Digital Measurement & Research Analytic Tools useful at no cost in the Diaspera and also in Zion

Digital Measurement  & Research Analytic Tools useful at no cost in the Diaspera and also in Zion

Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of tools available to the digital analyst: tools that are free, and tools that are good. There is very little overlap between the two.

That said, there are still a few free-to-use services that one could use in measurement and research. Here are five of the most useful free social media analytics tools.

Content Metrics: In-Platform Analytics

This one’s a given, but it bears repeating. If you have the login credentials or admin privileges to a profile or page, you have access to post-level and page-level data. Most major social media platforms provide easy access to relevant metrics via web dashboards.

The real value of in-platform analytics, however, lies in the ability to export raw data. (Facebook and Twitter make this easier than most other social networks.) Once you have your hands on the raw data, you can crunch the numbers however you like, which can be very powerful.

Web Metrics: Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Google Search Console

Google’s Web Analytics suite has become something of an industry standard, and for good reason: it is fast, free, and flexible. You might not be as familiar with Google Tag Manager and Google Search Console, two tools that increase the raw utility and flexibility of Google Analytics substantially.

Google Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools) provides insight into the search behaviors surrounding your web property. Search Console identifies the keywords driving traffic to your website, provides valuable insight into how Googlebot sees your website when crawling the web, demonstrates how your site will appear in Google search results, and can even catalogue where your site is linked all across the web.

Google Tag Manager provides a flexible container for custom tracking elements. Essentially, it enables the user to drop bits of JavaScript or HTML into a webpage without needing to publish code via a CMS. This enables us to easily implement retargeting pixels, for instance, or to track file downloads and exit click destinations on your website (neither of which, incidentally, Google Analytics does by default.)

Search Metrics: Google Search Trends and Google AdWords Keyword Planner

Search data provide a window into the specific language used by regular folks when looking for information, and they are an invaluable indicator of relative interest in a topic, issue, brand or organization.

Google Search Trends provides data on “search interest” – relative search volume for specific keywords and aggregated topic groups – dating back to 2004. Included are relative interest levels by geography, related search terms, and even news items that correspond with spikes in search activity. You can also compare relative search volume among a set of topics or keywords. And if that weren’t enough, Google allows you to export the raw data in CSV format for further manipulation. If Search Trends has a weakness, it’s that search interest is not provided in raw search volume terms; instead, Google offers relative volume, normalized on a unit-less scale from 0 to 100. Google’s AdWords Keyword Planner fills this gap somewhat, enabling analysts to estimate monthly search volume, to understand bid prices on target keywords, and to suggest related terms that may be high-value targets for SEM.

Audience Metrics: Facebook Audience Insights

Facebook Audience Insights is not the same as the Facebook Insights available to page administrators. Audience Insights was built to provide advertisers with deep insight into specific target audiences.

The tool allows users to define an audience by location, age and gender, interests and page likes, among other attributes. Once the audience is defined, Audience Insights provides data on demographics, lifestyle and purchase behaviors, device preference and activity level on-platform, geographic location, household income, spending patterns and more.

Perhaps the greatest added value of Audience Insights is that it presents data on a given audience – say, people who like your page – alongside points of comparison for Facebook as a whole. This enables communicators to understand how their audiences meaningfully differ from the norm.

Custom Analysis: Python, R, and Open APIs

There is an absolute glut of data freely available to the enterprising analyst. Facebook and Twitter make their data largely available to developers via open, well-documented APIs. Many other social networks and websites make their data available via APIs, though their documentation might not be as comprehensive. If you have a research question, it’s quite possible you can answer that question using public data, free tools and APIs.

For statistical analysis and data science, free tools do not get more flexible or capable than the combination of Python, a highly-readable general purpose programming language, and R, a programming language and software environment geared toward statistical analysis. There is a learning curve for each of these, of course, but the price is right and the payoff can be tremendous. Tutorials and sample code for both are widelyavailable on the web.

Key factors to consider when using Influencer Marketing

Influencer Marketing Insights You Need to Know Today1

t was an invitation.

Written with a spelling mistake or two and from someone I didn’t know. I went close to ignoring it.

“I think you are doing a great job with your blog and hope that you can share that with businesses here in New Zealand….Do you have any information on your costs?”

The art of creating and publishing online was revealing its promise.

Digital global content was defining the discovery of a personal brand. It was a revelation.

The pervasive content marketing strategy that we had worked on and created over time was working.

I then came across the annual Edelman Trust Barometer report which backed up the dinner insight. If your content or brand is seen just once your credibility and trust level is 6%. If it is noticed 3-5 times then it goes to 60%.

Being ubiquitous online is critical to brand trust building. So it wasn’t just the content that grows brand awareness. It was much more.

Global brand awareness powered by distribution on social also creating ripples in the data space time universe.

Data defines your brand

So content is not the only factor.

The sifting and tabulating of content with tweets, shares, traffic and even search engine authority are in the mix.

Machines are now looking for you. Are you noticed? Do you move the needle?

Technology is now measuring and evaluating the noise online. This has brought the “Influencer” into the marketing mix and it is now longer a fad but a “breakout trend” according to the data revealed in Google Trends.

Influencer marketing is not new

Mass media has being tapping into the stars and personalities of sport, popular culture and movies for decades. That is why Nike signed Tiger Woods and Basketball stars like LeBron James that are household names around the world

Minecraft has used YouTube influencers to help sell its game for years. It’s annual conference is also about training it’s passionate users to create content on YouTube. This has led to the rise of Minecraft influencers with tens of millions of YouTube views and subscribers.

Source: Technobuffalo.com

So the concept is not new. It’s just the medium has changed.

#1. Influencers are no longer just on YouTube

They are on Twitter, Instagram and even Snapchat.

A recent post on Buffer illustrated the power of Instagram influencers to sell fashion. 50 Instagram influencers were used to showcase one dress from a the fashion label Lord and Taylor.

It sold out the next weekend!

#2. The rise of influencer technology

To keep it simple it is useful to break the technology into two categories. Platforms and tools.

We can distinguish Influencer tools versus platforms this way:

Influencer tools can be used to find influencers around content and the social networks and media. Influencer platforms are where you can sign up to connect brands with influencers and manage the process. But they are sometimes combined.

Platforms

Here are 3 very different influencer platforms worth checking out.

• IZEA
• Tribe
• Influencers Club

For reviews, overviews and even some Instagram only influencer platforms here are some more resources worth checking out.

The Most Popular Influencer Marketing Platforms Reviewed

The Top 13 Instagram Influencer Marketing Platforms

5 Influencer Marketing Platforms You Need To Know

Tools

Influencer tools are the research machines to do the homework. They can help you identify who are the author’s, blogs and influencers that are creating the most buzz around your topics.

3 tools worth checking out are:

1. BuzzSumo
2. Traackr
3. Followerwonk

For a more complete list you can check out Lee Odden’s post “9 Tools To Discover the Influencers in Your Industry”

#3. Traditional digital advertising is less effective

Ad blocking technology and the ever changing behaviour of the computer user is now becoming a real issue. Banner blindness of the traditional digital website banner is a fact. The data also reveals that only 2.8% of online browsers think that ads are relevant.

Here are some facts revealed in a Hubspot post that show the extent of these changes.

• Ad blocking grew by 41% globally in the last 12 months. (Source: PageFair)
• There are now 198 million active ad block users around the world. (Source:PageFair)
• A 2013 study revealed that 28% of respondents admitted to hiding their activities from advertisers — second only to criminals. (Source: Pew Research Center)

This is leading to native advertising, sponsored content and influencer marketing becoming some of the most effective ways to engage with your target audience.

#4. You now need to pay them

There is different opinions on this. But an influencer and an online thought leader has earned the right to be rewarded. They have put the time and effort into developing expertise, reach and put years of unrelenting effort.

Just because the medium has changed doesn’t mean its free. But the web has created a culture of free.

Nike and other brands pay big bucks for mass media influence because they know it works. Niche influencers that are on Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Twitter can be very effective in building a brand’s engagement and trust with its targeted audience.

The rise of the influencer platforms that connect influencers and brands is changing the game. The use of the mobile apps such as used by the Tribe platform are making it simple and easy to bring influencers and talent agents together.

#5. Influencers are not just journalists

Journalists were one of the first media gatekeepers. Many PR companies, digital agencies and brands are still treating influencers like a journalist.

There is a big difference.

A journalist is paid by media to write about events that are happening in your city or around the world. They are on the payroll. They are paid an hourly rate or contracted to attend an event. Maybe even paid by the word.

Influencers aren’t paid a wage.

They only make money from their blog, products they sell and other multiple revenue streams. It’s time to stop taking them for granted or just throw freebies and baubles at them.

#6. Its about niche influence

Kim Kardashian is popular for popularity’s sake.

What is her expertise? Being popular. What does she offer? Large mass media and social reach. It is visible and obvious

But now the big data machines can find the veins of gold in smaller but global niches that in the past were hidden.

In this knowledge economy they are seen as subject experts. They usually have higher engagement with their audience as they are more about education than just entertainment. Often they won’t have an audience on social networks of millions but still have influence within their tribe.

They can also be found on Twitter.

Infographic source: Twitter

To help scale niche influence you will need to coordinate with several of these to create the impact you may be looking for.

Kerry Jones in a post on Marketing Land has this to say about this approach “Coordinating…..so the influencers spread your content or message within the same time frame to increase the appearance of popularity” is key.

#7. Influencer marketing needs goals

In the past the blunt role and primary goal of the mass media influencer was “awareness”. This goal sits at the top of the funnel.

But in an article on Social Media Today Kirsty Sharman highlights what she believes what most businesses are looking for from influencer marketing.

“Getting others talking about your brand“

 

Why?

Because she says it it creates three types of influence. “Liking, authority and social proof” as listed in Robert Cialdini’s book “Influence: The Psychology of Influence and Persuasion“.

For small and medium businesses they will want something more measureable as well.

Traffic, leads and sales.

My favorite 90 year old Elizabeth R - Watch Elizabeth at 90 - A Family Tribute Thursday 9pm ( GMT) BBC1

http://www.filmon.com/tv/bbc-one  Thursday 9pm  GMT BBC A Family Tribute BBC1

Family portrait shot by Annie Leibovitz shows first nonagenarian monarch surrounded by her five great-grandchildren and two youngest grandchildren

 The Queen with her great-grandchildren and two youngest grandchildren, from left to right: James, Viscount Severn and Lady Louise, Mia Tindall, Princess Charlotte sat on the Queen’s lap, Savannah Phillips, Prince George and Isla Phillips.

cebookTwitterPinterest

 The Queen poses in the private grounds of Windsor Castle with four of her dogs Willow (top right), Vulcan (top left), Candy (bottom right) and Holly (bottom left). 

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Pinterest

 In this official photograph, Queen Elizabeth II is pictured with her daughter, princess Anne, in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle on 20 April 2016. 

Celebrations are taking place around the country on the day the Queen turns 90.

Crowds lined the streets in Windsor as the monarch took part in a walkabout, and royal gun salutes have been fired from each of the UK's capital cities.

The Prince of Wales recorded a special radio broadcast for the day, in which he read an edited passage from William Shakespeare's Henry VIII.

On Twitter, the Queen thanked senders of "#HappyBirthdayYourMajesty" tweets.

In another tweet, the Queen said: "I send my best wishes to those who are celebrating their 90th birthday... on this shared occasion, I send my warm congratulations to you."

The Queen, who was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh during her tour in Windsor, was presented with a birthday cake at the Guildhall by the Great British Bake Off champion Nadiya Hussain, who had created an orange drizzle cake with a butter cream and marmalade filling.

The monarch unveiled a plaque marking The Queen's Walkway - a 6.3km trail that links 63 significant points in Windsor.

The trail was designed to recognise the moment on 9 September 2015 that the monarch broke the record held by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, by being on the throne for 63 years and seven months.

Later on Thursday, the Queen will light symbolic beacons in Windsor.

On the scene

This was, in many ways, an ordinary working day for the Queen. Unveiling a plaque, meeting flag-waving members of the public on a walkabout, being presented with a bouquet of flowers - these are things she has done thousands of times. But the crowds weren't going to let her forget that this day, her 90th birthday, was something out of the ordinary.

Some had been waiting for hours - some for days - to catch a glimpse of the Queen on the day she became the nation's first-ever nonagenarian monarch.

The crowds were 10 deep in places, with locals from Windsor desperate to see their regal neighbour standing alongside those from Canada, America and Japan. They came wearing Union Jack ties and wigs, and tights embellished with crowns.

As the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh walked the short distance from Windsor Castle, a spontaneous rendition of Happy Birthday rang out - and it wouldn't be the last.

"Oh, I can see her!" someone shouted out, spotting a glimpse of her lime green hat.

There were three cheers for the Queen and excited applause as she passed the crowds on her way to the Guildhall.

One woman who has lived nearly as long as the Queen summed up the atmosphere. Gwen Tarr, 88, who says she is "Windsor born and bred", said: "It was so lovely. I just wanted to celebrate the day with her and wish her a happy birthday - and many more birthdays to come."

Most of the gun salutes were due to be 21 shots - the standard royal gun salute - at locations including Hillsborough Castle, Cardiff Castle, and Edinburgh Castle.

In London, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery staged a 41-gun salute at midday in Hyde Park. And the Honourable Artillery Company fired a 62-gun salute across the Thames from the Tower of London at 13:00 BST.The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travelled the streets of Windsor in an open top Range RoverThe Queen met well-wishers in WindsorThe Queen was presented with a birthday cake at the Guildhall in Windsor by the Great British Bake Off champion Nadiya Hussain

Prime Minister David Cameron said the Queen had been "a rock of strength for our nation" and the Commonwealth, as he and fellow politicians paid tribute in the House of Commons.

Mr Cameron said: "Her Majesty The Queen has lived through some extraordinary times in our world.

"From the Second World War... to the rations with which she bought the material for her wedding dress.

"From presenting the World Cup to England at Wembley in 1966, to man landing on the moon three years later.

"From the end of the Cold War to peace in Northern Ireland.

"Throughout it all, as the sands of culture shift and the tides of politics ebb and flow, Her Majesty has been steadfast - a rock of strength for our nation, for our Commonwealth and on many occasions for the whole world."The Queen was presented with flowers from the crowd in WindsorPeople from Windsor, Canada, America and Japan cheered the Queen in WindsorThere was a gun salute at Edinburgh Castle

The reading by Prince Charles, which has been broadcast by the BBC, is an extract from a speech by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to King Henry VIII after the birth of the future Queen Elizabeth I.

Earlier, a photograph was released showing the monarch with young members of the Royal Family.

The image, one of three taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, shows the Queen surrounded by her five great-grandchildren and her two youngest grandchildren.

The other Leibovitz photographs show the monarch walking in the grounds of Windsor Castle with four of her dogs and sitting with her daughter, the Princess Royal.The Queen with her great-grandchildren and youngest grandchildren. From left: James, Viscount Severn; Lady Louise Windsor; Mia Tindall (holding the Queen's handbag); Princess Charlotte; Savannah Phillips; Prince George and Isla PhillipsThe Queen on steps at the rear of the East Terrace and East Garden with her four dogs, her corgis Willow and Holly and dorgis Vulcan and CandyOne of the pictures is an informal shot of the Queen with her daughter, Princess Anne

The image of the Queen with the young royals was taken in the Green Drawing Room, part of Windsor Castle's semi-State apartments just after Easter.

In it, the Queen - in the tradition of royal portraiture - holds her youngest great-grandchild Princess Charlotte, who is 11 months old, in her arms.

Also appearing in the image is two-year-old Prince George, Zara Phillips's two-year-old daughter Mia Tindall, who holds the Queen's famous black handbag, and Peter Phillips's daughters Savannah, five, and three-year-old Isla.

The Queen is also joined by the two youngest of her eight grandchildren - the Earl and Countess of Wessex's children - James, Viscount Severn, eight, and Lady Louise Windsor.

Queen's 90th: What's happening and when?Monarchy fans were out early in Windsor, waiting for the Queen's walkabout

21 April - The Queen will unveil a plaque on Windsor's Queen's Walkway, before lighting the first of a chain of beacons. Gun salutes will also be held across the UK

12-15 May - Celebrations featuring hundreds of horses and performers in the grounds of Windsor Castle

10 June - A national service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral

11 June - The annual Trooping the Colour at Horse Guards Parade

12 June - The Queen will host a street party for 10,000 people in the Mall

In the evening the Queen will be accompanied by Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall, as she lights the first of more than 900 beacons across the UK and the world to mark her birthday.

Members of the Army cadet force will take beacons to the top of the highest peaks of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Some of the beacons will be specially-built gas-fuelled structures, while others will be traditional bonfires or braziers on top of tall wooden posts.Well-wishers gathered in Windsor ahead of the Queen's walkaboutBBC correspondent Christian Fraser spotted a London Underground tribute to the Queen at just the right momentThese fans travelled to Windsor from Wales

To coincide with the Queen's birthday, the largest exhibition of the Queen's clothes and accessories ever shown in Scotland will open at the Palace of Holyroodhouse later.

The display has been selected to cover the Queen's life and reign, and includes evening and day wear.nThe largest exhibition of the Queen's clothes and accessories ever shown in Scotland will open at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

On Friday, US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be joining the Queen for lunch at Windsor Castle.

Every year the Queen celebrates two birthdays, with her actual birthday on 21 April and her official birthday on a Saturday in June.

Celebrations of her official birthday this year take place from 10-12 June.

The Prince of Wales's reading from Shakespeare was broadcast at 07:20 GMT (08:20 BST) on BBC World Service radio and at about 08:40 BST on BBC Radio 4's Today programme

Queen Elizabeth II at 90

The Queen has been married for 68 years, longer than any other British monarch

Her coronation was the first to be televised and was watched by over 20 million people in the UK

There have been 12 UK prime ministers, seven Archbishops of Canterbury and seven Popes during her reign

She has sat for more than 130 official portrait paintings

During her reign, she has visited 117 countries, travelling more than a million miles

In 2012 she became the second British monarch to celebrate a diamond jubilee, and in 2015 became the UK's longest reigning monarch

.Lights, camera, action.Live Broadcasting.... Marketing and Getting Attention on Facebook

Facebook




It will now be super easy for anyone to create their own livestream, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that he wants people to use Live to "feel connected in a more personal way," whether they're letting distant friends tune into a celebration virtually or getting abehind-the-scenes peek into the life of some celebrity.

But Live also has some important implications for Facebook's business.

For one, it helps Facebook plug into the sense of immediacy that it hasn't really mastered until now.

With Snapchat, you need to check your friends' Stories before they disappear. Twitter lets you follow live commentary around events. Live is Facebook's way of giving you reason to open the app at certain times, instead of just when you're waiting in line or procrastinating. The desire to tune into something as it's happening will keep you coming back.

As advertisers continue to shift more of their TV-ad budgets online, Facebook has put a big emphasis on video generally. And although Facebook hasn't rolled out a way to make money from Live videos yet (and has even been paying creators to make them), the sense of immediacy and hyper-engagement that comes with watching and responding to a stream in real time makes live video even more valuable to brands.

Snapchat's already started using ephemerality and context to its advantage, charging advertisers big bucks to sponsor its "Live Stories," or pay for its sponsored Lenses and geofilters.
Mitigating 'context collapse'

Facebook's emphasis on Live video may also help reverse a trend of users sharing less personal original content, a phenomenon that employees call "context collapse" internally,according to Bloomberg.

"Original broadcast sharing" on Facebook was down 21% year-over-year in mid-2015, according to leaked documents seen by The Information's Amir Efrati, who also reports that the social network found this trend worrisome enough to set up a team in London dedicated to reversing it, through various methods including algorithm tweaks that favor personal posts over links and more prompts for people to write statuses.

In other words, people aren't sharing as many baby pictures or personal updates as they used to, and that could undercut the reason Facebook became popular in the first place.

But if lots of people decide to give Live a whirl and post their own streams, original sharing could get a big boost.

Recent research from Cowen shows that people who watch Facebook videos watch videos featuring their friends and family the most (the entertainment and news-content categories ranked second and third), so there seems to be a desire there from users to see more of it.

So Live video checks a lot of boxes for Facebook: It pulls in users, keeps them coming back, encourages them to post more original content, and gives Facebook a big runway for new advertising dollars.Lights, camera, action.

The Sins of Content Marketing that are Deadly and should be avoided.

Sin No. 1: Using your content to advertise products

This is the biggest sin that many brands are committing. Content marketing is not about selling. In fact, it’s barely about marketing. It’s about giving your brand a voice and personality. If you choose to become your own publisher, ignore your fundamental marketing instincts. They won’t help you. Rather, look at the undertaking as a long-term investment like social media. Brands that “sell, sell, sell” on social are not popular. But brands that communicate, engage, and have a tone on Facebook and Twitter are very popular. Leave the sales pitch at the office.

Sin No. 2: Trying to do it all by yourself

Think you can just wake up one day and decide to become a publisher? Wrong. This is a deadly sin you need to avoid. You can’t do it all yourself, and if you try you’ll just end up making redundant mistakes that could have easily been avoided if you looped in the proper partners. How are you going to serve content consistently? There are technology companies that can help you, and bringing in content creators is a key step in establishing a strong voice right out of the gate.


Sin No. 3: Losing sight of what you actually know

Branded content creation (much like any kind of content creation) is about informing your audience. In order to do that, you need to have information that your audience doesn’t possess. What better place to start than your own company’s area of expertise? When starting out, don’t throw a wide net for subjects you plan to cover; you’ll only end up losing sight of what you’re actually good at. Focus first on areas that you have an authority in. Establish your brand as a leader in your own wheelhouse. When enough time passes, branch out. Don’t try to be good at everything right off the bat.

Sin No. 4: Recycling content onto platforms that don’t make sense

Don’t be lazy when it comes to content marketing. Every platform is different and each one requires tailor-made content. One of the biggest sins in this space is the practice of recycling material, especially to places that don’t make sense. A lot of content on social media only works there, just as a lot of your website content would not work in other places. Customizing content for each platform and network is a key to success.

Sin No. 5: Not understanding how high the bar is

It’s easy to create content. So easy, in fact, that practically everyone is a content creator these days. The biggest downside for creative people in today’s hyper-digital world is that it has created hyper-clutter. Consumers have countless options for taking in entertainment and journalism. You need to know what you’re up against. What’s the best way to compete in this environment? Understand your competition and focus on the exceptional quality of what you create, not the sheer quantity.

Sin No. 6: Not establishing a distinct personality

Content marketing isn’t strictly about clicks or impressions. Mainly, your efforts are geared toward establishing a clear brand voice and identity. The tone and make-up of your content will tell your audience who you are. The content marketing undertaking is about growing a personality for your brand. The most successful brands are not faceless entities. Good or bad, each big company has an identity held by the public. Quality content will help put a good face on yours.

Sin No. 7: Allocating a small budget to your content marketing (not going big)

Lastly, go big or go home. Content marketing is like social media marketing. It’s not a one-off experiment that you can just try. For many brands, a lame attempt in these waters would be devastating. In other words, there’s no such thing as “a little bit of content marketing.” If you decide to go down this road, be prepared to pump major bucks into it. Content marketing is like having a child. You will need to feed and take care of it for years to come, so make sure you’re adequately investing time and capital.

2015 Standouts in the 4000+ Marking Technologies competing with one another as Piranhas or Remonas

The newest Marketing Technology Landscape. There are 3,894 marketing technologies here - that's almost double last year's, with approximately 2,000. And back in 2011 there were about 150 - in 5 years the volume has multiplied by a factor of 26! Time for some consolidation? Or should we start to break these out into those that are more applicable to SMEs? Or differentiate core competencies?

    According to recent research, the number of new marketing applications doubled since last year. Here are 10 standouts from the approximately 2,000 new offerings in 2015: 1. Autopilot creates marketing workflows through a drag and drop interface that primarily uses pictures. The fresh perspective that MailChimp gave email marketers 10 years ago, AutoPilot is now creating for marketers frustrated with the text-heavy interfaces of big name marketing automation solutions today. If you struggle with designing and tweaking intelligent marketing automation workflows, you'll want to check Autopilot out. 2. Beckon, founded in 2011, launched Marketing Scorecards in 2015. It solves a big problem for enterprise CMOs: automating data collection and simplifying reporting. The scorecard functionality got kudos as a Gartner Cool Vendor for CRM this year. "We're now working daily with CMOs and senior marketing executives from the world's best-loved brands," says Jennifer Zeszut, Beckon's CEO and founder. 3. Bizible. You know that not-so-funny joke about knowing you're wasting half your marketing budget, you just don't know which half? Bizible is trying to make sure you do. Figuring out which campaigns and channels perform is no simple trick, says co-founder Andy Turman. For the B2B marketer, longer sales cycles and lots of offline discussions, such as with sales development representatives, create a maze between marketing and clear sales attribution when a lead materializes. Bizible unwinds that one API at a time to create increasingly visible channel performance for B2B. 4. BrightFunnel, also pursuing the dream of a crystal clear marketing pipeline, just closed a $6 million Series A with Salesforce and CrossLink. Founder Nadim Hossain says, "A lot more of the buying cycle happens through interactions with various marketing campaigns--many of which are automated--versus humans. In other words, marketing is eating sales. So as marketers, we have to shoulder a much greater burden than our predecessors for generating revenue." He says that burden is growing, too. Recent BrightFunnel research shows that the revenue cycle in B2B is getting longer, and the number of touches needed to close a sale is growing. (Or are we just tracking a heck of a lot better?) 5. Cadence. SalesLoft's new scheduling platform helps you move prospects through your pipeline faster by automating the scheduling of your sales team. It promises to increase the number of demos you book by 300 percent and has clients like Twilio, Oracle, and IBM. "For so long, businesses only focused on the professionalization of the sales process after finding a qualified opportunity. Now, we're seeing this hyper focus on people, process, and technology aimed at the pre-opportunity stage of sales, or sales development. It's the biggest innovation to happen to the sales process in the last decade," says Kyle Porter, CEO and co-founder. 6. Founded by ex-Oracle executives, Engage.cx launched at the National Retail Federation. It helps specialty retailers spot and connect with customers on the customers' terms. Their software isn't about driving marketing messages and tracking qualified responses. Engage.cx takes the stance that your customer wants to buy, so how do you help him or her interact? Rock/Creek, Schiffman's Jewelers, and other multi-channel retailers are buying into the promise of an omni-channel platform for customer connection with full channel attribution. "If you are on our platform, you instantly know your customer and can engage their history, no matter if they reach out to you by social, phone, walk in, or interact online," says David Trice, CEO and co-founder. 7. Backed by the largest single fundraising round ever raised by a marketing tech company so far--$65 million--EverString launched Predictive Ad Targeting this year. EverString's artificial intelligence layer sources 20,000 signals to model, source, and serve ads to "your perfect customer." Its customers include Comcast and IBM. 8. Infer is a predictive lead scoring solution that says it will double your deal size. The most delicious part of Infer is also the most disruptive--and possibly the most disturbing. It goes far beyond typical on-page customer profiles to compose profiles from all available signals. Yes, all. It backgrounds your prospects based on things like their job postings, the number of folks employed where they work, their social activity, and brands they're engaging with, say on Facebook or Instagram. With this nuanced view, Infer routes prospects to the right sales development people when they show buying signals. 9. If you prefer your automated relationship-building a little less on the aggressive side, MailChimp Automation may be more your speed. You can develop email workflows, such as a welcome series or a win-back series of messages, on the fly. Branch the flow based on interactions. React to inputs from your e-commerce stack. It's just as simple as it sounds--which is to say, it's elegantly done. I've used it for a few months now, and I love it. 10. Terminus solves another simple sales problem in a simple way. How do you get your message in front of a whole account, not just your contact? With Terminus, you select your prospect list in Salesforce and specify advertising, such as social, video, mobile, or display. Terminus directs your custom advertising to the account--not just to the contact. The best is yet to come Neeraj Agrawal, general partner at Battery Ventures, is one of the biggest investors in marketing technology in the world. Battery has put $21 billion to work in companies such as Exact Target and Marketo. Neeraj says, "I think we're still in the early innings, maybe the fourth inning, of this grand transformation of marketing." I hope this list, a tiny taste of the nearly 2,000 marketing technologies that launched this year, has inspired you to search for the solutions you want. Chances are, they're out there--or they're about to be.