Below you will find three articles (out of many) that demonstrate the importance of reviews for hotels. Here are the highlights:

With a community of more than 400M, Instagram is one of the world’s largest mobile ads platforms.
Business can share their stories with a highly engaged audience in a creative, high-quality environment.
Instagram ads are now available globally for all businesses — big and small.

Instagram Advertising Solutions Support the Following Objectives:

• Clicks to Website
• Mobile App Installs
• Video Views
• Mass Awareness

Visit the Ads Guide for additional information including design recommendations and ad specs.
Or consult the two documents below for the September 2015 guidelines:

• Instagram Business Tools Guide Package [Dropbox]
• Instagram Business Ad Specs Guidelines [Dropbox]

–>Read the full version on Instagram’s website.

[Reblogged via Pocket].

“APIs — the rules governing how software programs interact with each other — not user interfaces, will upend software for years to come.”

In computer programming, an application programming interface (API) is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. An API expresses a software component in terms of its operations, inputs, outputs, and underlying types. An API defines functionalities that are independent of their respective implementations, which allows definitions and implementations to vary without compromising the interface. A good API makes it easier to develop a program by providing all the building blocks. A programmer then puts the blocks together.

When Intel CEO Brian Krzanich doubled down on the Internet of Things at the company’s annual Developer Forum in August, he emphasized what many of us have already known — the dawn of a new era in software engineering. It’s called API-first design, and it presents a tremendous opportunity for developers who adapt — not to mention a major risk for developers (and companies) who don’t.

As devices have outnumbered people, the systems we use to connect them have become incredibly complex. APIs are the foundation of these connections: the mortar between our digital hardware. This complexity has set the stage for a tectonic shift away from full-stack engineering toward building pieces on top of existing layers within larger ecosystems.

…

Connected devices, driverless cars and advanced health tech are just a handful of the new technologies API-first design will enable. For these innovations to happen, they must be built on a solid foundation. That means starting system design at the foundational layer — APIs.

–>Read the full version on the TechCrunch website.

[Reblogged via Pocket].

Reach your most valuable customers with Customer Match

70% of online consumers agree that the quality, timing, and relevance of a brand’s message influences their perception of a brand.¹ Google is in a unique position to connect consumers with your business in the most relevant ways. Whether they’re searching on Google, checking promotions on Gmail, or watching videos on YouTube, we can deliver the most relevant information based on what they’re doing, wherever they are, when they’re looking, and on any device they’re using. Today, we’re building on these capabilities with new ads innovations to deliver even more relevance.

When it comes to your most valuable customers, they expect even more from you. And now, Google can help you reach customers that you already have a relationship with — like those in your loyalty program or who have made a previous purchase — in ways that are most relevant to their intent and context.

Customer Match is a new product designed to help you reach your highest-value customers on Google Search, YouTube, and Gmail — when it matters most. Customer Match allows you to upload a list of email addresses, which can be matched to signed-in users on Google in a secure and privacy-safe way. From there, you can build campaigns and ads specifically designed to reach your audience. Users can control the ads they see, including Customer Match ads, by opting out of personalized ads or by muting or blocking ads from individual advertisers through Google Ads Settings.

Let’s say you’re a travel brand. You can now reach people who have joined your rewards program as they plan their next trip. For example, when these rewards members search for “non-stop flights to new york” on Google.com, you can show relevant ads at the top of their search results on any device right when they’re looking to fly to New York. And when those members are watching their favorite videos on YouTube or catching up on Gmail, you can show ads that inspire them to plan their next trip.

Using Customer Match, you can also generate Similar Audiences to reach new customers on YouTube and Gmail who are likely to be interested in your products and services. For example, you can drive awareness on YouTube for new non-stop flights by showing TrueView ads to prospective customers who have similar interests and characteristics to your rewards members.

With Customer Match, your brand is right there, with the right message, at the moment your customer is most receptive. Only Google can help you do this to delight your most loyal customers in the moments that truly matter.

Customer Match and Similar Audiences will be rolling out to all advertisers over the next few weeks. Learn More.

–>Read the full version on the Inside AdWords website.

[Reblogged via Pocket].