By Neicole Crepeau, Contributing {grow} Columnist. Traditionally, marketers have researched their customers’ demographics to have a clear idea of their age, gender, income, location, and other traits. Marketers added psychographics to the mix, allowing them to take into account customer’s interests, values, and attitudes. step up from the very general information that demographics provide, psychographics enable marketers to speak to customers in a way that resonates with them. Socialgraphics capture the attitudes, characteristics, behavior, and, most important, motivations of customers online. MORE >>

Marketing Sherpa's chart of the week shows the answer to this question. Please select the time period closest to the length of your organization's entire sales cycle, from first lead inquiry to purchase. In the commentary , Jen Doyle states that these results showing shorter sales cycles correlate to the lower deal prices Marketing Sherpa's annual benchmark survey also discovered. But I think there's more at stake here than lower prices. Everyone has been talking about how much time buyers spend self-educating and researching prior to identifying themselves to vendors. MORE >>

Where do most paid search (PPC) campaigns succeed or fail? Though it’s typical for marketers to invest more time and legwork in the mechanics of search (keywords, bid strategy, campaign structure), I’d argue that the majority of PPC campaigns are won or lost at the close: the landing page. The rewards from making even slight improvements to your PPC landing pages can be dramatic. Improve conversion (click to lead) rates by just a percentage point or two and you can increase lead volume (and slash Cost Per Lead) disproportionately. Here are 7 tips that can make a difference: 1. Not “learn more.” MORE >>

Most small businesses are terrible at marketing in general and online marketing in particular. That’s understandable: The founders are usually more passionate about what they do than about promoting themselves. But with Facebook becoming the place you just have to be for businesses of all sizes, a little marketing know-how comes in handy. When we look at what platforms our small business customers are using for social media marketing, 94% of them are on Facebook,” Schmulen said. However, “Most small businesses are doing Facebook without knowing why they’re doing it.”. Tip #5: Measure. MORE >>

I know you LOVE these funny Twitter bios. Yes, they’re real and they’re fabulous. Here we go! organising. Let me bitch at you every day until you sort your shit out. Newtoblogging. Maybe I should rethink this, when I spelled it Blooging at first. danecook. When I tweet, I tweet to kill. maurastl. Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together. SALJmum. Making the Snuggie look good since 2009. fiona_mca. Trying to elevate small talk to medium talk. ankurtz. Maya_Abeille. Generally, the path of least resistance appeals. Also, I am superb at parallel parking. MORE >>