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We all know that content is king in search engine optimization, but in a recent Search Engine Land post, Daniel Waisberg reminds us that "usability is queen." According to Waisberg, the synergy between content and usability design can be a powerful generator of website conversion rates. To help search marketers optimize ... more
You understand how email delivery works, but perhaps you have trouble explaining the process to your boss, a client or a colleague. If so, you're in luck. An entertaining post by Matt Vernhout at Email Karma compares the delivery process to an evening at a hot new nightclub—terms most everyone ... more
"The economic downturn spells bad news to most marketers," says Jack Trout in a post at the Branding blog, "but a slump also presents an opportunity to build brands." He takes a back-to-basics approach to his brand-building, and recommends a few down-home strategies that might help turn your lemons into ... more
"There are many similarities between social media marketing and email," says Ross Kramer in an article at MarketingProfs, "but they are two distinct marketing channels and they should be used separately to enhance or magnify, not just promote, each other." Kramer outlines a process for complementary strategies that play to the ... more
As summer approaches, and your subscribers begin to go on holidays, you might wonder whether you should scale back your email campaigns. But in a post at the Email Experience Council blog, Ryan Allis says, "Not only should you feel comfortable sending out your messages over the summer, it's also ... more
When you order a gift for someone, it's always disappointing if they discover what they're receiving ahead of time. This must have been a problem for L.L.Bean customers who share email accounts with loved ones, because the "Tracking Your Order" FAQ page at its website has quite an interesting recommendation ... more
Yet another promising piece to add to your digital-strategy arsenal: how about interstitial :15-:30 video spots? This summer, ShortTail Media is launching a beta for its Digital 30 (D30) program—full-page interstitial ad placements in which 15- to 30-second spots can be incorporated. Interstitials are ads you see when you are ... more
In the past, recessions have proven disastrous to the momentum of eco-conscious movements. But not this time. "There is a growing body of evidence that [green policies pay big] dividends," says Chet Dalzell in an article at MarketingProfs. Apparently, "environmental concerns resonate with consumers—even amid a … recession." Dalzell suggests ... more
While the blogs we highlight are a great resource for email marketers, you might also benefit from the more in-depth guidance of downloadable whitepapers. Companies have discovered the marketing advantage of offering free whitepapers to prospects, and some of those papers are worth a look. ExactTarget's One-to-One Marketing Field Guide ... more
So you say you're still a bit iffy about investing in Facebook's panoply of paid brand offerings (virtual gifts, banner ads, homepage takeovers)? Not to worry: we've done some legwork for you, and turned up some freebies at the site that could actually serve your marketing plan to a "T." ... more
You've probably made a practice of asking customers to review your products, but are you using their praise to its full advantage? "Recently," says Kelly Lorenz at the Bronto blog, "I have seen an uptick in retailers utilizing customer reviews to sell products in their emails." Why? Because user-generated reviews ... more
Occasionally people may buy on impulse. Often, however, they go through a recognizable purchase cycle. "By targeting specific cycle stages, advertisers can increase relevancy by delivering appropriate messages at the right time," says Page Zero Media's Mona Elesseily in an article at Search Engine Land. Here are her definitions of the five ... more
Last year, Southwest Airlines refused passage to two young women for obnoxious behavior. The ladies immediately went out and told the press they weren't permitted aboard because they were "too pretty to fly"—sparking a media-driven feeding frenzy on Southwest's precious brand equity. It didn't matter that it wasn't true. It ... more
When subscribers open email messages, you have about seven seconds to answer their most important question: "What's in it for me?" According to Steve Adams, the best way to prove value is to deliver great content again and again. Here are three time-tested rules to keep in mind when writing ... more
"I get by with a little help from my friends." The words of that old Beatles song could well be applied to today's search marketers. After all, there's nothing like a good link-back among friends to boost search rankings. And in a recent guest post at the MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog, ... more
Getting your Web site's marketing copy just right takes time, effort and money. "But before you amortize your investment," says Rick Sloboda of Webcopyplus, "consider how those carefully crafted words can work for your business in other places." By repurposing your content, he argues, you can: ... more
"For too long, too many marketers have underestimated the value of email's impact on offline retail," say Lisa Harmon and Alex Madison in a post at the Email Experience Council blog. If you focus entirely on generating online sales, they argue, you might be missing out on bricks-and-mortar opportunities. They've ... more
"Now more than ever, the email channel in particular is being asked to contribute higher revenue," says Stephanie Miller in a post at the Daily Fix blog. "Yet, we all must make that happen with existing (or lower) resources." Reaching that goal requires innovation, and Miller reports on a number ... more
Email remains one of the least-expensive and highest-converting online marketing techniques out there, but few would argue it isn't past-due for a trendy facelift. Thankfully for the intrepid marketer, there are lots of programmers working on this problem, like little elves, day and night. And a whole passel of them apparently ... more
Just because an email strategy works for one company—even one very like yours—that doesn't mean it will automatically work for you. "This is due to different cultures and expectations," says Debra Ellis in an article at MarketingProfs. "The only way you will know the best strategy for your organization is ... more
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