Kristen Dunleavy says, “Devoting more time to family while doing what you love: isn’t that the American dream? It was for Courtney Slazinik, the entrepreneur behind Click It Up a Notch. It all started when Courtney bought her first DSLR (aka a very fancy camera) in 2010. But something was… off. “My pictures didn’t look like my friend’s... [Read more]

Kylie Davidson says, “Have you ever been at a social event and a person, unknown to you, eagerly greets you by name? Recall the creepy feeling you got in that situation. It leaves you thinking — who is this person and how do they know this personal information? Thanks to the Internet, marketers have the ability to collect and use an absurd... [Read more]

Josh Constine says, “Facebook plans to open up its Periscope livestreaming competitor to more than just celebrities. In replies to requests from Verified Pages about when they’d get access to the VIP-only Facebook app Mentions that houses Facebook Live, the company wrote “In the future, Mentions will be available to verified Profiles”. When... [Read more]

Local businesses need help with electronic marketing. They don’t have the time or skills to do what is needed online. But their growth and long-term survival depend on it. Take email as an example. Most don’t collect the email addresses of their clients. Even the most savvy probably don’t know how to maximize email effectiveness.... [Read more]

Rainmaker team says, “Most professional marketers don’t understand the FTC rules that apply to online marketing. So as a busy freelancer or small business owner, it’s certainly understandable if this isn’t on your radar. But this is a critically important thing, as new guidelines are being released that you need to understand. The FTC is... [Read more]

Kevan Lee says, “When I went rock climbing for the first time, I had no idea what I was doing. My friends and I were complete newbies about ropes and rappelling and every other bit of jargon and technique that goes with climbing. We saw others doing it spectacularly well. We were thrilled at the thought of reaching the top of the climbing... [Read more]

Tony Uphoff says, “Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard by now that Google announced a sweeping reorganization of the company this week. Alphabet is the new parent company, with each of the individual businesses now operating as a series of subsidiaries, individually reporting to Alphabet CEO Larry Page. Eighty-nine percent... [Read more]

Many people are not maximizing their return on their investment in ads on Facebook. Facebook will do about 95% of the work for you (if you handle it right), and they don't charge you for it. There's a new advertising platform that takes advantage of this Facebook facility to  place ads on your fan page, in a (Faceebook-approved) way that avoids the Facebook fees.... [Read more]

Gilad Bechar says, “Seventy percent of companies say it’s cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one, according to a report. And they are right: acquiring a new customer can be five times more expensive, which is hopefully enough to convince you that customer retention should be on your radar at all times. So how do... [Read more]

Matt Asay says, “It’s possible that you have never written a bad line of code. Possible, but unlikely in the extreme. The reality is that you, like every other developer on this planet, creates security flaws, misaligns UI elements, and more. It’s not that you’re a bad developer. You just happen to be human. It’s this “all... [Read more]

JP Mangalindan says, “Twitter users can officially send one another direct messages topping 140 characters starting Wednesday. Twitter is phasing in the change across Android, iOS and web-based platforms on Wednesday, lasting over the next few weeks. Instead of 140 characters, the social network previously said in June the new character maximum... [Read more]

98% of your visitors leave your web site without taking any action. According to Kevin Fayhe, if you engage these visitors properly, you can make an extra $200 - $250 per day. He shows how in Retargeter Profit Maximiser.... [Read more]

Meaghan Moraes says, “There are currently 80 million Millennials in the U.S. – nearly one-fourth of the total population. And, with an annual buying power of $200 billion, they are the most lucrative market. Plain and simple: Nearly every marketer today is making Generation Y a priority – or at least working to understand what drives and delights... [Read more]

Drew Olanoff says, “Have you heard about the Tinder Meltdown (TM)? Some even called it a “stunt.” In case you haven’t, here’s the quick and dirty: a piece appeared on Vanity Fair that Tinder didn’t like. And it reacted. On Twitter. A lot. I asked a few communications industry professionals how they thought Tinder was going to back... [Read more]

Matt McGee says, “Advertisers that use Amazon Product Ads will soon have to find other ways to get their items in front of Amazon shoppers. The company has started notifying advertisers that Product Ads will be shut down as of October 31st. Amazon is simultaneously introducing a new ad option called Amazon Text Ads, and the email sent to advertisers... [Read more]

IM NewsWatch is always on the look-out for products that offer marketers a chance to be distinctive. Artisanal products, crafted by hand, with the skill of an expert, can benefit marketers who know that the look of a product, advertisement or website affects its success.... [Read more]

Ariel Bogle says, “In a move that could make eBay and Craigslist management lose sleep, Facebook is testing a new regional online marketplace feature in Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. A new “Buy & Sell” button is currently being rolled out in the platform’s lefthand navigation panel, which will take users to... [Read more]

Tyler Rhodes says, “When it comes to sponsored content, no single format or medium is the perfect fit for every advertiser or every campaign. However, many times publishers settle into a routine of creating text-based offers—eBooks, whitepapers, and guides—as they’re both easy to create and easy to consume. And most of the time, these... [Read more]

Anna Francis says, “Yesterday Google announced that it was going to be completely restructured and sit as a subsidiary of its new parent company, Alphabet. Many of Google’s side businesses will now be housed under Alphabet, and as part of the shuffle Sundar Pichai has now been named as CEO of Google, and Larry Page and Sergey Brin will now serve... [Read more]

Stephen Gilbert, Greg Kononenko and Steven Meiracker are online marketers of long-standing. They both create products of their own and market as affiliates for other people's products.... [Read more]

Rainmaker team says, “This week on Hit Publish, we’re looking at the words and phrases you can use to make your content stand out with confidence. You’ll learn some techniques for turning timid writing into copy written by a trusted expert. If you have a great business, you have to sound confident whether you’re writing a sales page, blog... [Read more]

Greg Wise says, “Remember that old game show, Let’s Make a Deal? Contestants were given the choice between a prize they could see—such as $1,000 right here, right now—and a prize they couldn’t. Let’s see what’s behind door number two! While we watched at home, yelling at the contestant for being so stupid as to give up the certain... [Read more]

Jack Simpson says, “I always think one of the best ways to learn about something marketing-related is to look at brands that are already doing it well and try to work out what makes their efforts successful. Previously I’ve covered the content strategies for Kraft and IBM, and this time I’m going to be focusing on iconic American SUV manufacturers... [Read more]

Joshua Conran says, “Blasting out client surveys might seem like a cost-effective approach to discovering what makes your audience tick and whether your company is a good fit for that audience. But relying on surveys alone to piece together the ideal client can distract you from the bigger picture. You need to constantly reexamine your clients... [Read more]

Martin Beck says, “Last fall, Twitter unleashed the full history of tweets, giving users the ability to search for everything from @Jack’s first message on the network in 2006 to conversations about the 2014 World Cup to… literally anything that is shared on Twitter. Today, Twitter announced that it’s making the full stream available through... [Read more]

Scott Gerber says, “Social media trends change constantly. Consumers are tired of blatant self-promotion, so put those tactics to rest. What’s a brand to do to hold an audience? From holding contests to promoting gated content, these entrepreneurs from YEChave found success with these creative methods for collecting social media leads. 1.... [Read more]

Josh Constine says, “Google just announced a big restructuring of the company, sending shares up about 6 percent in extended trading. After the announcement, shares of Google rose 5 percent, but have since risen even further. As part of the restructuring, Larry page is now the new CEO of a parent company called Alphabet, while Sundar Pichai will... [Read more]

Ray Hennessey says, “Say goodbye to Google. Say hello to Alphabet. Google Inc. says it is creating a new operating structure under a newly formed umbrella company it is calling Alphabet Inc. Co-founder and current CEO Larry Page will lead the new company, while Sergey Brin, the other co-founder, will serve as president. Google itself will be... [Read more]