Smart Marketers Tour kicked off last night at Seattle Art Underneath the twinkling lights of an installation piece by Cai Guo-Qiang, smart marketers from around the United States gathered to swap stories, share marketing smarts, and get an inside look at what it takes to record Marketing Smarts Putting together such ... more

You have to write a post for your company blog, and it's due tomorrow. But you have no idea what to write about. All you can do is stare, filled with dread, at your computer screen. A blank page is the archenemy of anyone suffering from writer's block. What can fill ... more

When you invite new friends to your house, do you assume they'll find a way in, forage for food, and entertain themselves while you're somewhere else doing something else? Of course not. But, notes Kim Roman at Marketing Automation Times, that's exactly how new subscribers feel when your email program ... more

B2B salespeople spend roughly two-thirds of their time selling in virtual environments—via the Web and telephone—yet most companies haven't adapted their sales skills or content marketing tools to deal with this new reality, according to a new report by Corporate Visions. more

"Doing keyword research is like being a detective: you're always searching for those tiny but valuable clues that decide the fate and future of a case you are handling," writes Lior Levin in an article at MarketingProfs. If you're serious about words like sales, profits, and conversions, Levin argues, your research ... more

Do copyright laws apply to posting content on Pinterest? Learn why you might not want to take legal action if your copyrighted content is shared without your permission, and how you can parlay "pins" into profits. more

When dealing with the ever-evolving world of social media, marketers must be nimble and adaptive if they're going to keep up with the migration patterns of their audiences. In that sense, newly ascendant social network Pinterest has much to offer marketers. more

MarketingProfs is kicking off its Smart Marketers Tour 2012 on March 28 in Seattle. And we're inviting you to join us there for our very-first free in-person event. more

Shake the cobwebs from your old-school marketing theories, and give them a long, hard look. Are those traditional ideas helping you meet your content marketing goals? If not, consider dramatically changing your approach to content marketing in today's more engaged, networked world.But where do you begin to overhaul your thinking? ... more

Is your company having a hard time embracing content marketing? Learn why your marketing expertise may be failing you, and steps you can take to reap all the benefits of content marketing. more

When you're thrilled with the results your SEO program generates, you might not ask many questions about how it's done—and let potentially problematic practices go undetected until it's too late. "Companies may not realize [when] employees may be taking shortcuts," writes Douglas Karr at the Marketing Tech blog. "And companies ... more

The show "Undercover Boss" explores what a CEO can learn from working side by side with his employees in the trenches. What can we, as viewers and marketers, learn, too? more

Marketing on multiple platforms reveals your storytelling savvy, and it has the potential to make your business more relevant to prospects. But it also demands finesse, consistency, and elements of surprise. It's a game of long-term seduction rather than "one and done" communication—that is, a short-term message via a single ... more

"[F]or most messages," writes Carolyn Kopprasch at the Emma blog, "email is just a starting point for a customer who will then go on to purchase, donate, share, comment, or RSVP." So how do you consistently encourage subscribers to take action without turning them off? "From the email itself to the ... more

Those of us who spend a significant amount of time watching online video are likely smitten with the inspirational TED talks. But the local TEDx events are equally enchanting, and they offer great lessons in experiential marketing. more

Sales and Marketing alignment is not a new issue, but marketing and sales organizations should not ignore some of the newest best-practices for creating a strong, collaborative revenue engine. The steps outlined here will fuel that engine by helping to align sales and marketing teams. more

Big brands use jokes to market their products all the time. But, sadly, many small and medium-sized (SMB) marketers have lost their sense of humor. Why is that? Maybe SMB marketers sense they have too much to lose. But there's much to gain, too. more

Although he has helped numerous clients  formulate content marketing plans, Mike Sweeney encountered what he terms "planner's block" when attempting to devise a plan for his own company. How could that happen? "The answer was simple," he writes in the Marketing Trenches blog. "I wasn't asking myself the right questions, and ... more

How far would you go to create the sort of shareable content that goes viral? Would you—for instance—risk your reputation with a video that's almost certain to invite accusations of fakery? In a post at ReelSEO, Jeremy Scott discusses a video that attracted plenty of hits—and skepticism. Did a GForm case ... more

If you're not using interactive images in your marketing, you should be. Learn how they can drive engagement, retention, and sales. more

Want to differentiate yourself from your competitors? MarketingProfs blogger Matt Grant shares tips from an interview with Mark Levy regarding his client Captain Inferno. more

So you've developed a groundbreaking inbound content marketing effort that's pulling in prospects in droves! Congratulations! But here's a question: Have you adapted your internal processes to match your prospects' newly acquired expectations? As Ardath Albee notes in a post at the Marketing Interactions blog, when a clever new outreach effort ... more

A few minutes after sending an email to thousands of subscribers, you notice that something isn't right. Perhaps it's a typo that slipped through your copyediting process; or maybe you sent your message to the wrong list. What should you do? "Exactly how you respond depends on the degree of severity ... more

The year 2011 was pivotal for the mobile industry, marked by a near doubling in smartphone ownership, consumers' growing appetite for mobile social content, and tablets emerging as a formidable fourth screen, according to a new report by comScore. more

You probably optimize the content at your website—but what about SEO for less formal interaction at blogs and social networks? "B2B marketers should be looking to expand the reach of their social media efforts to drive more traffic back to their websites (and their calls-to-action)," writes Jeffrey L. Cohen at the ... more