Derbhile Graham says, “When you’re on social media, it can feel as if you’re drowning in a torrent of information. It can be hard to sift out the useful pieces of knowledge from the pictures of cats and the updates about the contents of people’s meals. Social media gurus speak of the importance of interaction, but social media can feel like a warehouse party where everyone is shouting at once. This makes it hard both to be heard and to listen to the right people. Groups give you the chance to target your social media communication, and if you set up your own group, you get to decide who... [...]

Mike Volpe says, “It may surprise some, but many small businesses new to inbound marketing are unaware that you can get some free advertising on Google through Google My Business (formerly known as Google Places) instead of paying for pay-per-click (PPC) ads on Google. And because Google is always looking to increase the value of its local search results — as well as its Google Maps application — the search engine giant has a simple way for you to provide them with that valuable information about your business, which it infuses straight into its search engine results. The benefit?... [...]

eMarketer team says, “Given the explosive growth and investment in programmatic advertising last year, it’s no surprise “programmatic” was the top marketing word of 2014, according to the ANA. Programmatic advertising is primed for another monumental year, with total US programmatic digital display ad spending expected to reach $14.88 billion and for the first time ever account for more than half of all digital display ad dollars. Register for a free eMarketer webinar that will address these key questions: How will the nearly $15 billion break down into areas such as open exchanges,... [...]

Joey Taravella says, “What would you rather have: a 32-inch flat screen TV for $100 or a 72-inch flat screen TV for $150? After considering the first 32 inches cost $100, you would probably pay the additional $50 for another 40 inches. This same principal can be thought of in terms of testing and optimization, with one caveat — you have to buy the 32-inch TV first. A discovery, not a lift Many attempting to optimize and test within webpages want big lifts; however here at MECLABS Institute, we always say the goal of a test is not to get a lift but to gain discoveries about customer behavior.... [...]

Christopher Jan Benitez says, “Blogging has become a must-have tool in your business marketing plan. When learning how to make your own blog, you will find yourself becoming a better and more versatile writer. Obviously content – whether its text, images, graphics, videos, or memes – is the backbone of every successful blog, but before you can become a successful professional blogger, you will need to consciously learn to market your posts. You can have the best content in your industry, but without effective marketing to your target audience, none of your potential readers will know you... [...]

Selena Blue says, “When looking to generate more leads from a landing page, make sure your objective is well defined on the page. A small, hidden call-to-action may not be seen by visitors, leaving potential leads unsure of the next step. If this is the case, you may not need a radical redesign on the page. Instead, a simple and small change — highlighting the form as the next step in the visitor’s thought sequence— could increase the number of leads you capture. Wanting more prospective students to fill out its lead gen form, American Sentinel University worked with MECLABS as a Research... [...]

Adam Hansen says, “Have you noticed the popularity of one-page websites these days? They seem to be popping up everywhere, and for good reason. Done right, one-page websites can look super creative, clean and classy. These sites also help keep users engaged because they never have to click around a site and risk hitting a dead end that makes them bounce back to the search results. But before you start remodeling all of your websites, there’s a little secret the one-page evangelists aren’t telling”. Is Your One-Page Website Killing Your SEO? Mark Ling’s  ’Affilorama’ Blog  [...]

Lara O’reilly says, “Marissa Mayer has shut down the Right Media ad exchange the company bought in 2007. Yahoo has called time on the Right Media ad exchange it bought in 2007 for $680 million and has folded it into the wider Yahoo Ad Exchange proposition. Right Media was focused on delivering high-volume ads to big audiences – primarily to performance ad networks looking to place cheap direct-response ads – across Yahoo sites and those that were not in the Yahoo family. In other words, the inventory isn’t regarded as the most quality in the industry. It used to be... [...]

Josh Wilson says, “Why do people say “yes” to your offer?  Any time there is an ask for something, whether you are asking people to purchase something, give you something or to do something, the person can either say “yes” or “no.” In this short article, I will explain the conversion heuristic and how it can help you optimize your online marketing efforts and get to more yes(s.) What is a conversion? Definition — Conversion:  noun. The act or process of changing from one form, state, etc., to another. If you are a marketer, it is your primary responsibility to help convert... [...]

Jon Powell says, “Earlier this year I reached out to a friend of mine who manages training with the Salesforce Marketing Cloud (previously known as ExactTarget) to get a sense of what questions everyday marketers were having concerning email. “Preheaders,” was her quick response. Specifically on “using a preheader, not using a pre-header — what should be in the preheader.” Just in case you’re not familiar with a preheader, it is the line of preview text you find below the subject line on mobile device email apps and even in the Outlook preview pane”. Email Preheaders Tested: The... [...]