If you worry that an email with a horizontal (left-to-right) scroll will confuse your subscribers, Dylan Boyd is prepared to disagree. Unless it tests well, he doesn't suggest using this type of scroll as a regular feature, but he does think it can serve as a useful interrupter that spurs engagement. ... more

Recently, TubeMogul reported that Twitter refers some of the least-fickle viewers to video sites, with tweeties watching videos 36.91 percent longer than those referred by Facebook, and 49.98 percent longer than those referred by Digg. Got dreams of broadcasting live to this eager bunch? Now you can! Ride the statistical wave ... more

In a post at Copyblogger, Sonia Simone reports on a recent study from Return Path that found 23 percent of permission-based email never reaches the inbox of Gmail users. "No, I'm not saying it goes to a junk box," she says. "Most of it doesn't get delivered at all. No ... more

In a recent post on the SEO.com blog, Dustin Williams notes that every successful search campaign starts with finding the right keywords. It's important to not rush that precious keyword research, he says, because, "the goal is not only to rank well for many search terms but to also rank well ... more

One year ago, Lynda Partner wrote—but did not publish—a blog post that eviscerated a software company for taking liberties with her email address, and then treating her complaint with stunning indifference. "Why publish it now, you ask? This week I got more spam from this same company," she says. "It ... more

As an email marketer, you'll be, well, interested in a new development at Gmail. "Some of you already use the 'Report Spam' button on all kinds of unwanted email," Brad Taylor tells users in a post at the Gmail blog, "and for that we're very thankful: The more spam you ... more

Television—Network, Cable, and Local—accounts for the vast majority of ad spending according to the latest adspend-share data from Nielsen. more

Last week, we showed you some cool makeup vids as an example of how viral videos can rack in the mega-bucks. This time, we offer a sample of how a consistent, useful and compelling online video campaign can serve your brand amazingly well. Consider "Will it Blend," a fascinating online ... more

"The Hispanic market seems to be the only one still flourishing these days in the face of economic doom and gloom," says Blaire Borthayre in an article at MarketingProfs. And there are, she argues, a number of reasons why the buying power of these savvy consumers will likely grow to ... more

In an article at MarketingProfs, Louis Chatoff argues that the success of any email campaign largely comes down to creating a good first impression. To gain approval, he says, an email marketer must—above all—focus on the quality and relevance of each message sent. "It simply doesn't work to quickly throw ... more

Demand for "pre-owned" automobiles has been hot during the recession, and the automotive search terms used most in June reflect consumers' interest in buying and selling cars online. more

Mick Jagger sang, "I can't get no satisfaction," and that's apparently how many SEM professionals feel about their efforts these days. A recent report from [x+1] found that even though organizations are still investing as much if not more in SEM during this down economy, they have been somewhat unhappy ... more

"Refer-A-Friend campaigns can be tricky territory," says Kristen Gregory in a post at the Bronto blog. "Let's be very clear: just because someone gives you the email address of their friend does not mean you have permission to email [that friend] whenever you want, as often as you like." For ... more

Mark Brownlow of Email Marketing Reports says he learned a thing or two while working in a cardboard-box factory as a teenager. "The first was the importance of proofreading," he says. "There are not a lot of alternative uses for 200,000 boxes advertising ‘Premium banannas.’ " Another lesson was the ... more

News flash: mascara is recession-proof! At present, the most popular and recession-resilient videos on YouTube come from the "makeup tutorial" subgenre. Now, don't let those $5 words fool you: this cottage industry is composed of girls barely out of their teens, producing tutorials on everything from applying mascara with a ... more

"How much do you know about your customers right now, at this moment?" asks John Kembel in an article at MarketingProfs. You can't depend solely on the static nature of composite profiles, he argues, when the current downturn has put needs and attitudes in a state of flux. "[Y]ou need ... more

Total communications spending will decline 1% in 2009, to $882.6 billion—its first spending decline since the 2001 recession—according to the latest Communications Industry Forecast (CIF) from private-equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS). more

In a post at the Emma blog, Edwin Acevedo tells the story of VideoLink, a video-production company that wanted to highlight its skills in an email campaign that showed off new features at a redesigned website. "They made a short video [hosted by CEO Gina Chudnow]," he says, "added a ... more

In this regular Daily Chirp feature, William Arruda shares some of his favorite television ads. And he offers up a lesson for how the ad relates to your personal brand. Today, he looks at M&M's "Blue" commercial. more

In an article at the MarketingProfs website,  Mike Volpe explains that SEO is one of the most effective ways to help your customers find you. He compares SEO to a gigantic onion, noting that "there is always another layer you can peel off." For your site to show up first ... more

"Television advertising is finally on the cusp of long-anticipated change," says Daniel Frankel in an article at The Wrap. "The popularity of digital video recorders is making that 60-year-old TV ad standard—the two-minute commercial break—obsolete." In its place, notes Frankel, expect shorter, more frequent ad breaks, sponsorship by single advertisers ... more

"Lately," says Ken Magill in a post at DIRECT, "I regularly get messages from frustrated email managers whose bosses are trying to prod them into doing something self-destructive." It seems they're dealing with upper management who believe that doubling frequency will double profits, and that anything is fine as long ... more

"I predicted back in January that 2009 would be the year of the email marketer," says Stephanie Miller in a post at the Daily Fix blog. "Times got rough mid-last year, and executives were scrambling to maintain revenue and keep customers happy." As a result, she thought, the low investment ... more

One reason social media sites have caught on like wildfire among users is that, by and large, they operate on basic principles of social decency. Now, be honest: Do your social-media skills match the subtle standards set at sites like Twitter and YouTube? Not sure? Well, here are a few site-inspired rules ... more

Avid users of mobile video constitute a unique audience that may not be reachable via other digital media, according to a study of mobile-phone users that measures consumers' reactions and feedback to mobile video advertising and their reliance on mobile for information. more