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(Reuters) - Chinese internet search engine provider Baidu Inc has reported a jump in quarterly earnings, recovering from a string of regulatory investigations last year, as sharpened focus on mobile and artificial intelligence (AI) services drives growth.

The result comes as Baidu narrows its attention to just a handful of areas outside its core business, while the other two of China's big-three tech firms - Tencent Holdings Ltd and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd - spend billions of dollars expanding into sundry sectors in multiple markets.

Baidu said net profit hit 4.41 billion yuan ($654 million) in the three months through June, 83.5 percent more than a year earlier when profit dropped by a third in what was the firm's weakest result since listing in New York in 2005.

Last year's profit drop coincided with investigations into how third parties used Baidu's advertising service, prompted by the death of a cancer patient who found ineffectual treatment via ads placed with Baidu.

The probe in turn led to restructuring at Baidu which diverted resources from less-profitable ventures into AI, big data, cloud and video services - all of which contributed to its second-quarter profit jump. The firm expects further growth with third-quarter revenue as much as 30 percent over the same period last year.

Baidu stock rose 6.9 percent in extended trade on Thursday.

"It's done what it needed to do to make itself less dependent on search," said Mark Natkin, managing director of Beijing-based Marbridge Consulting. "[Tencent and Alibaba] have multiple other segments beyond their core that they're developing whereas Baidu's current strategy seems to be quite focused."

The firm has pulled resources from areas including group-buying service Nuomi in a reshuffle that prioritizes the integration of AI into its ads business as well as its video site, autonomous driving platform and financial services.

"Last year we went through some significant changes," said head of subsidiary Baidu Capital Jennifer Li.

Its latest change in financial services is a strategic deal announced on Thursday with U.S. payment service provider PayPal Holdings Inc, to give Chinese customers access to PayPal merchants using Baidu's digital wallets.

Breaking down second-quarter results, Baidu said revenue rose 14.3 percent to 20.87 billion yuan. That compared with the 13.8 percent average estimate drawn from 13 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

The mobile division - which covers ads, video, games and other services used via mobile devices - contributed the most to revenue with 72 percent of the total, from 62 percent last year.

Baidu also said active online marketing customers fell 21 percent from the same period a year earlier, but revenue per customer rose 32 percent.

Baidu expects third-quarter revenue of 23.13 billion yuan to 23.75 billion yuan, with growth coming from ads and video as financial services and cloud computing, said Baidu Capital's Li.

Reporting by Cate Cadell in BEIJING and Laharee Chatterjee in BENGALURU; Editing by Christopher Cushing

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China's Baidu profit jumps as focus on mobile, AI narrows - Reuters

The Jacksonville Tourism Development Council moved closer to finalizing a contract for a marketing program designed to attract more visitors to Duval County.

In a special meeting Thursday, the TDC unanimously approved four components for a pending contract that Visit Jacksonville and the marketing firm Dalton Agency will have to follow for the next year.

While the contract is not finalized the board agreed to stipulate the contract results in:

A 5 percent increase in leisure visitors.

A 5 percent increase in tourist tax revenue increase.

A 10 percent increase in online site visitation by potential tourists using Jacksonville internet pages and social media.

And a development of goals and targets by the contracted agencies.

The vote came after the board heard an extensive presentation from Dalton Agency President Michael Munz and his staff on how they would handle the contract. The presentation came after TDC board member and City Councilwoman Lori Boyer said in June she wanted to see a more focused marketing program.

Dalton representatives outlined how they projected theyd be able to increase online site visits by 10 percent in the next year by utilizing an estimated $1.28 million that would be earmarked for spending on media buys. That budget figure is about $300,000 more than what was earmarked in the 2017 fiscal budget and about $500,000 more than the 2016 expenditure.

Dalton officials also detailed how they would focus their performance and target three areas of visitation including outdoor tourism, history and culture and sports.

The TDC still has to finalize financial stipulations for the contract before the proposal advances to the City Council for final review before the next fiscal budget begins Oct. 1.

In other action, the TDC unanimously approved a temporary contract for Visit Jacksonville to handle tourism visitor centers that will run from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. The development comes as the TDC has opened the request for proposals for an entirely new contract structure to handle visitor centers, which was particular target of Boyer.

While the TDC will entertain new submissions for a new contract for operating visitor centers, Deputy General Counsel Lawsikia Hodges said it is unlikely the contract will be settled by Oct. 1, prompting the necessity for the temporary contract that calls for Visit Jacksonville, which currently runs the visitor centers downtown on Laura Street, at the Jacksonville International Airport and at the Beaches to handle those duties until a new contract is settled.

Boyer has previously said she wants more mojo out of visitor centers and would prefer performance that attracts tourists on the level of St. Augustine, a traditional tourist hub.

We have great history . We have great amenities. Why cant we have a visitor center of that quality? Boyer said in June.

Drew Dixon: (904) 359-4098.

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Jacksonville Tourism Development Council tightens marketing contract, holds off on moving on visitor centers - Florida Times-Union

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Editors Note: In Tough Love Tuesday, our first-ever summer success series, well connect side-hustling entrepreneurs with support, resources and advice from amazing experts. Sign up to ouremail newsletterto be notified about our Tuesday Facebook Lives and check back to ourside hustle topic pagefor more helpful tips.

When reading online marketing advice, you're often bombarded with an endless stream of tactics: use this software, buy these ads, tweet,Instagramand other things you know nothing about.

With all this noise it can be challenging to figure out what to focus on and where to spend your money and time, especially for those side-hustling entrepreneurs.

Related:Side Hustle Secret: Here's How to Get Your First 5,000 Email Subscribers

For Tough Love Tuesday, Entrepreneurs Facebook Live series in which we connect side-hustling entrepreneurs with amazing experts, Derek Halpern of Social Triggers, an internet marketing firm, provided some refreshing advice on how to streamline your marketing process: focus on the people first, the tactics second.

While his marketing expertise covers thegamut, for this specific episode, we were talking about building a solid email list (these subscribers are gold for businesses).

"The golden rule of online marketing is each and every email on your email list is a human being. Treat them like one," he said.

As a side hustler (also the founder of This Dogs Life) this was an interesting point, as I, like many others, tend to focus just on metrics.

"People get so obsessed with numbers. They look at the size of their email list," he says. But those numbers they're looking at? Those are real people."

This is important, especially now. When you forget that you're talking to people, there's no way your marketing can resonate with anyone.

But before you figure out how to build this list, you need to determine who you want on the list.

During the Tough Love Tuesday, he discussed a four-step formula to attract the right people and keep them engaged. Called the T.A.P.P. technique -- target, appeal, produce and promote -- the strategy examines thepeople first mindset of marketing.

To help people understand how to useT.A.P.P.,Halpern focused on a real-life example. For his newsletter, which helps entrepreneurs find success, he wanted to, at one time, focus on getting more hairstylists on it. This was his target.

He thought he could help these entrepreneurs make more money,as they often complain about charging less than they are worth for their service. To tackle this, he wanted to show the difference between an expensive haircut, and one that is inexpensive (a $50 haircut). By discussing the $310 haircut, it appealed to their desire to charge more.

Related:How 'Hustle-Mode' Is Trapping Thousands of Entrepreneurs

He created an engaging content piece: a video he filmed of himself getting a $310 haircut. He decided to focus on this medium to get the best hook,while keeping people intrigued throughout the experience.

At first, Halpern focused on cold emails. He reached out to different hair stylist publications, but no one bit. So, he decided to approach them a different way.

I bought Facebook ads targeting hair stylists, he says. By targeting these hair stylists, the hair stylist publications were also exposed to the video. Soon, these publicationswere asking him to use the video. His clickthrough rate was 10 percent (people are often happy with 1 percent).

"I know this seems like common sense, but most people -- writers, entrepreneurs -- create a piece of content and hope people find it, says Halpern. Maybe they share it on their own social media a few times and keep hoping. This is a failure. You need to target, appeal, produce and promote.

Related:One of These 3 Things Is Holding Your Business Back From Tremendous Growth

By giving people what they want, you can build a popular email list.

Check out the video above for more about the T.A.P.P. method and other tips Halpern has about growing an email list the right way.

Andrea Huspeni is the special projects directorat Entrepreneur.com and the founder of This Dog's Life, the go-to platform for local and national news, along with resources to help make pet parenthood easier.

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The Only Technique You Need to Quickly Grow Your Email List - Entrepreneur

iCubesWire, a Delhi-based digital marketing company that offers ROI-driven solutions, helps clients make the most of their digital spend and has helped 500 brands grow their business.

Marketing as we knew it 10 years ago no longer exists. The rising use of internet across cities and towns has put digital marketing in the spotlight and revolutionised the way brands and businesses leverage technology for marketing.

All marketing now is data driven and focuses on products or services using digital technologies, such as the internet, mobile phones, display advertising and other digital mediums. But businesses need to know about return on investment (ROI).

iCubeswire, a Delhi-based startup, is changing the way modern brands find their audiences. The startup aims at bringing transparency and clarity to digital marketing and helping clients make the most of their digital spend.

The company, founded by Sahil Chopra in 2010, is building an AI-based engine that can bridge the gap between the brand, the agency and the customer to a bare minimum. The tool ensures transparency of pricing and reach, helps companies grow and drives marketing results through an ROI-driven approach.

The company has grown manifold, but Sahil does not want to reveal numbers as of now. But he lets out that iCubeswire has helped more than 500 brands in the e-commerce, automobile, technology, finance, travel, hospitality and other sectors grow their business and achieve their digital marketing goals. The companys client list includes P&G, Amazon, Flipkart, Go Air, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Air Asia, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Standard Chartered, Kotak Group, HDFC Bank, Ford, Honda, Skoda, American Express, NIIT, Tata Group, Dominos and McDonalds.

But getting here wasnt a piece of cake.

Sahil remembers being jobless for six months in 2005, while looking for his first job. He eventually landed a job at NIIT, followed by another one at Hong Kong Tourism Board where he worked as Head of Digital Marketing.

This was an experience and I learned a lot about the digital world and things like SEOs and SCMs, Sahil says.

In 2010, when Sahil wanted to start his own venture, people around him mocked his audacity and said he was a novice.

Icubeswire was started in a small room in Bengaluru before Sahil moved back to Delhi to start a company. The company aimed to be a 360-degree digital marketing solution provider with expertise in performance marketing, media, social, creative and cutting-edge technology a one-of-a-kind in its sector.

Their first product was the concept of Email Vidya, with which Icubeswire educated people about the importance of email marketing. Gradually, the company ventured into various verticals like ad-network, performance marketing and affiliate marketing. The company funded itself with every small project executed and took salaries as low as Rs 30,000 for the first three years.

In 2012, Icubeswire received its first pay cheque from Myntra Rs 7 lakh and thats when things changed.

We didnt even have a bank account then. It took a few more days to get that cheque encashed so we could take our first salaries, Sahil says.

He adds that from that first cheque to releasing approximately 300 invoices per month today, the company has surely climbed the ladder of success.

Today all advertising agencies are investing in digital strategies. Webchutney, Avignyata, Windchimes and Flea Global are some of the larger companies going after this market.

Quite a few organisations are entering the market either to translate the offline expansion of the brand to the online sector or solely to get into the digital space.

Each market has different challenges and when we expand our verticals, it is likely to have a different challenge from other verticals. Challenges are a part and parcel of any business and we hope to overcome them with right thinking, intent and transparency, Sahil says.

Icubeswire started with performance marketing operations, providing advertisers and publishers with a robust platform where they could grow together and maintain long-term relationships. Over time, the company added full digital service offerings, including social media marketing, digital creatives and video production.

The next product launch will be Instatalk, an AI-enabled digital platform that will bridge the gap between the customer and the brand. With this technology, the company aims to help the customer understand the entire digital marketing spend. The company is in talks with investors and does not want to reveal how much is it looking for in the market.

Pawan Gupta, founder for Connect2SME, a consulting platform for SMBs, says: Digital marketing is a huge business and there are several SMB brands that want to go digital.

More than 5 million SMEs want to use digital strategies to go global and get their products discovered.

No wonder Sahil has taken a bet on this industry. iCubeswire is wiring up the future to help these small businesses and brands that want to use digital means for affiliate marketing. Next up, the company hopes to expand and become a large company.

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Digital marketing solutions startup iCubesWire is giving businesses the edge they need to succeed - YourStory.com

Are you focused on the easy when it comes to Internet marketing? Clicks, views, subscriptions, and followers when measuring your marketing success with websites, blogging, and other social media.

Rather than focusing on something easy, widely respected marketer, author, and speaker, Seth Godin suggests that you ask:

What is it that you hope to accomplish? Not what you hope to measure as a result of this social media strategy/launch, but to actually change, create or build?

Focus on the real goal where do you want to be at at the end of the day, not on numbers, per Godin.

An easy but inaccurate measurement will only distract you. It might be easy to calibrate, arbitrary and do-able, but is that the purpose of your work?

I know that theres a long history of a certain metric being a stand-in for what you really want, but perhaps that metric, even though its tried, might not be true. Perhaps those clicks, views, likes and groups are only there because theyre easy, not relevant.

Law firm business development and marketing will always be measured by growth in business. The same is true with Internet marketing.

These goals can be and are measured by the bottom line, revenue. Anyone saying we cant directly measure this type of return from Internet marketing, is just saying its too hard, well chase numbers instead.

Lawyers developing business do not have a hard time knowing where their new business is coming from. Ask them. If they dont know, they probably arent developing new business. Theyll feel comfort in your easy to track numbers.

If you want to look at incremental measurements, look at whether a lawyer is becoming a recognized authority in their niche area of law and building a powerful network of relationships with clients, prospective clients, referral sources, and the influencers of all three.

Rightfully so, law firms and lawyers use blogs and other social media, including Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. These mediums, used effectively, build relationships and build a name, the two linchpins of business development in law.

However, lawyers and law firms take the easy way out in measuring success here. They look at analytics subscribers, web traffic, followers, connections, likes, and comments.

Analytics are the golden calf worshipped by marketers and lawyers spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on websites and other Internet marketing. Its as if their budgets and jobs depend on these numbers they probably do.

Jill Avery, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, interviewed by Amy Gallo for a Harvard Business Review piece, says:

Good marketing is not about winning creative awards or telling interesting stories. Its about delivering customers and sales. It puts a bit more rigor on whats historically been much more intangible.

Focus on sales when you establish goals for Internet marketing and when you measure success or failure. What can we do in incremental new revenue? Did we hit that goal at year one, year two and year three.

Every law firm claims to be different, while all are all focused on the same metrics. From Godin:

System innovations almost always involve rejecting the standard metrics as a first step in making a difference. When you measure the same metrics, youre likely to create the same outcomes. But if you can see past the metrics to the results, its possible to change the status quo.

No question there are lawyers and a few law firms measuring the difficult and the real goal but sadly, most measure the easy numbers.

Kevin OKeefe (@kevinokeefe) is the CEO and founder ofLexBlog, which empowers lawyers to increase their visibility and accelerate business relationships online. With LexBlogs help, legal professionals use their subject matter expertise to drive powerful business development through blogging and social media. VisitLexBlog.com.

LexBlog also hostsLXBN,the worlds largest network of professional blogs. With more than 8,000 authors, LXBN is the only media source featuring the latest lawyer-generated commentary on news and issues from around the globe. Visitlxbn.comnow.

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Don't Measure The Easy When It Comes To Internet Marketing - Above the Law