6 Awesome Insights About Mobile Payments, E-commerce and Even More: E-commerce Link Digest

Hello, Big Thinkers and Happy Tax Day! (I hope, anyway…) Let’s skip any big setup this week and instead get you right into this set of 6 digital insights about mobile payments, e-commerce, and even more from the past week. Enjoy:

1. Leading off, Bryan Kramer over on The Future of Commerce blog looks at why so many companies fail at creating value. Excellent read and well-worth your time. While you’re at it, you might want to review this look at building a brand story and check out the two most important questions you must answer to put your marketing to work.
2. Business Insider reports that Amazon’s new video feature should make YouTube extremely nervous. Very interesting. Amazon’s making a lot of noise in the digital space overall. For instance, according to CNBC, Amazon is also expanding payments to take on PayPal. More on that in just a moment.
3. So, since we’re talking about payments, there’s a ton of information out this past week that you should know. First, Marketing Charts says that mobile banking and payments use continues to grow. Meanwhile, Fortune talks with OpenTable’s new CEO about digital payments and the company’s plans for premium reservations. And adding color to the story, Mobile Commerce Daily rounds-up a list of the top 10 mobile payments developments of Q1, many of which you should watch closely. And, finally, TechCrunch says that Facebook is pushing businesses to Messenger with new tools for Pages including Snapchat-like scannable codes. All of these trends help illustrate why I’m bullish on mobile payments and messaging.
4. The Facebook development just mentioned is particularly interesting for a number of reasons. Facebook held its annual F8 Conference this week and announced one of the most compelling visions we’ve seen for how the world will work in a few years’ time. Considering it altogether, it seems like it’s Facebook’s world and we’re all living in it. You can also watch video of the Thinks Out Loud podcast episode about Facebook’s vision on our Facebook page (where else, really?) or take a look at it right here:
5. Speaking of the future, the Future of Commerce blog also has a thought-provoking piece by Dean Afzal explaining why it’s time to embrace modern mobile literacy. Good read. You might also want to review these 6 mobile commerce and strategy insights from the ongoing E-commerce Link Digest series.
6. And, finally, as you do things like build your brand story and create value for your customers, don’t forget Content Marketing and the idea that we’re all publishers now.

If you want learn even more about how your customers’ changing behavior shapes e-commerce and marketing, be sure and register to receive a special report I’ve produced in conjunction with hotel marketing firm Vizergy, “Digital Hotel Marketing in a Multiscreen World.” While it’s targeted specifically at hotel and resort marketers, the lessons apply to just about any business. You can get your free copy of the report here.

You can also check out these slides and video from my recent webinar, “Digital Marketing Directions: Three Key Trends Driving Your Marketing Next Year”: