3 essential tips for QR code marketing

Whether you're running a program that features QR codes, or you just want to have a few guidelines for the future when mobile scanning really takes off, keep the following in mind.

By Ryan Willumson • May 22, 2012

5 ways you're recklessly abusing your metrics

"Torture numbers, and they'll confess to anything." -- writer Gregg Easterbrook As we all know, there is an abundance of data for the digital advertising world. However, availability does not equate to usefulness. In fact, there are plenty of times when data are used poorly,...

By Ryan Willumson • May 22, 2012

Explore the Trendline➔

AI and Marketing Data

Top stories that underscore the key role of artificial intelligence, generative and otherwise, for many CMOs looking to better manage troves of data. 

By Marketing Dive staff

Improve Your Productivity: 6 Ways to Use Evernote for Content Marketing

Use Evernote for content marketing and, with everything at your fingertips, you can greatly improve your productivity.

By Ryan Willumson • May 22, 2012

Google's Bogus URL Shortener Statistics

All was well with the world until Marketing Coordinator Kevin Gruber decided to dig into the Google URL shortener stats a bit more.

By Ryan Willumson • May 21, 2012

"Ads Related To…" Text Officially Rolls Out On AdWords' Top Ad Block

We’ve seen “Ads related to…” followed by the search query before, but now it’s at the top of the top ad block and it’s rolled out officially for most — if not all — search terms on Google AdWords. The new text appears at the top of the yellow Ad...

By Ryan Willumson • May 21, 2012

How to make the most of the new ad creative formats

The IAB has finally released new creative standards for the first time in a decade. So where do these new rising stars fit in the overall continuum of online display advertising? And how fast can we expect them to be adopted? 

By Ryan Willumson • May 20, 2012

Google+ a Ghost Town as Brands Decamp for Pinterest

While the broad consensus among digital marketers is that Google+ is an empty city where the masses go to set up a profile but then seldom return, Google is continuing to double down on the investment.

By Ryan Willumson • May 20, 2012

Are Consumers Ready for Mobile Grocery Shopping?

More mobile apps are popping up as tools for shoppers to find manufacturer deals and make lists as they trawl the supermarket aisles.

By Ryan Willumson • May 20, 2012

Peeking Into the World Of Google's Algorithm Changes With Google Search Quality Head Amit Singhal

Although Matt Cutts has always been the public face of all parts of Google’s unpaid search, his realm is primarily web spam. Singhal has been speaking publicly more often (notably when Panda launched) and oversees search quality. 

By Ryan Willumson • May 17, 2012

Google Launches Knowledge Graph To Provide Answers, Not Just Links

The new technology is being used to provide popular facts about people, places and things alongside Google’s traditional results.

By Ryan Willumson • May 16, 2012

How Marketers are Shifting to Owned Media to Drive Impact

Dramatic changes have given brand marketers new opportunities to earn the consumer’s attention without paid media. Social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest empower brands to communicate directly with an audience. Here are some tips for making the shift.

By Ryan Willumson • May 15, 2012

4 Alternatives You Need To Consider Beyond AdWords

While there’s no arguing with the fact that Google’s Adwords program is the dominant player in the PPC industry, it’s by no means the only option when it comes to paying for website traffic.

By Ryan Willumson • May 14, 2012

3 Lessons Content Marketers Can Learn from Product Marketing

Content that sells gets more funding. Content that doesn't is retired. These are the basics of product marketing. And here are three essential lessons content marketers can learn from their counterparts on the product side of the house.

By Ryan Willumson • May 14, 2012

Google Expands AdWords Bid Simulator To The Campaign Level

Advertisers have long been able to simulate the results of bid changes at the keyword and ad group level, and, now, they can do so at the campaign level, as well, Google has announced.

By Ryan Willumson • May 11, 2012

10 Great Adwords Options For Boosting Conversions

We all know that Adwords is the most used system in the world to drive paid traffic to websites. The Adwords system is an extensive system with a lot of complex options to optimize campaigns and increase conversions. Advanced PPC managers should already know all of these features, but begi...

By Ryan Willumson • May 9, 2012

Does The First Amendment Create A Complete Defense For Google Against Antitrust Regulation?

Google now faces antitrust investigations on multiple continents. The US FTC recently hired a prominent, successful litigator in a sign that it may be preparing to bring an action against the company. But does Google have a “slam dunk” defense against such a case (at least in the U...

By Ryan Willumson • May 9, 2012

SMB IT budgets rise 15%

The average annual IT budget for SMBs now stands at $152,000, up from the $143,000 previously reported for the second half of 2011 and the $132,000 reported for the first half of 2011.

By Ryan Willumson • May 9, 2012

Financial Mobile Ad Spend Up 314%

Millennial Media study: insurance brands led the way.

By Ryan Willumson • May 9, 2012

Top Four Ways to Convert Social Networkers into Customers

So you have thousands of followers on Twitter, hundreds of Facebook “Likes,” and millions of views on your YouTube channel. What’s the secret to turning all your social networkers into cash-buying customers you ask? What’s the magic pill you ask? It’s easy. You ju...

By Ryan Willumson • May 7, 2012

How Facebook Makes Its Money

Can Facebook build a moneymaking engine as ruthlessly efficient as its social-networking products?

By Ryan Willumson • May 6, 2012

NBC Plans Olympic-Size Test of Digital Limits

Success -- in traffic numbers and ad sales -- could make NBC Sports the poster child for the promise of digital viewing.

By Ryan Willumson • May 6, 2012

What Do We Really Mean When We Say We Will Not Track Online?

The controversy comes down to the difference between data collection and targeted marketing: Does do not track mean do not collect or do not target?

By Ryan Willumson • May 6, 2012

Text Message Marketing Is Still a Thing

Thirty-three percent of those surveyed who don’t receive the marketing texts said they’d be somewhat interested in receiving them.

By Ryan Willumson • May 3, 2012

Google's (Not Provided) Impacting More Than Just SEO Sites

Think that (not provided) is only impacting SEO-related websites? Think again. The Poynter Institute, a non-profit journalism school that’s well known in media circles, wrote Wednesday about the growing impact that (not provided) is having on publisher websites. Author Steve Myers sh...

By Ryan Willumson • May 3, 2012

Microsoft Advertising Is Becoming "Bing" For SMBs

Small businesses are a particularly important audience for Bing, given the strength of Google AdWords among smaller advertisers.

By Ryan Willumson • May 2, 2012