8 Must-Read Posts Connecting Content, Search and Mobile Commerce

It’s been a crazy week, Big Thinkers, so you’ll pardon me if I dispose of the pithy intro this week and simply give a big shout-out to these 8 must-read posts connecting content, search and mobile commerce. Enjoy:

1. Leading off, eMarketer has data that shows smartphones drive lift in mobile search traffic. Not a surprise, really, but it’s good that the data supports what many of you probably realized intuitively.
2. Because of that growth of mobile search, you really want to check out iMediaConnection’s looks at how Google is transforming the mobile landscape. Fascinating read.
3. Building on that, Mobile Commerce Daily reports that a Target exec says bricks-and-mobile commerce is logical next step. I completely agree. It’s not “mobile or e-commerce or commerce;” it’s “mobile and commerce,” all the time. eMarketer says that mobile is increasing its share of shopping, transacting in Canada. As I noted on Twitter, it ain’t just Canada.
4. Search Engine Land noted these connections and outlined opportunities for 2015 omni-channel success in paid search & beyond, while Mobile Commerce Daily highlighted an Express exec who stated geo-bidding, cross-partnerships make significant impact on m-commerce. Again, the connections among mobile, search, and commerce are a really big deal.
5. Of course, to rank in search and convince customers to buy, you need great content. Linda Bustos at GetElastic interviewed Bernardine Wu of FitForCommerce about the state of content and commerce. It’s a great discussion, well worth a few minutes of your time.
6. Similarly, The Future of Commerce blog outlined why content and commerce represents the ultimate balancing act. Good stuff.
7. Linda Bustos at GetElastic lists 5 obsessions every CMO must embrace. I agree across the board that summarizes these trends and how they help you to own your customer relationships. Great read.
8. Speaking of “own your customer relationships,” this was a big week for the topic here on Thinks. We took a look who owns your customer and how customer data drives satisfaction and increased revenues on the blog, while this week’s episode of Thinks Out Loud advised “Want to Own the Customer? Own the Data.” And it’s becoming increasingly clear that owning the customer experience is the future of e-commerce. You definitely want to check those out.

There you have it, Big Thinkers; 8 must-read posts connecting content, search, and mobile commerce. If you’re looking for even more, don’t miss last week’s “8 Must-Read Marketing and E-Commerce Posts” and this past link digest called “Freezing? 8 Fabulous Marketing and E-commerce Posts to Warm You Up.” Really solid stuff. You should also check out this round-up of 8 Great Mobile Marketing and E-commerce Reads for a Snowy Weekend, these 7+ Super E-commerce and Mobile Must-Reads to Enjoy Before the Big Game: E-commerce Link Digest, and the rest of our E-commerce Link Digest series.

And if you want to learn even more about how customers changing behavior shapes e-commerce and marketing, be sure an 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”:

And, finally, you might want to take a look at some of our past coverage of the e-commerce, mobile commerce, and digital marketing overall, including:

• 10 Key Posts about Millennials and Mobile: E-commerce Link Digest
• The Secrets Behind “It’s All E-commerce” for 2014
• The Zen of Digital Marketing Strategy
• 7 Steps to E-Commerce Heaven
• Today and Tomorrow: Mobile and The Changing Customer Journey
• Mobile Makes E-commerce Even More “Frictionless”
• Your 2014 Internet Marketing New Year’s Resolutions – Thinks Out Loud Episode 56