- I Feel Your Pain—Here's an AspirinSmall Business
"When your visitor arrives at your site," says Pete Caputa in a post at HubSpot, "they're most likely looking to solve a problem. In order to grab their attention and ...
- You Have Much to Learn, GrasshopperMarketing in a Downturn
In a post at the Marketing Minute, blogger Drew McLellan admits he gets some rather strange mail. "But I have to say," he notes, "chocolate-covered grasshoppers might just top the ...
- Keep Your WOM Roots HealthyCustomer Insight
The dreaded phrase "word-of-mouth" keeps a lot of company execs awake at night. It's that feeling of helplessness: How can any company apply quality assurance to something that is so ...
- It All Comes Down to ProcessEmail Marketing
We spend a lot of time discussing topics like deliverability and relevance, but rarely touch on another factor that plays a critical role in successful email marketing campaigns. "Process is ...
- Limit Your Negative ExposureMarketing Analytics
In a post at the MineThatData blog, Kevin Hillstrom poses a scenario in which 100 of your online customers abandon their shopping carts on a Monday. The following day, after ...
- Now That's a Good Release!Small Business
"As many of you know," begins an article in a recent edition of the Editorial Emergency newsletter, "[cofounder Julia Rubiner has] been cranking out publicity communications—bios, press releases, one-sheets, corporate ...
- Take a Deep Breath. Do a Brief Test.Search Engine Marketing
"Do you know what attracts your readers? What headlines they respond to most? Do they respond to pictures? Do they know what your offer is?" asks Peter Da Vanzo in a recent SEObook.com ...
- Two Xs Mark the SpotMarketing Inspiration
The current ad campaign from brewer Dos Equis features a fictional spokesperson it calls The Most Interesting Man in the World—a dashing chap engaged in a series of action-oriented vignettes ...
- Mom Probably Knows BestEmail Marketing
In a post at the Deliverability.com blog, Dennis Dayman presents a short series of off-the-cuff emails that his wife wrote in response to his question about video in email marketing ...
- Tips for That Pivotal Sales PresentationHigh-Tech Mktg & Sales
Closing an IT sale is a complex process. But in most cases there is usually one pivotal sales presentation that can firmly seal the deal. Darrin Mourer, in a post ...
- When in Doubt, Double DownMarketing Inspiration
In a piece at The New Yorker, James Surowiecki recounts how two companies—Post and Kellogg—reacted to the Depression. "Post did the predictable thing: it reined in expenses and cut back ...
- Getting Testy Again and AgainEmail Marketing
"Testing can be a powerful tool to move your email marketing program forward," says Kelly Lorenz in a post at the Bronto blog. "Testing can also help you move from ...
- Seed That Video and Reap Its HarvestSocial Media
Good news for all you budding Spielbergs out there: YouTube this month made it possible to automatically seed freshly uploaded videos across popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and even ...
- Stay Away from Plug-and-PlayB2B Marketing
Diana Huff offers an interesting warning to small businesses in a recent post at her B2B Marcom Writer blog: When creating a website, keep away from companies that offer "plug-and-play" ...
- Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a MatchSmall Business
Anyone can claim to design websites. So before you hire a designer, it's important to ask a few key questions. Oliver Feakins of WebTalent recommends starting with a request to ...
- When Problems Arise, Go to the SpotMarketing in a Downturn
In an article at the New York Times website, Michelle Maynard tells the story of Akio Toyoda's secret visit to an Ann Arbor, Michigan, car dealership. The grandson of Toyota's ...
- Hey! Over Here! We're Buying!Customer Insight
Good news for retailers! There is one consumer segment that apparently remains ready and willing to buy: Hispanic shoppers. "According to a new study conducted by Experian Simmons for Univision ...
- Nobody Likes a Wild-Goose ChaseEmail Marketing
Chad White of the Retail Email blog was impressed when he recently received an email from Lands' End with this subject line: Free Shipping + 20-50% off summer! Swim, shorts, ...
- Analyze ThisMarketing Analytics
When analyzing the success of your email campaigns, you might be staring right at useful data that goes unused. Take, for instance, the amount of newsletter copy used to tease ...
- Try not Pitching at AllSmall Business
Valeria Maltoni receives four or five press releases on a typical day—and most leave her singularly unimpressed. "'I think you're fabulous' may seem like a good idea for a subject ...
- Serving Up a Perfect SEO SandwichSearch Engine Marketing
To make an in-house SEO effort successful, you must first gain buy-in from the three main "layers" in most large organizations: executives, management, and everyone else. So says Duane Forrester ...
- You Want Me to Shave Where?!Marketing Inspiration
If you're a man, your father probably taught you how to shave your face. It's highly improbable, though, that he included a lesson on shaving the rest of your body. ...
- Mixology 101Email Marketing
In a post at the Daily Fix blog, Stephanie Miller says you don't have to choose between the social and email channels. "No need to take sides, my friends," she ...
- Yes You Can: Bridge That Sales & Marketing DivideHigh-Tech Mktg & Sales
Squabbling or lack of coordination between sales and marketing teams can lead to longer sales cycles and increased costs—or it can scuttle deals. With so much at risk, why can't ...
- We Suck!Marketing Inspiration
When you think of ways you want customers to describe your product or service, you'd probably want them to avoid that most dubious of superlatives: The Worst. But in a ...