David Griner over at Adfreak recently blogged about the dreaded e-newsletter: "Packed with puffery, these lengthy invasions of your inbox usually survive there only because it's so hard to unsubscribe from them." So true! I only read a fraction of the e-newsletters I get, and almost none of them on a regular basis.

Griner goes on to spotlight one e-newsletter he actually looks forward to: the weekly dispatch from video-game retailer GameSpot, written by Gary Offut. What sets it apart? Says Griner, "it's informative, brief and, quite often, hilarious."

Brief and informative seem like a good, no-brainer advice for any e-newsletter: respect your customers' limited time, and provide them with something of value, beyond sales pitches and offers. As for the "hilarious" part -- if you're a video-game retailer, sure. If you're in a more "serious" business, like healthcare or financial services, irreverent jabs and pop culture references probably won't fly.

But your e-newsletter still can have its own distinct, human voice. Think about the e-newsletters you actually take the time to read. Chances are, they're the ones that feel like they're written by a real person – not cut and pasted from the company web site or crafted by committee. They're immediate. Conversational. Personal. Maybe a little quirky. 

Remind you of any other kind of e-communication out there? Like, say, the one you're reading right now? Yes, indeed. E-newsletters today are increasingly taking their cues from blogs. You could even argue, as some marketers do, that blogs obviate the need for e-newsletters.

Nick Usborne sums it up well in Four ways the best e-newsletters are like blogs, "We select the blogs we like in large part because of the person who writes them. We like their voice, we enjoy their perspective, we connect with the way they write, we generally agree with their opinions…The same is true of some of the best newsletters."

So, maybe the question to ask yourself when it's time to generate that next e-newsletter isn't "How can we more effectively engage and appeal to our target audience through this communication," but, more simply: "What Would a Blogger Do?"

Posted by Jane Roper at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Last Thursday, BIMA hosted its annual Digital State program for a standing-room only crowd at the Parris Lounge in Boston. This year's topic: Social Media: the Opportunities and Implications for Marketers.

Our very own Larry Weber moderated the event (PARTNERS+simons was also a sponsor), which included the following panelists:

• Tom Arrix, Vice President of Sales at Facebook

• Pauline Ores, Social Media Marketing Strategist at IBM

• Juan Fernando Santos, Chief Creative Officer at Studiocom

• Suzanne Skop, Director of Sales at MySpace

• Jeff Taylor, CEO and Founder of Eons

Social Media has been a hot topic over the last year, as evidenced by the high turnout at this event. Marketers in all disciplines, including B2C and B2B, as well as paid- and unpaid-media experts, are clamoring to understand the best use of emerging channels like blogs, widgets, and social networks. While it's still early in the social media landscape, the panelists were able to shed some light on what's worked for their respective businesses which I'll share below, along with some of my own insights and opinions on the topic.

Larry Weber kicked off the conversation by remarking that social media is the future of media, a logical evolution in Web technology and marketing. To illustrate the point, he noted that globally, there is no newspaper today that exceeds 2 million in circulation, while there are over 50 blogs with over 2 million readers (I've heard these numbers before, but it remains a hotly contested topic). The point is, social media is no longer a fringe activity, and sites in this category should be considered as part of your overall marketing communications arsenal.

The microsegmenting opportunity that social networks provide is huge: participants provide all kinds of detailed information in their profiles, from marital status, to income, location, job title, books/movie/food preferences and beyond. That's why MySpace has had success with hypertargeting messages to its 72 million users leveraging over one thousand segments that are based on their passions & interests. When describing the niche opportunities new media offers, Jeff Taylor from Eons noted that traditional media is typically "an inch deep and a mile-wide, whereas the Web is an inch wide and a mile deep." Regardless of the audience you seek, you can likely find them online and create a highly engaged community.

The trick is in figuring out how to leverage that information to provide relevant marketing messages within the bounds of commonly-accepted privacy principles. The advertising models for many of these sites are not as mature as you may find with other publishers who have been selling online inventory for some time. I think it's safe to say that's because most of these sites were created first and foremost to connect like-minded individuals - the idea of monetizing the huge audiences that formed around them came later.

B2B marketers like IBM have had luck in using social networks as collaboration tools, more so than promotional vehicles. Pauline Ores pointed to IBM's highly successful developer network, developerWorks, a technical resource for software developers, providing a wide range of tools, code, and education on IBM products as well as open source technologies. By tapping into the developers who work with these products on a daily basis, IBM is able to leverage the wisdom of the crowd to fine tune its product offering and technical support. She noted that the difference between B2B and B2C programs in this space is huge - while the latter may only require involvement from customers/prospects, the former is more likely to require regular involvement from the marketer's employee base, due to the technical nature of the conversations.

All panelists agreed that the key is for brands to enable these conversations, and social computing technologies as simply another way to build upon relationships with your clients and prospects.

I'd add the following considerations when developing a social media strategy:

1. Context. Think about the promotional vehicles you adopt in this space. Consider that social network participants are typically in an active mindset: they are uploading, downloading, chatting, commenting,  mashing-up, and forwarding interesting tidbits to friends. "Traditional" online advertising units like display ads can often get overlooked in this environment. Instead, think about ways to  educate, inform, and entertain through branded content. Also, not every social media program requires a free-standing community; in many cases, it could simply involve engaging your audience in the information delivery process by making social computing tools like bookmarking, commenting, and forward-to-a-friend readily available.

2. Transparency. The social media realm demands honesty and transparency. We've all seen the headlines about Walmart's blogging gone bad and the Facebook Beacon fiasco. Two very different scenarios but both point to the need to be open and straightforward with your community. Anything less and you will be found out. Be prepared to address difficult subjects, acknowledge when you don't have all the answers, and always maintain a sense of humor. As in face-to-face relationships, the best social media relationships grow from open, honest and sincere exchanges.

3. Success metrics.Social media is not about CPM, CPL, or CPC. It's about understanding your audience's engagement with your brand, no matter how small that audience is. Look at metrics like comments per post, subscriptions, downloads, forwards, and other indications that people are interacting with your content, message, and brand. As a recent Marketing Evolution study illustrated, the value of social nets comes primarily from the momentum (pass-along) effect. Lastly, don't forget that these communities can be a rich source of customer insights and the research alone could prove highly valuable.

4. Commitment and Patience. Like customer relationship management (or any relationship management), social media takes a certain amount of care and feeding. When entering the space, be prepared to address community comments/questions/issues in [near] real time. Even negative ones. Recognize that you are forging new paths, and issues may arise that you didn't plan for. As in public relations, have a crisis communications plan in place should you need it. And it's always a good idea to have a publicly available Terms of Use/Code of Conduct on your site that clearly establishes the goals and suggested guidelines for interacting with the community.

If there are any readers who would care to share their own insights and tips on social media, please share them in the comments field below. 

Related Posts:

The Social Marketing Challenge 

Transparency in Business 

Posted by Stephanie Rogers at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you have ever downloaded or interacted with WeatherBug, then you are familiar with widgets and branded desktop applications (BDAs).

WeatherBug's desktop application was launched in 2000 and is consistently ranked as one of the highest trafficked Web properties in Comscore's monthly rankings.  While WeatherBug's reach is attractive to advertisers, it is the loyalty and repeat visitation of its audience that is highly compelling.  Because the application does not require an open browser and is highly customizable to individual user preferences, it provides a high level of utility to each individual user.

Many brands have finally begun harnessing the power of BDAs and widgets through the positive ways they can improve their marketing efforts and drive business results.

Branding
BDAs, and to a large degree, many forms of today's widgets, provide immersive brand experiences.  Typically, BDAs take on unique shapes and forms and are skinned to match the look and feel of an advertiser's brand. 

Widgets are also being placed on personal websites, blogs, personal pages in social networks, and personal homepages (e.g., My Yahoo! or iGoogle pages), making them highly trafficked and frequently utilized.  BDAs and widgets enable brands to take on more personal, intimate feels, since users are able to set preferences and closely control the content they choose to receive.

Relationship Marketing
BDAs and widgets fit nicely into an ongoing contact strategy.  A major challenge for advertisers is determining the optimal timing and flow for pushing out communications to their constituents.  Email is typically sent out on a regimented basis – usually daily, weekly, or maybe even monthly.  DM is normally executed with much less frequency.  BDAs and widgets, on the other hand, are always live and always updating through RSS (syndicated feeds).  The benefit to the advertiser is that if a user sets alerts for content tailored to his/her preferences or has an immediate need for information, a constantly updating widget fills the communication void nicely.  

Considering how much competition exists and how many channels are currently being utilized to attract new customers and retain existing customers these days, maintaining an ongoing dialogue is becoming increasingly important.  As Ray Valdes, research director for Gartner noted in an interview, "…a widget is providing value by helping a consumer offload a task—such as tracking new products—and giving back to them just-in-time information on an ongoing basis."

Research
BDAs and widgets can be used as two-way communications devices.  Not only is content pushed out to users, but also existing customers can be communicated with and surveyed on an ongoing basis – for free!  Additionally, user interaction and behavior can be tracked, enabling content optimization. Sr. Analyst at Forrester, Jeremiah Owyang, dives deeper into the widget metrics on his blog.

Direct Response
Southwest's DING! application has been downloaded more than 1 million times and has generated more than $150 million in revenue. When alerts are set to inform a user about deals and offers that align with his or her pre-determined preferences, s/he will be more likely to react and convert.  Putting the consumer in control of an application that is constantly live and updating greatly increases the odds of an opportunistic, incremental sale.  Whether you're selling airline tickets or software, a BDA or widget may be the ideal vehicle to reach an existing customer with a highly compelling up-sell or cross-sell message.

Viral
BDAs and widgets are highly viral and easily distributable.  They can be emailed, easily downloaded, or installed with simple pieces of code.   These relatively low-cost, highly functional marketing tools have infiltrated the social networking environment on sites like Facebook and MySpace. 

Many companies have begun to experiment with BDAs over the past few years - some more successfully than others.  While BDAs are flexible and customizable, each one must have a unique value proposition for its end users.  Users not only need compelling reasons to download a new application in their already cluttered desktop environments, but there must also be enough value so that they use the application actively and repeatedly, instead of discarding the application after a short trial period.  So, don't just create a BDA or a widget because they’re popular and everyone else seems to be getting in on the game.  Do it if your customers and prospects will find incremental, lasting value in the experience and if you, as an advertiser, will be able to gain further insights and value from your installed base of users.      

Posted by Doug Ellinger at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It’s a new year!  Are you ready?  Given the results released by the CMO Council in their second annual Marketing Outlook Survey on Monday (1/14), it’s time to hit the ground running!  This fascinating survey of 825 marketing executives from around the world covers companies of all sizes, industries, and customer targets (B2B, B2C and hybrids). 

The results provide insight on the usual suspects (If you are interested in more details, you can download the Executive Summary for free.):

• Expected changes in marketing expenditures (They’re not going up a lot, but they’re also not going down, thankfully!)
• Agency turn-over reasons and rates
• Marketers’ biggest sources of aggravation
• Trusted sources of information and insight

However, in addition, the results indicate that we are seeing real traction in the area of marketing sciences (research, analytics, and measurement):

• Looking back at 2007, marketers reported that one of the top achievements was focusing heavily on using customer data and analytics to provide better targeting and effectiveness.

• Looking to 2008, more than half say their top challenge is quantifying and measuring the value of marketing programs and investments.  Marketers are keen on improving the accountability of the marketing organization and plan to implement marketing ROI and/or resource allocation capabilities, in order to achieve that goal.  In fact, 34% of these marketers are planning to introduce a formal ROI tracking system. 

But, I was shocked by the stats that drive those achievements and challenges:

• Almost 55% of these companies do not track or measure their marketing expenditures in any way or have almost no way to connect their marketing efforts to actual business results.
• Only 7% conduct the rigorous analyses needed to document the actual impact of marketing on revenue and profit.

In an age where we have more data than we can possibly use (and are generating more every second), this seems a crime!  (But, then again, I guess I’m biased…) 

However, I do take heart in the fact that Marketing Sciences is covered in 3 of the 12 areas where marketers expect to allocate their dollars in 2008:

• Strategy and branding
• Events and trade shows
• Operations
• Direct marketing (including telemarketing, mailings, email)
• Sales support
• Online marketing (web site, SEO, SEM, viral, podcasts/blogs, communities)
• Advertising
• Market Research
• Systems (dashboards, CRM, etc.)
• Merchandising and promotions
• Public and analyst relations
• Customer data integration and analytics

So, I’m curious – do these results echo what is happening in your organizations?  Do you agree with the achievements in 2007?  Do you find yourself with the same priorities for 2008?  If only I had the actual questionnaire they used for this research…I’d submit it to you all, to see if you are in agreement!

Posted by Trina Arnett at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Barack Obama sent me a text message on New Year's Eve. Michelle Obama emailed me earlier in the day. On Obama's Facebook page, supporters were urged to encourage their Iowan friends to caucus. As usual, Obama's blog was abuzz.

In a race that has already seen the nation's first-ever YouTube presidential debate, this election has attracted a new wave of young voters through the Internet and social networking sites. But what can we, as marketers, learn from Obama? Let’s look at four lessons before we decide who'll lead our country for the next four years.

Stay top of mind. Team Obama excels at putting "product" in hands, especially hands of the coveted 18-34 year-olds. Photos of him flood Flickr. Rallies and speeches feature merchandise tables like he's Bono. And Obama Mobile makes it easy to receive product, er, poll updates, like the one I received on New Year's Eve. It's politician as product—and it's working.

Develop a smart contact strategy. Politics is the ultimate sales pitch. The key to Obama's success online is his ability to reach his audience. He leads all candidates in Facebook supporters and MySpace friends, and dominates Democrats in YouTube views. Of course, clicks don't equal sales, but if all those friends turn into votes, Obama's Communications Director will keynote many a marketing conference in 2009.

Content is king. All politics aside, it's easy to see why Obama resonates well in Web 2.0: He's the youngest, freshest face out there. But he also delivers the goods with an easy-to-navigate site, tons of video, Buddy icons, Google Gadgets, and even fun ringtones. Can your brand say the same?

Learn from the past. Marketing and politics have at least one thing in common: failed campaigns. The key here is to learn from those mistakes. In a December New York Times Magazine article about Howard Dean's 2004 campaign, Matt Bai reflects on Dean’s ultimately failed attempt to utilize the Internet, and discusses whether today's candidates are doing any better. Granted, a campaign for home loans might not have the same impact as a race for the White House, but that doesn’t mean we can't learn from past mistakes.

So are we about to elect America's first iPrez? According to techpresident.com, yes. And Obama is in the lead, based on how he uses the Internet to enhance his campaign, as well as his stance on technology issues. If he wins, let's just hope he has a good relationship marketing plan in place.

Posted by Matt Fishbein at 09:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

"Traditional media is dead."

We heard that a lot last year. Especially, with regard to newspapers.

While it's true that total ad spending at newspapers has declined in recent years, there's evidence that the channel is far from dead. In fact, when used as part of a broader, strategic marketing mix, newspapers can help reach a desirable audience and drive research and purchase behaviors throughout the buying life cycle.

Consider the following:

Newspapers provide significant local reach.

In a study published earlier this year, PR agency Ketchum noted that consumers tend to rely more heavily on traditional channels like their local newspapers (69% of respondents) as opposed to newer media like blogs (13%) when looking for local information. Local media was also near the top of the list of media that consumers found most credible, joined by national newspapers and broadcast news, demonstrating that consumers’ trust in traditional media runs high. 

Newspapers reach an attractive demographic. 

According to a 2006 Scarborough Research study, newspaper readers tend to be highly educated and affluent, have higher Internet penetration and tend to shop online more frequently. What's more, there is significant crossover between the print and online newspaper audiences: 81% of online newspaper readers also read the print version. These online newspaper readers tend to be early adopters of new products and technologies, and are more likely to be "influencers" - people who spread buzz and shape the opinions of others about products and services.

Newspapers help drive commerce - both online and off.

With the recent rollout of Google Print Ads, the search giant commissioned an indenpedent research study on how print and search marketing can work together. Some of their findings:

• On an average day, over 50% of US adults read a newspaper
• Newspapers reach people at many points in the buying cycle, both early (inspiring Web research) and late (prompting in-store or Web purchase)
• 67% of people researching products after seeing newspaper ads did research on the Web
• 31% of those people started by going to a search engine (even though newspaper ads typically include a URL)
  

In this case, old media (print) is driving response via new media (the Web), meaning it's increasingly important to synchronize your contact strategy across media - both old and new. Google has published case studies from its Print Ads advertisers that further illustrate the synergy between newspaper and online.

So here's a New Year's Resolution for all of us: don't be so quick to dismiss "old" media. Customize your contact plan based on your target audience, and be sure to take into account how the channels can work together.

Posted by Stephanie Rogers at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I often use this space to report on interactive technology trends in business. This time I'd like to take a moment to reflect on how all of us in business use technology to interact with one another—and suggest five resolutions to help make 2008 a kinder, gentler, and more productive year.

#1 Improve your email manners
Email is an integral part of doing business for all of us. By now, you'd think most people would know how to use it thoughtfully and productively. Guess again. Take this quiz on email etiquette and you will probably surprise yourself. The site that houses the quiz is filled with great tips on improving your email manners. My personal favorite is the Rule of Three which states: "if you have emailed back and forth with the same person on the same topic more than three times, it is time to pick up the phone and have a conversation." Another great source is Judith Kallos' book, Because Netiquette Matters.

#2 Put down the PDA
In a 2007 AOL survey on email addiction, it was revealed that email use on portable devices has nearly doubled since 2004, and as a result, people are checking email around the clock. According to the survey, the average email user checks mail about five times a day (for many of us it is more like 500), and 59% of those with portable devices are using them to check email every time a new message arrives. 43% of email users with portable devices say they actually keep the device nearby when they are sleeping to listen for incoming mail. Want to increase productivity in any business? Put down the PDA—even the stylish looking iPhones. While checking email is certainly a part of any job, it should not be confused with actual work. I'm not talking cold turkey—just setting limits. You'll get more done. Check out this video to see if you have the warning signs of Crackberrry Addiction.

#3 Take the madness out of mobile
I recently attended a funeral and five minutes into the service a mobile phone rang in the church bench behind me. And the person answered it. Sad but true story. I won't go on a rant about where the world is going when people need to be reminded to turn off their phones in school, at the theater or even in church. But I'd like to think we can make a difference. Microsoft lists the top 10 dos and don'ts of mobile calling on their small business center site. You'll find lots of great tips here such as, "Never take a personal mobile call during a business meeting. This includes interviews and meetings with co-workers or subordinates." Here's a personal tip you won't find on the Microsoft list.  If someone you don't know starts having a personal conversation on their mobile and they are within 10 feet of you, join the conversation. Offer an opinion. Add a colorful comment. Even insist on speaking with the person on the other end. It's a great mobile call stopper. And quite amusing.

#4 Improve conference call etiquette
The office phone. We've all been using it to make conference calls for so long that hardly anyone thinks about it. But what most people really don't think about are the people on the other end of the line. Why else would people conference in from a mobile phone in a convertible and turn the entire call into what sounds like a wind tunnel test. Or call in from an airport without using a mute button. Here's a quick read with some very good basics on conference call courtesy.

#5 Know when to text
Most of the rules that apply to email also apply to text messaging. But somehow people think that texting is more acceptable in more situations. It isn't. It's not unusual to be having a conversation with a co-worker these days while he or she has a completely separate text conversation with someone else. Simply put, it’s rude. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with these top 10 rules of texting. Your colleagues will thank you for it—hopefully face-to-face and not in a text.

There you have it. Five tips that can make the workplace more productive and more polite. Now I gotta go. A text message just came in.
 

Posted by Steve Lynch at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)