Many companies have found some ways to generate business results through collaboration. In a recent webinar, structured approach to social business was explored. But what is structured collaboration. Jim Lundy (CEO and lead analyst for Aragon Research), explains it as an association of existing social techniques with product management technologies augmented by predictive analytics. He also says that "Collaboration isn't new, but teams that move fast are going to do more collaboration. They're going to do it with more people. And they're going to get to those outcomes faster."  To know more, follow: http://www.cmswire.com/cms/social-business/the-next-phase-of-collaboration-getting-the-job-done-026898.php

Location-based advertising is new in the digital marketing industry. Now one can locate consumers down to the exact product they are examining in a store. This is called “hyper-local” data, and it’s an asset for digital marketers. Now one can find consumers and send location-specific messages. As a result, ads can be made individually more relevant. Specific data related to things like transit delays, real-time weather, and up-to-the-minute football game scores etc. can inform marketers to push relevant content. Read more at:  http://www.cmswire.com/cms/digital-marketing/location-data-fuels-the-future-of-marketing-026908.php

Healthcare IT outsourcing market (HCIT) depends on health insurance industry, healthcare systems industry, and pharmaceutical industry. According to a report, this industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6%, to reach $50.4 billion by 2018 from $35 billion in 2013. 72% of the global HCIT outsourcing market is from North America and is expected to reach $36 billion by 2018 from $25 billion in 2013. The factors which contribute to the growth of the market are the rising pressure to curb healthcare costs across the globe, growing need to manage cash flow in back-office administration and IT management systems of healthcare provider, payers. Read more at: http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/267152-healthcare-it-outsourcing-market-by-application-provider-ehr-rcm-lims-payer-crm-claims-management-fraud-detection-billing-life-science-erp-ctms-cdms-operational-scm-bpm-infrastructure-ims-cloud-computing-industry-global-forecast-to-2018.html

When a company implements CRM Solution, usability should be the most important criteria because it is found that CRM systems work only if they’re used; if the system is too complicated, it will never serve the purpose for which you purchased it. But, we should know what is meant by usability. Usability refers to the ease of use. It measures how well a user interacts with the CRM application. But, it is not this simple. There are many factors to measure usability. Jeff Orloff (an analyst with Studio B) writes in his article about usability in details. Read more at: : http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/usability-as-a-selection-criterion-for-crm-63210

CRM software is used in many organizations. But first, we need to know what a CRM Software is? CRM software helps to keep track of an organization’s current and future client interactions. There are many CRM solutions available in the market, and choosing the right one is critical. The right CRM solution should be used fully and should not hinder business processes or operations. Some CRM systems have extra features that may not be used to their full potential and therefore is a waste of money. Coordination across each department is another aspect while choosing a good CRM. But we have to remember that successful CRM is not limited to the functionality and capability of the system itself; it relies on employees making successful contact with customers also. Read more at: : http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/the-secret-to-crm-success-what-your-competition-doesnt-want-you-to-know-63230

Security breaches are common in every organization. Some breaches lead to possible threat to important data. So, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) data security has become important. Jerri Ledford (Writer of Business Technology) writes in her article about common security mistakes that organizations are making. To know more, follow: : http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/4-common-mistakes-in-crm-security-63231

Digital marketing is based on data. It can be measured and tested, and we can learn something valuable from each campaign that we complete. Grant A. Johnson (Founder of Johnson Direct and Digital) writes in his article about some points which are to be kept in mind when creating a digital marketing campaign. To know more, follow: : http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/25056/a-seven-item-checklist-for-measurable-marketing-in-the-digital-age

According to a study by MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute, it was found that Business-to-consumer (B2C) content marketers struggle tracking their content marketing return on investment (ROI). According to another study by B2C Content Marketing: 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends—North America, Only 23% of B2C marketers say they are successful at tracking the ROI of their content marketing program, and nearly as many (21%) do not track ROI at all. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26252/2015-b2c-content-marketing-benchmarks-budgets-and-trends

According to a recent report from Marin Software, 88% of enterprise marketers are using digital retargeting to re-engage users who haven't purchased on initial visits. The most popular tools for retargeting come from Google. 89% of marketers re-target using the company's Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSA) or the Google Display Network (GDN). To know more, follow:  http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26218/marketing-retargeting-benchmarks-trends-and-challenges

Audio Branding is an important aspect nowadays. But, what is Audio Branding? It is a distinct musical identity that expresses a product or service's promise, personality.  It defines your brand essence and value. The best practice is to have a clear process for developing your audio brand. Colleen Fahey (US managing director of Sixième Son) and Laurence Minsky (an associate professor in the marketing communication department at Columbia College, Chicago), writes about the processes which audio branding agencies have developed some methods to keep the team from going off track. Read more at:  http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/26202/how-to-get-the-most-of-out-of-best-practices-in-audio-branding

A recent report from Retention Science said that 31% of online retailers in the US with annual marketing budgets exceeding $1 million do not personalize their websites and of the 69% of companies that do personalize their websites, just 21% offer personalized offers to visitors. The most popular form of website personalization for companies is product recommendations. To know more, follow:  : http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/25927/how-much-do-retail-marketers-personalize-websites-and-emails

Smartphones and tables enable consumers to stay connected and share their good and bad experiences. Marketers have to think mobile devices as a way of collecting valuable feedback. Mark Penson (CMO of Survey Anyplace), writes in his article how marketers can tap into customers' thinking to build their brand. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/26150/always-on-marketing-to-the-always-connected-five-ways-to-tap-into-customer-thinking

Nowadays, the success of digital marketing depends on analytics and if it is used effectively, then marketers can recognize trends, uncover insights and take action such as personalizing content and remarketing. But, data loses its value if action is not taken timely. Now, the question arises that how marketers tackle the immense volume of data and take action. JD Nyland (Director of product management for Adobe Analytics), writes in this article how analytics can help in taking smarter action. To know more, follow:  http://www.cmswire.com/cms/digital-marketing/5-ways-analytics-enables-smarter-action-026782.php

Organizations should keep their marketing strategy flexible. Goals and strategy should be different. Caroline Melberg (Chief Engagement Officer, Small Business Mavericks) writes in her article about some ideas of different goals and strategies that a company should follow. Read more at: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/your-marketing-strategy-flexible-0

With the growth of business, one has to cater to a larger audience and that is the time to consider a new email service provider (ESP). Often CMOs and CTOs who want to upgrade ESPs meet with disappointment, because migration to a new platform can be tricky and it can have a positive or negative impact on a company's reputation and, therefore, in customer communications. Email is a channel that companies rely on for generating revenue, and mistakes can have a negative impact. Anthony Marnell (VP, North America of Mailjet), writes in his article about the mistakes that companies can avoid and save time and can expect a positive outcome. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/26101/five-deadly-email-platform-migration-mistakes-to-avoid

Retailers are using analytical tools in order to drive sales. Organizations use tools such as pricing and assortment optimization, location analytics, and customer-driven marketing. Still, many retailers are puzzled to prioritize their analytical approaches. Some companies are astounded by the large number of options they have, while others find it difficult to manage data provided by various point-of-sale systems, websites and other internal transaction processes. Another reason is a lack of skilled analysts which hampers progress. Thomas H. Davenport (Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management at Babson College in Massachusetts), writes in his article about the strategies and approaches organizations must follow while choosing their analytical tools. To know more, follow: http://www.teradatamagazine.com/v09n04/Viewpoints/The-potential-of-retail-analytics/

In today’s world, marketing is everything. If you cannot influence your customers, you will suffer loss. So, for that marketers try out different kind of things to influence customers. They bombard them with messages about how their products or services are better than those of others. Every company is giving such messages. The competition is stiff and that’s why companies have to make sure that they are heard. Hence, a new concept has come up - influencer marketing. But to understand influencer marketing, we need to understand who influencers are. Influencers are people who have established credibility and influence by their reliability and authenticity.  They can be bloggers, influential customers, thought leaders, journalists, consultants, industry experts. Andrew Cravenho (CEO of CBAC) writes in his article about some important steps that will help you build a successful influencer marketing strategy. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/26058/how-to-build-an-influencer-marketing-strategy

In today’s world, social marketing media is important and companies should take advantage of it. But, you must know how to take advantage of this. So, understanding of social media marketing is an important to understand social media fundamentals. Susan Gunelius (CEO of KeySplash Creative Inc.), writes about 10 laws of social media marketing and how this will help build a base that will serve customers, brand and most significantly – the bottom line. Read more at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/218160

Nowadays,Ice Bucket Challenge has gone viral in social media. According to the author, Gabrielle Boko (Executive Vice President of Marketing at Sage North America), startups, established firms and marketers can learn from the success of the Ice Bucket Challenge. Those companies who are trying to develop a viral campaign can take into account the following points: 1 Identify the goal or cause. 2 Make it fun and easy. 3 Add immediacy. 4 Understand the power of multiplication. 5 Share on many platforms. 6 Give participants a chance to feel good. Read more at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/236843

Customer loyalty is very important for any organization. Organizations must focus on how to build customer relationship and create customer loyalty. Chris X. Moloney (Director of Market Development and Strategy for Maritz Loyalty Marketing) writes about some tips on how to build customer loyalty and improve customer retention. They are: 1. Forget Price, Quality and Service Levels. 2. Satisfaction does not equal Loyalty. 3. Know your Best Customers. 4.  Treat Different Customers Differently.5. Understand and Use Marketing ROI. To know more details about these tips, follow: http://www.customerfocusconsult.com/articles/articles_template.asp?ID=19#.VB-mgZSSyJI