Archive for 'Marketing'
Relevancy Rules in E-mail Marketing
Posted on 12. Jul, 2010 by admin.
A recent study by ExactTarget shows that e-mail is still one of the most effective (and accepted) ways to market to consumers. Their survey of more than 1,500 consumers found that 93 percent are subscribers — meaning they have provided their e-mail address to at least one company or brand. Further analysis shows that the average consumer receives 44 e-mails per day. Of those, 25 percent (11) are permission-based commercial messages.
Consumers have come to accept e-mail as a marketing channel. But that doesn’t mean it’s a fail-safe solution. For one, just under half of those surveyed opened e-mails from their “favorite” companies. Chances are the majority of subscribers on your list don’t consider your company a “favorite.” So how do you change that? The answer, is relevancy.
Consumers expect personalization. E-mail is much more sophisticated than it was even just a few years ago and consumers know it. Therefore, they expect a message to be tailored to their needs, wants and even behaviors. “Dear Customer” isn’t going to work, and neither is an offer for a product that holds no value to them. To be successful, e-mail marketers must ensure that each message conveys a sense familiarity with the consumer. ExactTarget cites a recent CMO Council study that showed 41 percent of U.S. Internet users threatened to stop buying from companies that sent irrelevant messages. Not only does an irrelevant message waste consumers’ time but it also erodes confidence in that company. If they don’t know me, how can they serve me well? If they don’t care, is my information safe?
Consumers expect benefits. Not surprisingly, consumers often carry a what’s-in-it-for-me attitude when it comes to e-mail subscriptions. In other words, is this e-mail list relevant to my wants and needs? Some benefits might be discounts and coupons, free giveaways and contests, educational material, early notification of deals (exclusivity) and content tailored to them. As ExactTarget client and Groupon Manager of E-mail Optimization Andrew Kordek explains, “E-mail marketing is not a one-way communication. You need to take yourself out of the company and put yourself in the subscriber’s shoes. As a marketer, you’re not in charge of the e-mail — your subscriber is. Let the customer and subscriber dictate how you should run your email program.”
So what are those subscribers saying? The study asked: What motivated you to give a company, association, or organization your e-mail address? 67% To receive discounts and promotions
55% To get a “freebie” in exchange for my e-mail address
50% To get updates on upcoming sales
45% To get updates on future products
33% To get access to exclusive content
29% For fun or entertainment
28% To learn more about their products or services
28% To stay informed about them
22% For education about topics they specialize in
17% Someone recommended them
14% To interact with them
11% To show my support
Learn more about 18 Visions Design Internet Marketing
Source: Web Site Magazine
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Twitter rolls out ad program
Posted on 15. Apr, 2010 by admin.
Twitter has unveiled its much-anticipated monetization plan, an advertising program it is calling Promoted Tweets. The ads are rolling out in Twitter search results pages, appearing when users search for keywords that marketers have bought to link to their ads.
Promoted Tweets allows marketers the opportunity to keep their messages from getting lost in the flow of real-time conversation on Twitter. Advertisers participating in the first phase of the program include Starbucks, Best Buy, Red Bull, Bravo, Sony Pictures and Virgin America, and they are being charged on a cost-per-thousand basis to start the program.
Eventually, Twitter COO Costolo said, Promoted Tweets will be included in regular tweet streams, depending on their relevance to users. Twitter will measure each ad’s “resonance” based on how users react to the messages, and will remove any post that does not achieve a certain resonance score. Advertisers will not have to pay for posts that no longer appear as Promoted Tweets.
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5 great websites that let kids get creative
Posted on 11. Jan, 2010 by admin.
These artistic sites are fun, safe and free. Explore them with your children to get your creative juices flowing.
Draw and design. Shidonni lets kids draw animals online, give them names and design backgrounds for imaginary worlds. Winner of 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Ages 5 to 12; shidonni.com.
Devise games. “Fidgit” is a multiplayer game on PBS’ Design Squad site. Kids can also design and build their own games and challenge their friends. Ages 8 to 13; pbskids.org/designsquad/games/fidgit.
Craft cartoons. Kids write, read and tell stories by creating comic strips online, then printing or e-mailing them to friends or relatives. All ages; makebeliefscomix.com.
Program a video. Create movies, music and video games at Scratch, developed by MIT Media Lab members. Ages 8 and up; scratch.mit.edu.
Make music. On Crank It Up!, kids can compose and record multilayered rhythms using pots, pans, wooden spoons and even the computer keyboard to create a masterpiece. All ages; pbskids.org/arthur/games/crankitup.
Paul Wisentha, USA Today Weekend
