For the self-producer, here are some things to consider when selecting equipment: A video camera. This is pretty obvious, of course, but which one? There are thousands from which to choose that will be perfectly adequate for the DIY producer. Even something as modest as the video recorder on a smartphone...

Interactive white papers and video white papers are helping revive the reputation of the B2B marketing workhorse. Some say the value of the B2B white paper is slowly eroding under the weight of its success. White papers were once the simple, functional, unfussy marketing tactic of B2B. These days, so...

A video producer explores the limits of DIY and the absolute importance of b-roll. I never argue that all video must be professionally made. In many cases, creating your own video is in fact the best approach. But all of us also know that self-produced business videos can look … well, self-produced....

Tools social influencers use to launch words off the page and into social streams. Optimized Copy InboundWriter.com Natural language programming, or NLP technology, is the behind-the-scenes science that evaluates your content’s context. Inbound Writer’s interactive editor lets you experiment with different...

A column about dynamic design and content optimization.  According to our research at IDG Connect, B2B buyers complain the relevance of marketing content—defined by how well it supports their purchase decision-making process—has declined by 31% over the past five years. Marketers can’t fix this problem...

In Best Practices, Mediocre Results , Robert Rose claims marketers who focus on measuring up to others are less willing to take risks and less likely to stand out.  Here, he offers tips about how to move beyond best practices—and become more than just average. 6 Ways To Move Beyond Best Practices 1....

Too much talk about Facebook ‘likes’ and Twitter ‘followers’ is dumming down your analytics. If you were asked for the most important metric you track related to your online marketing efforts, what would you say? What is the very first thing that came to mind? Depending on your responsibilities within...

Why a hyper focus on measurement and incremental gains makes marketers average. Let’s talk about how a myopic focus on measurement can suck all the innovation and success out of our strategy. Here is an experiment: Walk around your office and ask everybody three questions. The first question: “Should...

SOCIAL INFLUENCERS SHARE THE TOOLS THAT HELP THEM KEEP THEIR EDGE Faster, Leaner Productivity. SCHEDULING Rachel Foster Fresh Perspective Copywriting @CopywriterTO I use TimeTrade to schedule appointments. The software lets you place a link on your website or in an email to direct people to your calendar...

A social media policy is now a requirement of the Federal Trade Commission, flowing from its Guidlines on Endorsements and Testimonials. We asked the Word of Mouth Marketing Association to share the essentials. WOMMA: Essential Elements of a Social Media Policy A social media policy defines important...

Joe Pulizzi talks to Gary Spangler, emarketing manager at DuPont, about how big brands go social while minding critical ethical and legal obligations. Joe Pulizzi: Tell me about your role at DuPont. Gary Spangler: I work to steer DuPont’s efforts around social media marketing, and do it in a way that’s...

Marketing technology can’t live in IT anymore. It’s time to own up to our brave new digital world. What words do you associate with marketing? Branding. Positioning. Advertising. No doubt, these are classic foundations of our field. But increasingly, marketing has some new–and very different–word associations....