Web 2.0 is a phenomenon whose predominate features are composed of a high level of user or community participation combined with leading-edge technical features, such as AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML). Research indicates that more and more corporate sites are blindly rushing to jump on the bandwagon by implementing Web 2.0 technology, often leading to plummeting traffic … [Read more...]
The Future of SEO Is Now
Overview Since June 2005, when Google unveiled its plans to make personalization the default setting for Google Accounts, and continuing through April 2007, when Google integrated its vertical search properties (e.g., video, maps, image, news, blogs) into Universal Search, the search blogs have been abuzz with doomsday prophecies about the impending death of search engine … [Read more...]
Marketers Need a Seat At the Revenue Table
Who's in charge of revenue at your company? In most B-to-B companies, the sales department is the primary and exclusive owner of the revenue pipeline. Sales and revenue just seem to go together, so much that some people use the words synonymously - for example, "Last quarter's sales grew 10 percent." Marketing may play a supporting role by supplying leads (which all too often … [Read more...]
Q&A: Gayle Guzzardo
Gayle Guzzardo serves as chair of the lead generation committee of the Interactive Advertising Bureau. As senior vice president, product management, of Q Interactive, an online marketing services provider, she is responsible for the strategic vision and product development of the company's online lead generation, email network and analytics teams and its media division, which … [Read more...]
Rep Firm or Ad Network: Who’s King of the Digital Jungle?
Online spending from brand marketers has increased and will continue to do so. Intensified demand for premium inventory on the major portals and prime destination sites has caused cost per impression (CPM) to escalate. As a result, brand marketers are looking for additional outlets from which to buy media more cost-effectively. As they increasingly look across the long tail of … [Read more...]
Leader of the Brand
Effective branding creates and maintains relationships with customers; it's very much an ongoing, dynamic process. Email's place in that cycle must be one of regular and relevant communication in order to develop a connection with the consumer (frequency) and to ensure that messages don't languish in the recipient's in-box (relevance). In a 2006 marketing benchmark study, … [Read more...]
Q&A: Scott Berg
Scott Berg is responsible for working with HP's business units to establish a congruent global media strategy as it relates to traditional, emerging media and technology. He has been honored as the first U.S.-based client media judge at the Cannes International Advertising Festival in 2004, and was named one of Advertising Age's Media Mavens in 2005 and was on min Magazine's … [Read more...]
An Approach to Managing Viral Marketing
Most people in the marketing business will have heard of viral marketing, and some will have even attempted to create a "viral." Those who have tried to create their own viral marketing campaigns will probably have discovered that it is not as easy as it seems. Certainly, viral marketing is a tantalizing concept because the cost to distribute your message to millions of people … [Read more...]
The Marketing Times Are a-Changin’
Come gather 'round, marketers, wherever you roam. And admit that the waters around you have grown. And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone. If your job to you is worth savin'. Then you better start swimmin', or you'll sink like a stone. For the marketing times they are a-changin'. (My most sincere apologies to Mr. Zimmerman). So how does it feel? To be on your … [Read more...]
Q&A: Mike Jacobs
Mike Jacobs is chief services officer for iMarketing, an online marketing agency serving clients like Yahoo, Dow Jones, eMusic and AA RP. He is a consultant to several hedge funds and was previously co-founder and marketing director for Expression Engines/Bigfoot Interactive (sold to Epsilon in 2005). More information about iMarketing is available at www.imarketingltd.com. … [Read more...]