Visual content is crazy-hot these days, and the hottest place for sharing it is Pinterest. Traffic to the virtual pinboard site has shot up exponentially in the past year. But how effectively are businesses sharing their visual content on Pinterest? Unfortunately, not very. Most companies grab images from wherever they ... more

Marketers' use of social media and mobile marketing has steadied over the past year, whereas the use of viral online video (e.g., use of YouTube) has continued to grow, according to the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) 2012 Digital and Social Media Survey. more

As Google continues to personalize search results, the data you see in ranking reports might not mean what you think. Why? They only tell you what rankings would look like in a non-personalized search. Most of your customers, meanwhile, see rankings driven by their behavior—so your Web page might rank ... more

Though professional news organizations contributed more than one-half (51.2%) of the most popular news footage posted on YouTube during the 15 months ended March 2012, over one-third (39.2%) of such content was uploaded by private citizens, according to a report by Pew. more

If you're still wondering about the value of segmentation, consider these numbers from eMarketer, as reported by HubSpot: "39% of email marketers that practice list segmentation see better open rates; 28% see lower opt-out and unsubscribe rates; and 24% see better email deliverability, increased sales leads, and greater revenue." HubSpot's Corey ... more

As paid video content becomes more available via different channels, tablet and wireless phone viewing of paid video has increased from 2011 levels, while viewing via PC/Mac has decreased, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 US Residential Pay-to-View Study. more

It's easy to send "just one email with the same content to everyone in your database," writes Matthew Johnson at the Vision6 blog. "But how do you send that same email and make it relevant to everyone in your database?" The short answer is: You can't. And that's why you need conditional ... more

Are your blog analytics looking a little anemic? To put some zing in your listless blog and boost readership, consider these five ideas, inspired by Joe Chernov's Eloqua blog post, "Six Sure-fire, Can't Miss Ways to Increase Blog Views." Publish original content only. Doing so helps establish your blog—and your business—as ... more

We have short attention spans, and we don't have a ton of time to learn. Plus, the success models of companies like Kickstarter make it clear that the case-study video plays a pivotal role in today's business success stories. So how do you make a crowd-pleaser video that gets real results? ... more

If SEO had one rule, it would be that the rules can change at any moment. And Google's newest algorithm changes—Panda and Penguin—have sunk many an SEO program. So how can you survive Google's algorithm riptide? more

Only one in five B2B marketing and sales professionals (20%) say their demand generation campaigns are fully effective, whereas 80% say they are ineffective to semi-ineffective, according to a survey from Corporate Visions. more

Simple truth: You might create the best marketing videos around, but if you can't convince users to stop and click, your work is all for naught. And although Web videos have become extremely popular, there are still countless potential viewers who choose not to watch them. (Just think: Someone could be ... more

Despite the widespread use of social networks among US companies, only 11% have fully integrated social media into existing business programs, according to a study by InSites Consulting. Moreover, only 38% of companies say they share the outcomes of social interactions with the entire organization. more

Whether you are selling complex technical systems or burgers with fried pickles on them—like my guests in this week's Marketing Smarts—you need to understand your customers and interact with them face-to-face. more

A fact wrapped in a story is 22 times more memorable than the mere pronouncement of that fact, according to cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner, as cited in an Insight Demand presentation. To help your content linger in the minds of readers—who are your potential prospects, after all—remember the following six ... more

ExploreB2B (with the help of CMI and MarketingProfs) has put together an Infographic that answers the "Why, What, How, and Where" of B2B content marketing. more

What does it mean to have a holistic approach to content marketing and SEO? Since that's precisely what Lee Odden calls for in his new book, that's exactly what I asked him in this episode of Marketing Smarts. more

How do you read a casual email from a friend? In all likelihood, you scan it to get the general idea, write a quick reply and click back to your inbox. But what if—below her sign-off—she adds a P.S.? "Suddenly, she's got your attention," writes Sid Smith in an article at ... more

In this week's episode of Marketing Smarts, author and social media strategist Jay Baer explains why the easiest way to be successful in social is to "be social about content instead of being social about your company." more

The growing popularity of visual content platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram shows that people crave eye candy. But do companies need to hire expensive graphic designers or buy expensive software to create visual content? Not at all. Businesses of all sizes can craft inexpensive visual content that engages current ... more

If your email marketing campaign doesn't generate the kind of ROI you expect, take a look at your typical call to action (CTA). Does it tell a customer how to take the next step? Does it create a sense of urgency? "When your audience is left with no direction and no ... more

Long-form content—defined as videos lasting longer than 10 minutes—accounted for more than one-half of the total time people spent watching online video across all connected devices in the first quarter of 2012, up from 25% six months earlier, according to Ooyala's Global Video Index Report. more

In this week's Marketing Smarts podcast, Summer Joy Boone, director of assimilation and social media at a Florida church, and Janet K. Altman, principal and marketing director at the second largest accounting firm in Florida, offer unique perspectives on a host of marketing topics. more

Just as education has its three R's (reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic), content marketing has its three E's: engage, educate, and earn. Or so writes Zach Michonski in his Brafton blog article, "The Three E's of Successful Content Marketing." Those E's make it easy for businesses to remember the most important ... more

To attract customers, you spend hours creating content, blogging, tweeting, and replying to comments. But a few unprofessional missteps could damage your online reputation—and send customers straight to your competitors. more