Is Google selling leads in the UK?
Every so often a simple Google search reveals a hint at a new Google initiative.
In recent months we've seen various different types of ad extension formats and it seems that selling leads rather than clicks could be the next big push in Google's continuing search for revenue streams away from the simple click.
Peter Bell from Fuse Lead Marketing (@fuselead) recently alerted me to an interesting discovery which seems to have appeared over the last few weeks in the UK.
If you are signed into one of Google’s services (LeadPoint uses Google for email) you might stumble across a new type of ad extension in the top ranked ads – namely a way for the advertiser to capture your contact information and permission to contact you without clicking through.
The mainstreaming of content marketing: ten implications
Let's face it, content marketing has gone mainstream. That kind of sucks, really, because it used to be a hugely powerful differentiator in most markets.
Soon it will just be the price of entry. Everyone will have a rich content library, so a new eBook or video won't be enough to make you jump out from that pack of pesky competitors.
So how will the world of digital marketing change when content marketing becomes the norm for everyone?
Here are ten predicions and what you can do about them...
Case Study: How H&R Block Uses Twitter for Customer Service
The following H&R Block case study is excerpted from my latest report, Online Communities Part Two: Engaging Your Community Across Multiple Platforms. This 17-page report is the second in a series of four that I'm writing for Econsultancy, and develops material covered in last month's Online Communities: Starting a Community.
One example of a company who is "rocking customer service issues via Twitter" is the tax services company, H&R Block. Whether or not you use H&R Block for your personal or business tax preparation, it's clear they have invested time and money into growing and engaging with their online community on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Rightmove's Android app reviewed
Rightmove has launched a property search app for Android, adding to an existing portfolio that includes iPad and iPhone apps, and a mobile-optimised site that sees 835,000 visits a month.
The app features a Google Street View function, full screen photos and floor plans, and allows users to contact estate agents directly.
B2B content marketing: finding your sweet spot
In B2B content marketing, what you write about can be as important as what you write.
But there's a hell of a lot of so-called 'thought leadership' out there that isn't leading anyone's thought at all. That's because it isn't written from the company's true sphere of authority -- from the 'sweet spot'.
If you're committed to content marketing (as I'm sure you are) it's incredibly important to think about your sweet spot and keep your content inside it.
17 tips for choosing a B2B content marketing agency
As content marketing leaps 'the chasm' and lands in Geoffrey Moore's back garden, more and more marketers are on the lookout for a B2B content marketing agency that can make them famous.
That's a good thing. But almost every B2B agency out there is hurriedly carving a new 'Content Marketing' sign for their front door.
So it pays to have a think before you get yourself committed.
Five steps for creating phenomenal content
We’re all publishers now, aren’t we? The barriers to enter the publishing game are low and Google’s given its public seal of approval to decent content (thanks Panda).
As someone passionate about content, this seems like a good thing, having content be more valued and recognised for the brand awareness, visibility and engagement it can bring.
But here’s the thing - just because we can all be publishers doesn’t mean we should be. How can you tell if you should jump into the game? And how can you ensure your content is right for your customers and your brand?
Here are five steps to help you figure out the right strategy.
Content strategy trends in the Middle East
Personalisation and localisation of content are considered key trends in the Middle East – but it goes so much further than just language...
Here are some of the key take-outs from the Content Strategy roundtables at Econsultancy's Digital Cream Dubai 2012, which I moderated.
Airbnb thrives internationally, surpasses 5m nights booked: infographic
Last year, Airbnb, a marketplace that lets individuals rent out their flats and houses to others in a peer-to-peer fashion, raised a staggering $112m in funding. It also found itself in a PR crisis after the apartment of one of its host's apartments was practically torn apart by a guest.
But that apparently hasn't slowed the company's growth.
How’s your decision energy?
Making decisions requires mental energy. When your energy is low, 'decision fatigue' sets in and some fairly predictable biases result.
Too many teams set themselves up to operate in an almost permanently fatigued state. How can you avoid this?
