What makes Foursquare so addictive? Game mechanics—those charming sets of rules built into games to make them fun to play. Implemented strategically at a website, game mechanics can help you engage both passive visitors and enthusiastic users. How might you add game mechanics to your marketing site? Craig Ferrara, Gigya's gaming/UI expert, offers ... more

MarketingProfs blogger Paul Barsch discusses the importance of algorithms but warns about the dangers of too much personalization when presenting information to users. more

MarketingProfs blogger Shelley Ryan shares a fantastic experience at Chico's & how the video she used to express her gratitude created more buzz. If only Chico had participated in the online conversation, too! more

MarketingProfs blogger Mark Ivey talks about the importance of engaging with Google + & gives 7 easy, vital tips for making the most of the new social platform. more

There's the legal definition of spam—as outlined in CAN-SPAM—and then there's the real-world definition used by many of your subscribers: any piece of email I'd rather not receive. Even recipients who went to your website, signed up for your newsletter and confirmed their subscription might hit the spam button over ... more

MarketingProfs guest blogger Paul Prisco discusses how to best reach the baby boomers by offering senior-friendly packaging, type sizes, and icons. more

In April, Altimeter released its latest maturity road map for companies seeking to integrate more social media into their websites. In short, being new-media-savvy these days isn't just about having a Facebook and a Twitter page; it's about understanding how people are expecting to interact with you—and treating them well wherever they engage ... more

MrketingProfs blogger and email expert Stephanie Miller offers ideas adn suggestions for harnessing the power of social sharing to boost your email list. more

MarketingProfs blogger Steve Olenski rants about how businesses are now offering the most basic services while making them seem like extraordinary customer service. more

This article and video are the first in a series that lays out some best-practices not only for radio in a digital age but also for marketing and advertising generally. Many of the principles that the author discusses can just as appropriately be applied to email or social media marketing—or, ... more

MarketingProfs guest blogger Brandy Olson shares some marketing lessons taken from the storage-facility world. more

MarketingProfs chief content officer and blogger Ann Handley highlights the reasons why Google Plus matters and shares an insightful video about the new platform. more

"It's easy to bore your customers to death with email," writes Karen Talavera in an article at MarketingProfs. "Just send them the same type of message repeatedly, and you'll succeed." Many companies, for instance, fall into the easy rhythm of sending e-newsletter after e-newsletter, never adding anything else to the mix. ... more

MarketingProfs guest blogger Andrew Reid discusses the importance of getting direct, honest information from customers and clients face to face. more

Fully two-thirds (67%) of North American information technology (IT) professionals say they find vendor-produced content such as whitepapers "extremely useful" or "useful," according a new study from IDG Connect. IT professionals say thought-leadership content is the most useful, followed by analysis and survey statistics. more

"How can SEO hurt your business?" asks Olga Taylor in an article at MarketingProfs. "Consider a site that is not user-friendly, is repulsive to visitors (or attractive to the wrong kind), isn't competitive, or is lacking a clear value proposition and the support required to respond to inquiries or follow ... more

If you create or manage direct mail programs, the current economy probably has you pulling your hair out. Now is the perfect time to get back to basics and remind yourself of the following seven core principles of direct marketing. more

A staggering amount of horrible stock photography is available online. We've all seen the pics. Heck, most of us have been guilty of using them at one point or another. Here are 12 of the top offenders. more

MarketingProfs guest blogger Sujata Ramnarayan discusses the various social media tools then explains how websites fit among them all ... and why it's important. more

Humans or machines—which are superior these days? Both human and machine translation can be used when taking marketing content global. Learn three translation techniques—and when to use them. more

MarketingProfs guest blogger Gary Gebenlian shares the three most important levers of growth for business: grow the market, grow volume for existing customers & steal share. more

MarketingProfs blogger Paul Barsch discusses a Financial Times article in which he claims that there will never be another Leonardo da Vinci due to data overload. more

"Why does content matter?" writes Erika Potter at the OrangeSoda blog. "It's simple: credibility. Without credibility, your chance of converting viewers into customers goes downhill fast. It's vital that visitors to your site see your online business as a trusted resource."  To help you ensure that your online content is credible, Potter ... more

MarketingProfs guest blogger Nehemiah "Nemo" Chu shares incredible fan-reaching tips from famed bands that can work for businesses. more

You've heard of website community managers, but what about content officers? Those are the folks responsible for your site's content—what it looks like, what it reads or sounds like, where it goes in terms of subject matter or throughout the social universe. MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer Ann Handley has written a ... more