Blogging & podcasting

SUMMARY: Blogs are key in generating online buzz to make a viral campaign successful. You may even want to consider advertising on blogs to kickstart online word of mouth.

DuPont put together a series of videos and followed this approach, being very careful about not looking self-serving. They ended up attracting tens of thousands of views at a fraction of what traditional media would have cost and increased brand awareness in ways they didn't expect. read the complete case study

SUMMARY: The influence of blogs and other online media is too powerful for marketers to ignore when planning media and PR outreach, but these channels are different than traditional media. How do you set goals and measure your success?

See which metrics an Internet media researcher considers the most important for evaluating the influence of blogs, online magazines, and more. We include nine metrics to evaluate, along with tips on demonstrating your success to your boss. read the complete article

SUMMARY: If response to your print and online advertising is sagging or if you’re on a limited marketing budget, don’t despair. Let PR fill the void.

See how one marketer dumped most of their ad budget in favor of targeting journalists with a simple letter outlining their service and pointing out their similar demographics.

The tactic is working -- with PR, a blog and their affiliate network, they’re seeing 22% membership growth. And they're getting mentions in leading publications, including O, The Oprah Magazine, Consumer Reports and Redbook. read the complete interview

SUMMARY: Jason Billingsley, Elastic Path Software’s vice president for innovation, talks about his B-to-B Demand Generation Summit presentation, “How an Integrated Social Media Program Doubled Lead Volume at Elastic Path Software.”

Billingsley provides insight into how marketers can take advantage of blogging and tie their blogs into their marketing strategies. He brings with him the experience gained from launching a blog on a shoestring and making it the most subscribed-to eCommerce blog online.

Click here to listen:
http://podcast.marketingyak.com/flash/elastic_path/index.html?1148
(Podcast... read the complete article

By Anne Holland, Content Director

Starting a blog is easy. Keeping a blog going for more than a few months is hard. If you are one of the relatively few, the proud, the multi-year bloggers, you should give yourself a gold medal for sustained effort above most people’s capacities.

However, is your hard work really paying off as much as it could?

Very few blogs are optimized for success. Here are the top 5 action items I’ve... read the complete blog post