More and more marketers are being lured by the value offered by Marketing Automation Platforms. No Manual Processes! Traffic! Leads! Conversions! We here at ADTACK are a certified HubSpot partner and speak highly of it as a deeply powerful tool.

But once marketing technology of any kind is in place, many companies struggle to realize the return on their investment. Is it the platform’s fault? Or could it be ours as marketers?

The stability and growth of any company relies on the ability of customers to find and purchase goods and services. Your customers’ ability to quickly and simply find those services and to learn about your company has never been more important. Understanding Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and how it is evolving is critical to succeed in today’s marketplace.

For a long time, creativity was the driving force in the world of marketing. In another life, advertising was the king of marketing and nearly 100% of that occupation was driven by the task of creating interesting commercials and print ads that appealed the masses. 

Ah, the evolution of the internet. 

First came the websites, text-heavy and full of header tags, paragraphs and links. Then table-based sites and online page builders emerged, allowing for the introduction of multiple columns and text-based design. 

There was a time around the turn of the century (the one in 2000, not 1900) when leading marketing professionals could pretty much just go with their guts when it came to making decisions. 

You could say that consumers are becoming needier; give them what they want and they simply want more of it.

When most people think about personalized content, they think of software that sticks someone's first name into an email so it seems like it was crafted just for her. Not only is that so 1997, but we can also do a whole lot better than that. Today's personalized content strives to understand more than just the reader's name, but also her daily routines, shopping habits, likes and dislikes, and more. Ready to take personalization to a new level? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Inbound marketing is about utilizing a variety of mediums to attract new clients and customers to you rather than fighting their attention. But to know what the right medium you should take with inbound marketing efforts requires an understanding of how the brain processes various types of content. From text to video, each format of content has its place.

Marketing.

It's a seemingly vague, all-encompassing word that takes on multiple meanings, depending on who you ask. In fact, unless you work in or directly with the marketing department, it's highly possible everything this team does is as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster.

Of course, each department in a company has a specific, important function. Ironically, the marketing folks have one of the most important functions in any business; yet, most people have no idea what they actually do.

As this year comes to a close, we're looking toward the future in anticipation of all the exciting things this new year will bring us. At the same time, we're reflecting back on all of the things years-gone-by have brought us.