Google has partnered with SpotMixer to launch a self-service video ad creation solution within the Google TV Ads platform. This is a very cool concept that should be huge for small businesses with tight advertising budgets. Basically, you create a ready-for-television commercial all on your own.read more

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Well, socially speaking, there being more interest in First Lady-Elect Michelle Obama than in Britney Spears or Paris Hilton is a positive change, one that bodes well for society. On the flip side, as Inauguration Day nears, spammers are rewarding that renewed interest in affairs of state with an onslaught of junk mail. Of the 1.4 million spam emails analyzed by SPAMfighter in December, Michelle Obama was the subject nearly five times as much as Britney Spears was, nearly six times as often as Paris Hilton, and ten times as much as Angelina Jolie. read more

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Small brick and mortar businesses that advertise with Google may be about to get a boost.  The search giant is making some adjustments to the ads that appear on Google Maps, and a separate upgrade should allow stores to track how much of a gain the things give them. read more

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A lot of things have prevented mobile advertising from becoming widespread; think phone tech, consumers' reactions, and advertisers' reluctance, to name a few.  Now, it looks like the list has grown longer, as the Center for Digital Democracy and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group have sent the FTC a formal complaint.read more

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Online video media spend totaled $2.1 billion in 2008, up 36 percent over 2007, and is forecast to continue double-digit increases through 2010 at a moderating rate, according to a report from AccuStream iMedia Research.The report, "Online Video Media Spend: 2003-2010," calculates multiple ad sales components corresponding to annual growth  2003-2010 by avail unit: pre-roll, In-banner video, overlays, in-game, podcast, player display and skins.read more

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Four major marketing and advertising industry associations have announced they are working to develop enhanced self-regulatory principles for online behavioral advertising with the goal of addressing privacy concerns and increasing consumer’s trust in how online information is collected and used.Those associations involved include the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).read more

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It’s not just about clicks and easily measured click-through-rates. Search marketers shouldn’t forget about the power of branding, or presence as I’ve called it previously, in the search results. Just because a consumer sees the brand but doesn’t click right away, it doesn’t mean that appearance was without worth.read more

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The Microsoft adCenter team took the holiday break to put some "finishing touches" on some enhancements to the service. These enhancements include:read more

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Indicators that times are tough shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, and a new report from eMarketer suggests that some advertisers will respond by making cutbacks.  The research and analysis company took a close look at a few social networks, though, and believes advertisers in the UK won't turn their backs on them too much.read more

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Expect more sophisticated spamming in 2009. And thanks to the economy, an increase in scams targeting the down and out, the tax-rebate hopeful, and the noble yet digitally naïve pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps market. read more

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Now here's an interesting approach to social media marketing. Burger King has a new campaign going, which requires interested consumers to install a Facebook App, and then to delete ten of their friends in exchange for a voucher for a free Whopper sandwich.read more

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People who are careful with their time and money and either live in or have a fondness for the UK should be pleased.  Yelp, the site famous for offering tons of user-generated reviews, has launched a version catering to this region.read more

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Google seems to be offering beta testing of a new AdWords budgeting feature called "Timeframe," which allows users to choose between monthly and daily budgeting. Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable says the beta testing has been confirmed, and points to a WebmasterWorld thread that includes a response from an official Google representative: read more

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If it seems like some companies are trimming fat just in anticipation of hard times, you may be right. In fact, that seems like the conventional wisdom. Among the most tightened budgets is marketing, but when consumer dollars are fewer and farther between, it’s probably not a good idea to let them forget about you altogether. read more

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Multi-channel retailers increased their U.S. paid search spend in Q4 08 by 12 percent compared to Q4 07.Consumers continued to convert online at a steady rate, although they spent 10 percent less on average per transaction compared with the prior year, according to a report from SearchIgnite.read more

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Last week, Google used its Google Moderator product to call upon users to give them ideas for improving Google Mobile. It allowed people to submit ideas and vote others up or down. This would give Google an idea of the ones that were most in demand.read more

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Back in October, when Google offered some tips for the then-upcoming holiday season, they suggested using Google Checkout badges in your AdWords ads. They said that ads that do this have a 10% higher clickthrough rate than those that don't.read more

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Election season was good for media companies; people, places, and things were taking out ads left and right.  Now, in the hopes of getting some extra mileage out of the period, Gannett is moving forward with an ad initiative called ContentOne that will affect its online operations.read more

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The New York Times has joined the ranks of other major newspapers and is now offering display ads below the fold on its front page.The first ad appearing today was bought by CBS and appears in color below the fold.Other major newspapers that sell front-page display ads include The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The Los Angeles Times.read more

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It's hard for things to grow when they're being artificially constrained; think about bound feet if you need a rather gross example.  So, if some new reports lead to any significant developments, Hulu may be making some smart decisions and heading in new directions.read more

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Closing the sale is a delicate and at times unpredictable process. Consumers have varying reasons to reject or accept an offer and often some incentive is necessary. But what kind of incentive is most effective and brings the most return for the retailer? A discount? A gift? Free shipping? read more

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Nielsen Online has shared some interesting data regarding advertising on the web during the holiday season. This look comes after finding that there was 10% growth in retail site traffic. Nachi Lolla at the Nielsen Blog wondered if the advertising strategies of these retailers had anything to do with that traffic. Lolla writes: read more

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It’s been long established that consumers are more willing to buy a product when more information is available. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research confirms that consumers choose products with more technical specifications offered. read more

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Google is now showing text ads in image searches regularly. This is not the first time people have noticed such ads, but it is probably so for this frequency. "Since 2005, we have reported signs of Google placing ads on their image search service," notes Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Roundtable. "In May 2008, Google said they would run ads on image search and then signs of text ads on image search back in December. But it has really not stuck and people saw the ads on and off."read more

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Google held onto its search advertising market lead during the fourth quarter with 76 percent market share while Yahoo gained 3 percent share year-over-year, according to a report from Efficient Frontier.The search marketing firm based its report on analysis of 92 million impressions and 600 million clicks across a portion of its customers.read more

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After shutting down several services last week, Google is now adding another one to the scrap heap. The company announced that it is closing the doors on Google Print Ads. read more

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Google recently announced that it would be shutting down its print advertising business after announcing the pulling of the plug on a number of other services last week.read more

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Google is set to release its Q4 2008 earnings report tomorrow, and the company will likely set the tone for the entire search marketing industry and the online economy going into 2009. According to a recent market report, Google’s got a tough sell on Thursday. read more

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Reports suggest that YouTube will soon begin letting big content providers sell ads on their content that appears on YouTube. This would be an interesting way to break legal tension between the hugely popular video site and the content owners who feel their copyright is being infringed upon when users upload it.read more

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In these uncertain economic times, advertisers need to make their ads count if they don't want to throw away precious dollars on ineffective Internet advertising. Online advertising is still a great way to market your business, as it is highly targeted, and can provide both an unparalleled branding appeal and instant conversion (depending on the nature of the ad). But effective ads must be engaging. They must give a viewer a reason to care. That is a large part of the battle. Caring and Sharing read more

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