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Digital marketing isn't just an ever-growing collection of components anymore (if it ever was). Don't limit your perception of it to adding the latest Web 2.0 gadget to your site or playing in the newest online community. It's not simply about befriending the Johnny-come-lately of the Web 2.0 family, ranging from YouTube to Twitter to podcasts, blogs, MySpace, Facebook and SecondLife. There is no "connect the dots," because digital marketing is geometric, not linear. What's it all about then? These days, it's about creating fusion.

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Blogs provide rich opportunities for organizations to interact with customers. But now marketers are wondering how to create even more dynamic content and "stickiness." That next level of intimacy has already started to emerge with video blogs, or vlogs.

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CEOs and CMOs are interested in seeing marketing organizations improve their performance in two key areas: effectiveness (the ability to produce the desired result) and efficiency (reducing waste). The economic environment makes these efforts even more top-of-mind. Often the question that remains is how much do we need to improve? Benchmarking is one way to assess your organization's performance and understand what changes to make.

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It's probably no surprise that the process of acquiring new customers comes with one of the higher price tags of any of your marketing initiatives. The value of growing your customer base is obvious: the potential to sell more products or services. Moreover, increasing customer loyalty will reduce your marketing costs by providing you with a growing number of prospects and customers that can be easily and efficiently communicated with. Accounting for these 5 basic lifecycle tactics for the coming year will help identify areas of focus when laying out your strategy and setting goals.

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Wall Street had a stormy 2008, but there is a silver lining: Industry leaders are now turning to all things "eco" as a new source of (genuine?) green. Here are the top 5 green marketing stories from a volatile year—and what they may mean for your business in 2009.

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Finding the balance between search engine optimization (SEO) and a successful user experience can be a challenge. The two strategies can conflict, and companies may mistakenly favor one over the other.

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What does your brand look like? Is it recognizable—in any medium? Or does it change its appearance and present a confusing array of visual styles? Most organizations understand the strategic importance of a consistent visual style... but fall short on implementation, especially when there are multiple in-house or agency creative teams.

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The author recently had lunch with a good friend, a restaurateur. The food was delicious, but the lessons shared were even better. It seems the fragile nature of the restaurant business has more than a few things in common with the fragile nature of doing business on the Web.

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Will nearly 100 percent of my marketing email end up in my customers' spam folders? The answer may be "yes" if your company doesn't change its email practices.

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What's of greater value: the idea itself, the selling of the idea, or the production of the idea? While there seems to be a shift afoot, why does our industry continue to struggle to ascribe value to (and get paid for!) the core concepts that fuel everything else?

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When we are given the opportunity to stand out from our competitors, we must be memorable! What will standout so that people who are there will tweet positively about your company, your presentation, your product? What will they remember? What will they say about you?

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The news about investment in marketing is not good as many firms cut their marketing budgets left and right. Instead of taking an ax to your marketing budget, consider first how your budget is allocated and move some resources to marketing activities that yield a higher ROI.

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Do you know what will ensure your web site's success in 2009? Here's the top 10 ideas for online marketing success this coming year... and beyond.

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In the holiday email season of 2008, retailers turned up the gas on their email campaigns, hoping to salvage what was predicted to be a flat or down consumer-spending season. Chad White's Retail Email Index shows retailers sent a record number of emails in early December. But, he also points out, this spurt followed a flattening of the index, perhaps caused when major retailers encountered deliverability problems. It's not clear whether this email burst caused or influenced those deliverability woes, but an increase in frequency typically often leads to more unsubscribes and a higher spam-complaint rate, which in turn reduces deliverability. That's one of the trade-offs you can expect when you raise frequency beyond your subscribers' tolerance level, and one of the reasons I always caution marketers to manage frequency expectations even before the subscriber relationship begins.

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Want to really impress your boss, your board, your employees, or your mom? Want to drive your customers to the competition? Then simply fall flat on your face in your attempt to get your business to stand for something in the marketplace in 2009. That will really make an impact—and fill you with warm fuzzy feelings of non-accomplishment. So, if you're ready to fail, buckle your seatbelt and engage the air bag, because we're getting ready to crash and burn.

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Would your prospects be more likely to buy if they knew how others have benefited from your services? If so, maybe it's time to tell them. Better yet, let your current clients do the talking. But make it easy for them to share their experiences with a wide audience. Launch a customer case study program.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Social Media Marketing

What does "return on investment" really stand for? Roughly, it means the value we expect to get out of the effort we put into something—the output (return) resulting from an input (investment). But here's the trick: ignoring the input, or doing nothing in social media, will guarantee no return at all. So what is the "Return on Ignoring" social media? Here are some perspectives from the front lines.

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Gems of 2008: Online reputation management means tracking your brand and reacting when necessary. Brand monitoring can save you from a potential disaster when someone cites your name in an article that misrepresents you. What's more, it can help you proactively join conversations around your topic area, helping to get your brand name out there.

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Gems of 2008: You need an e-newsletter and you know it. But before rolling up your sleeves, please review the following six bromides from a recent how-to article phoned in by a reigning email-marketing magnate. After each, I'll explain how to do the exact opposite so that you can avoid polluting the e-cosystem with mediocre e-newsletters.

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Gems of 2008: Ever sigh to yourself, "There just aren't enough hours in the day!"? You're not alone. Most marketers are overloaded and under-resourced. But it doesn't have to be that way. And managing your time more efficiently isn't the answer.