DIGITAL MARKETING

INTRODUCTION

           Digital marketing is an umbrella term for the targeted, measurable, and interactive marketing of products or services using digital technologies to reach and convert leads into customers.The key objective is to promote brands, build preference and increase sales through various digital marketing techniques. It is embodied by an extensive selection of service, product and brand marketing tactics, which mainly use the Internet as a core promotional medium, in addition to mobile and traditional TV and radio.

  Digital marketing concepts and practice are evolving tremendously among several industries, especially by the leading companies among each industry utilizing the mass reach of digital tools and social media platforms, benefiting from the possibility to create individually tailored approach that can achieved at a very productive cost.

   Digital marketing activities are search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM) , content marketing, influencer marketing, content automation, campaign marketing, and e-commerce marketing. It also extends to non-Internet channels that provide digital media, such as mobile phones (SMS and MMS), callback and on-hold mobile ring tones, social media marketing,e-mail direct marketing, display advertising, e–books, optical disks and games, and any other form of digital media.

     According to the Digital Marketing Institute, Digital Marketing is the use of digital channels to promote or market products and services to consumers and businesses.

HISTORY

     The term 'digital marketing' was first used in the 1990s. In the 2000s and the 2010s, digital marketing became more sophisticated as an effective way to create a relationship with the consumer that has depth and relevance. While the term 'digital marketing' may not have been used until the 1990s, digital marketing itself has roots to the mid-1980s when the SoftAd Group, now ChannelNetdeveloped advertising campaigns for several major automobile companies, wherein people would send in reader reply cards found in magazines and receive in return floppy disks that contained multimedia content promoting various cars and offering free test drives.

  The rapid evolution of digital media has created new opportunities and avenues for advertising and marketing. Fueled by the proliferation of devices to access digital media, this has led to the exponential growth of digital advertising.

    Digital media growth is estimated at 4.5 trillion online ads served annually with digital media spend at 48% growth in 2010. An increasing portion of advertising stems from businesses employing Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA) to tailor advertising for Internet users. Though an innovative resource, OBA raises concern with regards to consumer privacy and data protection. Such implications are important considerations for responsible communications. Digital marketing is often referred to as 'online marketing', 'internet marketing' or 'web marketing'. The term 'digital marketing' has grown in popularity over time, particularly in certain countries. In the USA 'online marketing' is still prevalent, in Italy is referred as 'web marketing' but in the UK and worldwide, 'digital marketing' has become the most common term, especially after the year 2013.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND STRATEGIES

     As digital marketing is dependent on technology which is ever-evolving and fast-changing, the same features should be expected from digital marketing developments and strategies. This portion is an attempt to qualify or segregate the notable highlights existing and being used as of press time.

1. Segmentation: more focus has been placed on segmentation within digital marketing, in order to target specific markets in both business to business and business to consumer sectors.

2. Influencer Marketing: Important nodes are identified within related communities, known as influencers. This is becoming an important concept in digital targeting. It is possible to reach influencers via paid advertising, such as Facebook Advertising or Google Adwords campaigns, or through sophisticated sCRM (social customer relationship management) software, such as SAP C4C, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage CRM and Salesforce CRM. Many universities now focus, at Masters level, on engagement strategies for influencers.

To summarize, Pull digital marketing is characterized by consumers actively seeking marketing content while Push digital marketing occurs when marketers send messages without that content being actively sought by the recipients.

3. Online Behavioural Advertising: Online Behavioural Advertising refers to the practice of collecting information about a user’s online activity over time, “on a particular device and across different, unrelated websites, in order to deliver advertisements tailored to that user’s interests and preferences.

4. Collaborative Environment: A collaborative environment can be set up between the organization, the technology service provider,and the digital agencies to optimize effort, resource sharing, re-usability and communications.

An important consideration today while deciding on strategy is that the digital tools have democratized the promotional landscape. 

Multi-channel communications

     Push and pull message technologies can be used in conjunction.

Self-regulation

     The ICC Code has integrated rules that apply to marketing communications using digital interactive media throughout the guidelines. There is also an entirely updated section dealing with issues specific to digital interactive media techniques and platforms. Code self-regulation on use of digital interactive media includes: • Clear and transparent mechanisms to enable consumers to choose not to have their data collected for advertising or marketing purposes; • Clear indication that a social network site is commercial and is under the control or influence of a marketer; • Limits are set so that marketers communicate directly only when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the consumer has an interest in what is being offered; • Respect for the rules and standards of acceptable commercial behaviour in social networks and the posting of marketing messages only when the forum or site has clearly indicated its willingness to receive them; • Special attention and protection for children.

Inside India's Digital Locker: What Is DIGILocker and How Does It Work?

Introduction

            Between your wallet and that locker in your house where you keep things safe (in theory; in practice you forget to put things in there safely, and then have a panic attack as you desperately search everywhere for your missing passport), how many government documents do you think you have? A quick check shows that there are several at hand - an Aadhaar card, a driver's license, voter ID, PAN card, all in the wallet, and a passport at home. Then there's old income tax returns, property tax receipts, and educational certificates from school and college, all kept "safely" archived for when they're needed.

           That's a huge number of documents to keep and manage, and the government also seems to have taken notice. As part of Digital India week on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched a digital locker service called DIGILocker, though the service was soft-launched sometime back.

DIGILocker 

        Very simply, it's a website where you can store your various government issued documents, using your Aadhaar card as your identification. While it hasn't been stated as such, to us, it also looks like a good way of bringing data from different government agencies together under the aegis of the Aadhaar card, potentially making the document more useful to people carrying it.

          To sign up, you need only enter your Aadhaar number, and an SMS is set out to the mobile phone number you registered at the enrolment camp. This one-time-password is the only way to get inside your DIGILocker for the first time, but afterwards, you can set your own password or link the DIGILocker to your Google or Facebook login.

       After you've signed up, you can upload your government documents to the DIGILocker - there's only 10MB of storage at present - but you can also save the Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) of government documents using DIGILocker.

Working

         The idea is that this should minimise the need for physical documents; if your birth and education certificates are online, and you apply for a passport, then the Passport Office could use your Aadhaar number to request the DIGILocker for your details, without needing you to carry a large file of documents for the application.

        Or, the RTO could issue your Driver's License directly to your DIGILocker, based on your Aadhaar information alone; this way, if you need to send your new license to any agency as verification, you'll have an online, authenticated version available whenever you need it.

     There's also a planned e-Signature facility with DIGILocker, though that will be launched later; between digital signatures and government documents in the cloud, it is clear that the government wants to make it easier for people to use government services online. Today, getting almost anything done with the government requires you to produce ID documents, which requires a visit to the government offices. Few, if any, government branches allow you to mail a copy of your documents - which actually makes sense for security reasons - but DIGILocker will be a way to authentically curate your documents, and make it easy to share them to different departments.

Threats

         While the DIGILocker website looks to have the basics in place by using HTTPS (the same protocol that your bank uses to secure communication between your computer and their servers) for the main part of the website, you have to wonder how secure the backend is. You can be pretty sure that a place where everyone is keeping their official documents will be a target for hackers foreign and local.

Conclusion

       Right now, there's not too many ways in which DIGILocker is useful, but it's a clear signpost to the direction we're moving in. Some people worry that this much centralised data could lead to misuse, and also warn of the potential of small mistakes in documents now creating much bigger problems than before, but there's no denying that the convenience of having all our documents digitally accessible and easily shared to different government departments when needed is very appealing.

          To access your digital locker, visit DIGILocker and you can sign up now for free with your Aadhaar details.

Solid-state drives lose data if left without power for just a few days

              Solid-state drives don't look like much, but they're in many newer notebooks

Storage. It's not a sexy topic. But everyone uses it in some way or another. You have iPhones, you have computers. Everyone knows how important a person's data is. But it doesn't just "disappear."

New research suggests that newer solid-state hard drives, which are faster and offer better performance, are vulnerable to an inherent flaw -- they lose data when they're left dormant in storage for periods of time where the temperature isn't properly regulated.

The worrying factor is that the period of time can be weeks, months, but even in some circumstances -- just a few days.Solid-state drives are better than regular mechanical hard drives, which are slow and sluggish. But unless they're battered around, smashed, or poured in acid, they pretty much last forever.

A recent presentation by hard drive maker Seagate's Alvin Cox warned that the period of time data is retained on some solid-state drives is halved for every 9°F (or 5°C) rise in temperature where its stored.

That means if a solid-state drive is stored in a warm room, say 77°F (25°C), its data can last for about two years. But, if that goes up by a mere few degrees to 86°F (30°C), that data's retention period will be cut in half.

Don't immediately freak out, though. It depends entirely on the temperature, but also the type of drive you're using. Most consumer solid-state drives, such as those in high-end performance desktops and certain notebooks (including Apple MacBooks), do not suffer as much. They are designed to retain data for about two years in storage under the right temperature.

But enterprise solid-state drives pose the biggest risk to data loss, because the retention period drops considerably.

A moderate increase of just 9°F (5°C) in temperature in a space where an enterprise solid-state drive is stored can drop a retention rate from 20 weeks to 10 weeks.

Why does it even matter? Data isn't meant to just disappear, or get lost. Although newer solid-state drives are more common in a consumer rather than an enterprise setting (mostly because of the associated costs), ensuring data security is a high priority for businesses and companies.

But keeping a solid-state drive at a reasonable temperature is probably the last thing most think of.

"If long-term storage is required, image the [drive] onto a mechanical drive and place that drive in storage as well".

First car powered by Android Auto arrives

                                     Android Auto in the 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hyundai

The first production car model integrated with Android Auto has rolled off the shop floor -- and it is a Hyundai 2015 Sonata.

On Tuesday, the South Korean automaker announced the launch of Android Auto within its production vehicles, starting with the 2015 Sonata with Navigation model.

If Android smartphone users own a 2015 Sonata with navigation capabilities, they can now ask their dealerships to download the vehicle infotainment system for free. Android 5.0 Lollipop or later is required on paired smartphones to integrate Android Auto properly into the 2015 Sonata with Navigation.

Android Auto is Google's answer to infotainment systems, designed to rival Apple's CarPlay , which is based on the iOS ecosystem. Android Auto offers hands-free, voice-activated smartphone application use on the road including Google Maps, Now, messaging, phone calling and music. A number of third-party apps are also compatible with the infotainment system, such as iHeartRadio, Spotify, TuneIn, NPR, Stitcher and Skype.

The South Korean automaker says working with Google and including Android Auto in the firm's vehicles improves safety. Hyundai claims that during daytime hours, roughly 600,000 drivers at any given time are using their smartphones or using electronic drivers across the US while driving -- and the infotainment system helps "keep drivers' eyes and attention on the road" by integrating the same functions of devices into the car's dashboard.

"Furthermore, the smartphone's screen becomes "locked," so drivers are not tempted to look down and interact with their phones directly while Android Auto is in use," Hyundai says.

While owners of existing 2015 Sonata with Navigation models can snap up the software update for free from dealerships, later in summer, other Hyundai owners can download the software on to USB drives for use with navigation ports to make their systems Android Auto compatible.

Hyundai is not the only automaker interested in adopting Android Auto. Compatible vehicles are slated for release by a number of other manufacturers, including Audi, Bentley, Honda, Ford and Nissan.

Basic Internet Safety

The Internet has drastically changed the way that children interact with the world. They have access to in-depth knowledge, tools to express their creativity, and people from all over the world. Yet along with offering a fascinating, new way to connect with the world, the Internet also offers new risks 

• Cyberbullying 
• Exposure to inappropriate material 
• Online predators 
• Revealing too much personal information 

Learn the basics of Internet safety

Children use a variety of online services, and each of these services can have different safety concerns. However, there are some basic tips which you can employ no matter how your children use the Internet. 

• Keep the computer in a high-traffic area of your home. 
• Establish limits for which online sites children may visit and for how long. 
• Remember that Internet technology can be mobile, so make sure to monitor cell phones, gaming devices, and laptops. 
• Surf the Internet with your children and let them show you what they like to do online. 
• Know who is connecting with your children online and set rules for social networking, instant messaging, e-mailing, online gaming, and using webcams. 
• Continually dialogue with your children about online safety.

Digital Currency Replaces Legal Tender

Digital currencies, including crypto-currencies, will thrive. Governments are exploring frameworks and systems to regulate and manage digital currencies, which will make their ubiquity in our everyday financial vernacular more profound. Ecuador’s Congress recently approved a reform to create a digital currency, and the New York State Department of Financial Services is considering establishing virtual currency exchanges. The UK government is calling for information about the benefits and risks of digital currencies. We can expect digital currencies to be used interchangeably with legal tender, giving birth to a frictionless, agile, universal payment system that will expand beyond the current banking ecosystem.

Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2015

1. Computing Everywhere

As smart-phone technology advances, smart-phones will be used in new contexts and environments. Along with wearables, smart-phones will offer connected screens in the workplace and in public. User experience will be key.

2. The Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things is big and it will continue to grow along with user-oriented computing. Prediction: The Internet of Things will be the focus of digital business products and processes in industrial and operational contexts. Expect technology to be embedded everywhere.

3. 3D Printing

3D printing is about to get cheaper, and its market will grow over the next three years. The expansion will be biggest in industrial, biomedical, and consumer applications helping companies reduce costs.

4. Advanced, Pervasive, Invisible Analytics

Analytics will continue to grow propelled by the Internet of Things, creating large pools of data. Every app will need to be an analytic app. But big data isn’t the most important thing: instead we’ll need big questions and big answers.

5. Context-Rich Systems

Thanks to embedded intelligence and analytics, systems will become alert and responsive to their surroundings. Expect context-aware security as well as other trends.

6. Smart Machines

Analytics and context will pave the way for smart machines that can learn for themselves and act accordingly. These machine helpers will continue to evolve. Prediction: The smart machines era will be the most disruptive in the history of IT.

7. Cloud/Client Architecture

As mobile computing meets cloud computing, centrally coordinated applications that can be delivered to any device will continue to grow. Apps that can use intelligence and storage effectively will see lower bandwidth costs. Expect to be able to use applications simultaneously on multiple devices.

8. Software-Defined Infrastructure and Applications

Software defined networking, storage, data centers and security are maturing. Cloud service software is configurable thanks to rich APIs. Computing will have to move away from static models to deal with the changing demands of digital business.

9. Web-Scale IT

More and more companies will begin thinking like Amazon, Google and Facebook. As cloud-optimized and software-defined methods become mainstream, we’ll see a move towards web-scale IT, starting with DevOps.

10. Risk-Based Security and Self-Protection

While 100% security solutions aren’t feasible, advanced risk assessment and mitigation will come into play in the next few years. Security will move away from perimeter defense to multi-faceted approaches. Expect security aware application design, dynamic and static application security testing, and runtime application self-protection.

Top Social networking sites

Name	Description	Date launched	Registered Usrers	Global Page ranking
43 Things	Goal setting and achievement	1 January 2005	3,000,000	12,914
About.me	Social networking site	October 2009	5,000,000	1,447
Blogster	Blogging community	24 November 2005	85,579	12,048
Bebo	General	July 2005	117,000,000	4,169
Classmates.com	School, college, work and the military	1995	50,000,000	3,284
Ello	General	March 2014	-	106,782
Facebook	General: photos, videos, blogs, apps.	February 2004	1,280,000,000	2
Flickr	Photo sharing, commenting, photography related networking, worldwide	February 2004	32,000,000	48
Google+	General	28 June 2011	1,600,000,000	NA
HR.com	Social networking site for human resources professionals	1999	194,000	79,591
Ibibo	Talent based social networking site that allows to promote one's self and also discover new talent. Most popular in India.	-	3,500,000	1,143
Instagram	A photo and video sharing site.	October 2010	150,000,000	41
LinkedIn	Business and professional networking	May 2003	200,000,000	12
MEETin	General	-	-	318,979
Myspace	General	August 2003	30,000,000+	161
Orkut	General. Owned by Google Inc. Popular in India and Brazil.	22 January 2004	100,000,000	319
Pinterest	Online pinboard for organizing and sharing things you love	2011	-	38
Skyrock	Social network in French-speaking world	-	22,000,000	710
Twitter	General. Micro-blogging, RSS, updates	15 July 2006	645,750,000	8
Zooppa	Online community for creative talent (host of brand sponsored advertising contests)	-	60,000	36,373