by Fronetics | Aug 15, 2018 | Blog, Customer Service, Data Security, Data/Analytics, Logistics, Strategy, Supply Chain
Data breaches are all over the news lately, but data analytics may be the key to tighter security — and better customer service.
A growing number of high-profile organizations have been in the news recently for data breaches that put customers at risk, and the trend shows no signs of stopping. Collecting data about customers allows organizations the advantage of personalizing their services, but safeguarding that data comes with major security concerns.
[bctt tweet=”Collecting data about customers allows organizations the advantage of personalizing their services, but safeguarding that data comes with major security concerns.” username=”Fronetics”]
Data analytics, or the way organizations process the information they collect to learn about their customers, is becoming increasingly effective at de-anonymizing large amounts of data and tying it back to specific individuals. While personalized data is a goldmine in terms of marketing and services, it’s also exactly what cyber-criminals target.
But information expert Sam Ransbotham, in the MIT Sloan Management Review, says that de-anonymizing people through data analytics coud be a powerful security tool itself, and can even improve customer service along with way.
How data analytics plays into security
Ransbotham points out that authenticating identity is one of the most important parts of keeping data secure. Whether online or over the telephone, authenticating your identity usually means answering a string of questions first to identify your account and then to affirm that you are who you say you are.
Data analytics, however, offer a better way of authenticating identity. A number of companies in the banking sector have already begun to use speech processing to identify a caller’s voice based on recordings of previous telephone calls. These “voiceprints” can confirm identity almost instantly and reduce the chance of someone stealing a personal identification number (PIN).
Using an automated system of voice-data analysis gives banks the added benefit of being able to adjust their security protocols for all customer service interactions at once. This allows for faster responses to updated assessments of security threats, rather than having to re-train customer service representatives.
Customer service advantages
Instead of making callers identify themselves by answering “security challenge questions,” data analytics allows the security process to take place behind the scenes. Customers experience a more streamlined calling experience that immediately addresses their needs. They save time and are spared the hassle of answering questions to identify themselves.
Security challenge questions are, Ransbotham says, “adversarial by design. … This authentication process must begin with the assumption that the caller is a malefactor impersonating the real customer.” By performing the authentication process behind the scenes, voiceprints help re-define the customer service experience as helpful instead of combative.
Organizations, in turn, can save time on employee training. They can focus on training employees for service rather than security.
Data analytics does not have to involve a trade-off between security and service. Techniques like collecting and analyzing voice data can actually start providing solutions to some of the security concerns that data collection raised in the first place.
As Ransbotham suggests, data analytics has the potential for further applications. Voice analysis can detect speech patterns that indicate if someone is being coerced or suffering from impairment, which could be adapted for security and service purposes, too.
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by Fronetics | Aug 1, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing
The Fronetics blog will be taking a brief summer vacation.
Starting today, the Fronetics blog will be taking a little hiatus. Don’t worry — it’s only for 2 weeks! We are working on some exciting things behind the scenes and can’t wait to share them with you.
We’ll be back with our regular posting schedule beginning Wednesday, August 15. If you find yourself missing us while we’re away, feel free to check out our ever-growing list of resources for supply chain and logistics marketers.
Or feel free to browse through our recent posts. We’ve been covering some really interesting stuff lately. There’s a little something for everyone — whether you’re looking for industry marketing trends or DIY content marketing guides. Here are a few favorites:
We hope you have a safe, wonderful, and relaxing end of summer, and we look forward to having you back in two weeks!
by Fronetics | Jul 31, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Also in social media news July 2018: Instagram publishes a creator handbook with tips and tricks, YouTube features searchable hashtags, and Facebook debuts funded news shows.
Summer is half over and big box stores are already stocking their shelves with back to school supplies. While families are trying to sneak in their last trips before school, social media platforms are doing anything but going on a vacation.
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are increasing updates and adding new features to keep their users happy while posting videos and pictures from their travels. But these updates and new features don’t just benefit personal users. Businesses are being positively impacted as well.
Social media platforms are continuing to add content kits, and even detailed guides, to help advertisers increase brand awareness and user reach. From paid spotlight ads to new creative tools, it’s becoming easier for companies to create interactive and engaging content with a few clicks on a computer.
[bctt tweet=”From paid spotlight ads to new creative tools, it’s becoming easier for companies to create interactive and engaging content with a few clicks on a computer.” username=”Fronetics”]
Here’s what’s been happening in July with your favorite social media platforms and how business are gaining more and more options for reaching new audiences.
Here’s your social media news for July 2018.
LinkedIn introduces new updates to LinkedIn Messenger
Along with some new updates to its news feed, LinkedIn made improvements this month to its messenger features. These features now include the ability to send attachments, incorporate images from screenshots, and start a group chat on the mobile version of LinkedIn messaging. LinkedIn says these updates will help professional conversations take on new formats — either more professional or more chat-like, depending on the needs of the user.
Facebook adds new creative tools for advertisers
Facebook introduced a new suite of creative tools for advertisers in its Ads Manager app that will make it easier for creators to build content from their mobile devices. Facebook writes, “These new creative tools allow you to create and edit ad images directly from the Ads Manager app, saving time and effort.” The suite also allows creators to fully customize ad templates and color filters to further branding opportunities for companies and improve the quality of ads within the app.
YouTube introduces searchable hashtags above video titles
YouTube has introduced a new way of displaying hashtags on its app — directly above the title of a video. Android Police states these hashtags are “clickable and will bring up a results page with other videos tagged with the same hashtag.” This new feature is currently only available in the U.S. but will give users greater access to video content by having hashtags prominently displayed above video titles.
Facebook debuts funded news shows
Anderson Cooper is headed to Facebook. On July 16, the social media platform debuted its first funded news show, including programming from ABC News, CNN, Fox News, and Univision. These programs will appear in a section of the Facebook Watch tab. “This section will feature news videos from national and local news Pages, and just like other sections in Watch, will be personalized based on the publishers you follow and what friends are watching,” writes Facebook’s blog.
Twitter testing promoted spotlight ads
Twitter is testing a new paid advertising option, Promoted Trend Spotlight Ads. These ads will allow advertisers to create a display banner at the top of the Explore feed for the first two times a user visits that day, before settling back into the Trends list. If approved, the new ad option will actually demote organic content pushing paid spotlight ads to the top of users’ feeds. Be on the lookout for the first trial ads coming from Disney in the new few weeks.
Facebook adds archive ability to Stories
Back in May, TechCrunch reported that Facebook was testing the ability to archive Stories, allowing users to save video clips after they expire to watch later or re-share on social media. Now other sources are reporting this update is becoming available to new users. Brands using Facebook Stories are particularly interested in this new feature, which would allow potential customers the ability to reference their content when making purchasing decisions.
Instagram publishes creator handbook
Questions about how to best promote your content on Instagram? Now we all have the answers. Instagram just published a 50-page Creator Handbook that covers tutorials, tips and tricks, suggested apps, and tools for creating and editing video. The guidebook, originally shared by Matt Navarra from the Next Web, will be extremely useful to brands looking to take their content to the next level, adding new features and editing capabilities.
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by Fronetics | Jul 26, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Social messaging apps have taken over the way consumers are interacting with brands. Their increasing popularity means your business needs to embrace this new trend.
No one can deny the reach of social networks. After all, Facebook has over 2 billion active users. But as marketers, we’re noticing that consumers are moving away from social networks and welcoming the popularity of messaging apps with open arms.
Social media is constantly changing, and every new app gives users a new way to engage with family, friends, and brands. With the shift toward messaging apps, your target audience is making the leap, so your business needs to as well.
Messaging apps have a strong appeal: personalized engagement. Brands are able to make a one-on-one connection with every potential customer that comes in contact with their app pages. This is an opportunity you cannot miss!
Companies reaping the messaging app benefits
Yoox Net-a-Porter, a UK-based ecommerce firm with U.S. operations, made the switch to messaging apps after the brand discovered that many of its customers preferred WhatsApp for product details and suggestions and purchases. WhatsApp easily integrated with its order management system and is currently being tested as the company’s shipping notification system.
“Realizing that consumers increasingly prefer to receive information via personal messaging services rather than email, we have been working with WhatsApp to improve the way we use the WhatsApp service with great results so far,” writes Yoox Net-a-Porter on its blog.
And Yoox Net-a-Porter isn’t the only brand making the switch. WhatsApp, a social messaging platform owned by Facebook, reported 1.5 billion active users and over 60 billion messages sent per day at the end of 2017. These numbers, continuing to grow at a staggering rate, make it hard to ignore that brands need to be investing their marketing time and dollars in messaging apps.
[bctt tweet=”WhatsApp, a social messaging platform owned by Facebook, reported 1.5 billion active users and over 60 billion messages sent per day at the end of 2017. ” username=”Fronetics”]
In our latest video, Kettie Laky, our social media director, discusses why social messaging apps are becoming so popular and the top four apps your brand should become familiar with.
Video: Top 4 social messaging apps your brand needs to be using
Takeaway
As with any new marketing effort, trial and error are a big part of the equation. In order to get the most from your time (and budget!), make sure you’re utilizing the best messaging app for your brand. Before committing to an app, ask these important questions:
- Who is my target audience?
- How will the app add value to my target audiences?
- How do I want to deliver my content?
- Do I want to use more than one app?
- How frequently will I be marketing on the app?
These questions can help you find the social messaging apps that will work best for your marketing campaign and start connecting with customers in a more personalized way. These apps making sharing valuable content easier than ever.
What social messaging apps has your business tried?
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by Fronetics | Jul 25, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy, Supply Chain
Here are 4 components of an effective lead-nurturing campaign that will entice your potential customers and have them moving down the sales funnel.
Your content marketing objectives really come down to one basic goal: to generate a high number of quality leads. These leads will help drive tomorrow’s revenue and increase sales. In fact, 85% of B2B marketers say lead generation is their most important content marketing goal.
[bctt tweet=” 85% of B2B marketers say lead generation is their most important content marketing goal.” username=”Fronetics”]
As more and more buyers discover brands before they are ready to purchase, an essential function of any marketing department is lead nurturing. That is, moving leads through the sales funnel by leveraging what’s known about their needs and online behavior.
Marketo, a marketing software company, describes lead nurturing as being “personalized, adaptive, and able to listen and react to buyer behavior in real time.”
We know that marketers need to focus their lead nurturing strategy on multi-channel engagement. This includes utilizing email, social media, blogs, and video to interact with potential customers. A multi-channel lead nurturing strategy is essential for companies looking to optimize their user experience and bring in high-quality leads.
With so many variables contributing to a productive lead-generation campaign, it can be challenging to pinpoint what differentiates a successful campaign from a mediocre one. Here are four tools that will help you deliver a series of targeted messages across multiple touch points and platforms to help solidify your lead-nurturing strategy and increase your quality leads.
4 building blocks of an effective lead-nurturing campaign
(Made with Canva)
Takeaway
Successful lead nurturing is really about utilizing all the tools at your disposal to meaningfully connect with your leads in order to build trust and establish credibility. Using these four key points, marketers can start building on their lead-generation efforts as they guide potential customers on their journey to becoming a client.
And don’t forget: Asking for the right information is key! If you want to nurture high-quality leads, you need to make sure you’re capturing relevant, helpful information along the sales journey.
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