Despite the glitz and glamour of newer marketing channels, most people still favor tried-and-true email. "A recent study asked consumers which channel they prefer for receiving permission-based promotional messages," reports Janelle Johnson in an article at MarketingProfs. "A whopping 77% said email. No other channel even scored in the double ... more

The way teleprospectors phrase their questions and emphasize key messaging can be the difference between a fully qualified lead or a dial tone. But don't fall into the common trap of writing a script and trying to get everyone to follow it verbatim. more

Feel caught in a stampede of data? To help you get control of data and herd it in the right direction, we're offering a free seminar called Data Wrangling: Solving Marketing's Biggest Chore. more

Content creation is a huge opportunity for brands. But when done badly, it's a potentially huge fail that could tick people off—and damage your reputation, your brand, and your business. So Brands must adhere to some basic editorial standards, including these 10 ground rules. more

Within seconds your killer headline and content have hooked your audience. But how do you reel them in? That is, how can you keep their attention after they start to read your article, watch your video, or listen to your podcast? Inspired by Andrea Phillips's Fast Company article titled "Five Lessons ... more

You didn't jump on the Pinterest bandwagon. No, you want info that proves the online pinboard really does boost business. Good news: We're sharing an engaging video that explains why Pinterest matters and why you need to start pinning immediately. more

What are the most pressing content marketing challenges that folks are facing? And, most importantly, what are the solutions to those confounding challenges? more

However efficient your organization's processes may be, you're almost certainly experiencing endless rounds of revisions in the development of creative—ads, graphics, emails, press releases... Follow these rules to stop the madness. more

How social media is transforming the English language offers lessons for businesses and marketers. With the right strategy, marketers can use those insights to achieve social media wins for their organizations. more

This article teaches you the nitty-gritty of a powerful content marketing tactic that makes use of two of online marketing's most powerful tools: SEO and social media. The benefits you'll derive are invaluable. more

No B2B company can achieve a leadership position without a thought-provoking point of view. "Customers buy into the story before they buy the solution," writes Robert M. Wright at MarketingProfs. "And a story is more than a slogan or a catchy tagline." In fact, it needs to accomplish two goals: ... more

How much is a $3 ashtray purchased at a yard sale worth on eBay? If it includes a short story by William Gibson, then it's worth $101. Still don't believe in the alchemistic powers of a great story? Read on. more

If you're one of Gmail's 350 million users, you know how vigorously the service defends your inbox from unwanted email. Obvious junk goes to the spam folder. But that's not all. In addition to legitimate email marketers, spammers send billions of messages to consumers every day, leading harried recipients with little ... more

The best B2B marketers are successful because they start with building a brand. In other words, the best B2B marketers think like B2C marketers. And here's just how they think and what they do. more

To win a court case, lawyers must first assemble a gripping argument. Facts need to be combined with compelling story elements to create a persuasive narrative to win the jury over. The same is true in marketing. Just like lawyers, marketers draw their audience to their side by solid storytelling. But ... more

Marketers far and wide know the value of content marketing. But delivering a high volume of quality content that is profitable and efficient poses operational challenges. Here's a way you can overcome those challenges. more

Content consumption is no longer a choice, it's innate. If you own a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, chances are you're absorbing content the majority of the time that you're awake. This brief survey considers how marketers consume content, and how they use and measure it in their work as marketers. more

At a recent industry event, I was often inspired, but also confused... therefore this attempt at Zen, to provide feedback to presenters everywhere about what they do that's excellent—and less than excellent. more

As various technology platforms (e.g., social media, apps, tablets, smartphones, and TV) evolve to become more integrated with one another, more customizable, and more participatory, so are people's expectations around their everyday content experiences, according to a study by Latitude. more

Pinterest, the mega-popular online pinboard platform, has more than 20 million users. But what do its users say about it? What about Pinterest inspires love or whips up hate? more

Once in a while, we like to highlight a strong opinion, and Ron Romanski has one. In a post at the Business 2 Community blog, he says lengthy newsletters should be a thing of the past. "With today's fast-paced society, you need to make things as single-focused as possible," he argues. ... more

How is content marketing like the daring sport of skydiving? For starters, to avoid a crash-landing, both require careful planning. In her Business Insider blog post titled "Content Marketing Lessons While Skydiving," Amanda Maksymiw compares her first leap from an airplane to leaping into a content marketing campaign. And she ... more

Myriad marketers are using only old approaches in their marketing efforts. Are yours outdated, too? Check out our new slide show and see whether you're still marketing like a 1960s Mad Ave. ad man more

When everything's going well, it's easy to find yourself in an email-marketing rut. Perhaps you've gotten complacent with ROI that's good—but not great. Or maybe you're boring your customers with the same campaigns they've seen a thousand times. "Whether you want to shake things up or simply polish off the dullness," writes ... more

Sometimes, the hardest topics to talk about are those closest to you. So when businesses have to share their stories, they stumble. This colorful infodoodle slide show can help draw out your inner brand storyteller. more