Email Marketing

Essential customer advice can be used to help marketers improve their campaigns and offerings, an expert has suggested.

Media Post blogger Ryan Deutsch explained that there are a number of ways in which client feedback can be more effectively integrated into email marketing campaigns.

He suggested that company should assess the needs and requirements of their consumers by engaging with them in the online space via various channels.

Mr Deutsch pointed out that a number of marketers have tended to focus too much of their attention on business data and analytics, leading them to ignore the basic needs of their customers.

The industry commentator's comments echoe those of direct marketing copywriter and consultant Dean Rieck, who recently said that direct mail is still a highly effective marketing tool.

Writing on the Marketing Profs blog, he also advised marketers to always ask for clients' email addresses when contacting them offline, so they can use this contact information to lure them online.

Posted by Julie Knight, Managing Director – General Marketing, Industry News
 

 

The expansion of the Advertising Standards Authority's (ASA) digital remit will not affect online companies' marketing techniques, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has said.

Caroline Roberts, director of public and legal affairs at the industry organisation, explained that the new agreement, which extends the ASA's scope to include online marketing communications, does not change existing rules governing digital marketing.

Although B2B marketing firms and other companies that fail to adhere to standards set out by the ASA will not suffer any consequences, the ASA can take action against firms that fail to comply with CAP Code sanctions, requiring them to amend or withdraw offending material.

"The ASA is a self-regulatory body, so it doesn't have the power to impose sanctions such as fines," Ms Roberts commented.

"However, the ASA can [require firms] to seek pre-approval for all future adverts."

From March 2011, the rules in the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing will apply in full to marketing communications online, as will the rules relating to misleading advertising, social responsibility and the protection of children.

Posted by Julie Knight, Managing Director – General Marketing, Industry News
 

 

The ease with which digital communications can be devised and disseminated has led to some B2B marketing professionals taking lax attitudes to their promotions and thinking they can do it all by themselves.

I have seen some marketers forget the importance of working collaboratively and insist on embarking on interactive marketing campaigns single-handedly without consulting other members of the team.

It's extremely important not to fall into this treacherous trap, because not only will it lead to corporate discord and a lack of communication within your organisational structure, but it could, perhaps more importantly, result in sub-par marketing communications, which could ultimately negatively affect your bottom line and cause serious brand damage.

A recent study from Booz & Co highlights the importance of a cohesive marketing strategy suitable for the peculiarities of the interactive marketing sector.

"In a Web 2.0 world, taking part in that market isn't simply a matter of throwing some banner ads against a few likely websites and seeing what sticks," the study states.

"It demands a close collaboration between CMOs and CIOs to build technology to automate new marketing processes and provide real-time decision support."

Posted by Suzanne Stock – Communications Director, HR, Online Advertising, General Marketing

 

Ever wondered why the reach of your B2B marketing campaign is not as comprehensive as it ought to be?

Maybe this is because you are not fully exploiting all the tactics at your disposal, such as newsletters, which are an excellent way to keep clients engaged and lure prospects who are lurking in the shadows.

According to Mark Haslan, of Overnight Prints, when it comes to establishing yourself as an "industry thought leader", newsletters are among the most effective marketing strategies available to B2B marketing professionals.

"Companies can use newsletters to tackle common challenges faced by recipients while also marketing the sponsoring firm's products," he says, noting that newsletters are especially good for attracting B2B clients, as they are usually industry-specific.

Mr Haslan also stresses the importance of cultivating a relevant B2B mailing list of current and prospective clients, so any content that is sent out reaches its intended destination.

Also, make sure you don't forget to personalise newsletters, as this shows your clients that you have taken the time to tailor content specifically for them.

Posted by Daryl Jay, Business Development Director – Sales, Industry News, General Marketing

 

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past few years, you will no doubt have encountered myriad cynical prophets of doom lamenting the demise of the direct mail sector.

Although online platforms have undeniably mushroomed in recent times, there is still certainly plenty of space for direct mail at the table.

Indeed, direct mail can even be used to propel prospects onto your online portal if done in the correct way.

According to Dean Rieck, a direct marketing copywriter and consultant, smart business people don't make decisions based on personal preferences or novelty - they make decisions based on what works. And traditional direct mail works.

Writing in Marketing Profs, he urges companies to always ask for clients' email addresses when contacting them offline, so they can use this contact information to lure them into the online arena.

You can also consider building a special landing page as part of your lead generation efforts.

"By creating a unique landing page and driving people to that page, you can control the message, track response and collect information for follow-up and future direct marketing effort," Mr Rieck says.

Posted by Suzanne Stock – Communications Director, HR, Online Advertising, General Marketing
 

 

There has been much talk about the explosion of Web 2.0 and the increasingly interactive and collaborative nature of the internet.

Blogs, online forums and wiki pages have sprung up across cyberspace, offering limitless opportunities to businesses keen on raising their public profile and increasing their web presence.

There are many ways in which you can take full advantage of this rapidly changing media landscape, such as by writing industry-specific articles that showcase your expert knowledge of your sector and lead visitors to your corporate blog or website.

Also make sure you allow space for visitors to leave comments - this allows you to obtain instant feedback about what you could do better and allows you to keep your finger on the pulse of grassroots-level fads and developments that the mainstream press has not got hold of yet.

B2B marketing expert Cecilia Alston gives some excellent advice about gaining the trust of potential leads at Lon's Article Directory.

"Join forums and form social networks; capture market and show your expertise and credibility," she says.

"Once you find a good foundation on your site, people will trust you and your site."

Posted by Suzanne Stock – Communications Director, HR, Online Advertising, General Marketing 

 

A new survey reveals that many companies are still not sending relevant and tailored email content to their subscribers.

According to a report from Return Path, the average business sends between nine and 11 messages a month to inactive subscribers without carrying out adequate cleansing of their B2B mailing lists.

Only five out of the 40 (12.5 per cent) companies questioned said they have attempted to re-engage a dead lead though the use of a re-activating email and of those five, only one said they sent an email asking for permission to continue sending messages.

Moreover, none of the companies surveyed said they explicitly gave subscribers the option of changing their preferences of content or frequency and none of the re-activation messages were tailored based on the subscriber's previous purchases.

According to Bonnie Malone, director of Response Consulting, firms eager to improve their relationships with their clients should learn to cultivate a meaningful dialogue with them and obtain crucial feedback from customers to improve their business.

Posted by Daryl Jay, Business Development Director – Sales, Industry News, General Marketing
 

 

Have you ever pressed the email send button and realised seconds too late that it contains information for somebody else? Terrible feeling isn't it?

This sensation can be even worse if you discover you have sent email marketing content to subscribers without crossing your Ts or spelling your company name correctly. Making careless mistakes such as these can not only make you seem unconcerned, it can also result in serious brand damage.

So before you send out that crucial email to your subscribers, take heed of a few email marketing best practice guidelines from Justine Jordan, manager of Design Solutions, who gives some golden rules that all self-respecting marketers would do well to adhere to.

"Every time you send out an e-mail, test it first on all of the mailboxes," she tells Marketing Vox. "I never cease to be amazed at how many marketers don't do this."

Giving your email newsletter a test run before sending it out to your precious mailing lists will allow you to iron out any potential hiccups.

Jordan also highlights the importance of making sure your brand is properly represented on all materials, as this is where many marketers tend to drop the ball.

"Having a generic piece of marketing material might make the consumer think it is a scam or phishing attempt," she warns.

If you follow these simple rules to marketing nirvana, success shouldn't be too far behind.

Posted by Julie Knight, Managing Director – General Marketing, Industry News
 

 

Marketers can take advantage of corporate videos to generate more sales, an expert has suggested.

According to Don Davis, editor of Internet Retailer magazine, corporate web-based videos can be particularly helpful in converting reluctant sales leads.

He pointed out that online merchants and e-tailers have been capitalising on the many benefits offered by videos and other forms of interactive content.

"Retail web sites have got much better in recent years in providing lots of images, videos and other information that can make consumers more comfortable buying all sorts of products online," Mr Davis commented.

Online videos can also play a pivotal role in an effective cross-channel marketing strategy and complement other traditional offline platforms, such as direct mail.

Nicola Clark, features editor at Marketing Magazine, recently highlighted the importance of a decent cross-platform approach to marketing.

She explained that marketers should take full advantage of popular platforms such as social media, which allows companies to develop an "authentic personality".

Posted by Julie Knight, Managing Director – General Marketing, Industry News
 

 

Marketing companies with limited budgets can use social media strategies for a "guerrilla approach", it has been suggested.

Will Rigg, design director at FLY53, explained that social media platforms offer firms an opportunity to try new types of marketing at very little cost.

He illustrated this point by describing the success FLY53 has achieved by implementing a social networking campaign that advertised the company's brand using websites such as MySpace.

"It was such an involved and tight knit community that within three days we had 3,000 people sign up [and it] grew and grew," Mr Rigg revealed. "It snowballed and within a week 8,000 people were involved."

He conceded however, that because MySpace has become so broad, it is fairly difficult to get people to engage with it is as much as they have done in the past.

The merits of social media marketing were also extolled by Lisa Morgan of Practical E-commerce, who recently said that social platforms and email marketing should be used together as part of a powerful multi-channel campaign strategy.

Posted by Daryl Jay, Business Development Director – Sales, Industry News, General Marketing