1. Top of the pile is Andrew Broadbent, director of search at 17 Agency, with his discussion of brand activation and its role in driving consumer engagement and awareness.

Brand activation is the act of introducing an unknown brand to a marketplace and building its profile. Andrew tells us how it’s done.

Volvo and a famous example of brand activation in the US

volvo advert

2. The infamous Parry Malm of Phrasee is at number two, with 211 awesome phrases for email subject lines that sell.

Parry explains the science behind subject lines, by way of his extensive research.

3. James Carson, head of SEO and social at The Telegraph, completes the podium.

From inconsistency to a poor brief, by way of bad UX, James talks us through 12 classic content marketing problems and how to avoid them.

4. Web design conventions are noticeable as we head into 2016. As ecommerce design converges, placing product pages element to satisfy the user is somewhere between science and art.

Here, Greg Randall of Comma Consulting tells us where to place 30 product page elements and why.

product page

5. A perennial headache for many brands, proving the value of social media isn’t easy (despite increasing investment in social).

Selina Burnett, partner at Gain Theory, gives us five ways to go about it, including some guidelines to work by.

6. Paul Rouke, founder of PRWD, is one of Econsultancy’s go-to conversion rate evangelists.

Paul runs the rule over AO.com, the best ecommerce experience available online?

ao.com header

7. Live streaming is on our ones-to-watch list for content marketing in 2016. Thankfully Anna Francis, content manager at Search Laboratory, details eight ways brands can add Meerkat into their marketing mix.

8. More content marketing at number eight. User generated content is changing content marketing and Sophie Turton from Bozboz gives us the skinny.

user generated content stats 

9. Teaser content has been a feature of multichannel marketing and changing media habits.

Kasia Piekut gives us some examples and provides her own ‘how to’ for teaser content on social media.

10. The list is capped by that old favourite, technology in retail. Greg Randall, with his second post in the top ten, asks ‘are virtual fitting rooms the silver bullet?