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Jennifer Neeley

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Press Release: JND Global Marketing Accepts Invitation To Forbes Agency Council

Joins Agencies of Demonstrable Excellence

Forbes Agency Council logoLos Angeles, CA, December 14, 2016—(PR.com)—JND Global, a full-service digital marketing, social media, SEO and content marketing agency and management consultancy, was appointed to the Forbes Agency Council—a prestigious and invitation only collection of the nation’s “best of the best” agencies.

Forbes selected JND Global because of the agency’s pioneering efforts in digital media, it’s work with leading companies such Apigee and LinkedIn, and its founder and CEO , Jennifer Neeley’s, early leadership as a “Woman in Tech.” JND believes it is time that the way marketing communication programs are designed and executed is improved with by being holistic and cross-functional. By being collaborative and flexible to client needs, clients receive precision communication outcomes from all marketing communication activities.

Forbes Agency Council members are hand-selected by the Council’s community team, who is focused on selecting agencies leading the industry with proven leadership in marketing integrated communication, public relations, and creative.

“We are honored to be recognized as a leading marketing agency management consultancy, combining the precision of data with the art of marketing communication,” said Jennifer Neeley, founder and CEO of JND Global. “Forbes has a long standing commitment to advancing business practices and we look forward to supporting that advancement.”

About JND Global
JND Global is a full-service digital marketing, social media, SEO, and content marketing agency and management consultancy. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 50 brands, we help develop and implement integrated digital marketing, social media, influencer and content marketing programs that deliver measurable results, and help put companies and their executives on the digital map, and turnaround or increase the profitability of their businesses. Come get to know us at www.JNDGlobal.com. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Contact Information:
JND Global
Jennifer Neeley
+1 424 291 2910
j@jndglobal.com
Contact
www.JNDGlobal.com

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Do You Have the Context You Need? Unlocking the Value of Big Data in Marketing

While businesses have a general understanding of the value of big data analytics for insights, it can be trickier for marketers to explain the various ways social analytics reporting can benefit the bottom line. I tend to describe the business value as ‘contextual intelligence’ that we’re able to extract through Big Data dives. Context is what drives better quality messaging and content output that will resonate with your audience.

I’ve listed below key examples of how we use a bespoke mix of paid analytics tools to create data-driven reports that help address various business pain points for our clients in ways that help them take effective, immediate action.

Share of Voice and Competitor Analysis

Organizations of all kinds are always interested to see how they’re performing against competitors, compartitive companies or organizations and/or ‘aspirational’ organizations, and we pull real-time data to create rolling reports on a competitor’s share of voice online in social media, traditional media, forums, and blogs. This gives clients real-time insight into:

  • How their competitor’s social media accounts are performing.
  • How much engagement a competitor’s content receives across these channels.
  • Who their key influencers and brand advocates are (and potentially yours too).
  • How your brand’s share of voice ranks in comparison.

Below is an example using Sysomos:

Adding in our SEO services using SEMrush and Revvim, we’re able to make recommendations that drive not only your share of voice, but your digital footprint across all your online assets.


Influencer Mapping & Outreach


With the rise of industry thought leaders to celebrity bloggers and Insta-famous models, we’ve seen social influencers amass audiences from 10,000 up to 10 million followers. Brands are increasingly seeing the ROI value in working with key influencers to help raise awareness around products, services and campaigns.

When engaging in big data dives for clients, I’m able to easily identify key influencers for a brand name and/or based on specific search terms. Furthermore, I’m able to see who these influencers engage with, and criticallywho they influence. After all, it is the influencer’s valuable followers network that brands are ultimately trying to reach.


Crisis Communications

This same set of tools can help us get ahead in crisis communications as well. Here’s a look at how conversations were mapped during a London Tube strike:

 

I regularly remind clients that content without context simply a waste of time and resources. You should always be analyzing your own social data to learn how audiences are responding to your products, services and campaigns. Using the right mix of tools, we’re able to provide data-driven counsel to our clients, and unlock the contextual intelligence they need to fine-tune their messaging and ensure it resonates with their audiences.

We’re running a limited time special on reporting so you can see first-hand how it can impact your organization. Email us or click here to learm more.

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Will Wealth Transfer To Millennials (Finally) Pressure Traditional Investment Firms?

The traditional financial services industry has remained largely indifferent to calls for digital relevancy, with only 3% of financial advisers concerned about the threat posed by online investment services, according to a 2014 EY study. Yet with Millennials making up roughly one third of total US population, this generation of digital natives make up the current largest client base in the US market, with their aggregated net worth expected to grow to US $7 trillion by 2018.

Unsurprisingly, it is Silicon Valley startups that are targeting this lucrative and very accessible client base; looking to build long-term relationships with the fiscally conservative Millennials, who have grown up wary of institutional financial services firms and their perceived gross lack of transparency during the financial crisis.

The success of early players in the online investment space, including Wealthfront (est. $700 million valuation) and Betterment (est. $500 million valuation), shows that Millennials are already leveraging tech to educate themselves about their wealth building options, and unsurprisingly, are less likely to seek out financial advisors to manage their wealth. Venture capitalist firms and angel investors pouring money into these startups are also betting they can profit from the “steep growth curve of millennial assets.”

Wealth transfer from Baby Boomers

According to a 2014 Harris Poll study, the average financial adviser is aged between 50-55, with 64% of advisors targeting Baby Boomers and High Net Worth (HNW) individuals, and only 18% looking to target Millennials. Institutional firms rely on the presumption that the new crop of financial ‘Robo-advisers’ will only appeal to tech-savvy Millennials, and Baby Boomers and HNW individuals will continue to demand the in-person advisory model catered for by traditional firms.

This view will hurt institutional firms in the long-term; digital players are looking to break the generational paradigm and tap into both client pools, acutely aware that we are currently seeing greatest wealth transfer in history from Baby Boomer parents to their offspring. This will continue to put pressure on the traditional model in the next few decades.

As noted by EY:

“This next generation of clients, set to inherit upward of US$30t, have a different set of preferences and expectations that will affect how firms adapt and leverage digital strategies to serve them.”

As online investment platforms fundamentally change how Millennials approach their wealth building and asset management strategies, it will be fascinating to watch if they will also bring their parents along. Simultaneously it will be interesting to see if leading Fintech startups will scale enough to pique the interest of wealthy Baby Boomers, as their children enter their prime earnings years and continue to respond positively to the emerging opportunities in online investment.

 

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2016 Marketing Prediction: “Less is more” Content Personalization

If 2015 was the year of content marketing, 2016 will be the year of “less is more” content personalization. While ‘Content is King’ will continue to ring true in the new year, I predict we will see savvy digital marketers focus more on the value of data-driven content personalization to stay ahead of the game.

In 2015 we saw companies increasingly pour money into social advertising, as Facebook declared brands will have to “pay to play” if they want to keep the power of social within their marketing mix. Businesses will certainly be increasing their paid social and ad spend budgets in 2016, and newcomers and early venture startups will need to brace themselves for an increasingly competitive digital space in the new year.

A lot has been written on the value of ‘data-driven’ marketing, and we’ve certainly seen an explosion of martech tools designed to help CMOs generate actionable insight from the advent of Big Data. However data-driven marketing will need to shift from being reactive to proactive in 2016; we will see predictive marketing gaining more ground. As noted in The Australian:

“Marketers are already using machine learning to target ads and that will ultimately transform the way we think about advertising and media.” 

The rise of data-driven content personalization

In 2016 businesses that understand how to weave consumer data insights into their content strategy will greatly benefit from a ‘less is more’ approach that will help them cut through the noise in today’s oversaturated media landscape. Content marketing will also need to go back to the basics; brands will need to relearn the art of great storytelling.

I’ve previously discussed the need for brands to seize the gap in solid reporting we’re seeing in mainstream media, and pointed to the emerging value for brands to probe issues mainstream media have failed to pick up on. We know companies already spend a sizeable chunk of their marketing budget on gaining comprehensive insights into consumer habits, and one of the perks over the data collected is that they have a pretty good idea of the pertinent issues their customers care about.

Clever marketers will be able to leverage the insights gleamed from consumer data to create a customer-centric  personalized content strategy, and these brands will be poised to be heard by the right audiences in the new year.

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Europe’s Top Tech Cities

London emerged triumphant as the best city to support digital entrepreneurs in the EU on the recently released European Digital City Index (EDCi). The index aims to measure EU capitals and some other major cities against a set of criteria setup by digital entrepreneurs, policy researchers and academics.

The index, released by Nesta and the European Digital Forum ranks the best and worst European ecosystems for startups and scale-ups. The results can vary based on criteria. For example, if access to capital is set as the most desirable factor, Paris comes only second to London. But, when all the factors are given equal importance, Paris is pushed down to 6th position, below Copenhagen.

Here is a brief overview of the top 5 tech cities in Europe for startups based on the findings of the EDCi. 

  1. London
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Image via visitlondon.com

UK’s capital, also lovingly called “Silicon Roundabout” is transforming into Tech City with the government pushing for the city’s access to finance and support.

According to Startup Hubs Europe, there are over 275,000 startups in London, employing some 1.5 million people. The city has some of the world’s leading universities, resulting in a healthy knowledge spillover. London boasts more billion dollar startups or ‘unicorns’ than any other European country, making it a hub for mentors and role models for new entrepreneurs to follow. It is the only city in the UK to make the top 10 list, though, it is important to note that Cambridge and Oxford appear on 11th and 13th positions respectively. But despite all its charms, London scores poorly when it comes to the cost of living and office space.

Notable Startups: Shazam, Wonga, Zoopla

London ranked poorly on the cost of living. Source: EDCi 

  1. Amsterdam
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Image via iamsterdam.com

A popular destination for tourists and entrepreneurs from all across Europe, the city nurtures networks like StartupAmsterdam providing information and support to new startups. According to OECD, the Netherlands has the highest proportion of residential computers in the whole of Europe, which can be interpreted as an additional factor in encouraging the growth of home-based digital businesses.

The city has been responding well to the country’s innovation strategy with projects like the Smart City, an initiative where young entrepreneurs can test and improve products based on real-world feedback.

Notable Startups: BitFury, WeTransfer, Travelbird

Similar to London, Amsterdam ranked low on the cost of living, but scored better in business environment. Source: EDCi

  1. Stockholm
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Image via visitstockholm.com

Startup Hubs Europe records an estimated 8000 startups in Stockholm, employing around 52,000 people. The Swedish Capital is home to Spotify, CandyCrush and Minecraft. One reason for its rapid expanse in digital arena could be the small size of domestic market. Many entrepreneurs have to consider international digital culture and demands from the beginning while setting up their businesses. The country also boasts overall good English language skills, making it easy to make and market products in the international market.

Notable Startups: Klarna, Spotify

Stockholm scored fairly low on business environment but quite well on entrepreneurial culture and knowledge spillovers. Source: EDCi 

  1. Helsinki
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Image via visithelsinki.com

 There is a pool of smart talent released by Nokia, moving in the market and creating small profitable companies. With around 90 companies specializing in game development, a healthy gaming industry is steadily growing, currently being led by Rovio.

Notable Startups: Rovio, Jolla, Kiosked, Steam Republic, Blyk

 Helsinki also ranked low on the cost of living but managed to stay in top 5 for entrepreneurial culture and knowledge base. Source: EDCi

  1. Copenhagen
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Image via visitcopenhagen.com

Denmark appeared on top of European Commission’s ranking of the EU member states based on their overall digital performance earlier this year. The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) uses data mostly from 2013 and 2014 to capture an overall picture of digital Europe. It could be a surprise to many that EDCi has placed the country’s capital lower in the overall ranking. This, the index explains, is due to the country’s unfavorable tax system and high cost of living. Yet there are a rising number of accelerators and incubators in the city and Copenhagen has managed to stay in top 5 because of its business environment, access to capital and non-digital infrastructure.

Notable Startups: Zendesk, Podio, Just-Eat

Copenhagen did poorly on the cost of living but exceptionally well on the ease of doing business. Source: EDCi

The EDCi goes on to list Paris, Berlin, Dublin, Brussels and Munich in the lower half of top 10 using indicators like access to capital, business environment, entrepreneur culture and digital infrastructure. In his blog about the index, Wauters quoted Chris Haley, Head of Startups and New Technology Research at Nesta, who explained the outcome as:

“Entrepreneurship, particularly digital entrepreneurship, is vitally important for innovation and growth but not all cities provide equally fertile ground for these businesses. Our research indicates that location does matter, and illustrates the ways in which top cities create a supportive environment and where lessons can be learnt.”

This also explains how cities like Berlin are ranked lower in the index than cities like Brussels for example.

For a comprehensive view, The European Digital City index (EDCi) can be viewed here.

You can also download the research methodology behind EDCi here.

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How To Mind The Content Gap: Strategies And Tools

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Image via searchengineland.com

Everyone wants good content. But not many people can define and agree on what good content really is.“Good” is a subjective term; without the relevant customer data directing your content efforts, chances are you are aiming blindly in the content game and failing to connect with your readers.

Google has made it clear that it is all about getting the answers right to the people who are looking for them. For that, Google learns about the intent of customers behind a particular search. In the age of Hummingbird, keyword searches have lost their charm and search queries have become more, well, natural.

This has a lot to do with the change in search interface. Mobiles enable customers to search things on the go and with improved voice search, people, especially the millennials prefer asking questions in their own voice. This has led to more conversational queries even if the customers choose to type them out. Google now uses machine learning to better understand user needs to turn out better search results.

You want to be on top of those search results. But to do that, you want to make sure you are providing your customers with comprehensive and relevant information. It is a combination of accumulating in-depth knowledge of customer base to generate SEO informed intelligence and the right tools to determine how to reach out to them on topics of utmost interest to them. It is crucial that you do not leave any gaps in your content to be found and filled by your competitors pulling your ranking down in semantic search results.

Tips to make sure you content strategy is up to par:

 

  • Know your customers

You already have a lot of information on your customers that can kickstart your content gap analysis. Talk to the customer support team and learn what are some of the questions frequently asked by your customers. Get the sales team onboard and learn about industry challenges. You will learn more about your client base and the process will help you identify themes that you have successfully addressed in the past and topics that you should cover in the future.

  • Listen and learn from your customers

Record conversations with you customers, transcribe them and then look for word patterns. Look for reoccurring similar phrases and you will get a clearer idea of how your customers look for answers for their queries. This is particularly important as Google can now learn what pages mean through related keywords, synonyms and close variants without relying completely on exact keyword phrases. Keywords are not significant without relevant content and logical context. To understand what your customers expect from you, try to learn their language.

  • Get the right tools for the job

Thanks to an array of cool tools out there, an accurate content gap analysis has become more achievable. There are scores of tools to choose from. Here are a few of my favorites:

 

1. SEMrush

To make the most of this clever tool you will need a paid account. However, the free version offers limited organic keywords, backlinks and advertising reports that can be very helpful in shaping your content strategy.

1The organic keyword report can help you not only see the organic keywords that are driving traffic to your own or competing
website but lets you view the organic keyword ranking and their search volume.

With such a powerful tool at your side, you should dig really deep. Check out your competitors and their competitors and export the keywords into a csv file for later analysis. This can speedup and refocus your brainstorming sessions for new content topics.

There are scores of other reports delivered by the tool that you can use to identify unique high impact content gaps.

 

2.  Revvim

SEO analysis is tedious and can take hours of auditing, data mashing and excel manipulation. Revvim delivers SEO recommendations to maximize your site’s organic search traffic from search engines by automating the grueling analysis and helps you take necessary actions to make the best possible SEO impact. JND Global is an official Revvim partner and we have achieved more than 400% growth on our key accounts with them.

 

3. SimilarWeb

If there is one tool you need to measure your marketing performance against your competitors, it is this. You can find gaps and thus opportunities to fill those gaps in your own content and marketing strategy. Among other useful reports, The Referring Sites report enables you to see which sites are referring the most traffic to your competing website. This can open a whole new dimension for topic analysis where you can analyze what kind of searches your potential customers are doing and how you can include similar themes within your content to attract more traffic.

Like SEMrush, it is important to keep an eye on Organic Keywords. You can check Paid Keywords to identify phrases and words so crucial to your competitors that they are actually paying for them. Also by checking which social sites are driving the most traffic to your competing website, you can dig deeper into what kind of content your competitor is posting on that social website.

 

4. Google Advanced Search Operator

This is yet another cool way to see the backlinks on any website. If you want to see where your competitors are getting backlinks from, simply type “link:” followed by the domain name you would like to check. Google learns about important results for searched queries through many factors and relevant links help Google evaluate a website’s authority on a subject. This can also give you an insight into what websites are driving traffic to your competing website and this can in turn widen your content strategy.

 

5. Google Alerts

You want to know where you are getting links and mentions and also what your competitors are up to. Create alerts to monitor your own activity and that of your competition. This is an easy way to discover new topics to create relevant and useful content for your customers and to share it with them through various social media platforms. 

 

These are only a few ways to create an all-encompassing content strategy by finding content gaps and filling them. What are some of the free and paid tools that you use to do the same? Please feel free share in the comments section below or tweet to me @jennifered