According to TrackMaven reports, and other industry research, this guide provides an aggregate view of the noisiest and most effective times to communicate across five of the most commonly used Social channels.

According to new research from Borrell Associates, at the rate digital advertising has grown in 2014, and the rate they're forecasting for 2015, digital advertising at the local level will grow 42% this year. At that rate it would account for $2 out of every $5 spent by local advertisers.

Not all research is digital or statistically precise; much is anecdotal and of empirical value. This Research Brief belongs in the latter category and delivers some practical benchmarks. It originates in the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute of Marketing Science's report "Shopping Takes Only Seconds...," and is effectively summarized by Randall Beard, President, Nielsen North America. Mr. Beard begins by noting how many marketing executives have an unrealistic and overly brand-centric view of how important their brands are in people's everyday lives.

This year, email is celebrating its 44th anniversary of the day in 1971 when computer engineer Ray Tomlinson sent the first electronic mail message. According to a report from ReachMail, Email was first used in 1971 by computer engineer Ray Tomlinson, though In 1976 Queen Elizabeth II became the first head of state to send an electronic mail message.

A new survey, from BeFrugal with Omnibus, finds that Americans have already started preparing for Valentine's Day with their significant other, and these plans don't have to break the bank. A majority feel it's appropriate for a Valentine's Day gift to be purchased at a discount, whether crafting something homemade, conjuring a low-cost activity, or using a coupon to purchase a gift, the sentiment is the same.

According to Rocket Fuel's Quantified Self (QS) Digital Tools Survey for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies, 31% of all U.S. consumers use a QS tool to track their health and fitness, food, diet, sleep, and/or mood. These include smart watches, wearable fitness trackers, and apps and websites that track their habits and activities.

According to latest research from Track Maven, a growing majority of professional marketing content fails to have an impact. The study found the output of content per brand increased 78% from the start of 2013 to the end of 2014, but content engagement decreased 60%.

According to a new report from Forbes, even companies using sophisticated technology are still view customer service through a traditional lens of serving the needs of the customer, despite its usefulness in marketing, building brand equity, up and cross-selling, driving loyalty, and capturing the voice of the customer. Even when serving customers is seen as a strategic goal for the entire organization, few companies seem to be leveraging customer service as a true organizational strategy.

According to the release of the 2015 B2B Marketing Trends, Predictions and Forecasts report from Regalix, B2B marketing leaders in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, are looking closer at deploying a mix of content and channels to get the best yield from marketing efforts. The research indicates a gradual shift among B2B marketers toward investing more in digital channels to meet their marketing goals

The Movable Ink US Consumer Device Preference Report from Movable Ink, focuses on data from October 2014 -December 2014 about consumers' adoption and use of smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers, and how they engage with email while using their preferred devices. This edition shows that, together, smartphones and tablets have become a dominating force in email marketing,