• Personalization: Why Having a Dialogue Is Not Enough

    Now, it will be the marketers and their brands that move onward and upward from the obvious conversations in social media into a deep understanding of silent conversations and contexts that will distinguish themselves from the rest.

    …read more

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  • Is YouTube the Wizard Behind All Things Viral?

    YouTube is the place to go for the biggest, loudest, flashiest viral content. Without YouTube to host fail compilations, cats playing piano and the Numa Numa guy, we might not even have a concept of a viral video. But we can now see the man behind the green curtain, the cat’s out of the bag, and the cat is showing us how our sausage is made. Apparently, YouTube has been crafting our viral experiences this whole time.

    YouTube admits that the so-called ‘viral video’ is all an illusion created to push the ideas of a narrow set of writers and videomakers onto the video consuming masses. “Since 2005 YouTube has been behind the scenes of all your favourite video trends, meticulously crafting every single moment of every viral video EVER,” today’s video from YouTube Spotlight states.

    And what’s more, now that we’re through the looking glass, YouTube has decided to show us what’s in store for 2014. First we have “clocking,” the latest offering from Per De Graff, the inventor of “planking.” This European intellectual talks at length about his work on planking being about space, so clocking is his progression …read more

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  • Happy Birthday Gmail! The Email Giant Turns 10

    Picture this. It’s April 1st, 2004 — April Fool’s day. Google launches a press release announcing their new vertical: Gmail. In the press release the Google founders state that search is actually the number two online activity to email and that they’ll offer users a full gig…

    Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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  • How to Make a Twitter Collage

    Feed-fb

    When Twitter updated its now eight-year-old social network with a couple of tweet-extending features Thursday, it also laid the groundwork for an explosion of tweet creativity. Following in the footsteps of ASCII art, users now have the ability to post up to four photos in one post. Twitter calls this a “Photo Collage.” We call it wicked fun.

    But how do you make a collage, and then once you know how, what collages are best? Consider this your step-by-step guide to an eye-popping collage masterpiece (or at least something that makes your friends laugh).

    First, you need to make sure you have the latest version of Twitter for iPhone: That would be 6.3. Sorry, there’s no support on Android or Twitter.com for now. …

    More about Twitter, Iphone, How To, Social Media, and Photography …read more

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  • It’s Time to Strengthen Your Content Strategy on Google+, Here’s Why

    Today content is at the center of the digital experience. As marketers, you rely on it to drive awareness, build communities, and increase sales. Without content, there’d be no tweets, status updates, blogs, videos, or pins — all of which can help achieve one or more of those goals. So you can see why it’s very important to understand how your content affects engagement on social networks.

    This week, Google made a small but noteworthy update to Google+ with your content in mind. Now every Google+ Profile and Page includes the total number of times that the account’s content has been seen by others. The number, which is displayed near the follower count, is the sum of your page, post, and photo views since October 2012. While this number doesn’t go into detail about your content’s performance, it’s an important metric nonetheless.

    The update couldn’t have come at a better time. Google+ recently changed the way link posts are displayed in the stream, putting them front and center which will undoubtedly capture more attention. This was a major upgrade for content sites, which make up 29 percent of the top pages on the network. Additionally, a new study found …read more

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  • You Won’t Believe Upworthy’s Plan For Sponsored Content (Actually, You Probably Will)

    Upworthy, the content-sharing startup whose penchant for hyperbolic headlines has generated its own parody websites, is laying out its plans for a new ad program called Upworthy Collaborations. When the company raised an $8 million Series A last fall, executives said they wanted to make money through sponsored content. However, they revealed more details about those plans (and who’s actually… Read More …read more

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  • One Size Fits None

    Houston, we have a problem. The problem is one of plenty. In fact, we have too much. Too many things to choose from. We have too many channels and networks. Too many opportunities to communicate with our customer. Too many places in which to put our messages. We’ve all seen the graphic that illustrates the mind-blowing number of social media marketing channels. If you add in all of the digital platforms as well, it is enough to make you run screaming from the room.

    And when we have so many options one of (at least) two things will occur. We will either become paralyzed from all the options and stand there like we do in the cereal aisle, or we will race and cut corners. Either option is ill advised.

    The Paralysis of Abundance

    When we have many, many choices, it is easy to become paralyzed and not know where to start. It makes me feel like the end of the book The Cat in the Hat. The social mess is so big and so deep and so tall, there is no way to fix it, no way at all! So, we do nothing but stare at the pile hoping for a solution. …read more

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  • Introducing Merge by MailChimp

    If you’re a frequent Google Drive user, you may have noticed they recently launched add-ons for Google Docs and Sheets. You may have also noticed a familiar logo in the add-ons store.

    Merge lets you send to a small list of emails directly from Google Docs and Sheets. It’s built and supported by MailChimp, but you don’t have to have a MailChimp account to use it. That’s right, we built a whole new app just for Google Docs and Sheets users.

    Merge is a great option for book clubs, little leagues, neighborhood groups, PTAs—anyone who needs to send simple emails to lists of up to 1000 email addresses. In fact, this is exactly the type of Gmail user that Google was hoping to help when they approached us. They asked if we could build an add-on that would make it easy for a Google Drive user to create and send personalized email right from a Google Doc.

    With Merge, you can pair your Google Doc to a Google Sheet that contains email addresses and data fields for the people you want to contact.

    Then, you can merge in personalized content—first name, last name, address, etc.—from your Google Sheet.

    mergetags

    When you hit …read more

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  • Advice to Prospective Interns (from an Intern)

    This guest post was contributed by Conor McClure (@conorjmcclure), one of our rockstar interns this spring. He hails from North Carolina, where he’s finishing up a degree in music business at Appalachian State University. When he’s not promoting Cyber PR artists 40 hours / week, he blogs at his personal website conormcclure.net, is an avid photographer, and is obsessed with all things digital.Hi everyone! Conor here. First, a bit about myself. I came to Cyber PR from Appalachian State University down in North Carolina, where I am in the final phases of completing my undergraduate B.S. in Music Industry Studies. The degree program, a sort of hybrid music business degree based in the Hayes School of Music, is a nationwide leader, producing graduates who have mastered Grammy-nominated singles and produced blockbuster films. My own passions lie in the digital realm of marketing, so applying to intern at Cyber PR was a no-brainer. I was ecstatic when I received the good news.My first day in the office was January 6, and I’m finishing up here in about two weeks. I think now’s a great time to talk about some things I’ve learned while here—mainly, what to expect out of an internship, …read more

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  • Zuck Nerds Out On Drones Vs. Satellites For Delivering Internet

    Free Space Optic lasers? Low earth orbit satellites? Solar-powered drones? Mark Zuckerberg has just penned a deep dive on how Facebook’s newly revealed methods for delivering Internet to the developing world actually work. Here’s are the highlights from his 3000 word progress report on Internet.org, including digs at Google’s Project Loon, and how it all fits into Facebook’s long-term plan. Read More …read more

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  • Is Twitter Saying Goodbye Retweet, Hello Share?

    Will retweets soon be rebranded as “shares” on Twitter? For some, that has already happened, as the change in terminology began rolling out for some mobile users this week.

    …read more

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  • The Lede: Hangout Hot Seat with Brian Clark

    Google Hangouts are an invaluably useful tool.
    We’ve made mention of this before.
    And if you’ve been listening to the New Rainmaker podcast, then you recently heard Brian and Robert discuss the concept of repurposing content — using the same content in multiple ways.
    In this episode of The Lede, Demian and I put the usefulness and versatility of Google Hangouts on display and demonstrate how Hangouts can be used as part of a repurposing strategy.
    Here’s how …
    The incredible, embeddable Hangout
    In less than an hour’s time, we created a piece of content that:
    Could have been broadcast live to our audience
    Can now be embedded anywhere, in perpetuity
    Was fairly easy to convert into a podcast
    Was turned into text content as a transcript
    And all of that is on display right here in this post.
    Oh, and the custom nameplates you see and the sound effects you hear? All built right into Hangouts.
    See what I mean? Invaluably useful.
    So what’s so interesting about this Hangout?
    We are calling this Hangout showcase the “Hangout Hot Seat” … and the first* episode features none other than the Frank Underwood of Copyblogger.
    Yes, Brian Clark.
    In this episode, Brian answers the following questions:
    What does “Media, not marketing” mean?
    Is Google-Plus still an essential tool for …read more

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  • Why Cost per Acquisition Is the Only Metric That Really Matters

    There’s no denying it. You cannot consider yourself a great ad person unless you know your numbers. At SME Digital (the agency arm of Social Media Explorer), we’re all about garnering results that are measurable. After all, you aren’t an effective marketer if you aren’t tracking the numbers. Even more, you aren’t a top-notch marketer if you’re not tracking the one metric that matters above all others: Cost per Acquisition (CPA).
    Now don’t get me wrong, all those other metrics are important too. Metrics like:
    Click-Thru-Rate
    Cost per Click
    Cost per Conversion
    Just to name a few.
    But, while these metrics are important to any well run campaign. They don’t hold a candle to the Holy Grail of marketing metrics: Cost per Acquisition. In other words, how much do I have to spend in marketing dollars to get a paying customer?
    So why is Cost per Acquisition so important? Simple, it’s the quintessential metric for determining true return on investment. It doesn’t matter how many clicks or eyeballs a campaign receives, if it’s not generating revenue, it’s not successful.
    Case in point, I was working for an agency charged with managing a company’s PPC account. My team’s ads were performing well above average (on paper). Through …read more

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  • Wu-Tang Clan To Sell Just ONE Copy Of Their “Secret Album”

    One of the things we discuss a lot around here are “triggers”; Psychological buttons that motivate people to get off the fence and take action. There are many different triggers one can employ in their marketing but without a doubt the most powerful trigger there is, is scarcity. When we can’t have something we want […] …read more

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  • Elevate Your Content Marketing Strategy With New Tools From LinkedIn

    While social media has created a lot of new opportunities for marketers, it has also made it more difficult for brands to be heard. The Internet is flooded with content and social platforms are more crowded than ever before. As a result, marketers face a challenge in trying to capture the attention of consumers online. Hope, however, is not lost thanks to content marketing.
    Today, your brand’s voice is a marketer’s most valuable weapon. Where once you relied on the media to announce new products or features, now businesses are writing blogs, uploading photos and videos, and creating all kinds of content on social networks. This has forced marketers to communicate more skillfully and strategically. But while more is being said, how much of it is actually effective?
    In a recent survey by the Content Marketing Institute, 93 percent of B2B marketers are said to use content marketing; however, only 42 percent consider themselves effective at it. LinkedIn saw this as a problem, and as a result it launched new tools aimed at helping businesses create more effective content marketing strategies that provide value for customers.
    Shortly after opening its publishing platform to members, LinkedIn has made another content-inspired move with the introduction …read more

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  • You Too Can Be Productive!

    You Too Can Be Productive!
    Silvia Pencak
    Almost on a daily basis I meet people who ask me, “How do you get so much done? What am I missing?” We all have a desire to get more done in less time so that we can enjoy more time doing what we love.
    I wish I had a magic formula that you can say and things will turn around, but instead, I have three tips to help you shift your current perspective and take a step in the right direction. If this sounds right to you, this article will be a wake up call you need in order to get more done.
    Tip #1: Know Yourself
    Way too many times people give in to “proven” strategies that only take them away from their unique abilities. We think that if it works for somebody else, it must work for us. Let me burst your bubble. It’s a lie!
    We all take action differently. Some of us are driven by beating the clock, creating amazing results on short deadlines, while others need longer deadlines. Where someone needs to have all the information before making a decision and taking a step, others jump into a project and solve problems …read more

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  • Engage Customers via the Blogosphere With Sponsored Posts and Giveaways

    Marketers are using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other popular social platforms to attract new customers and engage them. However, marketers often overlook the blogosphere to do the same. Read the full article at MarketingProfs …read more

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  • Kill Screen’s Exclusive and Informative Emails

    Brooklyn arts and culture company, Kill Screen, had been operating as a magazine and a website for two years when their team decided they wanted to do more with their email marketing. Instead of simply republishing content they’d made elsewhere, they hoped to find a new way to connect with the modern gamer—a person who’s often too busy to read a longform essay but still wants fun games to play on the regular.
    “From the beginning, we’ve been focused on ‘bringing games to culture and culture to games,'” Kill Screen Director of Business Development, Tom Gregorio, tells MailChimp. “We have lots of interested friends who stopped playing games somewhere along the way to adulthood, or perhaps never even started, and the most common question we get from them is, ‘What should I be playing now?’ It was clear most of them weren’t reading the deep dives we publish on our site, so we needed a quick, digestible piece of weekly content to answer that question.
    What they came up with is Playlist, a simple, weekly email that highlights a handful of new games worth playing. For each title, there’s a screenshot, a quick review, a link for download/purchase, and a recommended-if-you-like style …read more

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