The holidays are upon us, and that means that the critical selling season for merchants is quickly escalating into full gear. With the holiday shopping season underway, a greater number of Americans plan to shell out more on holiday gifts this year than they did in 2014, according to new research from consulting firm Accenture. And that means more dollars up for grabs as retailers introduce a barrage of marketing gimmicks and promotions to lure consumers into stores.

Content has always been king, but it now assumes a crucial role in the world of digital media systems. While difficult to connect ROI and effort, it is a well-known fact that blog posts, infographics, social shares, and videos are a crucial element when it comes to targeting, establishing, building, and maintaining long-term relationships with customers. Whether you use shock numbers, humorous content, or dramatic needs, make sure your stories are remembered!

Being a successful marketer requires more than just working the job; it requires a sense of pride and passion for the ad world. It requires a broad knowledge of the technological breakthroughs, as well as the processes that create successful ad campaigns for clients. This, however, requires the ability to handle a great deal of stress, or to control your actions in a manner that thwarts stress. For instance, you may be concerned about how the Google Analytics statistics are shaping up.

Using Metrics for Marketing Success As long as there have been goods to sell, mankind has been actively marketing- compelling others to choose their goods over those of their competitors. Of course, the ad world has developed exponentially since the first trades of the ancient days were negotiated, and the competition is fierce. Marketers are coming to the realization that a “sure bet” for a good return on investment is the dollars they put into their advertising budget.

Smart Phones and Tablets are Rich Tools for Brand Marketers Smartphones and tablets are quickly becoming the television-watching companion of choice. People in general are now using their alternative screens to search for information about whatever they happen to be watching on their television or monitor. Long gone are the times that one would have to go to the library to look at an encyclopedia to learn, for instance, how old a particular actor is.

At Genius Monkey we are often asked what “secret ingredient” we use in our recipe for consistently creating audience-grabbing content. We let them know that the answer is simple: The ingredient most imperative for our recipe to success is “Discovery!” If you’re not familiar with the term “discovery” as it pertains to marketing, it’s all about collating and analyzing insights about various brands, their competitors and most important of all, the beliefs, behaviors and perceptions of their audiences.

Because of advancing technologies and online innovations in a now digital world, buyers today are more sophisticated and knowledgeable, especially in the business arenas. They are well educated on the products and services that you offer before ever contacting your sales team to discuss making a purchase. The sources that these B2B (Business to Business) shoppers refer to are generally varied, however some of the most popular means of content research are:

It’s kickoff time for the long-awaited football season, and the brand marketers are gearing up their strategies to reach out to the fans that are eagerly anticipating watching the games and creating the buzz. This is the “salmon run” of advertising, when the audiences’ attention is there for the taking. It seems that the popularity of the National Football League has grown in leaps and bounds and is at an all-time high.

If you’re anything like the average person, you have experienced frustration in the form of procrastination, stress and everyday distractions. It’s completely normal to fall into these pits of aggravation. Have you ever wondered how the world’s most successful people handle these everyday nuisances? Surely their frustration is equal, if not much, much greater than those who have fewer responsibilities. So what are the habits they keep in order to stay sane in a world of chaos?

Wearable technology may be fairly new to the marketplace, but the idea certainly is not. Those of you who are old enough to remember the Dick Tracy television series, probably remember his special wristwatch. This futuristic piece of equipment allowed headquarters to communicate with him, offering information and instructions on his next assignment. As is usually the case, the future has caught up with the comics, and has even surpassed them!