Jim Yu says, “Visual content has been dominant in the marketing and personal communication worlds. In recent years, professionals have begun to notice that rich media do much more than look nice — they increase engagement, understanding, and can tell the brand story. When people think about the best ways to communicate with their brand audience, they often assume that written content is the best path. But the human brain actually processes visual content faster than text. That might explain why Forbes found that among senior executives, 59 percent would rather watch a video than read an... [...]

Lindsay Kolowich says, “Of Facebook’s 1.25 billion monthly active users, 44% Like their friends’ posts at least once a day — and 29% do it multiple times a day. That’s hundreds of millions of people interacting with content on the social network on a daily basis. So what motivates people to Like Facebook posts — and share them, and comment on them? And why should businesses care? Research has found several psychological reasons behind why users enjoy using Facebook so much. For example, studies observing people browsing on Facebook found psychological indications... [...]

Jodi Harris says, “SlideShare is a popular, business-friendly social site – one that you probably already use to enhance the life span of your company’s PowerPoint slide decks and other presentation materials. But could you be overlooking some of the most powerful features and functionalities the platform offers for greater content marketing success?  Acquired by LinkedIn in 2012, SlideShare has expanded its capabilities to incorporate additional design options, functionality, and media formats – such as audio, HD video, and more. Content marketers who understand how to take full... [...]

Rainmaker team says, “It’s not enough today to merely be trustworthy in your digital business, you have to prove it. Whether you sell products or services, customers have to trust you before they’ll want to do business with you, and building trust online can be a challenge. People are much more skeptical and cynical these days about the promises made to them. Unscrupulous organizations have eroded consumer trust, so people are much more wary when believing the claims made by a business. Especially if that business is actually trying to sell them something. So when you have something... [...]

Barry Feldman says, “There are a ton of reasons that top brands—and small companies—are active on SlideShare. After all, it provides an enormous opportunity for any content marketer. Recently, I collected more current statistics than the ones that flew around the Web after “The Quiet Giant of Content Marketing” infographic was published. The managing editor of SlideShare told me that SlideShare… Gets 70 million unique visitors per month Has more than 18 million uploads to date Is one of the Top 100 most-visited sites on the Web”. Eight Powerful SlideShare Features... [...]

David Rodnitzky says, “Traditional media-buying negotiations are pretty straightforward: The publisher has some inventory it wants to sell, and the advertiser that is willing to pay the most for that inventory wins! It’s that “supply and demand” concept that you learn in Econ 101. That model, however, is under threat, and it’s being challenged by internet marketing behemoths like Google and Facebook. The future of media buying — if these companies get to decide — will be driven by a combination of price and engagement. In other words, advertisers will be awarded inventory based... [...]

Emma Snider says, “What makes you feel more uneasy: Receiving a cold call where the caller knows nothing about you, or everything about you? Kinda makes you think, doesn’t it? While buyers want salespeople to research them on social media networks before picking up the phone, researching a little too much might cross the line into stalker territory. And no one likes to feel as if they’re being stalked. The fear that they’ll come off as creepy often prevents salespeople from adopting social selling tactics. At every social selling conference session I’ve been to,... [...]

Monica Montesa says, “Barbecues. Beach trips. Stand-still traffic. Fireworks. As the U.S. prepares to celebrate another year of independence, there’s another holiday trend Americans can expect to look forward to: July 4th-themed emails. Whether you plan to host a huge sale, offer exclusive discounts or simply take an Independence Day spin on your typical content, getting your emails to stand out in the inbox can be a doozy – especially when there are hundreds of other businesses tying the holiday to their emails too. So what can you do? Fortunately, it is possible to increase the chances... [...]

JD Nyland says, “Location data is everywhere. It’s embedded in the photos we share, the GPS-enabled apps we use, and the online transactions we make. And, today, users are more willing than ever to share location data with brands in exchange for more personalized content and tailored promotions. That’s really the idea and the promise of location-based marketing—using location data to boost engagement, offer more personalized experiences, and build loyalty with users. For us marketers, understanding more about a user’s location provides valuable insight into intent. If... [...]

Danny Sullivan says, “Think search advertising is boring, and that it’s all about programmatic and display these days? Microsoft’s move today to dispose of its display business but keep search shows how powerful and unique search remains. As announced today, Microsoft is ridding itself of its display ad sales business. That’s something it feels can be handled just as well by farming it out to AOL and AppNexus. But search is different. Search is important. Search is something that Microsoft has no plans to dispose of. “We are deeply committed on the search side. We see it as a business... [...]