[caption id="attachment_38369" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo credit: caribb via photopin creative commons[/caption] My dad was proud of his new "Internet-smart" TV and wanted to show it off to me on St. Patrick's Day weekend last month. He showed me how he could log onto Facebook and view photos, update his status, etc. As he was showing me, all I could think was, "Would anyone really use this?” Judging by the time it took him to navigate to my profile, I concluded that surfing social media sites through a TV isn't ideal. But, he was excited because he could log into Facebook [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Facebook | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Marketing Column | Twitter | Video

Build it and they will come, right? Unfortunately, when it comes to starting a new blog, that is simply not true. I see many new blog owners become hyper-focused on getting Google to send them masses of traffic through SEO. And, while Google traffic is great and should not be ignored, focusing all your energy on SEO could be a recipe for disaster. In order to really build up traffic and a blog following, it's important to get off your blog and get out to places where your target market can find you. I don't care what the sales pages and "gurus" say -- there is no software or "loophole" t [...]

Related Topics: Affiliate Marketing | Affiliate Marketing Column | Blogging | Channel: Content Marketing

When was the last time you scanned a QR code? Be honest. If it was in the last month, are you hooked? Yes, that was a rhetorical question because I can't name one person I know that actively scans QR codes, and I'll bet if you ask your network, neither can you. To that end, I know that there is research that shows that an increasing number of people are "scanning a QR code," but what I haven't been able to find are statistics that show repeat usage. My guess is that there is a reason for that. The History Of QR Codes Taking a step back, QR codes (short for "quick response" codes) were fir [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile Marketing | Mobile Marketing | Mobile Marketing Column

How do you decide what products to feature in your emails or which offers to promote in your emails? If you don’t have a process in place that answers these questions, you should. Merchandising for email should be a collaborative process for optimal results. Setting The Promotional Calendar The promotional calendar should be developed with the E-Commerce Manager, Email Marketing Manager, and Product Merchandisers. Any additional, relevant associates should be included, as well. For example, the Mobile Marketing Manager might be a different individual; or, you may have a Brand or Loyalty Ma [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column

For marketers that want to run online display ad campaigns, choosing between direct channels and real-time bidding (RTB) platforms might seem a little unclear at first. After all, the ultimate result is the same: you are placing your ads on a website somewhere. The process that a marketer must follow, however, to reach that end goal is very different depending on the approach, and each has its pros and cons. To help you understand which approach may be best for you, we’ll begin by contrasting some of the characteristics of traditional direct buys and RTB, and what they mean to brands, age [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Display Advertising | Display Advertising | Display Advertising Column | Display Advertising: Programmatic Media Buying

The last few years has seen the rise of what are known as "acqhires," where start-ups are bought for their talent and tech, rather than the product itself. The most recent and impressive example of this was the decision by Yahoo! to pay a rumoured $30 million to buy Summly, an app with less than a million downloads and its team of five -- led by its photogenic founder, 17-year-old Nick D’Aloisio. Whilst this will undoubtedly inspire any number of teenagers to develop their own app, it also highlights other trends around how content is being created and consumed, which will have impo [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Marketing Column | Twitter

The theme this week was about bringing order to chaos. Whether it's Centzy aggregating local business data online, comScore's new Multi-Platform measurement, Apple's acquisition of indoor mapping company WifiSLAM or Planspot's event marketing platform, the goal is the same - bring more clarity and definition to heretofore messy problems. This is ... Marketing Biz. Centzy Raises $1.6M Seed Round From Cowboy Ventures, Founder Collective, Lightbank & Others To Bring Offline Biz Data To Web & Mobile Centzy is focused on bringing detailed business data online – especially information [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Marketing Biz

Starting a new business venture can be a daunting experience, especially when introducing mobile products. You not only have to deal with all the business logistics and financial burdens of your new business; but, you also have the worries that you might not attract an audience. Marketing your product is a vital link to your desired success. In recent times, we have seen a change in marketing strategies with many companies now opting to build marketing into their product, enabling these products to become viral. Seamless sharing helps word-of-mouth grow your business, increasing your audien [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile Marketing | Mobile Marketing | Mobile Marketing Column

You've probably read a thing or two about affiliate attribution in a trade publication or heard it mentioned at industry events. Affiliate attribution is one of the hottest and most controversial topics in the performance marketing industry today, and many Internet retailers are trying to figure out the best approach. Not only is it a consideration for the affiliate channel, but it's becoming an even bigger factor as more companies move toward omni-channel. The question remains: how do you fairly compensate affiliates for their involvement with your customer based on the touch-points [...]

Related Topics: Affiliate Marketing | Affiliate Marketing Column | Channel: Content Marketing

SEO is not dead. As with all living things, SEO is always evolving. While many in the search community are witnessing and acknowledging the evolution, they cling to the notion that SEO only stands for "Search Engine Optimization." The concept of search dates back to the days of cavemen searching for food. So does social interaction and the exchange of information, which inevitably impacts how people search. It's time to add an additional meaning to the Three Letter Acronym of SEO and start teaching this to all the people with C-Level titles (COO, CMO, CTO, CFP & CEOs) in the world. The [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Internet Marketing Industry | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Marketing Column | Word Of Mouth Marketing

Congrats on generating some awesome leads for your sales team! Now what? As marketers, our primary responsibility is to generate qualified leads for sales. However, our job doesn’t stop immediately after we get the leads in the door. Answering the “Now what?” question can be tricky. Just because someone downloaded your ebook or subscribed to your blog doesn’t mean they are ready for your sales team -- in fact, Gleanster Research (pdf download) found that 50% of leads are qualified, but not ready to buy just yet. Effective lead nurturing campaigns can help you move your leads through [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column

Everyone is into content marketing these days. You can’t do well with Google or directly with people without creating valuable online content. Content, however, is one thing. Content that actually works as marketing is another. When done correctly, content marketing is a form of win-win persuasion. And, this type of persuasion is simply an exercise in getting people to understand the benefit to them when they choose your solution. How does this understanding happen? The Art Of Explanation Effective content marketing gets people to know, like, and trust your business. But, it a [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Content Marketing | Content Marketing | Content Marketing Column

I’ve spent over two years developing a social media measurement platform. One of the most important things I’ve learned during that time is that what counts as good and valuable measurement is unique to almost every client. While there are some commonalities between companies in similar industry verticals, my experience suggests strongly that there simply is no “cookbook” for social media measurement that applies universally. [caption id="attachment_37296" align="alignright" width="302"] Image via Shutterstock[/caption] What this means is that you can’t simply watch what the [...]

Related Topics: Analytics | Analytics & Marketing Column | Channel: Analytics | Social Media Marketing

As a wise statesman rocker once sang, the waiting is the hardest part. These days, that applies to Facebook marketing, too. We've seen a preview of what Facebook's Graph Search and new newsfeed will bring. Now, all that's left to do is wait. But, while we're speculating, pontificating and – well, waiting – here are 20 mostly painless, definitely necessary things all brands can do to get a jump start on whatever is on the way. No matter how you feel about Facebook, it's time to get ready. 1. Get On The List First and foremost, get a jump on the crowd by signing up for the early acce [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Social Media Marketing Column

Buying display ads through an ad tech platform is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get – and this can be disastrous to programmatic media buying. Instead of being strategic about your ad buy, you’re forced to take your vendor’s word for it that the consumers you’re targeting are actually being targeted. This is unfortunate at best and reckless at worst. After all, these are the interwebs. There’s data everywhere! Is the lack of transparency a result of a true blind spot in technology? Or is your vendor holding back key data on your campaign due to a [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Display Advertising | Display Advertising Column

This week in marketing was a strange mix of partnerships and acquisitions along with new tools and companies that could help marketers become more effective and efficient. This is ... Marketing Biz. Yahoo in Talks to Buy Stake in Video Site Dailymotion Dailymotion, which is similar to Google's YouTube site but is smaller in scale, would immediately make Yahoo a bigger player in Web video outside the U.S., where the company is looking to grow. More than 70% of Yahoo's $5 billion in annual revenue comes from the Americas region, and the vast majority of that is from the U.S. This isn't t [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Industry | Marketing Biz

There’s been quite a stir lately about a new release of Firefox due out this summer. Here’s the deal: a patch in version 22 is expected to automatically block third-party cookies by default. According to the latest reports, users who install this version of Firefox will no longer see targeted advertising unless they change their settings to accept third-party cookies. A user will see ads, but these ads won’t necessarily be based on their browser or shopping history. Is this new? For Mozilla, yes, in terms of it being a default setting. Apple’s Safari browser has had this defa [...]

Related Topics: Affiliate Marketing | Affiliate Marketing Column | Channel: Content Marketing

Dorothy isn't the only one who had to follow the Yellow Brick road to find her way home; we all need to follow a path to find our way to success, and the app market is no different. The app market for both iOS and Android is beginning to become overcrowded. Apple first opened its app store with a mere 500 apps in 2008, and now, the store comprises over 700,000 apps for the iPad and iPhone. Android hasn’t lagged behind, either. According to Statista, GooglePlay now boasts over 700,000 apps, too, growing from just 100,000 in the past two years alone. [caption id="attachment_34250" align= [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile Marketing | Mobile Marketing | Mobile Marketing Column

Best practices and smart tactics go a long way, but the most important part of any successful marketing program – email or otherwise – is building the right team. So, what do you look for when hiring an email designer? Here’s a short list of key factors to help ensure you have the right folks on the job. Web Design Experience This first point is an easy but important one. The pool of applicants who will come in the door with the right email experience already in place is small; so, make sure your potential hire has front-end Web design experience, which will allow them to wear multi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Email Marketing | Email Marketing | Email Marketing Column

How should organizations organize for content? Are brands really publishers? Very few have hired people with “content” or “editor” in their titles. Fewer still (read: almost none) have content departments or divisions within the marketing or other organizations. Yet, more and more companies are producing content like crazy. Also, multiple websites. Large corporations have tens of millions of visitors to their dot-coms each month, perhaps 5-10 million email subscribers. Then, there are blogs, YouTube channels and multiple social media channels on social networks. Like journalists, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Content Marketing | Content Marketing | Content Marketing Column