Tag: Markethive

Digital Marketing – Inbound Marketing Same But Different?

Digital Marketing – Inbound Marketing
Same… But Different? 

In the world of online marketing, we encounter a lot of jargon. Terms like inbound marketing, SEO, digital marketing, conversion, PPC, call-to-action, outbound, content marketing and so on. One that many find confusing is the difference between digital marketing and inbound marketing. 

On the surface, the two seem similar: Both occur primarily online, and both focus on creating digital content for people to consume. But there is a difference, albeit you undoubtedly use some digital marketing tactics in your inbound marketing strategy. 

The term "digital marketing" doesn't differentiate between push and pull marketing tactics or what is referred to as ‘inbound' and ‘outbound' methods. Both still tend to fall under the umbrella of digital marketing.

 

Digital Marketing 

The term digital marketing is often defined as an across-the-board marketing tactic that’s done on a digital medium. Digital marketing is the use of the internet, mobile devices, social media, search engines, display advertising, website banners, and other channels with the aim to put a marketing message or advertisement directly in front of as many consumers as possible, regardless of whether it’s relevant or welcomed. There is a lot it can be used for, but the term really doesn’t indicate any sort of strategy. It’s more like a toolbox that has all the marketing tools you can utilize to be seen online, acquire more traffic and increase brand awareness. 

 

Inbound Marketing 

Unlike digital marketing, inbound marketing is a clear and prescribed marketing strategy that has definitive steps and best practices. Inbound marketing does use a lot of digital marketing channels, however, it’s a set methodology that works to attract qualified visitors and generate leads. It is a continuing, holistic strategy that embodies a set of specific steps. It’s more of a philosophy that puts customers first and the digital marketing tactics help you to achieve that philosophy. 

 
Brand awareness + Short term goals = Digital Marketing

If your goal is to get your brand out there and get just anyone to visit your website, then a few digital marketing approaches may help. Using digital marketing methods alone only works to solve short term goals like increasing traffic to your website. 

For example, you can run a Facebook Like campaign or place banner ads, but those techniques alone will only produce results that are limited to those actions. A Like campaign will almost surely get more likes and banner ads might get more people to your site but that’s about the extent of it. If you’re wanting to generate leads that convert to legitimate, qualified customers, an inbound marketing approach is a proven way to go.

 

Qualified leads + Long term goals = Inbound Marketing

An Inbound Marketing strategy uses each of the digital marketing tactics and incorporates them into a greater strategy creating results of each tactic. Effective inbound marketing strategies consist of creating useful and interesting content that appeals to qualified leads. Developing landing pages and calls-to-actions that capture the contact information of the people who have shown an interest in what you are offering and deploy email campaigns that are relevant to those specific contacts. 

Ultimately you’ll have created a full strategy that makes each of the digital marketing tactics work hand in hand to create a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. This performs long term to continue to deliver qualified leads and boost your conversion rates over time. 
  
Inbound marketing is like playing the long game. it leads to more solid, consistent results, adding value at every stage of your customers’ buying journey. 

Digital marketing is playing the short game, where you get immediate results, but very often they’re not worth as much in the long term. 

 

Content Creates Trust

Content is an important component of Inbound Marketing. Blogging or writing articles of helpful information discerning their needs and defining a solution even if they aren’t aware they have a problem or a need initially, is a great way to build trust. Informative content that anticipates the prospects’ questions and needs is the best practice to demonstrate that you genuinely care about the consumer. 

A study showed that 78% of purchasers want to build genuine bonds with companies offering customized material, which is content that has been created specifically for the customer that has purchased.  Another report demonstrated 53% of consumers were more willing to buy goods and services if they previously read an article about it on the internet.  Needless to say, this applies to all types of conversions in any industry.

Content Is The Best Approach To Millennials

The main consumer segment will very soon be the millennials which are people born from the 1980s to the early 2000s. One of the standout features of this generation is that they do not trust traditional advertising. They don’t even notice it. Traditional advertising fails to speak the language of generation Y, but blogs or articles do. 

 

But It’s Not Just The Younger Generations 

Many studies have been conducted involving thousands of men and women of all ages which demonstrated that most of them do not even closely trust advertisements alone.

70% of people made the decision to purchase on the advice of a friend or family member or because they saw the blog post about the company on the internet.

55% purchased after reading an article online. In fact, 70% of buyers prefer to learn about the company from articles, not from an advert. 

If we want to appeal to all customers of today, we need to produce engaging content and have it in front of our audience wherever they may be. Fundamentally, the real value of informational content is the fact that it is portable. In other words, being viewed on many different platforms creating an overall presence and exponentially increasing your reach. Creating quality content is a good investment and you will feel the effects of your investment for a long time to come.

New Era, New Attitudes, New Technology

We saw how the internet changed traditional offline marketing back in the 1990s. Now we will witness how Blockchain will transform the digital world in terms of marketing and advertising. The essential objectives of building trust and nurturing relationships will never change, but will Blockchain technology be able to clean up and enhance the industry?  

There are many ways that blockchain can assist marketers and consumers and improve a somewhat chaotic space. It can bring transparency and honesty to the marketing table that has been inundated with a huge amount of spam and bots. 

Greater transparency strengthens trust between brands and customers. One example is since Walmart and IBM collaboratively introduced blockchain, customer confidence increased.  Thanks to blockchain, Walmart’s supply chain became more transparent and customers were able to track the origin of the products.

Copyright Issues Solved With Blockchain

There is a solution to the copyright problem which gives more control tools to creators. Article 11 (link tax) and Article 13 legislation which is designed to stop users from uploading copyrighted content by forcing platforms to build massive filters or face huge lawsuits and fines, seems to be an archaic and inadequate solution and would impede online development and innovation. 

A more appropriate response is needed to protect not only artists and their creations, but also the platforms that enable mass content sharing. Platforms that have shaped the internet and have connected our world more inclusively and comprehensively.

Markethive with its blockchain in development and broader vision gives you your own domain for all your content, videos and images to originate from. When you join Markethive you receive (for free) a CPanel which is a control panel and WordPress system built into your assigned domain, a subdomain of hivesfeed.com. This way you control all your content, without the worry or hassles of government overreach and anti-freedom regulations designed to stifle the small entrepreneur. 

It is a marketers dream and a complete solution. Markethive has integrated the digital marketing tools along with an inbound marketing system and it’s built on the blockchain, giving you privacy, transparency, freedom of speech and the autonomy you need to overcome any obstacles experienced on the internet today and let’s not forget you get paid for using the system while marketing your business. 

Blockchain Gives You The Edge

The internet has become so noisy that it’s not that easy to attract attention. Furthermore, there are so many platforms and choices willing to assist you in your marketing efforts. You need an edge and Blockchain can give you that edge. Companies that have adopted the blockchain technology can offer cryptocurrency in the form of loyalty programs, micropayments, etc which levels the playing field bringing new ways to earn an income. 

 

Is Blockchain Harmful to Marketers? 

The only way blockchain can harm marketers is if they refuse to accept and learn about this new technology and become proficient at it. This is just the beginning. In the early 90s, no one even dreamed of search engines, social media, and smartphones. Today, blockchain takes us to new heights of self-sovereignty as the possibilities of Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency are almost endless.  

 

Conclusion

It is an exciting time in marketing, as marketers start to realize the benefits of blockchain technology. Above is an outline of just some of the ways it will transform the marketing industry. Additionally, there have been numerous studies asserting that blockchain technology is destined to disrupt the fundamental nature of the global economy, including major changes like:
How organizations are funded and managed, how companies create value and how businesses perform basic functions such as marketing, accounting, and incentivizing people. 

 

 

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

 

 

Deb Williams 

A Crypto/Blockchain enthusiast and a strong advocate for technology, progress, and freedom of speech. I embrace "change" with a passion and my purpose in life is to help people understand, accept and move forward with enthusiasm to achieve their goals. 

 

 

 

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

What Is A Market Network?

What Is A Market Network? 

Back in 2015, it was exhibited that the next 10 years would be all about Market Networks whereas the last decade was focused on Social Networks. There were a few companies mentioned that were deemed to be market networks and essentially had the key factors of a market network and what it is purported to be. However, since then we have gone next level with blockchain technology. But has any of those market networks actually adopted this new and beneficial technology?

 

So what exactly is a Market Network?

 A market network is a combination of a marketplace and a social network that includes SaaS which helps the individuals in the market network to work with customers and other service providers to build relationships rather than just quick transactions we experience on eBay or Amazon. 

Marketplaces are essentially about selling your product or service even though reviews of goods purchased by the customer are there to guide potential customers’ purchasing decisions. However, marketplaces are predominantly where buyers and sellers meet for one-off transactions. Typically, marketplaces are an accumulation of sellers. 

 

We all know what social networks are. Over the last 15 years, most of us have participated in Facebook or Linked to communicate with people and build relationships for whatever reason. However, commerce is not the core objective of social networks. 

 

SaaS (Software as a Service) are business applications, including email and collaboration, customer relationship management (CRM), billing/payroll processing, sales management, human resources management, financial management, database management, enterprise resourcing planning (ERP), content management, and document editing and management.

So what we had was two separate places for your online presence and commerce. A marketplace to sell stuff, and a social network to build relationships. The SaaS doesn’t exist on these platforms, that’s separate and an added expense for business owners and marketers.

But what if you provide a service that is more involved than a simple buy-sell transaction. On top of that, what if you need collaboration with other professionals in your industry to form a team to provide a complete service?

Well, that’s what market networks are all about. In the market network, you are a service provider, but also a person with a profile, with history, reviews, score, etc. You can team up with other people to provide a complex service to a customer and channel the workflow through a SaaS solution.

 

How Does Blockchain Fit Into The Market Network Model? 

To be successful in online branding and operating a business in the ever-expanding internet world, you must maintain your profile in many networks, social and market. It’s difficult to effortlessly scale your reputation from one network to a different one. They are pretty much isolated from each other and they can’t communicate with each other, nor do they really want to because they generally belong to someone. And it so happens that “someone” is never the community that brings value to the platform.  It’s not easy for a centralized market network to diversify among service providing platforms and it takes a lot of effort to build and maintain individual profiles that you can only use in an isolated network. 

What if your online identity always belonged to you, not a service or platform? And also, the reputation of your branding was maintained by the network and that network also belonged to you? In other words, a decentralized reputation that would enable you to plug into any other centralized network. You see, when your reputation is decentralized, the entire digital space becomes your network. 

Blockchain is the ultimate framework or infra-structure tool that gives individuals true ownership of their digital selfhood and reputation. It creates self-sovereignty.  

 

Decentralization In The Marketplace

Decentralization has many features that are beneficial for industries and users around the world. Reduced fees, increased efficiencies, removal of biased agendas and tiers of corruption and greed.

There have been companies like Airbnb and Uber that introduced a new era allowing people to rent out and monetize items. Or eBay and Etsy allowed people to sell products online and Upwork and Fiverr helped freelancers to sell their services. At this stage, these companies are all centralized and very linear with no collaboration between them.

Enter Blockchain.

A decentralized marketplace allows for true peer-to-peer transactions without centralized authorities taking their fees. This is made possible through blockchain technology and smart contracts. We no longer need the trusted third party verifying sellers and ensuring payments. 

 

Decentralization In Social Media

The traditional social media platforms are losing their edge, and their users have taken a massive beating. While some have given up on their social media world completely because it’s affecting their psychological well-being, some have become very disappointed with the fact that the benefit of their work was being passed onto the site more than them or their hard work has been deleted by centralized authorities due to hidden agendas. 

If this wasn’t enough, user data, which is meant to be confidential, is being made available in the open market, with governments, advertising companies and more having access to it. This has made users apprehensive about sharing personal details of their lives.

 

Enter Blockchain

Blockchain is going to transform the user experience in social media networking. These are important factors like the users’ information is encrypted on the blockchain network, so the privacy of data is maintained. Also, a platform can offer monetary compensation and loyalty programs for any and all activity performed by the user. Imagine producing viral content on the platform and getting paid for it? This does not happen on traditional social media, fast becoming a product of drama, agendas, and antiquity.  

There are upcoming platforms that are classed as social media on the blockchain whereby you can monetize your blogs, some even have a messaging app integrated, but it stops there. Imagine a complete Market Network as described above that is decentralized, pluggable, and portable which are key components and that have the capabilities to have your marketing, blogging, Storefronts, in fact, all your branding goes viral across all platforms in the internet space?

Enter Markethive – Embracing Blockchain Technology 

Markethive is a social marketplace, digital media platform for entrepreneurs that have the combined power of Facebook/LinkedIn, Marketo/Hubspot and Amazon/eBay along with Crypto News Sites like Cointelegraph/Bitcoin.com. Delivering a dynamic social network, integrated with Inbound Marketing (SAAS), numerous commerce platforms, storefronts coupled with augmented reality, and multiple traffic portals, built on the blockchain.

Does It Pay?

Markethive is a next-generation Market Network and the first to adopt blockchain technology that has positioned itself as a complete ecosystem for Entrepreneurs. Using the latest technology, it provides prosperous solutions for all business owners, marketers who require an online presence. Including Markethive’s own Coin (MHV) and Crypto Exchange for ease of liquidity as well as purchasing products and services within the Markethive ecosystem.

Creating a “Universal Income” for entrepreneurs, Markethive is delivering an infinity airdrop incentive to new subscribers, Bounty, and Loyalty programs and has set up the entire system with faucet like or micropayment rewards for using the system, including “Tips” instead of “Likes” This means the whole system is monetized for the benefit of all users. The income potential is huge and the MHV Coin ensures that all users will earn money for everything they do in Markethive.

 

So What Do You Get?

Markethive's functionalities include SEO features, Analytics, Customer Management System, Traffic Portals, Capture Page and Lead Creation, Profile Page, Resume, E-commerce portals, Video Conferencing, Blogging Platform, Messaging, Press Release, and Sponsored Article distribution, Banner Program and much more. Also included are significant training tutorials and weekly live support meetings, with a step by step automated tutorial system in the works.

Inbound Marketing is a key component of Markethive’s embodiment. Markethive plugs into all Social Media, simplifying your marketing efforts, with automated email campaigns allowing for lead flow into your designated business. Markethive incorporates collaboration building relationships within the community. 

Did I mention that the inbound marketing component is free to use while being rewarded with MHV? The only thing that is more rewarding beyond your wildest dreams is the loyalty program which enables you to profit from all facets of the Markethive system including receiving dividends from the company’s net profits. It basically means you as part of the Markethive community own a piece of Markethive, unlike the centralized companies with their venture capitalists and shareholders.

Conclusion

The potential of what the blockchain offers is extremely exciting. And although we are seeing some companies integrating the blockchain as they see what it can do for them and the world holistically, large scale adoption may still take some time. However, the unconventionality of this next-level technology shouldn’t deter marketers, business owners, entrepreneurs, in fact, anyone with a social or marketplace profile from embracing this new protocol given that it offers people many advantages in the form of transparency, security, anonymity, and performance with the added benefit of self-sovereignty. 

In the next article, we will explore Inbound Marketing and blockchain. Stay tuned… 

 

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

 

 

David Ogden

A Crypto/Blockchain enthusiast and a strong advocate for technology, progress, and freedom of speech. I embrace "change" with a passion and my purpose in life is to help people understand, accept and move forward with enthusiasm to achieve their goals. 

 

 

 

 

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

BLOCKCHAIN – Knowledge Is Power Wisdom Is Power With A Purpose

BLOCKCHAIN – Knowledge Is Power. Wisdom Is Power With A Purpose


“Quote” accredited to Solitaire Parke

Blockchain is defined as one of the most significant technological advances in modern history, potentially on a par with the internet, which has led to it being dubbed “The Internet 3.0”. Despite the incredible potential of blockchain to reshape the world as we know it, there is still little understanding of what it is, what it does and why it is so revolutionary. 

The Real Origin Of Blockchain

Blockchain was first conceptualized by Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta back in 1991, although they didn’t call it blockchain. They wrote a series of papers and patents. One, in particular, was How To Timestamp a Digital Document, published in 1991, which involved a cryptographically secured chain of blocks. This is what many consider to be the first incarnation of blockchain technology. Basically, they set out to create an immutable ledger. 


Stuart Haber and W.Scott Stornetta

As Stornetta stated in an interview,
“It’s unfortunate that so few people actually read all the papers and patents, because there are a few ideas that can be mined from there that some have since reinvented because they never read the papers.” 

Nevertheless, Stornetta is humbled by the fact that his 1991 paper about Timestamping ended up inspiring the whole blockchain movement. Interestingly, even after the “blockchain” work they did, the connection between it and money was overlooked. It was not until Satoshi released the Bitcoin whitepaper in 2008 that the connection became a reality and a peer to peer monetary system was created. 

There were references made to Haber and Stornetta in Satoshi’s whitepaper, 3 in fact…

Blockchain 101

Blockchain technology is not a company or an app, but an entirely new way of documenting data on the internet. The technology can be used for social networks, messengers, games, exchanges, storage platforms, voting systems, prediction markets, online shops and much more. This can be seen as a new internet, which is why some have labeled it “The Internet 3.0”

The information recorded on a blockchain can assume any form, whether it be signifying a transfer of money, ownership, a transaction, someone’s identity, an agreement between two parties, even how much electricity a lightbulb has used. However, to do so would require a confirmation from several devices namely computers on the network. 

Once an agreement also acknowledged as a consensus is reached between these devices to store any data on a blockchain, it is unquestionably there. It cannot be disputed, removed or altered without the knowledge and permission of those that made that record as well as the wider community. 

Why Is It Called A Blockchain?

Blockchain owes its name to how it works and the manner in which it stores data, namely that the information is packaged into blocks, which link to form a chain with other blocks of similar information.

It is this act of linking blocks into a chain that makes the information stored on a blockchain so trustworthy. Once the data is recorded in a block it cannot be altered without having to change every block that came after it, making it impossible to do so without it being seen by the other participants on the network.

Distributed ledgers have 4 key attributes:

  1. Recorded: stored information is timestamped.
  2. Immutable: Nothing that is recorded can be changed.
  3. Transparent: anyone can see the ledger of transactions
  4. Decentralized: the ledger exists on multiple computers, often referred to as nodes.

Essentially, each block contains the data it is recording. For example, a transaction like 1 MHV coin being sent from Tom to Jerry, as well as timestamps of when that information was recorded. It will also include a digital signature linked to the account that made the recording and a unique identifying link, in the form of a hash (think of it as a digital fingerprint), to the previous block in the chain. It is this link that makes it impossible for any of the information to be altered or for a block to be inserted between two existing blocks. In order to do so, all the following blocks would need to be edited too.

As a result, each block strengthens the previous block and the security of the entire blockchain because it means more blocks would need to be changed to tamper with any information. When combined, all of these create unquestionable storage of information, one that cannot be disputed or declared to be untrue.  It is important to note to be absolutely sure where you are sending money. On a blockchain, once a transaction is sent it is sealed and cannot be reversed.

 

 

The Three Pillars Of Blockchain Technology

Let’s go into more depth about the three main properties of blockchain technology which are;

  • Decentralization
  • Transparency
  • Immutability

Pillar #1: Decentralization

For decades now we have been subject to and use a centralized entity that stored all our data and we would have to interact solely with this entity to transact or acquire whatever information we required. 

A perfect example of a centralized system is the banks. They store all your money, and the only way that you can pay someone is by going through the bank.

When you google search for something, you send a query to the server who then gets back at you with the relevant information. That is called a simple client-server.

We have used centralized systems for many years, thinking all is well, however, they have several vulnerabilities.

  • Firstly, because they are centralized, all the data is stored in one spot. This makes them easy target spots for potential hackers.
  • If the centralized system were to go through a software upgrade, it would halt the entire system.
  • What if the centralized entity somehow shuts down for whatever reason? That way nobody will be able to access the information that it possesses.
  • Worst case scenario, what if this entity gets corrupted and malicious? If that happens then all the data that is there will be compromised.

So, what happens if we just take this centralized entity away?

In a decentralized system, the information is not stored by one single entity. In fact, everyone in the network owns the information.

In a decentralized network, if you wanted to interact or send money to someone, then you can do so directly without going through a third party. That was the main ideology behind Bitcoin and also the ideology of Markethive Coin. You and only you alone are in charge of your money. You can send your money to anyone you want without having to go through a bank.

 

Pillar # 2: Transparency

One of the most interesting and misunderstood concepts in blockchain technology is “transparency.” Some people say that blockchain gives you privacy while some say that it is transparent. Sounds contradictory, doesn’t it?

The simple fact is a person’s identity is hidden via complex cryptography and represented only by their public address. So, if you were to look up a person’s transaction history, you will not see “Tom sent 1 MHV” instead you will see “1MF1bhsFLkBzzz9vpFYEmvwT2TbyCt7NZJ sent 1 MHV”. This makes the person’s real identity secure and private while still being able to see all transactions that were done via their public address – transparency. 

This image shows what the blocks and transaction details of each public address on Blockchain Explorer

 

 

This level of transparency has never existed before within a financial system. It adds that extra, and much needed, level of accountability which is required by some of these biggest institutions.

Speaking purely from the cryptocurrency perspective, if you know the public address of one of these big companies, you can simply pop it in a blockchain explorer and look at all the transactions that they have engaged in. This forces them to be honest, something that they have never had to deal with before.

That’s of course if these companies integrate the blockchain. You can see why something like this can be very helpful for the finance industry right?

Pillar # 3: Immutability

Immutability, in the context of the blockchain, means that once something has been entered into the blockchain, it cannot be tampered with. Imagine how valuable this will be for financial institutes!
Imagine how many embezzlement cases can be nipped in the bud if people know that they can’t “work the books” and fiddle around with company accounts.

The reason why the blockchain gets this property is that of the cryptographic hash function. In simple terms, hashing means taking an input string of any length and giving out an output of a fixed length. In the context of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, the transactions are taken as input and run through a hashing algorithm (Bitcoin uses SHA-256) which gives an output of a fixed length.

Let’s see how the hashing process works. We are going to put in certain inputs. For this exercise, we are going to use the SHA-256 (Secure Hashing Algorithm 256).

As you can see in the above image, in the case of SHA-256, no matter how big or small your input is, the output will always have a fixed 256-bits length. This becomes critical when you are dealing with a huge amount of data and transactions. So basically, instead of remembering the input data which could be huge, you can just remember the hash and keep track.

These hash functions make it ideal for cryptography. There are certain properties that a cryptographic hash function needs to have in order to be considered secure, however, there is just one property that we’ll focus on today. It is called the “Avalanche Effect.”

What this means is even if you make a small change in your input, the changes that will be reflected in the hash will be huge. Notice the change in the hash in the image below? Just because one letter was changed from a capital letter in the input hash, to lower case, it drastically affected the output hash. 

The blockchain is a linked list that contains data and a hash pointer that points to its previous block, hence creating the chain. What is a hash pointer? A hash pointer is similar to a pointer, but instead of just containing the address of the previous block it also contains the hash of the data inside the previous block.

This one small tweak is what makes blockchains so amazingly reliable and trailblazing.

Imagine this for a second, a hacker attacks block 3 and tries to change the data. Because of the properties of hash functions, a slight change in data will change the hash drastically. This means that any slight changes made in block 3, will change the hash which is stored in block 2, now that in turn will change the data and the hash of block 2 which will result in changes in block 1 and so on and so forth. This will completely change the chain, which is impossible. This is exactly how blockchains attain immutability.

 

Conclusion

With any disruptive idea, like the Internet was back in the day, not every company will benefit or embrace this new technology immediately. Banks are clearly in the path of the disruption of the blockchain, the Big Data social network systems, the online auction, and shopping centers are as well. And companies that resist blockchain will be left behind in the Internet 3.0.
 
Forward-looking companies that convert to the blockchain to improve the privacy and security of their data and create an environment that is unfettered from political and nefarious agendas, will be the winners on top. 

Just about every company that migrates to the blockchain and new companies launch built upon the blockchain, will prosper, as long as they deliver and make their prime agenda to benefit their customers.

In the next article, we’ll see what companies have already adopted blockchain technology including Social Media and Market Networks and how it proves to benefit the user. 
 

References: Lisk, Blockgeeks

 

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

 

 

David Ogden

A Crypto/Blockchain enthusiast and a strong advocate for technology, progress, and freedom of speech. I embrace "change" with a passion and my purpose in life is to help people understand, accept and move forward with enthusiasm to achieve their goals. 

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

Defiant John McAfee – Disruption For The Sake Of Evolution

Defiant John McAfee – Disruption For The Sake Of Evolution

Computer scientist and cybersecurity mogul is an ardent critic of government administration and traditional elites and not afraid to speak out, he broadcasts his values, opinions, and feelings on a daily basis on his Twitter feed. He is avidly supportive of the crypto/blockchain revolution and staunchly advocates the use of crypto and blockchain technology. McAfee fervently implores society to “wake up” and be mindful of the control and interference of government institutions and big tech. 

Taking his standpoint further John McAfee recently tweeted that people must decide on Blockchain, as it is a technology of the people and for the people. He wrote, “Do we bow to the corrupt we are trying to escape, or do we do the right thing for our species”  

McAfee and many more who share his stance believe that the industry must remain in the hands of the common people, and should not ever be in the control of the administration. Advocates of distributed decentralized ledgers have constantly stated that the blockchain could completely liberate society from the clutches of the government and assist us in taking control of our lives. 

McAfee also stated,  
“From 1920 until 1933 alcohol was prohibited in America. The prohibition was abandoned because no one stopped drinking. World governments are close to prohibiting crypto. They can expect the same result.”

 

John McAfee’s New DEX

John McAfee, an “on the run”  US presidential candidate 2020 among many other things has just launched his very own decentralized exchange (DEX) that runs on the Ethereum blockchain. The platform requires no name, no documents, no email, and no bank info. So it’s basically doing without the widely used know your customer (KYC) policy. This is reported to be all set to disrupt the industry.

Also, according to reports, nothing on the McAfee DEX will be monitored by any kind of authoritative body and there will be no restrictions, no complex compliance procedures, and no listing fees either. The platform will charge a trading fee which will be minimal. 

 


Image credit news.u.today

In addition, he announced that DEX would have shared liquidity, which means that all the portals would have access to all maker/taker information coming through from every other portal on the platform and the McAfee DEX portal.

McAfee’s approach has a unique element. It’s offering the creation of portals, or copies of the DEX, with access points to the trading smart contracts. This way, the DEX will be theoretically accessible from multiple hosts and locations – hence censorship-free.

McAfee has been quite vocal that he dislikes the concept of the traditional, centralized financial system as he believes they are at risk of shutting down at any given moment by regulators thus leaving customers high and dry. Alternatively, decentralized platforms cannot be closed down just by anyone due to their intrinsic architecture as they are not controlled by any single party.   

Obviously, John McAfee’s moves and activities have been targeted by the United States government. McAfee had constantly claimed he’s been targeted for being truthful and his criticism of the present government which he aspires to take over from.

The Beta version of the decentralized cryptocurrency exchange has already been launched. So if he had bothered about the threat of the SEC, he wouldn’t have launched it in the first place. But to give his followers the assurance that his mission can’t be jeopardized by SEC, he shared a tweet for better clarification.

In the tweet, McAfee was optimistic that SEC will move to shut down Mcafeedex.com, but the technology that controls the system will make it an impossible mission.

He is still in hot pursuit and wanted by quite a few American agencies for criminal charges such as tax evasion and money laundering. He has also claimed that the CIA is after him which has forced him to keep shifting his bases, last known to be living on a boat in international waters.  Many of his followers are asking him if he is still running for POTUS. He had this to say… 

McAfee is still resolute about his far-fetched prediction of $1 million for Bitcoin by Dec. 31st, 2020, despite the criticisms and time frame left. He also publically stated back in 2017, he would eat his manhood on national television if Bitcoin didn’t reach his prediction which he says is not wishful thinking but an objective reality. There is almost a cult following holding him to his bet and a website has been set up counting down the time. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for either Bitcoin to reach $1 million or the “McAfee Show” carrying out his declaration which I’m sure will top ratings. (humor)
 

 

ecosystem for entrepreneurs

 

 

David Ogden Markethive

David Ogden 

A Crypto/Blockchain enthusiast and a strong advocate for technology, progress, and freedom of speech. I embrace "change" with a passion and my purpose in life is to help people understand, accept and move forward with enthusiasm to achieve their goals. 

 

 

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

Ripple Price XRP Rallies 5 While BTC And ETH Decline

Ripple Price (XRP) Rallies 5% While BTC And ETH Decline

Ripple price is gaining bullish momentum above the $0.2600 resistance area against the US dollar.

The price is up around 5% and it recently broke the $0.2650 resistance area.

There is a connecting bullish trend line forming with support near $0.2550 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair (data source from Kraken).

The price remains supported on dips and it could continue to rise towards the $0.2720 resistance.

Ripple price is rallying towards $0.2720 against the US Dollar, while bitcoin and Ethereum are sliding. XRP price might continue to rise towards $0.2720 or $0.2750.

Ripple Price Analysis

This past week, ripple price made many attempts to surpass the $0.2620 and $0.2650 resistance levels against the US Dollar. However, the XRP/USD pair failed to climb above $0.2650 and traded in a range. Finally, the bulls had an upper hand and the price rallied recently after forming a base near $0.2550. There was a sharp rise above the $0.2600 resistance and the 100 hourly simple moving average.

Moreover, the price broke the $0.2620 and $0.2650 resistance levels. It opened the doors for more gains and the price traded towards the $0.2700 level. A high was formed near $0.2691 and the price is currently retreating from highs. An immediate support is near the $0.2650 level. It coincides with the 23.6% Fib retracement level of the recent rally from the $0.2514 low to $0.2691 high.

On the downside, there are many supports near the $0.2620 and $0.2600 levels. Additionally, the 50% Fib retracement level of the recent rally from the $0.2514 low to $0.2691 high is near $0.2600. More importantly, there is a connecting bullish trend line forming with support near $0.2550 on the hourly chart of the XRP/USD pair. Therefore, dips from the current levels might find bids near $0.2620 or $0.2600.

The main support is near the $0.2550 level (the previous support base). On the upside, an immediate resistance is near the $0.2700 level. If there is an upside break above $0.2700, the price could test $0.2720 or even $0.2750 in the near term.

Ripple Price Analysis XRP USD

Looking at the chart, ripple price is clearly surging with a positive bias above $0.2620. There are high chances of it extending gains above the $0.2700 and $0.2720 resistance levels in the coming sessions. Conversely, if there is a downside correction, the bulls might protect the $0.2650 and $0.2620 levels (the previous resistance levels).

 

Technical Indicators

Hourly MACD – The MACD for XRP/USD is currently gaining pace in the bullish zone.

Hourly RSI (Relative Strength Index) – The RSI for XRP/USD is currently well above the 60 level, with bullish signs.

Major Support Levels – $0.2650, $0.2620 and $0.2550.

Major Resistance Levels – $0.2700, $0.2720 and $0.2750.

 

 

Aayush Jindal

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

Adding Video Content to Your Social Media Strategy

Adding Video Content to Your Social Media Strategy

The impact of social media has altered all kinds of industries.

The value of having a presence online has never been greater. Word-of-mouth marketing that once occurred in small social circles or at the office now takes place online?—?a much larger platform for communication. That value is steadily increasing as time goes on. Now more than ever, brands are able to reach larger audiences with recommendations, partnerships, and ambassadors on social media.

The projected figure for social media users this year will land somewhere around 2.62 billion. Social media now attracts users of all ages. Unfortunately, some brands still underestimate the power of social media. Even though brands may have opted out of creating an online presence due to their demographic in the past, now even once a large following has been established, some accounts may not take full advantage of the potential they have.

What do users like?

Different types of content are gaining traction online, including video content and live streaming. While these may seem new, foreign, and maybe even intimidating to certain brands, it is hard to ignore that this is the content users are beginning to prefer. In fact, according to Cisco, online videos will make up more than 80% of all consumer internet traffic (85% in the US) by 2020. Understanding how to engage an audience with video content and live streaming is vital to increase and properly utilize a company’s online presence. Fortunately, these types of content are also excellent for driving site traffic.

How can companies utilize video on social media?

In order to increase engagement and clicks, create an introduction video or demo a new product. Companies can record and package a short and sweet video or conduct a live stream to engage social media users in a live conversation with brand experts, developers, or ambassadors. Another great piece of content to create for your social media platforms are how-to videos. These can be formatted in jump-cut style steps and are great for highlighting how a product can be used in creative ways. You may recall on your personal social media feed viewing some very satisfying cooking how-to videos. They are always very brief and cleanly executed (for some great examples, take a peek at Tasty Presents). This is the type of content that users are beginning to prefer.

Event coverage is also a great way to grow your brand reputation online. Again, this can be through an edited piece of footage, or through a live stream. Live streams are great for events because they allow users who could not attend to feel like they get to be a part of the experience. They also allow your customers to ask questions on the spot which can create greater company transparency and customer loyalty.

Create, learn and start again.

As with any online activity that a company may conduct, it is important to gather data garnered from video content or live streaming. How many views did your content receive? How many users watched the entire piece of content or stream? How many users dropped off after a certain point? How many users asked questions, left comments, or shared your content? How did your company’s site traffic change once the content was released? How did site traffic and online content impact sales?

Although video content requires a certain level of planning, production, and execution that may surpass what your brand has accomplished in the past with simply photo content alone?—?it is undeniable the potential benefits that video content can have. In order to fully reap the benefits of digital video content creation, data must be recorded and analyzed.

Business Insider reported on a finding by Zenith, predicting that global online video consumption will grow by an average of nine minutes per day each year until 2020. These findings support the idea that the digital video audience is becoming more engaged?—?something all companies with an online presence, seeking to increase site traffic, engagement, and sales, should be aware of.

Article Produced By

Megan Gonzales

Revenue-generating, brand-building marketer. PNW explorer. Yogi. Animal enthusiast. Marketing Manager.

https://medium.com/@megangonzales/adding-video-content-to-your-social-media-strategy-70263056c712

 

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden

A token airdrop may not spare you from securities regulation

A token airdrop may not spare you from securities regulation.

Blockchain token based projects need network effects.

There needs to be a mechanism for fairly and widely distributing tokens to in order for the project to function well upon launch. A popular method thus far has been to sell those tokens in advance to prospective users of the network that are interested in crowdfunding its development. Another, lesser known, strategy is an “airdrop.”

In an airdrop, a project’s creators can take a snapshot of a public blockchain, such as Bitcoin’s or Ethereum’s, and send tokens to all wallet addresses containing some number of bitcoin or ether at the time the snapshot was taken. This requires no action on the recipient's part other than to take whatever steps are needed to take control of the tokens once they have been gifted. It can be a way to jumpstart a community by instantly putting tokens in the hands of a lot of people with a proven level of cryptocurrency savvy. This seems like something totally new and unique to token projects, right? Not really. It turns out people have tried airdropping before, but with stocks. And the SEC did not look favorably

upon the tactic.

In each of the four cases, the investors were required to sign up with the issuers' web sites and disclose valuable personal information in order to obtain shares. Free stock recipients were also offered extra shares, in some cases, for soliciting additional investors or, in other cases, for linking their own websites to those of an issuer or purchasing services offered through an issuer. Through these techniques, issuers received value by spawning a fledgling public market for their shares, increasing their business, creating publicity, increasing traffic to their websites, and, in two cases, generating possible interest in projected public offerings.

So, since the SEC has found that some tokens can be securities, if you are considering using an airdrop token distribution be warned that even giving away tokens is not necessarily free from scrutiny under securities law.e briefed Congress on tracking illicit cryptocurrency use and moderated a convening on ICO regulatory uncertainty.

This was a big week for cryptocurrency in DC.

On Tuesday, members of Congress and over 50 representatives from the crypto industry convened at the Library of Congress for a roundtable entitled “Legislating Certainty for Cryptocurrencies.” The event was organized by Rep. Warren Davidson and also attended by Reps. Tom Emmer, Ted Budd, and Darren Soto. Coin Center executive director Jerry Brito moderated the event, and entrepreneurs voiced their concerns about the lack of clarity around when exactly a cryptocurrency token is or is not a security.

Following the roundtable, 14 members of Congress, led by Rep. Budd, sent a letter to SEC Chairman Jay Clayton echoing the concerns of cryptocurrency innovators and asking for more clarity around the regulatory treatment of these networks. In another event in Congress on Wednesday, in conjunction with the the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, Coin Center put on a briefing about the tools law enforcement has to track illicit use of cryptocurrencies. Blockchain forensics company Elliptic presented how their product works with real-world examples of illicit funds being traced by law enforcement. Reps. Emmer and Schweikert also gave remarks highlighting the importance of getting the regulatory approach to these technologies right and preserving a fertile climate for innovators in America.

Article Produced By

Peter Van Valkenburgh

https://coincenter.org/link/a-token-airdrop-may-not-spare-you-from-securities-regulation

 

David https://markethive.com/david-ogden