Before you head out for one of the last weekends of summer, we’ve got some great Five on Friday articles for you. Security Boulevard explains the costs of SaaS data loss, Chief Executive shares the sins of the customer experience, Shopify offers Instagram post ideas, CBS News reports how theaters are trying a three-screen approach to battle Netflix, and VentureBeat explores how blockchain fights ad blindness.

The High Cost of SaaS Data Loss 

As businesses transition to the cloud and SaaS applications, companies need to understand the costs and risks involved when they lose data, whether it is their system going offline for a few hours or a disaster recovery situation. Security Boulevard covers this critical topic in “What CEOs and CFOs Should Know: The 7 Costs of SaaS Data Loss.”

Security Boulevard defines those costs as follows:

1. Revenue risks
2. Productivity losses
3. Penalties and fines due to noncompliance
4. Legal cost due to noncompliance
5. Reputational cost
6. Labor cost
7. Recovery cost

Some of these costs can be defined monetarily on a case-by-case basis, but others like losing your reputation because of data loss are immeasurable. The bottom line is this. As companies transfer the risk to cloud and SaaS providers for maintaining systems, they must understand and prepare for the new risks they are taking on themselves. Read more about this on Security Boulevard.

The Seven Sins of the Customer Experience

A recent study of 5,500 consumers and in-depth interviews with exceptional customer service reps in seven countries reveal that negative experiences impact a company’s bottom line, reports Chief Executive. Dissatisfied customers will rant online and give low ratings or poor online reviews. A great customer service rep, however, can turn things around. Based on this information, Chief Executive offers what it calls the seven sins of the customer experience. Here are three:

• Sin #1: Failing to use quantifiable metrics to see what your customers think of you.
• Sin #2: Not acknowledging that human emotion is powerful and really hearing your customers and their frustrations.
• Sin #3: Screwing up at a defining moment, whether it is failing to greet someone promptly or not empowering your staff to solve problems without managerial approval.

Learn the remaining four sins of customer experience and how you can master them to win over your customers, read “How to Avoid the Seven Sins of Customer Experience” by Sharon Daniels on Chief Executive.

5 Fun Post Ideas for Instagram

Today’s consumer is visual, so Instagram is a great social media platform to share content with customers and prospects. According to recent research, Buffer recommends that you post at least one-and-a-half times a day. Since that isn’t possible, you’ll need to decide if one or two posts per day work for your target market. But what should you post about it? Of course, it depends on what subscription product or service you’re pitching, but here are some post suggestions to get those creative juices flowing.

1. Product shots: Show your stuff, whether you are featuring just your product, or your product (a cup of coffee) as part of a “lifestyle” (a young woman drinking a cup of coffee while she gazes out her office window).
2. Shoppable posts: I’ll admit Instagram has me pegged. Every day I scroll through my feed about every sixth post features a product similar to one I’ve purchased or an Instagram ad I’ve previously clicked on. I’ve bought products from posts at least twice and come close several more. These types of posts are a great way to convert browsers into shoppers.
3. Shoot a live video: Authentic videos draw the attention of prospective customers and they allow users to interact with you in real time.
4. Share user-generated content: This is particularly popular with subscription box companies who share posts by subscribers who share their unboxing experience with others. As Shopify points out, this is very persuasive content because actual users are posting about your company, products or services. No #humblebrag necessary.
5. Share an inspirational quote: It is nice to see a company not talk about itself once in awhile, but instead to see them share an uplifting message.

Get more fabulous post ideas in “What to Post on Instagram: 20 Post Ideas to Spice Up Your Feed” by Ana Gotter for Shopify. 

Movie Theaters Try Three-Screen Approach to Woo Movie Fans

Raise your hand if you subscribe to Netflix? Anyone? Everyone? That’s what theaters are competing with – an audience who has become accustomed to on-demand viewing, watching original content in the comfort of their own home, when and where they want, for less than the price of a movie ticket. How can theaters compete?

Movie theatres in South Korea and the U.K. and the theater chain Cineworld are trying a three-screen approach to create an enhanced moviegoing experience to woo people back to the theatres. CBS News quotes Cineworld as saying, “It makes you feel like you’re sitting in the action.”

More and more theaters are trying new technology including 3D movies and ultra-high resolution IMAX and 4DX movies featuring moving chairs to provide an experience you just can’t get at home.

“We’re really confident that by offering customers as much choice as possible that it’s going to bring people into the cinemas,” said Kelly Drew of Cineworld.

Read more about theater innovations on CBS News.

Can Blockchain Fight Ad Blindness?

Unless you use ad blockers, every time you go online – desktop or mobile device – you are faced with a variety of ads – banners, skyscrapers, auto-play video ads, pop-ups. At some point, we develop ad blindness, meaning we ignore them and don’t really see them or the brands they represent. Last year, in the U.K., publishers estimated that ad blocking software cost them close to £3 billion (approximately $3.82 billion).

So how do publishers and brands get people to pay attention to ads again? VentureBeat says that blockchain may be the answer. How? According to VentureBeat, blockchain solutions don’t focus on those who block ads, but instead on those who are willing to view ads, offering better incentives to convince people to view an ad. There are a few projects exploring how this could work: Basic Attention Token, AdEx, Kind Ads and BAT.

With blockchain technology, ad networks can offer transparency and reward readers for their tolerance and attention. Ad relevancy – helping connect readers with relevant content – can also help. Read more about how blockchain can help solve ad blindness on VentureBeat, “How Blockchain Can Help Advertisers Combat ‘Ad Blindness‘” by Jeremy Epstein of Never Stop Marketing.