Coursera – Financial Markets – Feb-April 2014 – Yale University

Archive : Coursera – Financial Markets – Feb-April 2014 – Yale University

Coursera Financial Markets

About the Course
info: www.coursera.org/course/financialmarkets

Instructor: Robert Shiller, Yale University
Feb. 17th – April 16th 2014

Financial institutions are a pillar of civilized society, supporting people in their productive ventures and managing the economic risks they take on. The workings of these institutions are important to comprehend if we are to predict their actions today and their evolution in the coming information age. The course strives to offer understanding of the theory of finance and its relation to the history, strengths and imperfections of such institutions as banking, insurance, securities, futures, and other derivatives markets, and the future of these institutions over the next century.

Course Syllabus

Week 1 Topics – Basic Principles of Finance and Risk Management – February 17th
Introduction to Week 1 from Professor Shiller
Portfolio Diversification and Supporting Financial Institutions (Part 1 and 2)
Insurance, the Archetypal Risk Management Institutions: Its Opportunities and Vulnerabilities
Guest speaker: Maurice “Hank” Greenberg

Week 2 Topics – Efficient Markets vs. Behavioral Finance – February 24th
Introduction to Week 2 from Professor Shiller
Efficient Markets
Behavioral Finance and the Role of the Psychology
Guest speaker: David Swensen

Week 3 Topics – Debt versus Equity – March 3rd
Introduction to Week 3 from Professor Shiller
Theory of Debt, Its Proper Role, Leverage Cycles
Corporate Stocks
Guest Speaker: Laura Cha

Week 4 Topics – Real Estate, Regulation, and Enterprise – March 10th
Introduction to Week 4 from Professor Shiller
Real Estate
Misbehavior, Crises, Regulation and Self Regulation
Guest Speaker: Carl Icahn

Week 5 Topics – Forward Futures and Options Markets – March 17th
Introduction to Week 5 from Professor Shiller
Forward and Futures Markets
Options Markets
Guest Speaker: Andrew Redleaf

Week 6 Topics – Monetary Policy – March 24th
Introduction to Week 6 from Professor Shiller
Banks
Monetary Policy
Guest Speaker: Larry Summers

Week 7 Topics – Critical Elements of the Financial Infrastructure – March 31st
Introduction to Week 7 from Professor Shiller
Investment Banks
Professional Money Managers and Their Influence
Exchanges, Brokers, Dealers, Clearinghouses
Schwarzman Lecture

Week 8 Topics – Finance and the Broader Public Purpose – April 7th
Introduction to Week 8 from Professor Shiller
Public and Non-Profit Finance
Finding your Purpose in the World of Financial Capitalism
Professor Shiller Conclusion

What is Internet Marketing?

Internet Marketing Explained

Internet marketing is the promotion of a company and its products or services through online tools that generate leads, drive traffic, and boost sales.

Also called online marketing or digital marketing, internet marketing relies on digital channels to distribute promotional messages.

Internet marketing is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of marketing strategies and avenues.

From emails, search engines, social media posts, and blog articles, there’s one common theme among all of these tactics: They all focus on delivering content.

With content marketing, gone are the days of hopeful sales pitches and traditional marketing.

Now, businesses can target their audience with pinpoint accuracy and provide useful information that resonates.

This is perfect because that’s exactly what today’s consumers want.

People don’t want to hear about products and services that don’t interest them.

From installing adblockers to clicking on “Skip Ads” buttons, today’s shoppers are more discerning about the information they’re willing to consume.

Content marketing delivers meaningful information that solves users’ problems and is accessible on consumer demand.

Content Marketing vs. Traditional Advertising

Can you believe there was a time when salesmen knocked on strangers’ doors to sell encyclopedias?

Today, we don’t even like it much when our friends knock on our doors unannounced.

The fact is, traditional marketing (or selling) doesn’t work anymore.

Its approach is to essentially push products and information onto people to pressure them into buying.

And frankly, people are over it.

You know it’s true because you yourself have been bombarded with radio ads, television, commercials, billboards, and even phone calls touting products that don’t interest you in the least.

While traditional ads may still work in some situations, the internet has changed the way consumers shop.

Now, armed with infinite amounts of information at their fingertips, users can take a more proactive approach to finding solutions to their problems.

They can search for the products that meet their needs — and avoid the ones that don’t.

We can all agree that ads are annoying. They interrupt our focus and take us away from our journey of finding content that is actually useful.

Not only that, they’re no longer the way people want to learn about new products.

Rather than intruding in consumers’ lives, brands and marketers need to take a different approach.

They should ask questions first and give answers second, rather than the other way around.

That’s where content marketing comes in.

Brands can research the specific needs of their target audience and create tailored content that inspires, educates, or alleviates a problem for their prospects.

Through a series of searches, people can find that online content on their own terms, rather than having it forced on them.

If the content provides value, they’ll keep returning for more.

With content marketing, the user is in the driver’s seat. They decide whether they want to engage with the brand and share the information with their social network.

This enables businesses to develop deep, meaningful relationships with their audience that are based on trust and authority.

When they decide they’re ready, those loyal followers can convert to leads – on their own terms.

This is what happens when you put the consumer’s needs above your own.

When you deliver content with the intention of providing valuable information, you’ll be rewarded with their business (and their loyalty) in the end.

Fundamentally, that is what internet marketing is all about.

But Why All the Hype Around Internet Marketing?

You understand what internet marketing is and how it’s beneficial for your brand.

But what’s with all the hype around it?

Internet marketing isn’t just a fad. It’s a proven winner.

Here are some reasons why brands and marketers are shouting it from the rooftops:

• By the end of 2021, the global content marketing industry is expected to reach $412 billion.
• Consumers who read a piece of brand content are 131% more likely to buy from that brand versus consumers who read no content.
• Fully 49% of B2B buyers said they are relying on content now more than ever to make purchase decisions.

If that wasn’t enough proof, I can tell you from personal experience that content marketing is highly effective.

I’ve seen my own small business grow in ways I never could have imagined, so we focus 99% of our efforts on content marketing.

Coursera – Financial Markets – Feb-April 2014 – Yale University

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