Archive for ‘Marketing’

Even before you entered into the world of “business”, you were watching your competition. Whether it was in a classroom or on a sports team, you not only wanted to keep up, you wanted to know where the marker was set…

Our ability to complain is enhanced by technical advances in communication. Tools like 4G networks, Google Glass, and phones that double as cameras ensure we have a continuous stream of ever more effective ways to complain. But, even today, customer service still…

Today’s post is from Campaign Monitor. It’s based on data they’ve collected from over 2.2 million campaigns delivered by Campaign Monitor. From their data set they have come up with some noticeable rules of thumb that may help you increase the…

Many companies have social/content strategies that rely on fan-generated content to create a community and encourage engagement. This post will include examples of companies that use such content and how-to instructions for creative strategies (such as embedding Quora quotes in posts or…

You’ve finally written the last line of code and submitted your app to the app store. Countless hours of staring at a screen two feet in front of your face have left you temporarily nearsighted. As you look out the window, your…

Our friends at Qzzr created this quiz to test your knowledge of web marketing. Take a crack at it and see how you fair. You may find that you need to brush up on some of your skills :).

AppSumo is a free newsletter that promotes tools/knowledge to help startups become winners. We’ve promoted awesome products (such as Optimizely, LinkedIn, and MailChimp) at special prices. Our average selling price is around $49, which, for many small businesses and freelancers, is…

Growth hacking is the name of the game right now for startups, and why shouldn’t it be? It’s all about bringing in more traffic and putting more users at the top of the conversion funnel. Many consider these goals to be the…

The rise of social media has dramatically increased the circulation of information about products and services. But what drives people, who don’t stand to benefit monetarily, to promote products and services on social media? The psychology behind what motivates people to share…

On August 28th, 1963, hundreds of thousands of people marched on Washington. The march organizers struggled to put their common intent into words. In fact, there was no plan. There was no real concrete goal. And yet every one of those people…

Starting a new job as a marketer can be stressful. There is so much to learn. Moreover, nearly everything you do is seen by current and potential customers. I just started working at YesGraph, and I want to make meaningful contributions as…

According to ReturnPath’s 2013 email benchmark survey – 22% of opt-in emails aren’t reaching subscribers’ inboxes. And while that number is down from the 28% of the previous year – it still demonstrates that nearly a quarter of messages…

Would you like to know how to get more customers who can’t wait to buy your products and services? It’s a lot simpler than you might think. And the best part is that, as you strive to increase revenue, you actually will…

Typically, nonprofits are not known for having stellar marketing strategies, but there are a few that do stand out. They recognize the power of investing time and energy in marketing to broadcast their message, build a loyal fan base, and obtain…

Month after month there’s increasing data showing us that marketing people don’t plan or measure enough. Our own Smart Insights survey broadcast to 40,000 marketers saw 69% admitting that there is no digital marketing strategy in their current role. It’s…

You came up with a great idea, figured out your niche, hired developers and designers, and created your mobile app. However, the development and implementation are only half the battle. The next step is to market your mobile app correctly. Otherwise,…

According to a 2012 study by AOL and Nielsen, 27,000,000 pieces of content are shared every day. By now, the mantra of “content is king” has been relentlessly drilled into our collective heads – but more isn’t always…

When content marketing became the buzzword marketing strategy of 2013, the rush was on to create easy, consumable pieces that fit into the company’s overall promotional strategy. Now, as we turn the corner to a new year, we realize what a…

At many technology companies, traditional marketing roles are transforming into growth hacking roles. In fact, the work has become so popular now that some companies are hiring “growth hackers.” They are keeping their marketing departments and hiring growth hackers to…

For the founding team of a startup, launch day can feel like the end. However, in reality, it is the beginning. Launch is when the real work starts, and it’s when you need a sales strategy. Do you have one? The funny…

The University of Alberta has a daily news email it sends out every morning to recap the stories that were posted the previous day on news.ualberta.ca. The email was started in September 2011. Subscribers signed up through an integrated call to…

I’ve always liked the idea of being a spy, complete with gadgets, fast cars, and an attractive significant other. It would be a great way to get secret information. Well, it may be too late for me to join the Secret Service,…

Ask any technology investor what the hot area is today, and they’ll tell you “mobile”. Indeed, more people own a smartphone now than ever before, and that number is growing every day. Currently, the App Store has around 1 million apps, and…

“I can’t afford that.” Price is one of the most common objections your visitors will have. Few businesses want to compete on price. And no marketer wants their product to be thought of, first and foremost, as either “cheap” or “expensive.” Price shouldn’t…

You probably think of Disneyland as a tourist trap. Which it is. But unless you’re part of a rather…unique…subset of humanity, you likely have no idea that Disneyland’s main customer base is actually local — SoCal residents who hold Annual Passes…

Only one day remains to vote for the panels that make it into this year’s SXSW Interactive. I’ve been busy sifting through the hundreds of awesome panels looking for those that seem the most interesting, compelling, and relevant to online marketing…

In 1971, Dirty Harry held his empty Smith & Wesson Model 29 resolutely on a bank robber, and bluffed him down. I know what you’re thinkin’. Did he fire six shots, or only five? Well, to tell you the truth in all…

Have you heard of UpWorthy? It’s the new darling of the web, and the praise is well earned. In mere months, the site has managed to surpass the early record numbers of some of the web’s most trafficked online publications. Even more…

Do you ever wonder what it takes to create a viral video? Do you want your video content to spread to the masses? While creating a viral video is part science and part art, there are 5 key principles you must follow when…

My parents have two dogs—both very friendly Labrador/collie mongrels with nary a vicious bone in their sleek lil bodies. My daughter and trusty sidekick, who you may call Dingo, loves to play with them. And they love to play with her. They’ll…

Jay Harper of Red Apple Lipstick made $10,895.54 from a couple of emails he sent out to the people on his email list. Nathan Barry, a web designer, launched an eBook that made $12,000 in sales in 24hrs and went…

If you’re promoting a mobile app, you probably are taking the usual steps to publicize it. You’re telling friends and family about it and asking them to spread the word. You’re creating Facebook and Twitter pages and a simple website. And…

Marketers are busy people. They are constantly creating, measuring, and refining their campaigns. Anything that will help them stay organized, save time, be more efficient, or help them improve will be valued. So we’ve come up with our ten favorite iOS…

Back in 1925, when cameras used film and Route 66 had just connected Chicago to Los Angeles, a brushless shaving cream company called Burma-Shave was on the rocks. Alan Odell, the son of the founder, was sick of working as a traveling…

Companies are defined today by their unique story. Anyone can sell a product but why buy that product over another? Creating radio spots and billboard ads are not enough in today’s consumer centric marketplace to connect with customers, it’s content that…

With over 2 million mobile apps in the major app stores, getting your app discovered is one of the biggest issues facing mobile app publishers today. If you’re in the mobile app space, it’s important to understand the various methods for…

One of the biggest challenges facing marketers is achieving engagement with email marketing. Obtaining someone’s email address is an awesome privilege, but getting that person to open an email can be an impossible task. In this post, we’ll be discussing three steps…

Surf in any category on the Internet and you will find words, words, words, and more words. But our brains are hardwired to detect motion. So it’s easy to understand why YouTube is the #2 search engine and the #3 social media…

The release of Penguin 2.0 confirms what we’ve known for a few years now: Content marketing is the new SEO. Yes, we all claim to abide by it. But few of us internalize what it truly means. Sure, everyone wants to…

1964 might seem like ancient history by now, but The Beatles were bang on the money when they sang ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’. Okay, so it might be a bit of a tall order to make people actually fall in love…

How does a company that sells blenders attract over 220 million views on YouTube? How does Zappos drive over 250,000 visits a year to its website from YouTube? With over 72 hours of footage being uploaded to YouTube every minute, how do…

Authentic businesses inspire and prosper. A bold statement – but one that is very hard to argue with. You might think that by its very nature marketing isn’t authentic, but in the digital age where people are increasingly savvy that preconception is…

The internet is a great force for democracy, industry, the spread of information, and free speech. It’s also a breeding ground for plagiarism, copyright infringement, and libel. Add into the mix a very slow-moving government that not so long ago was calling…

Marketing is one of those things that is tough to define when it’s good. Some forms of marketing resonate with people, but others do not. In my opinion, the “Get a Mac” ads were some of the best advertisements I’ve…

Mobile has changed the landscape of consumerism in a few short years by becoming our favorite tool for reading the news, watching television, communicating, socializing, shopping, making decisions, navigating…for just about everything! As a marketer, mobile is a very powerful place for…

Email is a proven method for reaching prospects and cultivating long-term relationships with customers. You probably know it has one of the highest ROIs across online marketing channels, especially when used in tandem with social and search. Plus, email provides greater…

Steve Jobs steered Apple to success with his obsession with perfection, such as limiting how many screws should be in a laptop and taking six months to finally sign off on the scrollbars for Mac OS X. Yes, Apple certainly committed…

Pop quiz: Can you spot the native advertising on BuzzFeed’s homepage? Which piece of BuzzFeed’s homepage contains native advertising? If you answered “all of it,” you’d be exactly right. The entire front page, seemingly devoted to Instagrammers you should be following, actually…

Nurturing relationships with your customers is a crucial part of growing a successful business. In this age of automation and innovation, caring for your customers has never been more important. At any moment, an unhappy customer can share their opinion with…

We all need to acquire new customers to make our products and businesses work. Whether there are a few users paying big bucks or thousands visiting your platform for free, how you get and retain customers is what is important. But…