The Skinny…An every other day or so double-shot of digital goodness.

The Skinny is a synopsis of current digital marketing and social media trends. The Skinny’s mission is to deliver the buzz
to you in a few minutes or less so you can be in the know and focus on what matters most- your work.

Report: The Cost of Facebook Ads has Jumped

 Facebook is demanding higher prices for advertisements, prompting a 40% increase

in cost-per-click in the first quarter, according to a report by UK-based digital
marketing firm Efficient Frontier. (top clients: Discover, Baby Center, Crate & Barrel)
 Efficient Frontier attributes the rise in rates to the advertisers’ realization of
Facebook’s “tremendous value.”
 This is considered a “turnaround” for Facebook, whose inability to monetize its huge
user base has been an “issue” for years.
 Ads on Facebook typically perform more poorly than standard banner ads, and prior
to the increase in CPC Facebook posted $1,86 billlion in advertising revenues in
2010.
 The report also stated that search engine marketing grew 17% year-over-year
primarily because of increases in the retail and finance categories.

 Click here if you would like to access Efficient Frontier’s Global Digital Marketing
Performance Report.

 Click here if you would like to see the full article.

Bing is Loosening Google’s Grip

 Microsoft’s Bing has made suprising gains on the undisputed search engine
champion of the world.
 According to Experian Hitwise, a leading global online competitive intelligence
company, Bing ammassed 30.01% of all searches during March. (Includes searches
from Bing.com and “Bing-powered” searches, which includes Yahoo websites that
use Bing).
 Searches conducted directly through Bing.com accounted for 14.32% of all searches,
and Yahoo searches rose from 14.99% to 15.69% in March.
 Google is still head and shoulders above everyone else, with 64.42% of all searches
last month, but that figure represented a decline of 3% from Google’s standing in
February when it accounted for just under 66.99% of searches.
 Bing’s 30% represented an increase of 5% over its February standing.

 Click here if you would like to see the report from Experian Hitwise.

 Click here if you would like to see the full article.

Scientists Develop Brain-Computer Interface for Cellphones

 Researchers in San Diego have developed a system that allows users to dial a phone
number of a cellphone using only their thoughts.
 The method is surprisingly accurate and it would help people that need a more hands-free
experience.
 The technology tracks electrical activity in the brain using a headband of electrodes and a
Bluetooth device.
 Users of the system were shown digits from zero to nine flashing at slightly different
speeds on a computer screen; the frequency of each digit was detected by the electrodes,
allowing the Bluetooth device to “know” which numbers to dial.
 Various trials were conducted, and users with varying degrees of training showed 70%-
85% accuracy when attempting to dial a 10-digit phone number.
 This is the first instance a brain interface is being applied to a mobile phone.

 Click here if you would like to see the full article.

Seattle Social Commerce Startup Lockerz scores $30 million

 Seattle-based social networking company Lockerz has raised $30 million in fresh
financing.
 Investors in the company include former Microsoft CFO Greg Maffei and venture capital
firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and the deal comes amid a serious growth spurt for
the 70-person startup.
 Lockerz targets teans and twenty somethings that have grown up with social networking
technologies, and its’ mission is “to be the homepage for men and women ages 13-30,
building a community of trendsetters and tastemakers who love to shop, play and connect
on the Web.
 The members only site offers discounts on the best fashions, electronics, music and more.
 Lockerz could raise up to $45 million, and it that occurs it could start to challenge
Zillow.com as one of the most heavily funded consumer Internet companies in Seattle.
 Lockerz attracts about 37 million unique visitors each month, and according to its’ website
it has grown to over 17 million members in less than a year, and its’ members can watch a
video, shop, and share content with friends.
 “We want to be the first place they go to actually be rewarded for their engagement for the
stuff they love to do.” Lockerz CEO Kathy Savitt said.

 Click here if you would like to see the full article.

“A well-run restaurant is like a winning baseball team. It makes the most of every crew member’s talent and takes
advantage of every split-second opportunity to speed up service.” –David Ogilvy