Douglas Karr's Articles on Martech Zone
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Paid and Organic Search Marketing
SEO Is Dead: Part 2
For years, search engine optimization (SEO) was a game of math: backlinks, keyword density, page structure, and crawlability. Those who knew how to manipulate the system—often through questionable means—were rewarded with top rankings. But those days are over. And that’s not a loss—it’s progress. In 2012, I declared that SEO was dead. It was a tongue-in-cheek clickbait article about how…
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Artificial Intelligence
The State of Visual Content in 2025: Key Takeaways from Marketing Trends
Visual content is the backbone of modern marketing strategies. From social media engagement to B2B decision-making, marketers across industries have embraced visuals as supplements to text and as primary drivers of communication, credibility, and conversion. According to Venngage’s annual visual content marketing report, the industry has witnessed a surge in investment, adoption of new tools, and growing reliance on data…
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Content Marketing
Why Style Beats Length: Rethinking the “Ideal” for Content, Titles, and More
For years, marketers and creators have obsessed over ideal lengths. We’ve seen precise character counts for subject lines, word counts for blog posts, and minute markers for video drop-off points. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: there’s no magic number. How content is styled, positioned, and consumed matters more than length. A perfectly short subject line that fails to compel is…
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Content Marketing
Voice Search in 2025: Revolutionizing Digital Engagement for Businesses
Voice search has transformed from a novel technology into a cornerstone of digital interaction, reshaping how consumers access information and engage with brands. Driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP), voice search is now integrated across mobile devices, smart speakers, in-car systems, and desktops. Optimizing for voice search is essential for businesses and marketers to…
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E-commerce and Retail
How to Craft Content That Converts: 5 Proven Principles for E-Commerce Success
In the crowded world of online stores, content can make the difference between a casual browser and a paying customer. High-converting e-commerce content isn’t just about describing a product – it’s about structuring information to match how users scan, read, and engage with pages. From product descriptions to blog articles, effective content uses smart structure, psychological cues, targeted messaging, clear…
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Public Relations
How NOT to Pitch to an Influencer, Blogger, or Journalist
I recently received this email from a public relations (PR) professional asking if I’d cover their client’s latest acquisition on Martech Zone. The entire body of the email (minus the contact signature) read as follows: [Client Name] is expanding its international business and services by acquiring a UK-based multimedia service provider next week, further strengthening its global footprint and reaching…
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Content Marketing
How Insurance Companies Are Leveraging Social Media for Marketing, Sales, and Retention
In an industry built on trust, relationships, and long-term value, the insurance sector has often lagged behind more agile verticals in adopting digital-first strategies. But that has changed. Today, social media is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s become a strategic pillar for insurance companies and representatives seeking to drive acquisition, build brand affinity, and retain policyholders. Unlike fashion, tech, or…
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Content Marketing
CELUM: Power Your Brand with Seamless Product Content Collaboration
Managing product and brand content across digital channels, partner networks, and internal teams can be overwhelming, especially for large manufacturing, retail, and B2B enterprises. Disconnected workflows, duplicated assets, and compliance errors waste time, impact consistency, and delay go-to-market speed. High-performing marketing and communications teams at large organizations have solved this by turning to a centralized content supply chain solution. They…
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Marketing Books
The Four Universal Truths of Marketing: Based on First Principles
First principles thinking is a problem-solving approach that breaks complex issues into their most basic, undeniable truths, free from assumptions or conventional wisdom. Popularized by thinkers like Aristotle and later applied by innovators like Elon Musk, it involves questioning established practices and rebuilding solutions from the ground up. In marketing, first principles mean moving beyond trendy tactics or outdated playbooks…
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Artificial Intelligence
n8n: Automate AI Agents Without Limits – Build Smarter Workflows Fast
Modern teams face a relentless demand for efficiency, integration, and real-time intelligence. But stitching together systems, cleaning data, and operationalizing AI is often a tangled mess. Developers burn hours on repetitive logic. Business users wait days for changes. And workflows break the moment complexity scales. If automation feels more like a limitation, it’s time to rethink the tools you’re using.…
