Online Marketing

SUMMARY: Many companies rent lists and reach prospects who have never heard of them, even if it's not a best practice. The marketers in this article, however, earned great results by shifting gears to focus campaigns only on prospects who had prior contact with the company.

See how two emails and six phone calls generate an average 4-to-1 ROI for this healthcare IT company's lead generation. We include the team's contact schedule and show how the emails prime prospects for conversion. read the complete case study

SUMMARY: Content marketing can drive results, but it's not always easy to connect the dots. You might feel like your blog is starting to pay off, but how can you be sure? More importantly, how can you prove it to managers and directors?

In this article, two content marketing experts explain how to measure and improve results. You'll get tactics for companies large and small and a MarketingSherpa research chart. read the complete article

SUMMARY: "Advertising on blogs or social networks" was rated the most accurately measured (32%), and was also rated the least effective (16%). More than 90% of companies believe that social media is the most effective in accomplishing brand building goal, followed closely by goals for attracting website visitors. view the complete research record

SUMMARY: Potential customers want to hear how you can solve their problems in simple, understandable language -- not empty marketing clichés. Social media can help teach you that language.

Read why marketing strategist David Meerman Scott thinks phrases such as “robust” and “mission critical” can do more harm than good to your marketing, and how you can use social media to move past them. read the complete interview

SUMMARY: Nearly 95% of marketers report that SEO has become more important as an inbound marketing lead source. In the recently released MarketingSherpa 2012 Inbound Marketing Handbook, we asked more than 1,500 search marketers about the importance of their top inbound lead sources. Look at this week’s chart for more results. read the complete article

By Natalie Myers, Reporter

I wasn’t looking for advice about online advertising when I scheduled time to talk to Jerry Shereshewsky, CEO, Grandparents.com, for a MarketingSherpa article I’m writing about marketing to grandparents.

But I should have expected getting some wisdom from someone with 39 years of experience in the industry who last year took the helm of an ad-supported resource site for grandparents.

Jerry’s previous title, ambassador plenipotentiary to Madison Avenue at Yahoo!, was another reason I... read the complete blog post