Marketsmith, Inc. Brings in New Digital Marketing Manager

CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J., Aug. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — As a result of the growth evidenced by its recent jump to #97 on the Inc. 5000, Marketsmith, Inc. has been on a hiring tear.

The leader in data-driven direct marketing strategy and media optimization’s latest hire is Charles Taylor, an expert in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing and Reputation Management.

Taylor has over 15 years of managerial and hands-on experience in a number of B2B and B2C verticals – online law and legal professional services, ecommerce, information marketing and affiliate marketing. Over the past 10 years he has worked with organizations both large and small, including his own. He has mastered the intricacies of link-building and on-page optimization for users and search engines, as well as strategically leveraging social media sites for brand promotion.

Taylor will work with Marketsmith’s clients and for the company itself, as well as for its sister firms under The Marketplace umbrella, advertising and PR agency, Brushfire, and marketing and media automation platform, i.Predictus.

Said Marketsmith and Brushfire President Jill Draper, “Charles is yet another example of the top-tier talent that is gravitating towards The Marketplace companies.  We’re definitely becoming the go-to destination for young, talented and driven professionals looking to drive results and make a real difference. And at the rate that we’re growing, there are plenty of opportunities available for the right people to excel.”

Learn more on our blog.

About Marketsmith

Honored by NJ BIZ with the 2014 Business of the Year Award, ranked #10 on Crain’s New York’s 2014 Fast 50 List and #97 on the Inc. 500 2015 List, Marketsmith, Inc. is a strategic direct response marketing firm with an innovative approach to executing data-driven strategies that maximize ROI and foster consumer engagement. Marketsmith partners with its clients to create the powerful intersection of fact-based data and humanity to propel both business and community. Responsible for over $200 million dollars of media spend per year across TV, radio, print, digital and direct response and driving over $1.5 billion dollars annually at retail. Marketsmith has successfully launched and managed initiatives for both large and small brands, across multiple industries. Under the leadership of Founder/Chairwoman Monica C. Smith, the firm has been recognized as the 5th Fastest-Growing Women-Led Business on the Inc. 500, along with receiving the New Jersey Technology Council’s 2014 Impact Company of the Year Award.

Marketsmith, Inc. Brings in New Digital Marketing Manager

Facebook Brings Autoplay, Better Targeting To Its Mobile Ad Network, Grows Its Marketing Foothold

A carousel ad, one of several new advertising features Facebook recently introduced to its mobile ad network. (Courtesy of Facebook)

The auto-play video ads that users see when they check their news feed have been a big money-maker for Facebook. Now, the social network is bringing auto-play advertisements and several new features to apps in its mobile ad network, giving Facebook more ways to expand its influence in the digital advertising market.

The auto-play ads and new features will be available to publishers and developers on the “Audience Network” on Apple’s iOS and Android, the company said in a post on Tuesday. The move gives Facebook the chance to sell more video ads to marketers without upsetting Facebook users by putting more ads on its own apps.

“The Audience Network has been allowing third-party apps to monetize users for a while, and now these apps will see a greater return with a more diverse set of ad units to show,” Jan Rezab, CEO of social media analytics firm Socialbakers said in an email. “Introducing auto-play video here is a smart move for Facebook. It’s been performing well for marketers on the Facebook platform, and it’s a format that’s becoming very familiar to users.”

Facebook’s mobile ad business makes up a growing portion of its overall revenue. In the three months ending on June 30, mobile accounted for 76% of advertising revenue, up from 62% a year earlier. Digital video advertising revenue in the U.S. is expected to rise 34% to $7.77 billion this year, according to forecasting firm eMarketer.

In addition to autoplay ads, Facebook is making other new formats available to apps on the network who support full-screen ads. These apps can now be included in marketing campaigns that show product ads, known as “dynamic product ads,” to users based on items users have browsed on the web. Other new formats include carousel ads, which display a series of images, as well as a click-to-play video ad tool.

“The new features Facebook is rolling out for dynamic product ads mean ads will be more deeply targeted and relevant to the users they’re shown to,” said Rezab. “Facebook is trying to allow marketers to prioritize customers who will make a purchase.”

Facebook created its mobile ad network last year. Native ads now make up more than 80% of impressions on the network.

The social network has been scaling up video ads on Instagram and recently launched spherical and embedded videos. Facebook says it generates 4 billion video views per day, but has come under pressure for promoting this metric. Facebook counts a video view as three seconds, including views of auto-play videos, while its competitor Google-owned YouTube usually counts a view at around 30 seconds.

Video creators have criticized Facebook’s video view metric, saying that many of the videos Facebook counts in its tally were lifted from their original source and uploaded through Facebook’s native player, rewarding the Facebook page for the view and failing to reimburse the content creator. Video creators have also said that three seconds is not long enough to claim that a viewer was meaningfully engaged with a video, especially when YouTube tends to count views much later. In a blog post, YouTube star Hank Green noted a report from the ad agency Ogilvy and Tubular Labs that found that more than 70% of Facebook’s highest performing videos came from other sources, such as YouTube.

Facebook has responded to many of these criticisms, saying it has a system to help prevent unauthorized videos from being uploaded to its site, as well as tools to allow content owners to report potential copyright infringement. The social network said it removes unauthorized content when it receives a valid notice and suspends accounts of people with repeated violations. Facebook also said it is exploring news ways to help protect content owners. Green noted in his post, however, that because it isn’t possible to search for videos on Facebook, it is difficult for creators to track when their content is being freebooted. He also said that the fact that Facebook’s algorithm favors videos uploaded natively leads to more copyright violations.

In June, Facebook gave advertisers the option to choose to pay for a view once a video has played for 10 seconds. The company previously required advertisers to pay the instant a video ad, auto-play or not, came into view.

By comparison, YouTube has long offered marketers a product called TrueView under which they get charged only if a viewer doesn’t skip an ad—an option users have usually after four or five seconds—or if the viewer watches at least 30 seconds of the ad. Twitter charges advertisers for video views of three seconds or longer, but only when the video is completely visible in the user’s screen. Last year, Facebook’s share of the worldwide mobile advertising market was 17.4%, while Google’s share was 38.2% and Twitter’s was 2.5%, eMarketer said.

Follow me on Twitter @kchaykowski and e-mail me at kchaykowski@forbes.com.

Facebook Brings Autoplay, Better Targeting To Its Mobile Ad Network, Grows Its Marketing Foothold

OPM Pros Brings Abdo Mazloum on as VP, Search & Display

The seven-year veteran will launch and grow the company’s newest division.

Montreal, QC (PRWEB) June 18, 2015

OPM Pros is proud to announce the hiring of one of the Search & Display industry’s most sought-after senior professionals.

“An SEM and Display service is something that has been in the works at OPM Pros for a while,” says Paresh Vadavia, OPM Pros Co-Founder and CEO. “With Abdo Mazloum at the helm, we’re confident we can offer these complementary services at the highest levels. He can see things from 20,000 feet and two inches – and he can add value to our clients in both ways.”

Abdo comes to OPM Pros with an impressive CV. He graduated with a Computer Science degree from Bishop’s University and started his career as a Front End Web Developer. In this role at three different shops, he picked up a few white-hat SEO tricks, and successfully ranked a number of websites on the first page of Google for competitive keywords.

Knowing that marketing strategy was more in line with his passions, he switched disciplines and became an SEO/SEM Specialist and Team Lead at SSENSE. There, he created and implemented search engine optimization campaigns including on-page optimization, keyword research, competitor research, link building, content creation and social media; developed and managed online paid marketing initiatives of text, display and product paid ad placements on AdWords, Bing Ads, DoubleClick and several comparison shopping engines with combined monthly advertising budgets of hundreds of thousands of dollars; and managed a team of SEO/SEM specialists. His efforts in this role led to over a triple digit percent YoY increase in revenue on the SEO & SEM channels at SSENSE.

Most recently, Abdo was a Display Marketing Manager for Beyond The Rack Enterprises Inc., the fast-growing online private shopping club in North America where he managed their display, web analytics, and SEO campaigns while operating multi-million dollar advertising budgets annually. He also ranked 5th in the Biggest Search Geek Contest by Marin Software.

Abdo’s certifications include DFP Fundamentals for Traffickers, Google Analytics Premium Fundamentals, Ad Exchange Sell-Side Fundamentals, DoubleClick AdX for Buyers Fundamentals, DoubleClick Search Fundamentals, DoubleClick Campaign Manager, DoubleClick Rich Media Fundamentals, DoubleClick Bid Manager Fundamentals, Mobile App Analytics Fundamentals, Google Analytics Platform Principles, AdWords Advanced Display, AdWords Advanced Search, AdWords Advertising Fundamentals, Google Analytics Fundamentals and Bing Ads Accredited Professional.

At OPM Pros, Abdo’s portfolio will include paid search, display, programmatic media buying, comparison shopping engines, mobile strategy, SEO and web analytics.

About OPM Pros
OPM Pros is a global award-winning affiliate marketing agency that works closely with major retailers across North America, Australia and the UK to help them maximize their online revenues. Based in Montreal, Canada, and with three US offices (SC, NE and WI), OPM Pros specializes in affiliate program management across the full range of affiliate networks and verticals. Founded by Paresh Vadavia and Sonny Lamba in 2009, the company is counting over 30 full-time employees, a client roster of over 80 retailers, and multiple awards recognizing vision, innovation and financial performance of OPM Pros in the affiliate marketing field. The company’s team members boast a collective experience of over 100 years in the industry.

OPM Pros manages the affiliate programs for major online businesses including 1800flowers.com, Beyond the Rack, Art.com, Staples Canada, Bowflex.com, Forever 21 Canada and Paula’s Choice.

For More Information Contact: Paresh Vadavia, info(at)opmpros(dot)com, 514-341-7767 ext. 21

http://www.opmpros.com
@opmpros

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/06/prweb12795098.htm

OPM Pros Brings Abdo Mazloum on as VP, Search & Display

Digital Marketing Strategist Lori Ballen Brings The Ballen Method to Timonium MD

Digital Marketing Strategist and creator of The Ballen Method, Lori Ballen will be in Timonium, Maryland on June 10, 2015 from 12:00 PM – 4:00PM with The Ballen Method Lead Generation Live and Marketing Magic class. Registration for this class is free.

Timonium, MD, June 06, 2015 –(PR.com)– Lori Ballen, Digital Marketing Strategist and creator of The Ballen Method will be in Timonium, Maryland on June 10, 2015. She will be presenting her live class, The Ballen Method Lead Generation and Online Marketing Magic class from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM (EST) at Loyola University of Maryland. Joining Lori Ballen for this live class is Richard Ballen, who is well-known for his marketing magic presentations.

This live class on ways to create a massive online presence that results in leads and business will be held at 2034 Greenspring Drive in Room 05 at Loyola University of Maryland. Space for The Ballen Method Lead Generation Live and Online Marketing Magic class is limited. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to register as soon as possible to ensure seating. Registration for this event is free.

Lori Ballen is a Mega Agent with expansion teams all over the United States. Lori created Ballen Real Estate Network after creating a top producing team in Las Vegas called The Ballen Group at Keller Williams Realty Las Vegas. Once Lori saw what was possible in one location, she opened the flood gates and began expanding across the west coast in 2015.

Lori and her husband Richard Ballen have owned multiple successful businesses based on her marketing strategy which is now called The Ballen Method. Lori and Richard now travel and train other business professionals on her methods which include: Identifying a Niche, Finding a Target Audience, Creating a Message and a Product and then using Blogging, Press Releases, Social Media, Classified Ads, Video and Fresh, Relevant web site content with Disciplined Consistency in order to dominate the search engines for desired searched keyword strings.

Lori Ballen has become known for her “Keeping it Real” style and approach to Social Media. What you see is what you get with Lori. Passion, Enthusiasm and Energy are what she’s about.

Lori is an open book with her experiences, lead generation skills, and business building knowledge. She has no secrets and loves to educate, inspire, and train others. Her recent class included a fully packed house in Orlando with over 1000 attendees, where she shared her “Ballen Method” to Lead Generation. This presentation includes her “Ballen Blast” method to Blogs and Classified Ads for page one search engine results.

This class being held on June 10, 2015 in Timonium, Maryland from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM will teach attendees how to find and dominate their market by focusing on a niche to beat out their competition on search engines. They will discover the power of social media for building an online network that is so powerful that it generates continuous business.

Lori Ballen includes methods that are proven to be successful for creating powerful press releases, blogging for SEO and the consumer, video marketing, and setting up classified ads that reach targeted audiences in this live class, The Ballen Method Lead Generation and Online Marketing Magic.

Lori Ballen is a panel speaker at the Keller Williams Maryland/DC Agent Mastermind being held in Linthicum, Maryland on June 9, 2015 with her class Rising Above the Noise – Search and Social Strategies for 2015. Lori Ballen is a regular panel member for regional and national Keller Williams events.

The Ballen Method Lead Generation Live Online Marketing Magic class being held in Timonium on June 10, 2015 is expected to be well attended by those within the real estate community and other business owners who are interested in learning more about The Ballen Method of creating a powerful online presence.

Digital Marketing Strategist Lori Ballen Brings The Ballen Method to Timonium MD

Phoenix Marketing Associates Brings Four New Marketing and PR Clients on Board

Scottsdale-based marketing and PR firm, PMA, brings on a variety of new clients including a grilled fish restaurant, ballroom dancing studio, a clothing company and an up-and-coming country music artist.

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) May 15, 2015

Phoenix Marketing Associates in Scottsdale signed four new clients in the final week of April. The company is excited to welcome Ahi Mahi Fish Grill, Arizona Ballroom Champions, Define Yourself Clothing and Shari Rowe.

PMA will be assisting Ahi Mahi with PR for its grand opening, a website, branding and a social media and online marketing campaign. The fast-casual restaurant will open in Scottsdale this summer.

Similarly to Ahi Mahi, PMA will also provide PR, a website, branding and a social media and online marketing campaign for the newly established, award-winning Arizona Ballroom Champions.

Define Yourself Clothing Company, a progressive menswear clothing line, sought out the help of PMA for assistance in corporate branding and messaging and will soon begin coordinating with the company to further establish its brand.

Most recently PMA met with Shari Rowe, a local country artist looking for PR and event coordinating for her upcoming album release party. The country singer is an Arizona native, describing her sound as country/rock with a touch of bluegrass.

“We are very excited to be working with such a variety of fresh clients who are as enthusiastic about their upcoming events as we are about helping coordinate them,” said Phoenix Marketing Associates President Jason Jantzen.

Jantzen said he looks forward to an eventful month of May working with these clients. He stated that he and the rest of PMA believe these new clients are a great match with the company and they look forward to aiding them in their successes.

About Phoenix Marketing Associates:
Phoenix Marketing Associates works with small to medium sized businesses across North America to provide targeted and results driven marketing solutions on a contract basis within any budget. Their consultative approach allows for a thorough needs analysis, which translates into an effective marketing and PR strategy that saves their clients time and money while providing maximum exposure.
By assigning a team of qualified professionals to each individual situation and utilizing the most current communication and online demand generation technologies, Phoenix Marketing Associates enables businesses to achieve Fortune 500 results on an entrepreneurial budget. For additional information, please visit http://www.PhoenixMarketingAssociates.com

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Media contact:
Christine Holtz
Phoenix Marketing Associates
602-282-0202

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/05/prweb12726272.htm

Phoenix Marketing Associates Brings Four New Marketing and PR Clients on Board

Facebook Brings Live Events to Small Business

There are now more than 40 million active small business Pages on Facebook. As the number continues to grow, the social media giant has been launching several initiatives to better support these companies.

Facebook has announced two new resources to help small businesses grow on the social network: the 2015 Boost Your Business Program and live support on the Facebook for Business website.

Here’s what the new programs have to offer and how they can help your business. [Facebook for Business: Everything You Need to Know]

Earlier this year, Facebook launched the Ads Manager iOS app, the Creative Shop and the Blueprint marketing training program to help advertisers better create, manage and strategize their marketing efforts.

The new 2015 Boost Your Business program takes this to the next level by holding events throughout the nation, while the new live support makes it easier to reach an Ad Specialist to personally help small businesses with their campaigns.

Boost Your Business program

The 2015 Boost Your Business program is designed to help small businesses improve their marketing and reach more customers on the platform through live events in four U.S. cities: San Diego, Minneapolis, Nashville and Boston.

It consists of half-day and two-hour pop-up events where Facebook and its partners will be speaking to small businesses about social media marketing best practices and how they can grow their businesses on Facebook. The representatives will also be discussing new marketing strategies and tools that are now available to small businesses.

The Boost Your Business program is launched in partnership with Visa, email marketing provider MailChimp, e-commerce solution Shopify, human resources service provider Zenefits and Facebook marketing expert Mari Smith.

To attend these events, you can either register for the main program or find a two-hour event near you.

Facebook for Business live support

Users of Facebook for Business now have an easier way to get the help they need when they need it. Just click on the Get Help button to instantly connect to an Ad Specialist using the new live-chat feature.

Live chat will be rolled out in several countries, starting with the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland. Facebook says it also plans to launch live mobile chat and phone support.

Facebook Brings Live Events to Small Business