Google searches for Bitcoin pass Trump for the first time

According to this article by Jim Edwards on Businessinsider from back in September, the price of bitcoin has a 91% correlation with Google searches for bitcoin. Bitcoin is flying now and the data still backs up the theory:

• Google searches for bitcoin have surpassed queries for President Donald Trump for the first time.

• Interest in the cryptocurrency this year has helped drive a nearly 1,000% rally. 

• US regulators on Friday cleared the way for bitcoin futures trading, which should further increase participation in the crypto market. 

More people are asking Google about bitcoin than are seeking information on the president of the United States, according to Google Trends data. 

It's one anecdote that shows how interest in bitcoin and buying have driven its parabolic 1,000% rally this year. 

Another is the growing number of top Wall Streeters — from bank CEOs to equity strategists — who have been asked or have offered takes on bitcoin. On Thursday, Carl Icahn told CNBC bitcoin was similar to the Mississippi Bubble of the early 1700s.

Bitcoin searches on Google surpassed Trump searches late in November.

Throughout last month, speculation mounted that US regulators would give the green light to futures trading. The confirmation came Friday when the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said it would permit futures on three exchanges.

Futures contracts will allow traders to profit from their bets on bitcoin price moves without necessarily buying the cryptocurrency, and could increase participation among larger Wall Street firms.  

Bitcoin jumped 7% to $10,746 against the dollar at 9:04 a.m. ET, after the CFTC's announcement. It hit an all-time high above $11,000 on Wednesday. 

Akin Oyedele @ Businessinsider

Digital Marketing Is Evolving: Here Are Two Ways You Can Stay Relevant

Marketing has always been on the move in terms both of how it's both defined and executed. From the early days of the telephone and wireless transmission to the "huge TV" trend, radio and billboard commercials and the internet, to social media platforms, IoT -- and more -- businesses and brands have always had to be on their toes to figure out what's coming next.

If you run a business, you know that most consumers and businesses today are online, so a major part of your marketing has to be digital -- at least if you want to make any headway in reaching them. The scope of digital marketing application is massive -- and, no,  it is not all about social media marketing.

The one-size-fits-all content strategy will grow obsolete.

Your audience is likely made up of new, veteran and prospective customers of different ages and from different cultures and geographic locations. It would be foolhardy of you , then, to expect that they will all respond the same way to the same content. That's why you need to take their individual needs and requirement into consideration.

According to Key Difference Media, 78 percent of consumers will trust your brand if you create more personalized content. Dragon Search Media, moreover, reported that 61 percent of consumers it surveyed made buying decisions they said were influenced by custom content.

Video will continue to dominate other ad media.

If a single picture is worth a thousand words, then a minute-long video is worth a million words — about 1.8 million words actually, according to Forrester research. In other words, video marketing is the new poster child for digital advertising. In the recent past, video content has proven to be the most effective medium when it comes to garnering traffic and engagement, gaining leads and boosting conversions.

Come 2021, video will account for 82 percent of all online traffic according to a visual networking index created  by Cisco Systems. When you crunch the numbers from that report, you're looking at approximately 1 million video minutes per second by the year 2020.

Videos, in fact, are head and shoulders above other media strategies because they don't just provide content for your website users -- they demand engagement. This in turn speaks to the viral ability of videos, as 37 percent of viewers typically watch a video to the end, and 92 percent of mobile viewers share them with others. Simple Measured says that videos are shared 1,200 percent more than text and links combined.

For 2018, your business should concentrate mainly on creating memorable video content that stays true to your brand strategy. Do your SEO a world of good by adding relevant video content to your website, landing pages, content offers and ads (on and off social media).

Why? Video is the marketing tool of choice for 63 percent of businesses, according to a Wyzowl report -- so don't be left behind.

Credit to: Toby Nwazor