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We've talked up a storm about "gamification," and here's why: As ShuffleBrain CEO Amy Kim says, "gamers are everywhere; everyone's a gamer." And the best way to engage these fun types in a marketing effort is with smart game thinking—a balance of playfulness and strategic design. Kim has produced a detailed ... more
Professional services companies that generate a large proportion of business leads via online sources grow faster and more profitably than firms without such lead capabilities, according to a new study by Hinge Marketing, which also found that SEO, blogging, and Web analytics are among the most effective online marketing tools ... more
Any SEO strategy hinges on offering relevant, valuable information. But that might not mean what you think it does. According to the Todaymade blog, we content marketers gravitate toward discussions of our core businesses. "But the challenge that we all have in marketing is moving past those spheres of immediate influence ... more
In 2008, Lifehacker published a list of 10 ways to get blogging done without it becoming a chore. "Writing your blog should be a fun way to stretch your mind and stay connected to trends, friends, and the greater world," they note, "not another computer task." Best practices for blogging haven't ... more
The flash sale is one of the hottest tools being used today to capture customers' attention, and email is a key driver of such campaigns, generating on average 18% of referral traffic to websites advertising flash sales, higher than social media (13%) and search (11%), according to a report by ... more
Should you change the from line you use in email campaigns? According to Mark Brownlow, most people would advise against it—strenuously—on the grounds that messages might be ignored or marked as spam. "This argument is perfectly logical," he writes at Email Marketing Reports. "However, the problem is not changing your ... more
Engaging local target audiences is a strategic focus for many brands: 49% of national marketers surveyed say localized marketing is essential to business growth and profitability, particularly as it relates to demand generation and sell-through of products and services, according to a study by the CMO Council. Moreover, 86% of ... more
Conversations taking place on blogs, forums, and major news platforms have grown more positive in sentiment over the past two years, and the rise in social media adoption worldwide has slightly diminished North America's position as the center of the social media universe, according to a report by Sysomos. more
"Search engines rank individual pages, not your site as a whole," writes Nick Stamoulis at the Search Engine Optimization Journal. "This means that each page needs to be optimized for itself by choosing the keywords that most accurately reflect the content." As a result, many companies build Web pages around ... more
We've emphasised multiple times the importance of sharing content and of being a good curator of the latest and greatest info out there. You've no doubt developed a list of sites you read regularly, and you try to tweet or share nearly everything noteworthy that is posted at them. But now ... more
Have your email campaigns gotten into a rut? When you bombard subscribers with the same basic message over and over again, your offers start to lose their power—even when they herald the tantalizing discounts and free shipping that customers typically crave. Consider the case of one hapless retailer, which sent ... more
![Think Landing Page, Not Phone Number [Video]](https://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/articles/lg/111025_think_landing_page_video_lg.jpg)
You're seeing tablets more and more: on subways, in planes and in waiting rooms. To ensure you don't miss out during this cultural switch in reading habits, a number of publications have covered ways to ensure your site is tablet-friendly. We've decided to highlight the tips provided by CIK Marketing, as ... more
The growth of a substantial email list doesn't just happen; it takes time, energy and money. But all that effort goes to waste if your campaigns don't continually engage hard-won subscribers. A focus on creating engaging copy not only helps subscribers stay interested in what you have to say, "it ... more
![Dialogue Writing, Part 2: Where to Start [Video]](https://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/articles/lg/111018_dialogue_lg.jpg)
"You know content marketing can do big things for your brand," writes Corey O'Loughlin at MarketingProfs' Daily Fix blog. "The only problem is: The powers that be may not know enough about content." How do you persuade the C-suite about content marketing's value to your SEO efforts? You'll need a solid ... more
Marketing professionals have mixed opinions on the state of branding today: 58% of those surveyed say "we're in a time of revolutionary change when it comes to how powerful brands are created," whereas 42% express the opposite viewpoint, saying "the fundamentals haven't changed at all," according to a report by ... more
There's a good chance you've gotten email with the phrase "bad news" in the subject line. "It has been used by a number of Internet marketers to increase response rates, notably during product launches, often achieving particularly high response rates," writes Danny Iny at the AWeber blog. Why does a "bad news" ... more![Dialogue Writing, Part 1: Chaos Is Good! [Video]](https://i.marketingprofs.com/assets/images/articles/lg/111011_video_lg.jpg)
If you don't optimize your blog—or other online content—there's a good chance you're missing out on higher search-engine rankings that could extend your reach well beyond your site's current readership. But take heart: Sometimes all you need are a few tweaks here and there. "A little attention to this area ... more
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