GA v5 still doesn’t offer a stock report that filters traffic by metropolitan region akin to the AdWords DMA geo-targeting. Here's how to segment traffic for a specific County or a metro area.

Looking for an easy way to quickly add a flash banner, video, or other hosted or external SWF file to Joomla articles or to a custom HTML module? Look no further. The BIGSHOT Flasher can help you do just that.

Facebook contests have become ubiquitous, and for good reason: Facebook has more than 800 million active users, and more than 50% of active users log on to the site at least once a day. When executed correctly, a contest or giveaway on Facebook can help you build a loyal fan base and gain access to hundreds of highly qualified leads.

But make sure your contest is administered correctly, or you risk having your page shut down. Facebook has strict guidelines when it comes to the way contests and promotions are executed and administered on the site. Chances are, a good number of the contests you've seen or entered on Facebook were set up and run in a way that violated Facebook's terms of service.

For as long as I’ve been an avid follower of online media-strategist Gerry McGovern’s blog, I feel like I owe him a followed link, not only because it’s been close to 6 years, but because I think he’s a pioneer and a thought leader in UI design and UX tweaking that shaped the better part of my perspectives today.

In a post from last week entitled “The Customer Spring: Empowered Customers Rise Up,” McGovern reiterates the dichotomy in between traditional marketing and web marketing.

“Traditional marketing looks at the customer and asks: What can you do for me? Web marketing looks at the customer and asks: What can I do for you?”

E-mail marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach customers and prospects, and can be an extremely effective marketing technique when done correctly. E-mail marketing can help you build relationships with your contacts and establish yourself as a business that offers valuable services and resources. Abuse some of the following best practices, however, and you may experience less-than-desirable results or see your contact list dwindle.

I learned a lot at Free State Social last week, even if I was only able to view the conference via live streaming on my computer. Even though I wasn't able to network in person with fellow attendees and speakers, I still believe that I learned as much as I would have had I attended it in person. Hopefully next year I will be able to go again! It was a great experience, especially since there were experts like Chris Brogan and Sarah Evans in attendance.

Here are some of the main points from the first 3 speakers at the conference.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Social Fresh Conference that was being held in St. Louis, Missouri. In attendance were several influential speakers, marketers, and bloggers that have everything to do with social media and how it is shaping our current (future) marketing strategies, whether you are a big organization like H&R Block or a private blogger. I learned a lot and even received a free 5 minute massage from MassageEnvy during a session break!

Here are some of the highlights from the main speakers at Social Fresh.

If the past year has taught us anything, it's that saving money has become a necessity in a less friendly economic environment ... and as a result, coupons have made a huge comeback. After all, who wants to cut back on the day-to-day essentials when (with a little extra effort) you can just get them cheaper?! Okay, I'll admit, a $4.00 latte isn't really necessary EVERY day ... but if I have a $2.00 off coupon, it sure doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Retailers clearly seem to agree as coupons (particularly the online variety) have once again become mainstream.