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Few "tools" are more widely abused these days than so-called best practices. It's no wonder that most banks, supermarkets, airlines, retailers and professional services firms look astonishingly similar--they've been busy copying each other's best practices for decades. What's most alarming is how ingrained their use has become in the language of marketers, salespeople and customers. Best practices have joined the long list of meaningless phrases like scalable strategies, seamless integration and transformational initiatives. Get the full story.

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Even good public relations people feel anxious when a media barrage occurs--and, granted, it doesn't initially feel like an opportunity to communicate strategic messages. But it can be done by following some basic rules. Get the full story.

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In competing for a piece of business not too long ago, the author's public relations firm was asked to supply three samples -- of recent clips, bylined articles, and press releases. For two of the three requirements, the issue was an embarrassment of riches. But for press releases, the firm was hard-pressed. These days, it writes fewer and fewer press releases. It just doesn't see them as being as important a tool for PR as they once were. Get the full story.

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Useful and sticky Web sites find out what's most important and relevant to their customers--and then customize their experiences in a meaningful way. By giving customers more of what they want (and when they want it), Web companies can use the power of personalization to increase customer engagement and retention. Here are some personalization principles that work, and Web companies that are doing a great job of applying them. Get the full story.

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High-tech suffers from terminal seriousness. It's an insidious problem, and it means that most tech companies fail to take advantage of opportunities to stand out. Over 80 percent of everything we hear daily is filtered, and humor helps you to be heard in a crowded market. Get the full story.

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The elections in Iran are in full force, with only a few days left until the Friday ballot. Iranian television is filled with interviews with the candidates, sound bytes and advertisements about the vote. Movies are interrupted every few minutes by voting reminder messages. Candidates' Web sites tout the politicians' credentials and attributes, while blogs debate who is genuinely democratic-minded--or, conversely, true to the tenets of the Islamic Revolution. This year, there are six candidates. And one of the candidates, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has done more than the others to market his particular presidential "brand."

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This article is a Five-Minute Communication Test: Do you have connectors? In precisely five minutes, you can find out for yourself if your copy on your Web site/brochure/sales letter etc., will be read by your customer from start to finish. It's a simple, yet extremely powerful test.

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Most people's concept of advertising is limited to the (sometimes woeful) ads they see on TV, or the billboards they drive past. Seeing these, they automatically assume that effective advertising is out of their reach. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Pound for pound, Google AdWords offers everyone, from mom and pop cotttage industries to multinational juggernauts, the most effective advertising medium yet devised.

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Marketers who choose not to devote significant time and effort to the Hispanic population are missing out on a vital consumer segment that is growing faster than any other minority group in the United States. In fact, businesses should consider implementing new approaches and strategies to target Hispanics. Perhaps the most effective way to reach this evolving market is through the Internet.

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Speak any language long enough, and you'll become fluent; take on the mindset of a strategist and you'll start to see things through a strategist's eyes. And others will notice the change in you--you'll find yourself more and more being called on to act as counsel on all matters customer.

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The good news is that the technology that allows you to market via the Internet is far from reaching its full potential. Much of the early energy in online marketing was spent finding ways to distribute marketing messages in new ways. Now, much of the online marketing energy is spent collecting information about prospective customers--literally mining information that will help you fine-tune your marketing efforts and generate a maximum return on investment. Here are five new uses of technology that will help you get the most out of your existing online marketing programs.

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In part one of this article, we talked about the uniqueness of B2B marketing and the dominant role of search engines in the B2B buying process. So it goes without saying that good search engine visibility is an excellent way to boost profitability. Now it's time to explore the return on investment, as well as the effectiveness and flexibility of search engine marketing, focusing on organic site optimization.

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Most businesses these days are under pressure to differentiate their products and services to attract new business. Although customers can play an important role in helping companies define their differentiation, a surprising number of businesses decide to skip this important customer research and launch offerings based on what “we think our customers want.” Companies risk building offerings that customers do not want to buy by bringing products and services to market without fully understanding what customer’s need, why they need it and how they need to purchase it. How can companies remain aligned with customer needs?

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The client relationship built on a strong foundation of constant, varied, and sincere communication has less of a chance of being pushed aside when someone new comes along or happens to be the last one in the door. Follow these five guidelines and the chances of your phone ringing the next time your client needs a service will be much greater.

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In the literary world, "good writing" may be notoriously difficult to define. But on the Web, good copy has two clear, easily understood objectives: It elevates your search engine rankings, and it attracts qualified traffic and holds the attention of your prospects and customers. On the Web, your words carry a lot of weight. Fortunately, you can build verbal muscle, fast. Following are five tips you can apply right now (with a minimum of time or technical hassle) to dramatically improve the effectiveness of your Web site writing.

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A recent book by a popular CRM expert declared the era of the 4 Ps effectively over. The author argues that product, promotion, price and place are no longer key to providing sustainable differentiation. While the author makes many compelling points, the key question remains: has the oligarchy been dethroned and is the reign of the 4 Ps over? Simply stated, the answer is no. Or to paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated!

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This week, read your answers to a previous dilemma: What are the most effective ways to launch a Web site for teens who have little spending money? Also this week, add your two cents to the current dilemma: What makes for compelling Web copy?

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Cliff Atkinson has been writing for MarketingProfs about PowerPoint (and other graphical presentation tools) for more years. How much, really, is there to say about PowerPoint? Well, plenty, as it turns out.

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In the search engine optimization and marketing industry, there's been a rule of thumb: Longer keyword phrases have better conversion rates. But that's not the whole truth: conversion rates peak at four-word phrases. Here are strategies you should consider when developing keywords for your optimization and pay-per-click campaigns.

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Between getting caught in spam filters or being blocked by ISPs and disappearing in the sheer volume of email that's out there, it's tough to guarantee that your newsletter actually gets into the hands of your customer. Recently, the author worked with a client to improve his newsletter delivery rate by 22%. Read the following case study to see the small changes she made that made such a dramatic difference.