While the vision of search activity reaching past the desktop has been around for a while, the proliferation of mobile devices and new technologies makes "anytime, anywhere" search easier. Marketers may not need all of them, but it's increasingly crucial to be aware of the disparate ways to reach consumers when, where, and how they search.

SMS is more than a teenage communication technology; it can and should be a critical part of the marketing communications mix. The direct and brief nature of SMS (each SMS message permits a maximum of 160 characters, including spaces), allows marketing teams to deliver concise, targeted messages that customers will actually opt-in to receive.

Everybody talks about using multiple channels to reach consumers. Unfortunately, discussing it and doing it - successfully, anyway - are two very different things. Let's look at the fiction, the reality and the undeniable future of multichannel marketing.

The right e-mail at the right time can be a powerful touch point with your customer. At its best, meaningful e-mail content can complement the salesperson in-store and extend the reach of their relationship with customers.

I've been flying a lot this month, both for vacation and business, and e-mail updates for upcoming flights have made the experience smoother.

Soon, most of the expected 191 million Americans carrying a mobile device will be searching for everything local on their phone — an opportunity for marketers to dip their toe into the mobile search waters.

Tom Phillips, former director of search analytics at Google, has recently stepped into a new role as President and CEO of Media6Degrees, a venture-backed start up. Two weeks into his new position, Phillips shared his thoughts on how next generation advertising will leverage the best of search, display and the social graph.

Even though mobile commerce is still in its infancy, consumers are already getting a taste of buying in an anytime, anywhere scenario and using handsets to buy cinema tickets and make travel reservations, among other things. Online merchants who want to stay ahead of the game should be looking to test the market early or risk being left behind as their competitors take these principles to the next level.

During the recession, companies launched e-mail campaigns in record numbers because it is cost-effective and measurable. According to a study by Forrester Research, spending on e-mail marketing in the US will balloon to $2 billion by 2014. In many cases, marketers are opting to shift marketing money from traditional media to interactive marketing.

Forget all the claims that one day or time is better than another to send messages to your mailing list. The ideal time to send e-mails, of course, is when each recipient is most likely to open and act on your e-mails.