Tag: Facebook

Here you can see a full list of the confirmed speakers at Webit.Festival, while here you can get all the information you need about the tickets for the event.

We need to go back to good, credible and authentic storytelling that brings value to the consumer

The notion of change is essential in the 21st century. We are developing way faster than we thought we would in 2008, for example. We now consider diseases treatable, in comparison with just 10 years back; companies have to adapt to change, but this would be impossible without certain people - people who envision the future, who encompass change and apply it. Chris Kubbernus, or Kubby, as his friends call him, named #1 Business Guru on Snapchat by Forbes, will be among the speakers at Webit.Innovate! Summit at the next Webit.Festival Europe 2018 on 26th - 27th June 2018. The one thing Chris wishes people to remember out of his talk would be that things change. According to him, companies today are not using technologies to their fullest potential - not seeing what’s happening in the marketplace and cannot react adequately.

“ If you say to an organization: 'I think you should use Snapchat, or get on Instagram', they’d roll their eyes and say: 'Why would we do that?’ What they don’t realize is that these things quickly become mainstream, and that’s where they’re losing. They’re actually ignoring what’s going on in the marketplace, thinking that it’s just a trend and therefore not doing anything about it. Change happens and organizations have to recognize that and act on it before it gets too expensive.”

Chris is originally from Canada, but he likes to say that he was “imported in Denmark” by his wife. The difference in the two continents is obvious, in terms of marketing, but what exactly Chris finds drastically different is:

Americans and Canadians are more trusting in their advertising. If you make a claim, they might take that as face value, whereas I think with Europeans, you have to have a more soft approach.

Living in Northern Europe, Scandinavians, he continues have a different approach to advertisement. People there are more likely to doubt the quality of the product whereas the Americans would trust the ad and will expect the same results.

In social media, I find that Europeans are more conservative. They are less likely to share and like something or to engage with content. I think it takes a lot to move them to action, where in North America, in particular, it seems to be easier. People are more relaxed towards sharing on social media and voicing their opinions.

Chris was a speaker at the first Snapchat conference - we saw the rise of Snapchat, we all know those Snapchat glasses, don’t we. We are now also seeing the fall of Snapchat as a platform, it doesn't attract so much audience, in fact, its users are youngsters. It just somehow feels Snapchat will not last much longer, although, Chris says,  you have to wonder why the biggest social networks in the world are mimicking what Snapchat did.

“ I think, in a way, Snapchat is being replaced by Instagram. Instagram is doing a very good job of copying and making their own new features. But Snapchat is a playground, still much more than Instagram. And Facebook sees that they are losing the younger generation, so I think that if Snapchat can continue being the anti-Facebook, they will stay relevant. They just need to retain that identity. “

Besides Facebook, another huge platform is so very widely used - Instagram. The main differences in the two platforms, Chris explains like this:

On Facebook, content is consumed slower and with more thought. People are less likely to like on Facebook, whereas on Instagram, there’s less exposure and more anonymity. Instagram is a little hedonistic in some ways, while Facebook is your core of friends and family, where you have to be more ‘considerate'.

Unlike some other social platforms, like Snapchat, for example, Facebook will be present in our lives for many more years. It is a place where you can document your entire life and in terms of ‘replacing’, Instagram will not replace Facebook as a social media platform. At the end of the day, “both platforms are playgrounds for displaying different parts of our personalities”. My social media predictions for 2018 is a continuation and examination of influencer-marketing and how much we let social media influence us, says Kubby. The psychological effect of social media will continue to determine the way we communicate and perceive information and the trend of what is real and what is fake will determine the consumer’s behaviour.

“ Right now, digital marketing is losing consumers because of disinterest and mistrust in fake influencer-marketing. We need to go back to good, credible and authentic storytelling that brings value to the consumer. “

Visa is not the first credit card!

Maybe it’s no news for you, but for the majority of the audience of  the Red Stage at Webit Festival, it certainly was. The one who made that revelation is the General Manager of Visa for Israel, Mr. Oded Salomy. He had a keynote at last year’s edition on enabling the transforming world of payments. Visa is one of the names that probably need no introduction. “Visa” has become a nickname for our payment cards. So much, that people tend to there’s much more behind it than just a plastic for payments. Payments is such a vast area that it’s quite unpredictable what the future will bring. We never know what’s going to impact payments and the booming fintech industry. Everyday payments, business to business payments, business to customer payments and reverse.. Machines paying other machines rather than humans, biometrics being used in order to identify people by their biological characteristics.. All the way up to crypto currencies and tokens. New services, easier to work with and keeping a proper security level are needed by this ever evolving system. Numerous startups have been trying to be the next “big thing” that will shake the world of payments as the price of Bitcoin did some time ago.

In the Internet of Things space things have been connecting to Fintech too

Wearables such as rings, bracelets, wrist-watches and keychains are becoming more than just accessories - there are already ones out in sale that can allow us to pay on the move. Another category that’s being impacted is the connected cars. With just an Internet connection we can pay for grocery, for gas, parking, insurance while going to work or some more  without the need to get out of the vehicle. And last but not least, check the Webit.Festival website for upcoming speakers and our ticket options.

Advertising may win quarters, innovation wins decades

He is a new breed trendwatcher, energetic professional communicator, serial entrepreneur, award-winning marketing strategist and this will be his 4th Webit event - three times in Sofia and once in Istanbul, Igor Beuker has lots to share about his Webit experience.

“ Amazing conference, very well-organized, fantastic setting and backstage program, great speaker line-up, and very important to me as a professional public speaker and human being: the connection with the audience (at the event and on social media) is rare and heartwarming. “

Igor is among those speakers who have a special connection with their audience. Here is what he says about the audience in Sofia, and to his fans, in particular:

“ The connection with the audience in Sofia, is really one of a kind. I can’t explain the feeling.It’s one of the reasons why - out of 150 international talks each year - Webit is one of the highlights I really look forward to ”

We cannot deny that the difference between Sofia and Istanbul is enormous. Here is what Igor says about his experience:

“ Istanbul is a huge international city and the conference is a bit more business focused and formal than in Sofia, was my experience. I love the culture and the passion of the people in Turkey, and some of the attendees became business partners and friends.”

Bulgaria and Sofia are aiming at becoming a digital hub for CEE and the attitude and approach towards this is a bit more casual. In the same time, however, we coordinate with the government and local authorities, and as from last year, we were incredibly proud to announce that Webit is the flagship event of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel is chairing Webit's Plenary Sessions and is a patron of Webit.Festival along with The Government of Bulgaria and the Mayor of Sofia.” Last year I shared the stage and the dining table with the president of Bulgaria and the Mayor of Sofia, which is a great opportunity to share ideas.”

“Burning Man meet TED” and “Math Man in a world of Mad Men”...

...are just a couple of the new terms that were invented by the Bulgarian audience. At this year’s Webit.Festival Europe edition in Sofia, Igor will further develop his Mad Men vs. Math Men theory.

"Can I stretch my Mad Men vs. Math Men theory and framework even further? The Webit audience will give me the answer with their reviews and social feedback. My team and me value what they say and I even reinvent my speeches and one-liners for my talks, based upon what they highlight. That legacy brands and incumbents need to get out of their comfort zones, because that’s where the magic really happens. My bold style and personality I can’t change at 47, but the audience feels I know my why and I keep walking towards my purpose. Next-level change and reinvention is needed. Big is only good when big is smart: Advertising may win quarters, innovation wins decades.”

Igor is loved by the companies, adored by his fans and audience everywhere he goes and also by the media.

He gave a very special, exclusive, interview for a Bulgarian media. You can watch his interviews here, where he elaborates his Mad Men vs. Math Men theory in a more simple way. Igor’s answer to “how would you describe the atmosphere at Webit, he says: “Hard to describe, but when I look at the audience tweetback on my site, I get a huge smile on my face and I can’t wait to be back!”

We can’t wait to welcome you again, Igor! You have a very special place in our city and our hearts.

“ Experiencing the last three years, I expect Webit 2018 to be even bigger and better than the previous editions. If that is even possible.”

Sure it is! You don’t believe us? Take a look at the amazing speakers line here and the one of the kind networking opportunities here. You wish to attend? Book your ticket here.

  Facebook is deeply appreciated by its employees. It ranked as the best tech company to work for in 2017 and came in second among U.S. companies overall behnd Bain , according to a new report from Glassdoor. The ninth annual list is based on employee reviews posted on the job site from Nov. 2, 2015 to Oct. 30, 2016. More about this here. Meanwhile, the anti-aging pill of the future is here. Elysium Health markets a pill formulated with ingredients it says will keep you feeling young . According to Techcrunch, the startup has closed on $20 million in Series B financing and it has $157 million valuation led by General Catalyst and participation from an ARCH Venture Partners investor.  French VC firm Partech Ventures announced that they closed their seed fund of $107 million (€100 million) for early stage startups. Partech Entrepreneur II is focusing on seed rounds, and the firm plans to invest in 80 different startups. Hosting giant GoDaddy has just announced a big deal. GoDaddy has acquired European rival Host Europe Group (HEG) for $1.8 billion — including €605 million paid to existing Host Europe shareholders, and €1.08 billion in assumed debt.  

The digital era we are living in is challenging for a few main reasons - a lot of information, lots of tools and endless opportunities. Challenges come from the fact that in most cases you don’t have the control, so staying ahead of the digital marketing game can be difficult. More and more of your customers are online looking for brands and products to fill their needs on social media. It can be true that digital marketing strategy is time-consuming and expensive, but in order to stay on the market and people to know you, your business needs this strategy. So here are 5 digital tools every (digital) business should have:

• Engaging Website - Online experience starts from the company’s website. This is how current and potential customers are going to find and connect with your business. Make sure that you build a site that is optimized for success. Wordpress is the universal tool that can help you and will let to customize the service to suit your needs.
• Hootsuite (or Social Media) - Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc., etc. True social media madness. Hootsuite allows you to manage all your social media accounts by cross platform message scheduling and extensive data tracking. Analytics across every platform ensures less time managing and more time growing your business.
• Google Search - Advertising on search results relevant to your product or service is powerful and productive. All you should know is what search terms (keywords) to focus on. Instead of bidding on competitive keywords try to focus on specific phrases or geographies and bid aggressively. What is important is not the numbers of views of your ad, but whether it was shown to the right people.
• Remarketing Tools - have you ever checked new models of tablets on the Internet and later when you watch a video on YouTube tablet ads start popping out? This is remarketing and it’s happening more and more often. Use remarketing tactics if your product or service has a long buying cycle.
• Analytics - you own limitless quantity of information and at first, this may scare you. Fortunately, lots of analytics tools exist, so you can transform just data into essential  and useful information.

Everything is changing so quickly and you should stay adequate to the circumstances. CEEDS’15 by Webit will give you new digital ideas and tools, so the event will inspire you to perform even better during the digital transformation. Book your tickets now!  

Business is constantly looking to provide customers with additional points of interaction with its services. Anywhere, anytime, at any device - this is the mobile messaging. The value of any service is being increased by communication improvements and developments, so the better mobile messaging platform, the more added value to the product. Mobile messaging gives not only access and information, but also satisfaction and confidence to the customers. Let’s talk with examples, because there are plenty of them. In February, a record acquisition happened. The social giant Facebook acquired the mobile app Whatsapp for 19 billion dollars! The deal is still not officially closed, but this is not important here. More interesting is why Facebook needs Whatsapp and here comes the simple answer - following the trends. It is Facebook that noticed the trend, but it is not the ‘creator’. Fast-growing Asian mobile messaging networks like Kakao Talk, Line, and WeChat are pretty well-situated on the market. Likewise, Tango - a mobile messaging network (with 200 million users and growing) wanted everyone to know it is serious about publishing mobile games on its platform, so the company invested $25 million in game developers around the world. It is obvious that the term mobile messaging is versatile. It can be used in any area, industry or business. Totally understandable - Mobile Messaging. Two words that the digital world can not live without. The 6th Global Webit Congress will not miss this actual topic, so hurry up and book your tickets with early bird prices now!

If you are involved in digital business nowadays, then you are completely aware of the term “video advertising”. And no matter what kind of business you run, online video marketing should be a major focus of your advertising and marketing budget. Let’s check some statistics:

• 20 billion impressions - online video marketing is effective when it comes to exposure. According to a comScore report, video ad impressions surpassed 20 billion in June 2013.
• 1.8 million words – this is the value of one minute of video, according to Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research. Just think about how many emotions can be expressed in one minute video. And what about one written page? Looks like video advertising is much more practical, isn’t it?
• 90% of online shoppers (at a major retailer’s website) said that they find video helpful in making shopping and buying decisions.
• 10 seconds – that is how much time you need to grab costumer’s attention
• 15 seconds - according to research conducted by Jun Group (2011), videos lasting 15 seconds or shorter are shared 37% more often than those that last between 30 seconds and 1 minute.
• 51% - an online marketer reported a 51% increase in subscribe rates when video was included in an email marketing campaign.

Facebook is also following the trend of video advertising. In the middle of July, the social media announced that soon we can expect video ads that will follow us from device to device. Not just a trend, video advertising is an art. Still, not each advertiser realize and imply this … yet. It is not about to make video ads, because everyone makes ones. It is about involving the customer, about creating and provoking emotions. About telling a story. Join the 6th Webit Global Congress and learn more about the art of video advertising from our speakers. Apply now!  

If they ask you to name three companies from the digital industry, what would you say? Amongst the first that will come to your mind will be Facebook, Google and Apple, for sure. On 01-02 of October these three giants will be on the stage of Webit Global Congress in Istanbul, Turkey and you should not miss it. Founded 10 years ago, on February 4^th, 2004, Facebook is the youngest giant from the group. Currently, the social network has more than 6800 employees and total assets which equal to almost 18 billion dollars. Google is the bigger brother, founded on September 4^th, 1998. The 16-year-old company has more than 52 000 employees and 111 billion dollars assets for 2013. And last, but not least the eldest one, 38-year-old Apple, founded on April 1^st in 1976. Apple’s assets, 207 billion dollars, are almost twice these of Google and the employees are 80 000. No matter how different Facebook, Google and Apple are, they have something in common – the desire to dominate. When it comes to advertising, the rivalry between Facebook Ads and Google AdWords is well-known. Both Google and Facebook have a massive potential audience. Both offer paid as well as free advertising. According to their purpose, advertisers can choose which one to use. Google+ allows Google to collect personal user data and by checking Gmail and YouTube we can soon expect that Google’s user data will surmount Facebook in terms of value. On the other hand, we have Apple versus Google…again. In the last few years, especially after the passing of Steve Jobs, Google improved its brand recognition and became the world’s most valuable brand, according to MillwardBrown's 2014 BrandZ ranking. The desire to dominate provoked not only Google, but also Apple and Facebook to innovate and constantly to look for new opportunities. You see it is intriguing around the giants, so do not miss the chance to see them on one stage - 1-2 October, Istanbul, Webit Global Congress. Apply now!