon Valley’s most iconic pioneering companies. Yahoo’s seventh and final CEO, Marissa Mayer, will reportedly depart with severence pay worth more than $50 million.

The sale will unite Yahoo with another fallen star, AOL, the first web portal Verizon bought last year for $4.4 billion. The United States’ largest wireless provider is betting nearly $10 billion that combining the two formerly dominant websites will give it an edge in mobile content and advertising technology it can leverage across its more than 140 million subscribers.

But the biggest story today is how Yahoo squandered its massive head start and let each wave of new technology in search, social, and mobile pass it by. Yahoo remains largely the same company it was a decade ago — a portal that hundreds of millions of users rely on for everything from news and weather to key functions like email and games like fantasy football. As the attention of the world shifted to smartphone apps, Yahoo’s last advantage in the desktop world began to fade.

Yahoo began in 1994 as “Jerry’s Guide to the World Wide Web,” a list of websites curated by Stanford University students Jerry Yang and David Filo. It grew quickly as millions of Americans began turning on dial-up Internet connections and needed a home page that would direct them to all their essential destinations. In 1996 it went public and rode the dot-com bubble to epic heights, reaching a peak of $500 a share (or $125 a share in today’s post-split calculations) in January 2000

Yet Yahoo missed the opportunity of a generation to convert its early lead and millions of users into more than just a portal. At the height of the bubble, it spent $4.5 billion to buy Geocities and $5.7 billion to buy Broadcast.com, but would later reportedly squander the chance to buy young versions of both Google and Facebook. Yahoo’s own search offering now holds only a fraction of the market and its eventual purchase of social network Tumblr hasn’t made up for the Facebook miss. (Yahoo wrote down Tumblr’s value for the second time last week.)

Over the last four years, Mayer, a former Google executive, tried to right Yahoo’s ship. But her tenure was marred by confused strategy and mismanagement. Revenue peaked in 2008, the year after the iPhone came out, and traffic has continued to fall as users find their attention drawn to younger, more relevant websites and apps.

The one thing that kept Yahoo afloat for this long is Jerry Yang’s risky $1 billion bet on Alibaba in 2005. That bought 40% in what would become China’s ecommerce king. Yahoo sold parts of that holding over time, but its current stake is still worth more than $30 billion at today’s prices.

However, the investment was so successful that it became worth far more than Yahoo’s flagging core business. In 2015, Yahoo’s management plotted a tax-free spin off of its Alibaba stake to unlock shareholder value, but scrapped the plan at the last minute when the IRS refused to grant its blessing. Since then, Yahoo has been evaluating “strategic alternatives” with a months-long auction process for its core business that has drawn constant headlines and speculation.

Experts have long pegged Verizon as the frontrunner, but others put in bids. Billionaires Dan Gilbert and Warren Buffett backed one offer, as did the parent company of Yellow Pages, and private equity firm TPG.

But in the end, it would be Verizon that snagged Yahoo’s technology and web properties like a bargain bin hunter, 24 years after inception. It’s an ironic end. While the opening of the consumer web made the portal an early online superpower, now Yahoo will be eaten by a company that enables more users to access the Internet every day, from anywhere, than Yahoo’s founders ever could have dreamed when they first launched.

By Brian Solomon for Forbes. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Machine learning powers a new Smart Bidding feature for AdWords and DoubleClick Search

Real-time bidding is an aspect of digital marketing that can seem overly complex for the average bear, so it was only a matter of time before AI entered the picture. This week, Google brought machine learning into the process to help make it easier.

Tapping some of the same artificial-intelligence technologies that have already appeared in Google Photos and AlphaGo, Smart Bidding is a new capability for conversion-based automated bidding across AdWords and DoubleClick Search to help companies determine their optimal bid for any given campaign or portfolio. It can factor in millions of signals, Google says, and continually refines models of users' conversion performance at different bid levels.

"Smart Bidding's learning capabilities quickly maximize the accuracy of your bidding models to improve how you optimize the long-tail," Anthony Chavez, Google's product management director for search ads, wrote in a blog post explaining the new service. "It evaluates patterns in your campaign structure, landing pages, ad text, product information, keyword phrases, and many more data points to identify more relevant similarities across bidding items."

Essentially, Smart Bidding tailors bids to each auction across Google's properties and allows buyers to factor in a wide range of contextual signals, including device and location. Focusing on device performance, for instance, advertisers can set separate cost per acquisition (CPA) goals by device. A telecom advertiser whose best leads come in via mobile, for instance, could set a higher target CPA for that platform compared with other devices.

New reporting features, meanwhile, show companies exactly how their bid strategies are performing and flag any issues requiring attention.

Current users of AdWords Smart Bidding include AliExpress, SurveyMonkey, and Capterra, Google says.

"Google is trying to maximize effectiveness of search marketing as well as its own revenue," said Greg Sterling, vice president for strategy and insights with the Local Search Association. "Bringing machine learning to bear on bidding should advance both objectives."

Article by Katherine Noyes

Financemagnates Exclusive: HY Markets Rebrands as HYCM, to Launch New Website

Article first published on Financemagnates.com

By Avi Mizrahi | Brokers (Retail FX) | Sunday, 17/07/2016|13:09 GMT

Henyep Capital Markets is rebranding its HY Markets brokerage under the name of HYCM, according to a message on the company’s website. The HYCM branded website with new tools and platforms will officially launch tomorrow, Monday July 18th, 2016.

The company notified its clients that following the launch of the HYCM site, they will be able to log in to the new website with their existing HY Markets usernames and passwords. HYT4 users can continue trading on the HYTrader 4 platform, while active webtrader users can access their accounts through a new multi-asset platform, PrimeTrader, accessible through the trade section of the client portal on the website.

Commenting to Finance Magnates, Marios Chailis, the marketing director of the firm, said that besides HY Markets the brands of PIPtrade and HY Investment will also come under the umbrella of the HYCM.com website. Additionally, he confirmed that the new multi asset web based platform was developed by the UK-based Star Financial Systems.

Headquartered in London, Henyep Capital Markets boasts over thirty years of operational experience. The group is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom (FCA) and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) within the Dubai International Financial Center.

History of Rebranding

During its many years in the business, Henyep Capital Markets has a history of renaming and rebranding. In 2010 Henyep Investment, a division of Henyep Group, changed its name to Henyep Capital Markets. And in early 2016 its DFSA regulated company, Henyep Investment Bank Limited, was renamed as Henyep Capital Markets (DIFC) Ltd. (‘HYCM DIFC’).

CEO Roger Bach commented back then: “HYCM DIFC has now entered its 10th year of successful operations within the DIFC; at this important milestone, and to further consolidate the Company’s position as a leading broker for retail clients, we have changed our name to reflect the global nature of our operations and breadth of financial products we offer.”

Some Guy Threw Molotov Cocktails, Shot Buildings And Burned Cars In A Series Of Attacks Against Google

Raul Murillo Diaz has been arrested for arson and is being investigated for two other incidents involving firearms and a torched Google car in a string of attacks against a Google building in Mountain View, California. The man was allegedly upset that Google was “watching him.”

According to a report from The Mercury News, Raul Murillo Diaz was arrested on suspicion of involvement in a string of attacks against a Google-owned building in Mountain View. From Mercury:

Federal prosecutors charged Raul Murillo Diaz, 30, with a single count of arson in a May 19 attack, according to an affidavit filed last week in U.S. District Court in San Jose. Investigators are seeking more information from Diaz about two other recent attacks, including the torching of a self-driving car.

Mountain View police arrested Diaz June 30 after a traffic stop near Google headquarters. Police said they found a weapons case and the makings of a pipe bomb in Diaz’s Volkswagen SUV, according to the affidavit.

Diaz later told officers that “he felt Google was watching him and that made him upset,” according to the sworn statement. 

The May 19th attack on the Google campus involved an attempt to burn a Google street view car with Molotov Cocktails (made out of bottle of Blue Moon beer, no less), leaving the vehicle undamaged but burning a patch of the parking lot.

Diaz is also suspected for an attack on June 4th that involved windows of a building owned by Google being shot out, with the same SUV being present from the May attack. A third attack on the morning of June 10th involved a hooded figure torching a Google car originally believed to be a self-driving prototype, but may have actually been a Google Maps street-view car instead.

Diaz allegedly kept journals tracking his suspicions of Google watching him. I wonder which search engine he used to look up “How to make a Molotov Cocktail”? Maybe he didn’t look it up, and that’s why he was using beer.

Story from Jalopnik

Digital Transformation: Engineering The New Reality

Hitachi Consulting has produced an eight-chapter e book, Engineering The New Reality, in which it explores the practical steps to addressing today’s greatest digital challenges through topics such as big data, smart cities, digital engineering, Internet of Things and energy efficiency.

Very interesting read, which basically emphasizes what a lot of people in the industry know: Organizations need to overcome their fear of failure and  Digital Transformation just might be what they need to get this done.

Check it out here

Online marketing and Distribution need urgent attention according to Hoteliers

Managed guest relationships, integrated technology systems, and improved data collection and security are the three most critical needs of hoteliers when it comes to distribution and online marketing, according to a whitepaper by hotel technology experts Dr Peter O’Connor, SiteMinder and Revinate.

The whitepaper, Envisioning the Future of Hotel Distribution and Online Marketing, is based on research conducted in late 2015 with hotelier delegates of World Travel Market London. It found that hoteliers see overcoming the challenges of a fast-paced online environment, advancing technology and ever-increasing consolidation within the OTA space as priority.

“Most people involved in hotel distribution and online marketing would agree that the whole area is in turmoil right now, with both technology and consumer expectations evolving extremely rapidly,” says Dr Peter O’Connor. “At the same time, competition in the online environment continues to become more intense, with the result that hotels need to pay much more attention to how and where they are being sold, as well as invest in the right systems and expertise to ensure they can compete effectively in this highly turbulent environment.”

Hotelier participants were asked what their key challenges and concerns were in relation to distribution and online marketing – now and over the next three years. Topping the list was the guest experience, with hoteliers admitting they invest too much of their already-limited time and resources into driving one-off transient bookings which lead to high guest acquisition costs.

Maarten Plesman, VP of EMEA at Revinate, says: “The key to drive guest loyalty and increase direct bookings revolves around moving away from putting heads in beds to build and manage close relationships with clients. In order to do so, as a means to exceed their expectations, hoteliers need to collect, store, analyse and use the trove of guest data available today through a single, integrated view; that is the philosophy at the core of our Revinate Marketing tool.”

The second and third greatest challenges and concerns, respectively, were integrated technology systems and improved data collection and security. SiteMinder, which has the industry’s largest channel management platform and in 2014 achieved PCI DSS compliance across its full product suite, says solutions to these exist but it is up to hoteliers to adopt them.

“Hoteliers have access to big data that nobody else does – that is, their own guest data. What we continue to see, however, is the use of disparate, legacy systems that prevent the real-time automation hoteliers need to do their jobs. Often, these technologies also do not meet today’s data security standards and while no technology can guarantee full protection of guest data, using technology that has achieved the industry’s stringent security benchmarks is one way they can be ahead,” says SiteMinder’s managing director, Mike Ford.

One reason why Yahoo might have a tough time selling its search business

Yahoo is looking for someone to buy its core internet business, which includes its search business, but that might be a hard-sell. 

As this chart from Statista shows, based on data from the web research firm Statcounter, Yahoo's search business accounts for only a small part of the global search market. In most regions, it owns less than 3% of the market, although its presence in the North America is slightly bigger. 

Add that to the fact that Yahoo's search revenue hasn't seen much growth lately, and it could become a less attractive buy for most companies. Still, it draws hundreds of millions of users per month, which is why companies like Verizon and AT&T are rumored to be interested in it.

Yahoo hangs the "for sale" sign

February 2nd 2016: Yahoo just officially hung up a "for sale" sign.

Company chairman Maynard Webb writes that Yahoo is "exploring additional strategic alternatives" to the four-point growth plan the company laid out in a press release.

Here's Webb (emphasis added):

The Board also believes that exploring additional strategic alternatives, in parallel to the execution of the management plan, is in the best interest of our shareholders. Separating our Alibaba stake from our operating business continues to be a primary focus, and our most direct path to value maximization. In addition to continuing work on the reverse spin, which we've discussed previously, we will engage on qualified strategic proposals."

This announcement follows Wall Street rumblings about how Yahoo should sell its core internet business. The company's stock is down nearly 40% from its 52-week high.

Four Online Marketing Predictions for 2016

The fast paced, ever-changing world of online marketing can be a daunting prospect for business owners.

But it shouldn’t be.

In fact, business owners should feel more in control than ever. After all, the needs of companies and the increasingly sophisticated preferences of consumers continue to dictate the direction of the digital marketing industry as a whole.

If anything, online marketing is becoming more user-friendly, which means businesses will have an ever expanding choice of tools to reach new markets and stay ahead of the competition.

These four trends promise to ensure the popularity and effectiveness of online marketing in 2016:

1. Watch for the Online Video Boom

Online video is the future of content marketing. Major players like Facebook and Bing now offer video options for advertisers and Google is experimenting with in-Search Engine Results Page (in-SERP) video advertising. These moves prove that users are growing more accepting of online video ads.

The stats in favor of video marketing are already strong:

• Video will account for 69 percent of consumer internet traffic by 2017.

• Seven in 10 people view brands more positively after watching their video content.

• Sixty-four percent of marketers expect video to dominate their strategies.

• Consider the potential reach—YouTube (owned by Google) sees more than a billion unique visitors each month, more than any other channel except Facebook.

What does this mean for small companies, and how can they afford this trend?

• Video’s shareability is strong. Engaged viewers will share videos, spend more time on your website, and interact more with your brand.

• Video is one of the best options for social media campaigns.

• Production costs have fallen significantly, eliminating affordability concerns.

How can businesses use videos effectively for optimum ROI?

• Remember your audience and use relevant material.

• Small businesses must offer easily viewable content.

• Use social media to promote across multiple channels.

• Invest in mobile-focused online marketing. Google's mobile traffic recently overtook its desktop traffic in 10 countries, and its Mobilegeddon algorithm is currently phasing out sites not optimized for mobile.

2. Marketing Automation Will Continue to Evolve

Marketing automation is undergoing vast changes. According to industry expert David Raab, 70 percent of markets are unhappy or marginally happy with marketing automation software. But businesses must recognize the huge potential benefits of marketing automation. What’s on the forefront:

• Industry experts predict a shift in the prevailing marketing platform over the next three years.

• The platform will be predictive first, offer full circle recommendations, and embrace open programs.

• Companies like Conversica, Lytics, and Infer are making predictive analytics much more accessible.

• More companies are offering more efficient and effective solutions to the challenges with which marketing automation has historically struggled.

What do these new platforms mean for your business? Predictive intelligence platforms will be easier and more intuitive to use. These prediction systems can learn, improve, and adapt on their own as customers use them, essentially fueling the intuitive process.

3. Expect Digital Advertising to Experience a Major Transformation

Companies employing interstitial ads, the frustrating full-screen ads that pop up on your mobile device when you’re trying to access a website, are about to see a crackdown. Users are sick of the ads, which often redirect them to irrelevant pages. Industry giants Google and Apple are taking action against these ads. Google announced plans to “permanently retire” interstitial ads, while Apple’s new iOS 9 provides ad blocker apps. How, then, can companies using online marketing to reach their customers in this consumer-driven environment?

• See ad blockers as positive and rise to the challenge of finding user-friendly marketing solutions.

• Reach your audience with soft and subtle promotions instead of in-your-face ads by developing high quality content marketing.

• Use click-baiting wisely by using the curiosity gap article technique. Consumers clicking on headlines that engage their curiosity will click into an ad-heavy page.

• Consider using native ads. Although obviously designed to entice consumers to ad-heavy pages, if the content delivers, the customer will click.

4. Apps Are the Future of Digital Marketing

The app wins, hands-down, for biggest, most exciting innovation in online marketing. More consumers are turning to mobile devices and smart watches, changing the landscape of online searching. The app will revolutionize how users search and make purchases. Google and other industry giants are paying attention. Is your business?

The latest facts and predictions for apps:

• Users spend 90 percent of mobile usage on apps.

• Google is now indexing apps similarly to how it indexes traditional websites.

• App developers and digital marketers will be able to develop ways to shorten consumers’ searches by recognizing and analyzing common intersections between apps.

• Apps get more visibility for their downloads in mobile searches, in turn ranking higher in searches.

• Jayson DeMers, founder and CEO of AudienceBloom, predicts apps will become commonplace for informational and functional needs within the next 10 to 20 years.

Why do apps appeal to users?

• They’re more user-friendly and practical for smaller screens, like mobile and wearable devices.

• Unlike older online search methods, the newer integration capabilities of apps allows them to offer more detailed and accurate results.

• Voice-based search capabilities are on the rise, saving users time and frustration from web browsers.

2016 will be a crucial year in app adoption as business owners attempt to utilize the latest technology in apps to revolutionize methods of reaching consumers, potentially increasing ROIs. These tips will help online marketers prepare for the inevitable app explosion:

• Create online marketing campaigns aimed at mobile users. Mobile digital media time has risen to 51 percent while desktop time has fallen to 42 percent. Forrester predicts mobile commerce transactions will reach $142 billion in 2016.

• Businesses should utilize popular and well-reviewed apps.

• Develop your own app to help your business stay ahead of the competition.

• Be aware of consumer-driven changes in online marketing and be willing to adapt to the changing way users search online, capsizing on this cutting-edge way to do business.

2016 promises exciting new trends and changes for online marketers. Take advantage of the ground-breaking research done by Google and Apple to customize your own cutting-edge business marketing strategies. Remember, the consumer wants fast and convenient, so tap into these new ways to generate business on their terms.