2015 is almost gone. It has been a wonderful year for many marketers, and for that we can thank God. There have been challenges, to be sure, but on the whole, it has been a good year. Today, especially, and now through the New Year, we can enjoy the warmth and comfort of family and friends. We can think back, and we can look forward. Celebrate our... [Read more]

Deborah Shane says, “The ever-changing and evolving self-marketing best practices arena continues to change at the speed of light. New platforms, media, apps, sites, and ideas emerge daily and are coming and going at a rapid pace. Being and staying informed but not getting sidetracked or distracted from your plan can be challenging. There should... [Read more]

Sandra Guy says, “Consumers will make $600 million in online purchases on Christmas Day, Adobe predicts, an 11% increase over last year. Through Dec. 22, online holiday sales have increased 10.47% year over year to $73 billion, according to the Adobe Digital Index. Online sales have hit the $74 billion mark during the 2015 holiday shopping season,... [Read more]

Annie Pilon says, “The top 10 Pinterest searches in the U.S. include an interesting assortment of different topics. While there’s not one specific category that really stands out, some of the top searches might be helpful to your marketing efforts. Below are the top 10 Pinterest searches in the U.S. this year, along with some ways they might... [Read more]

Cate Lawrence says, “There are dozens if not hundreds of companies that promise to help you manage social media. One of those companies, Buffer, has managed to stand out from the pack for an unusual reason: its work practices and culture. When I mentioned to a few people that I’d be interviewing Joel Gascoigne, Buffer’s founder and CEO,... [Read more]

Zak Stambor says, “41% of marketers say they are either unaware or lack understanding of programmatic ad buying, which automates the ad-buying process. Marketers don’t totally understand a form of ad buying that will account for more than half of the digital display ad spend in the U.S. this year. That’s according to a new report from Forrester... [Read more]

AM Mimaroglu says, “This year has been saturated in outlandish political statement, heated sports controversies and some of the most innovative marketing campaigns to date. Mixing next-gen technology with tried-and-true marketing methodologies, 2015 ads covered new ground in the advertising realm. Although there were many eligible contenders,... [Read more]

Small Business editor says, “As the year comes to a close, it’s natural for business owners to look back at some of the biggest moments and most helpful resources. This year, live streaming app Periscope was bestowed the honor of being named the Apple App of the Year. There are a few more social platforms important to small businesses that... [Read more]

Allison Enright says, “The largest e-retailer in the United States will account for 24% of total U.S. retail sales growth this year, and more than half of e-commerce growth, a report says. Amazon.com Inc. is the retailer behind the curtain driving U.S. retail growth. Need proof? Amazon is taking 24 cents of every $1 of retail sales growth in... [Read more]

Tommy Wyher says, “Content can do a large variety of things—it can drive sales and it can also be negative when the appropriate strategies aren’t used. Interactive content is the same as it can drive Interactive content is the same as it can drive sales, but the same generic interactive content can leave a website or company looking repetitive... [Read more]

Ritu Marya says, “A few years down the line, when we would look at 2015, it will be with mixed emotions. Depending on your perspective, it was a year replete with innovation, creativity and opportunity, but also, it was a year of turbulence, low confidence and a pavement for tighter capital regime to follow in 2016. As per a wise old saying,... [Read more]

John Duke says, “Content marketing is so much more than a business blog, but many forget that little fact when trying to boost their business. When the holidays roll around, there are only so many blogs you can write, right? This is when you really need the reminder that content actually means anything your customers will consume, including social... [Read more]

Philip Rooke says, “Like most ecommerce businesses, the run-up to Christmas is a busy time for Spreadshirt. Last year our busiest day was in December with 19,200 orders in one day, and we’re expecting something similar this year. That said, it’s always important to have a moment to reflect on the hot topics of the past year and think about... [Read more]

Barry Levine says, “Marketing technology these days is increasingly focused on the future, as marketing moves away from its traditional role of generating demand and more toward a new role of anticipating demand. Instead of a focus on the “mechanization” of common processes like email management, marketing tech is becoming infused with a... [Read more]

Alan Coleman says, “By now, we’re all pretty used to Knowledge Graph results in the SERPs. But what could it mean when Google offers the ability to make a purchase, a call, book an appointment, or otherwise convert customers within those results? In this video blog, Alan Coleman speculates about a potential 100% conversion rate in the SERPs... [Read more]

Demian Farnworth says, “Picture the set of a late-night talk show, circa 1983. Allen Ginsberg is fat, bearded, and sitting in the interview chair. Long hair grows in unruly patches from the side of his otherwise bald head. His eyebrows sprout from his forehead like wild hawthorn in bloom. He’s wearing a tie-dye t-shirt with a hole in it. His... [Read more]

Andy Beohar says, “Every year more and more features are added to digital advertising platforms, and to stay in the game, you need to stay up to date on each. The trick is weeding through the noise and finding the advertising features that can actually benefit your business. Below, we’ve listed three of the latest paid ad features released in... [Read more]

Hardik Kapoor says, “New Brands are being launched every day and they are trying to keep pace with the dynamic consumer behavior. The competition, thus, is not just with each other, but also with the millions of marketing campaigns that consumers are inundated with every day. The emphasis is hence on marketing operations involving skilled people,... [Read more]

Desiree Everts DeNunzio says, “Despite some concerns earlier this year that content marketing may have reached a plateau, there was still no stopping the forward march of content in 2015. The Content Marketing Institute’s most recent B2B Content Marketing Report found that the majority of B2B marketers — 88 percent — used content marketing... [Read more]

Arie Shpanya says, “Imagine for a minute that the year is 1849. A new resource has been discovered in the rolling hills of California, and some say it can make you rich. Do you pack your bags and head west? Or do you pass on the opportunity and focus on your livelihood at home? An entire industry was built around California’s gold rush. Devices... [Read more]