Web Marketing Association SmartBrief

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December 4, 2012

Current News and Ideas for Web Developers and Marketers

Top Story

How America learned to love location-based marketing
The prevailing media narrative is that location-based mobile advertising is intrusive or downright creepy, Alexandre Mars writes. But that point of view is best left in the past -- a new wave of mobile apps make location-sharing incredibly useful, giving users every reason to gladly share location data with marketers. "[Y]es, it's Big Brother time. ... My bet is that, like me, you may find that Big Brother is now a very welcome friend at Starbucks, on your commute, when you shop and at home," Mars predicts. Adweek (12/3)

Trendwatch

Google is in a "perfect place," WPP chief says
Google is "almost in a perfect place" to take advantage of advertising trends and dominate the industry, WPP CEO Martin Sorrell said. The tech giant now straddles the search, video, display, social and mobile sectors, making it impossible for media buyers to avoid, Sorrell said. The holding company is placing around $2 billion worth of ads with Google this year, he added. MediaPost Communications/MediaDailyNews (12/3)

Why viewability shouldn't be advertisers' only priority
Viewability technology is coming along by leaps and bounds, and has the potential to bring great value to advertisers, writes Jeremy Stanley. Still, it's important to tread cautiously, ask tough questions of vendors and remain focused on reaching the right audiences in brand-safe environments. "Advertisers must ... not forget that while viewability is an important component, it should never be the sole goal of a campaign," Stanley writes. AdExchanger.com (12/3)

Getting the Word Out

Marketers boost mobile spending; most see strong results
Marketers will spend $1.8 billion on mobile display ads this year, roughly triple their 2011 total, according to an eMarketer report. More than half of mobile advertisers said they saw either "moderate" or "good" returns on their investments, while about one quarter said they'd seen "inconsistent" results from their mobile display campaigns. eMarketer (12/4)

Industry trends could cause trouble for content marketers
Content marketers could find themselves in trouble if they don't stay abreast of four big industry trends, writes John Paul Nettles. It's important to develop content strategies that are mobile-friendly, capable of adapting to Google's recent and future algorithm updates, and that leverage Big Data effectively, Nettles argues. RepCapitalMedia.com (12/3)

Developer Update

What development platform is right for your website?
When building a website, it's important to pick the right platform, writes Adam Dachis. Squarespace, WordPress and Tumblr are all great tools for certain applications, but those who want total control over their sites will be better off coding their pages from scratch. "Consider the pros and cons of each and how it applies to your next project and you should have no trouble ending up with the wonderful web site you hoped for," Dachis writes. Lifehacker (12/3)

Design Corner

When symmetry works -- and when it doesn't
Symmetry plays an important role in our aesthetic judgments, and consequently in effective Web designs, writes James George. Symmetry is important for creating traditional, trustworthy-looking designs, while asymmetry works well when creating sidebars. "No matter which one you decide to use, your designs will be much more appealing if you use the right technique for your application," George writes. DesignFestival.com (12/3)

Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs

How SMBs can get a boost from online videos
Online videos offer small businesses an easy way to boost their Web profiles, writes Chelsea Perry. Video content makes it easier to communicate your brand's personality, boost your SEO and encourage visitors to linger on your company's website, Perry explains. B2C Marketing Insider (12/3)

Association News

Enter to win a free pass to BusinessNext Social Conference & New Media Expo
The Web Marketing Association is holding a drawing to give away a free full conference pass (a $1,700 value) to BusinessNext Social Conference and the New Media Expo (NMX)(formerly BlogWorld). Both events will be held January 6-8 at Rio Conference Center in Las Vegas, NV. This is a great conference, not to be missed. To enter, simply enter your name and contact info on the Web Marketing Association Contest Page. Deadline for entry is Dec. 19.

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