Does this sound familiar? You’re at a café with a friend. Your phone is on the table next to you. Your friend mentions an amazing new product. It sounds interesting, so you think you’ll look into it later…but then you forget.

Soon after, an ad for the product pops up in your Facebook feed. You didn’t search for the product online, didn’t include it in a post, a text or email. You only ever mentioned it in a phone conversation or when your phone was nearby.

The first time this happens you probably just think it’s a coincidence. But when you receive more ads that are highly targeted to what you’ve only ever talked about you might start to wonder, “Is my phone listening to me?”.

Cue the creepy music.

Hey Google, could this really be happening?

After all, it’s not out of the realms of possibility.

• Smartphones have a microphone and are programmed to act when we ask a question – think Google assistant, Alexa and Siri.
• If you use these applications and your phone is on, it’s “listening” and ready to respond.
• Experts argue the technology exists and the algorithms are sophisticated enough.
• We know Google and Facebook collect data which they use to target ads.

But are they also listening in?

Computer says no

Google, Facebook and others say they are not listening to people’s conversations.

For one thing, gathering a constant stream of audio from so many phones would cost a great deal.

And, ultimately, they don’t need to listen to you. They already know you better than your nearest and dearest.

In a previous blog post on machine learning, I talked about how, by analysing 300 of your Facebook likes, an Artificial Intelligence enhanced algorithm can evaluate your character better than your partner.

And, Facebook likes are just the tip of the iceberg. Your status updates, photos you post or are tagged in, everywhere you’ve logged on and all your messenger conversations, even the ones you half typed, thought better of and deleted, all help paint a picture of you, your likes and dislikes.

Added to this, your clickstream is like a window into your stream of consciousness, and by analysing your browsing and purchase history, Google makes some spookily accurate guesses.

Big Brother is watching

By opting into the world of social media and online searches, we’ve opted out of an anonymous life.

Which shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Most of us know by now that you pay for free social media and internet browsers with your personal information.

So can I, as I suspect a lot of you do, still hear the creepy music?

Experts predict a ground swell of unease about online tracking will result in the rise of products and services to help us hide our activity. Until then, I’ve outlined several ways you can improve your online privacy in this blog post.

But, of course, there is an upside to all this.

ONLINE INFLUENCE’S PLAYLIST

Forget the tri-tones and dramatic swells of sound, if you run a business, there’s nothing at all creepy about Google’s astonishing foresight. In fact, it’s genuinely awesome!

Online Influence is a trusted Google partner, and by working with those nosy algorithms, our friendly team can help you target your advertising campaigns with almost pin point accuracy. Contact us to find out how we can help your business today.

It wasn’t all that long along ago that the word cloud was reserved for conversations about the weather, so you can be forgiven for being a bit hazy on what “The Cloud” is all about.

In a nutshell:

• Cloud computing uses the internet and central remote servers to store and maintain data and applications – rather than a hard drive.
• This means businesses and individuals can access applications from the cloud without having them installed on their device.
• With the cloud, so long as you have an internet connection, you can access your personal files on any device, anywhere.

And, whether you’re familiar with it or not, you’re probably already using the cloud.

• You use cloud computing when you update your Facebook status.
• When you upload photos to Instagram, you’re uploading them to the cloud.
• You’re in the cloud when you do internet banking on your phone.
• Those apps you love so much? Yep. In the cloud.
• Google drive is another cloud-based application.
• Do you subscribe to Netflix? You’re favourite shows are up in the cloud.

“I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD”

The poet William Wordsworth famously used a simile of a cloud to describe his solitary state.

In a similar way, “the cloud” is just a metaphor for the internet – who knew computer engineers could be so poetic?

The term may sound insubstantial, and the cloud can hold a whole heap of information and has the potential to save you a whole heap of money.

WHY YOU SHOULD BE USING THE CLOUD

There are many good reasons to move to the cloud.

Cost saving and profit increasing

• You don’t have to invest in expensive hardware or the staff to maintain it. In fact, you don’t need a very powerful computer or tonnes of GB’s on your phone to run your business in the cloud.
• You don’t buy software, rather you subscribe for access to what you need, when you need it. This means you get all the latest upgrades.
• And, because you’re accessing the best technology, you’re in a better position to compete against other businesses – big and small.

Flexibility

• Cloud-based systems allow you to scale up or down your bandwidth demands.
• It also allows you and your staff to access your files or shared documents anywhere – so long as you have internet access.
• On top of this, you can usually access what you need on any device.

Efficiency

• The fact that you can work from anywhere, anytime will make your business more efficient.
• Staff members who work off-site can access emails, plans or documents, fill in forms and submit applications on the spot.
• In most cases when staff are given the chance to telecommute, at least some of the time, productivity rises.
• You won’t be wasting time, or money, dealing with onsite hardware failures.

Collaboration

• The cloud allows your team members to access, edit (in real time) and share documents from anywhere at any time, leading to better outcomes all round.
• Collaboration between onsite and remote staff or consultants saves time, email chain frustration and is great for document integrity too.

Security and recovery

• The cloud has made reliable disaster recovery a reality for businesses big and small.
• And when you use a cloud-based system, if you or your staff lose a phone or laptop you don’t lose all your important files.
• You can even wipe a lost device remotely.

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN

Of course, there’s disadvantages to every technology, including the cloud.

Not all businesses need or even suit the whole gamut of cloud-based options. And, if you do want to embrace it all, you may need bigger and better phone and internet plans.

The big one is that if the internet goes down, or you suddenly find yourself with no service, you can’t access the cloud. But, in my experience, local problems are short lived. What’s more, if the whole thing ever falls apart, and the likes of Amazon, Google and Apple go down, we’ll all be dealing with bigger problems than accessing personal data.

Some people question the security of the cloud, but others think it’s the safest place for their information. It’s certainly got some of the best minds in the business working to keep it that way.

ONLINE INFLUENCE’S CLOUD-BASED APPROACH

You could say that Online Influence has its head in the clouds. Our web servers are cloud-based and we also use:

• G Suite for storing our emails
• Google drive and dropbox for file storage
• iCloud for desktop storage and or backups
• Podio for project management and team communications, and
• Zoom and Podio for client support and communication.

I use a Chrome book when I’m out of the office. This is a new breed of device, primarily designed to be used while connected to the internet, with most applications and documents living in the cloud.

I have to admit I was a little sceptical when I first got it, but I soon realised how handy it was to link to our cloud-based systems. It also allows me to access my Mac desktop from wherever I am (so long as I have an internet connection) or I can hotspot from my phone. Too easy.

NOT SURE WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU?

If you’re unsure of how to maximise the benefits of the cloud for your business, the Online Influence team has the insight and the experience to help. Call us today to find out the best solution for you and your business.

An online business consultant is someone who offers solutions to businesses for the promotion of the business, its products or services, through the internet. Here are just some of the various services that a reliable online marketing expert can provide:

Lead Generation Campaigns

In any business, generating leads and prospects is a must for the enterprise to survive and grow. Online consultants provide help in this area by implementing various lead generation methods. Some of the most common lead generation methods are as follows:

• Social media marketing. Using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can greatly increase the exposure of a business to its potential customers and clients. By implementing lead generating activities in social media platforms (both free and paid), the number of people who regularly visit a business website has the potential to increase over time and ideally transform into repeat customers.

• Paid advertising campaigns. Based on specific market information, an online marketing consultant may opt to recommend paid advertising programs such as pay-per-click, banner advertising and direct media buys, or by providing reliable SEO packages.

• Article Marketing. Some consultants are mainly content-driven and choose to write and distribute high-quality articles within the market in order to build authority and credibility among readers and potential buyers. The number of leads generated from article marketing campaigns is relatively lower than other advertising methods but has a higher conversion rate.

List Building

Aside from generating leads, an online business consultant helps businesses to develop their list of subscribers by capturing the contact information of web visitors. This is done by installing contact forms or subscriber forms on website landing pages — visitors can subscribe to receive website updates and be automatically included in the contact list of a business for later follow-up.

Lead Conversion and Upselling

Once the leads are generated and the subscriber list is developed, the online business consultant helps his or her client to convert those leads into sales. This means that website subscribers may be offered various products and services that thorough research has shown that they want and need:

• Front End Sales. These are low-priced items which aim to initially involve the customers with the company. Some examples of these are discounted tickets, starter packages, 30 day free trial, basic membership plans, and so on.

• Back end sales. This is the upsell. Existing customers are offered higher priced items to encourage repeat business.

These services are able to be provided by reliable and knowledgeable online business consultants. Any offline business that wants to reach a greater number of customers should consider engaging a local online business consultant to help it grow and prosper.