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[Roundup] Automatically Fun – Like a Truckload of Beer!
Ready for a truckload of awesome links? It’s time for another 9 Clouds monthly roundup!
October was pretty crazy for the tech world. The first driverless commercial delivery brought some Budweiser to Colorado Springs, Tom Hanks blessed the world with a weird and lovable SNL sketch, and we may have finally demystified the Bermuda Triangle.
Buckle up — this roundup is going to be a wild ride.
1. The Nerdiest Beer Run in History
Cheers to automation! Uber continues to lead the “disruptive” method of business with automated commercial vehicles.
In October, Uber’s subsidiary Otto successfully moved a truckload of Budweiser beer from Fort Collins, CO, to Colorado Springs, CO. It went 120 miles with nobody in the driver’s seat.
This begs the question: If people can figure out a way to automate a semi full of beer, someone should be able to automate your marketing too, right? It’d be nice if there were an agency that could do that. Hmm . . .
2. We (Almost) Solved the Bermuda Triangle Thing
In the last 100 years, more than 1,000 people have disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle without an explanation. Every year, an average of four planes and 20 ships go missing in this area.
But now, scientists have identified a possible cause: honeycomb-shaped clouds that cause “microbursts” of air, which can easily swat planes out of the sky and turn boats upside down.
However, some sources are disputing the science, saying that the cloud formations were misrepresented.
3. People Don’t Want Your eBooks Anymore
According to Marketing Tech Blog, interactive content is generating 94% more conversions than eBooks, whitepapers, and other forms of static content.
So, what does this mean for your website? It’s probably time to get visual with your content if you want to bring in the leads.
4. Basecamp Continues to Be Awesome at Life
It’s no secret that our 9 Clouds crew is proudly in the Basecamp fan club. We use the project management software for almost everything.
In October, Basecamp rolled out a slew of new features, including a streamlined dashboard design, team centers, and in-app bookmarks.
Basecamp understands its client base very well. This rollout of great features reflects the company’s commitment to making a flexible product that can be adapted to fit nearly any business.
It’s an approach that works. In fact, Basecamp is signing up 8,000 new companies a week.
5. Tom Hanks Is (Also) Still Awesome at Life
If you haven’t heard, we’re having trouble reconciling our political differences in the U.S. Things are stressful right now, and comedic masterpieces like SNL’s “Haunted Elevator” sketch are a welcome distraction.
The David S. Pumpkins character is hilariously off-putting. Tom Hanks has a unique way of putting us all in a better mood.
6. This American Life Is Changing Podcasting (Again)
Some 98 million people in the U.S. have listened to a podcast. Now, podcasts are trying hard to reach the other 230 million Americans.
The clever folks at This American Life went ahead and invented Shortcut, an entirely new kind of digital tool that lets you share a snippet of its show — along with an auto-generated GIF — while you’re listening to it.
This sort of inventiveness is inspiring to us at 9 Clouds. Especially in the digital realm, success hinges not only on what your product is but also on how people can share it.
7. “Monotasking” Is the New Key to Success
It takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to a task after an interruption. Emails, texts, bathroom breaks, and funny videos can collectively destroy anyone’s productivity.
This Medium post by Herbert Lui offers some great advice for minimizing interruptions to help you maintain focus and make the most of your time.
8. Keyboards Are Quicker than Mice
Speaking of productivity, our digital siblings over at Lemonly blogged some sweet efficiency tips in October.
If you spend any significant amount of time at a computer, you’ll appreciate these useful keyboard shortcuts and email management tips.
9. When Car Shopping, People Really Prefer Real Photos
We’ve always had a hunch that those too-good-to-be-real stock photos were the Debby Downer of automotive marketing — and now, we have proof.
According to Kelley Blue Book, 90% of online shoppers would rather see photos of the actual vehicle at the dealership rather than generic stock images of the same exact model.
However, stock images still serve a purpose in automotive advertising. Our own Rachel Speiser breaks it down in her latest post on the 9 Clouds blog.
Get This Roundup Every Month – Subscribe Now!
That’s the best of what we found online in the last month. If you think we missed something, or if you have something great to share for next month’s roundup, let us know!
Also, be sure to subscribe to our blog so you can be first to know about new tips for online marketing and running a successful dealership in the digital world.
John Nelson
As the creative director at 9 Clouds, John leads a team of talented marketers. When he was little, he wanted to be a mechanic. Instead of fixing cars, John and his team are making cars easier to sell. Learn more about John.
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