News & Notes

Sarah Worsham / May 16, 2013

Google Wallet Makes It Easier than PayPal to Send Money

Google Wallet Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So far Google Wallet has been on the sideline. Well, it just got the call from the coach to check into the game. Google is rolling out integration between Gmail and Wallet which means that getting and sending money may soon be as easy as sending an email. This could have far reaching impact on eCommerce — think about selling products or services without having to setup an eCommerce website… Meet a client for lunch, get paid on the spot. Obviously there are products like Square that provide mobile payment services, but they are a separate application and signup. I wonder how close we are to the demise of credit cards — could be good for financial security — as long as you have a good Gmail password. What about security in terms of phishing schemes…. Should be very interesting to see how this all pans out.

What do you think?

In the coming weeks and months, a dollar sign will start popping in Gmail accounts of people who already use Google Wallet, and a quick click lets users define the recipient and the amount they’d like to send along as an attachment. Since all of these transactions run through Google Wallet, the usual caveats are in place — sending funds from a connected bank account is totally gratis, but those who prefer to pay with credit or debit cards are subject to an additional 2.9 percent fee tacked on. You also need to be over 18 to take part in the funding fun, though. — Google Folds Wallet Support Into Gmail So You Can Send Money As Attachments (TechCrunch)

Sarah Worsham / May 15, 2013

Big Data is the Next Gold Mine

Cloud services and software as a service are flourishing. IT departments are freed from having to support hardware and software infrastructure, and users get the latest software updates. But the backend of these types of services is the data that they are able to collect. By being able to view a spectrum of users across many different industries and uses, many companies are able to collect valuable marketing data that is not directly related to the services they are providing. The use of this data may be helpful for individuals as companies are able to leverage it to make a better match between want and need. The value of this information to marketers is clear. Will companies and individuals be willing to contribute to this type of data collection, especially when most are blissfully unaware? Time will tell.

The other reason is that the big part of big data really is important if you want to get a really clear picture of what’s happening in any given space. While no single end-user company can (or likely would) address search-engine optimization, for example, by building a massive store comprised of data from hundreds or thousands of companies as well as the entire web, a cloud service dedicated to that specific task can. — This is why big data is the sweet spot for SaaS by Derrick Harris

Sarah Worsham / May 14, 2013

Facebook Works for B2B Too

facebook engancha (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a Business-to-Business (B2B) company, you may feel like you have to uphold a very professional image, so Facebook doesn’t make sense for you. Or that your prospective customers won’t be on Facebook because it’s clearly for kids and grandparents.

B2B companies may have larger average purchases and longer purchase cycles, but both of these require building relationships, and Facebook can help. Facebook is the world’s largest network, and while people may be there to connect with friends and family, they’re not adverse to building business relationships, as long as it’s done in the right way (think resource & relationship rather than advertising and gimmicks). People want to buy from people, and there are a lot of people on Facebook.

We’ve had a lot of luck using Facebook with B2B companies to build relationships around topics and ideas that their prospects are passionate about. What about you?

But at the end of the day, what really matters is having a social presence, showing your personality, humanizing your business, and having a little fun in the process of course. We all know the B2B sales cycle is long. Your Facebook posts are little touch points that can make all the difference in staying top-of-mind with your prospects. B2B marketers really underestimate the power of this, so there’s a lot of opportunity to show improvement. — Marketo’s Jason Miller On Facebook For B2B: Why So Serious? by Dennis Yu

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