Is Your Marketing Ready for the E-commerce Surge?

Pandemic lockdowns across the nation have turbocharged e-commerce, with online sales growing by triple-digits. Is your marketing ready? Most marketers are not, according to a recent Profitero and Kantar survey of 200 brand executives, which found that only 17% believe their organizations are leading competitors in e-commerce. E-commerce marketers need to quickly prioritize strategies, advises a recent post by Forbes magazine’s CMO Network contributor Sarah Hofstetter. A problem identified by the Profitero and Kantar survey, for example, is that only 11% of organizations have functional-level e-commerce goals in place. Hofstetter urges making e-commerce a part of everyone’s job, from building e-commerce KPIs into bonuses to content accountability on retail websites to overcoming silos with cross-functional goals. Next, marketers should boost online profiles and product discovery efforts. That includes targeted SEO and SEM, strong ratings and reviews, engaging targeted content, and aligned multichannel outreach. Third, shift from offline to speedier online tactics, such as algorithmic matching of competitor price changes and real-time tailoring of product assortments and promotional strategies by audience. Fourth, boost online agility. Note that 63% of brands do not test and optimize their content to improve sales impact (Profitero and Kantar survey). So brands that digitally test new products, new traffic-generating variables and new marketing messages gain an edge. Janet Balis, a principal of Ernst & Young LLP, recently penned a Harvard Business Journal article offering more advice.The nuances of creative messaging have become more delicate, she notes, warning that while exploitative brands will not fare well, organizations that promote doing good, from food bank donations to repurposed manufacturing, can enhance brand image as long as contributions are seen as material and not solely for commercial benefit. Next, since the mix of preferred media platforms has changed, marketers may want to modify the media mix, for example with more ad-supported premium video streaming for spiking digital entertainment, or ads around peak news consumption. Finally, marketers will want to put a greater emphasis on behavior trends and response tracking to better adapt messaging and targeting. Small, less sophisticated retailers can take advantage of Google tools, such as using Google Trends, Google Alerts  and retail-category metrics for Google Search and Shopping campaigns to spot shifts in demand. They can frequently update Google Ads, customer-facing websites and Buyer Profiles on Google Maps and Search, and can enable automatic item updates in the Google Merchant Center to keep product data current. For more, see https://www.acculist.com/has-your-marketing-adjusted-for-the-current-e-commerce-surge/

Marketers Led Astray by Myopic Data Segmentation

Data segmentation is essential to today's personalized marketing, but it can also lead marketers astray if myopically focused. A recent Target Marketing magazine article by Matt Diehl, digital content writer for the Persio multichannel retailing platform, points out how segmentation based narrowly on recent purchase can go wrong, delivering misguided online ads and e-mails that erode customer response. As examples, Diehl cites promotions based on online purchases selected as gifts (that golf club bought for Uncle Bob doesn't mean non-golfer Susie wants to be bombarded by golf gear ads), promotions based on online purchases later returned in-store (if you didn't keep the gaming system, you don't need the accessories), and promotions remarketing one-time, big-ticket purchases (people rarely buy multiple HD TVs or dishwashers in a short time span). The solution is to develop a segmentation strategy based on multiple factors, adding demographics, location, interests, loyalty, and response behavior to purchase history. Data gathering for segmentation also needs to include both online and offline behavior. Finally, data targeting needs to incorporate sensible marketing triggers; rather than remarketing a big-ticket purchase, focus on complementary items, for example. For the complete article, read http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/article/when-data-segmentation-goes-wrong/

New Product Injects Direct Mail in Retail Clickstream

A debut "programmatic direct mail" service hopes to inject a direct mail response boost into Internet retailers' clickstreams. The new PebblePost product, described in a recent Direct Marketing News report, offers a direct mail retargeting mechanism using real-time digital analytics so that, for example, an online customer's shopping cart abandonment triggers a postcard mailing that puts a personalized offer in the customer's mailbox within a few days. Pilot product testing mainly has involved online retailers and catalogers with the required first-party mailing address data. PebblePost is supported by partners that include Axciom, and the startup venture just received $3 million in funding for expanded visibility, per DM News. The article quotes PebblePost's CMO David Cooperstein, a former Forrester marketing analyst: "It is physical retargeting of digital activity, but it's also a powerful new form of direct mail. Here we know there's interest and there's relevancy, because these people were just on the website." For more, go to http://www.dmnews.com/direct-mail/programmatic-direct-mail-makes-its-debut/article/444135/

Online Crystal Ball Sees Video, Mobile & Price Hikes

While many digital marketers are focused on the upcoming holiday frenzy, at least one online marketing guru is already looking ahead to next year's challenges. A recent Forbes magazine post by Jayson DeMers, an online marketing consultant, suggests preparing for these seven top online marketing trends in 2016: 1) videos will increase their ad dominance now that Google, already involved via YouTube, is adding video ads to search results for 2016; 2) watch for an explosion of dedicated apps that boost reach beyond mobile-optimized web pages; 3) the crowning of mobile as a digital marketing power is assured now that mobile traffic overtook Google's desktop traffic and Google unveiled its mobile-favored search algorithm; 4) look for a new kind of online optimizing to take advantage of popular digital assistants like Siri; 5) the launch of more virtual reality devices next year portends the arrival of a new advertising medium; 6) emergence of more wearable smart devices, in the footsteps of Apple Watch, will help wearable technology gain traction as a marketing application; 7) and now the bad news--expect a continued rise in online ad prices. DeMers' crystal ball may not be on target for all 2016 trends. Online marketers probably have time to prepare for VR, digital assistants and wearable technology, but failing to plan for the impact of video, mobile and pricing is less wise. For the full post, go to http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2015/09/29/the-top-7-online-marketing-trends-that-will-dominate-2016/

Why Do B2B Marketers Fail to Test Landing Pages?

We think of testing as a basic direct marketing tenet, yet a MarketingProfs survey published in September shows how remiss B2B marketers are when it comes to testing landing pages, an essential step in digital conversion success. Only 15% of respondents said they do extensive testing of landing pages (A/B, usability or multivariate), and 26% admitted to no testing of landing pages at all! The majority (59%) called their testing "limited." This lack of testing was despite the fact that respondents also said that A/B testing was the most effective method for optimizing landing page conversion rates. We perhaps understand low use of multivariate testing; it is rated as the most difficult tactic to execute by respondents. But what's the excuse for neglecting A/B testing? It was not only ranked most effective by 50% but also seen as one of the easiest methods to execute (only 14% rated it difficult)? A recent article in Marketing Land by columnist David Rodnitzky provides some common reasons online marketers give for skipping testing. Check to see if your marketing team is hiding behind one of these excuses: "We're at maximum efficiency," or "use it or lose it" budgeting pressures; "Our agency/marketing team can't be beat," or a bias in favor of existing assumptions/staff; and "We don't have time/budget," at least not enough to risk going outside what's already working. Rodnitzky shoots down each of these testing "fails," warning that "a complete lack of testing leads to decisions by HIPPO, 'the highest paid person’s opinion,'" When that person is influenced by bias and budget pressures, inefficient marketing results. "Don’t be a hippo, be a tester!" he urges. See his article: http://marketingland.com/test-everything-lies-online-marketers-tell-139072

Online Content Can Fall Through Generation Gaps

Online content marketing risks slipping through some surprise generation gaps, according to the latest study from Fractl and BuzzStream of digital content consumption by Millennial, Generation X and Baby Boom age cohorts. As reported recently by MarketingProfs, the study found that each generation's online consumption habits differ in terms of quantity consumed, timing, and device preferences. It turns out that online content viewing skews older, for example. Baby Boomers (those born 1946-1964) spend more time online than the younger generations; a quarter of Boomers say they spend 20 or more hours each week consuming online content, while the largest shares (22% each) of Gen Xers (born 1965-1976) and Millennials (born 1977-1995) spend only 5-10 hours per week with online content. Marketers may also want to think about online promotional timing: Boomers tend to consume online content during the work week, while more Millennials save online content viewing for weekends, and Gen Xers fall in between in terms of consumption timing. When it comes to devices, Boomers prefer to use a laptop (43%) or tablet (40%), while the younger Millennials tilt toward mobile devices as primary online viewing tools (25%). Indeed, of people using mobile devices as the primary way to view content, over half (52%) are Millennials. Marketers aiming for younger prospects better make mobile optimization of online content a priority. At least when it comes to content length, the generations agree: 300 words is ideal. For more details from the study, read the MarketingProfs article: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2015/28460/generation-gap-online-content-consumption-and-age

In Web Design, ROI Means More Than Good Looks

We've learned from years of direct marketing that the most important measure of creative design is how well it works rather than how pretty it looks--and it's a principle that applies to websites as well. A recent DirectMarketingIQ article provided seven website elements that help deliver a return on website investment that a merely pretty site just won't achieve. Rule No. 1 in designing a website (or a direct mail piece for that matter) is to realize that you only have a limited time to capture viewer interest so "Don't Make People Think," meaning design obvious, self-explanatory, easy-to-read and navigate content with clear calls to action and response mechanisms. Confusion is deadly to results. One way to avoid confusing design is to follow the KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid) and put yourself in the user's place to avoid the complexity that drives away traffic. And generally avoid "reinventing the wheel" with web design; standard site conventions familiar to users make it easier for visitors to grasp your message. Of course, make sure the website is selling, which does not mean preaching about your company and products but rather offering prospects answers to their problems and benefits that fit their needs (addressing "What's in it for me?"). Next, be mobile-friendly; websites today must be designed for the 60% of online traffic accounted for by mobile views, and it's especially important since lead search engine Google made mobile-friendly pages a factor in its search algorithm this year. It's also smart to embrace a design that understands how viewers read a screen, per studies, by scanning in an F pattern from top left across (navigation, search, subscription, etc.) and then down to the first and second paragraphs before skimming the rest. Finally, accept that white space is a marketing design tool as much as copy; overstuffed pages are daunting to visitors, and densely packed text reduces readability and comprehension. For more advice details, see http://www.directmarketingiq.com/article/why-a-pretty-website-doesn-t-work-7-website-elements-improve-roi/1

Spurring Referrals Is Top 2015 B2B Marketing Focus

If your business-to-business marketing is in a competitive scramble for leads this year, you're not alone. Generating new business is the top 2015 concern of professional services firms, according to a recent Hinge Research Institute study shared in Business2Community. A whopping 72% of firms surveyed said that attracting and developing new business is their priority this year. The Hinge survey included 530 professional services firms in a range of industries: technology, marketing and communications, accounting and finance, management consulting, architecture, engineering, and construction. So the focus of the surveyed firms' marketing plans should come as no surprise: generating more referrals was the most cited 2015 marketing initiative (61.9%). Senior executives named on average 5.7 different marketing tactics in their drive for new business. Only percentage points behind referral generation came increasing brand visibility, updating/upgrading the company website, increasing the visibility of their firms’ experts, making existing clients more aware of their full range of services, and developing more compelling messages to potential clients. For details and access to the full report, go to the Business2Community post at http://www.business2community.com/b2b-marketing/top-b2b-marketing-priorities-2015-01154781

Personalization Spurs Digital Results, If Done Right

Personalization is becoming best practice for e-mail, mobile marketing and digital display ads, and recent marketing data underscores digital personalization's potential power, asserts a ClickZ article by Tess Wegert. Consider "Share a Coke" labels personalized with 250 popular names, which "reversed a decade-long decline in U.S. Coke consumption," per a Wall Street Journal report. Another example from Wegert is the personalized interest- and location-specific video ad campaign by automaker Land Rover, which lifted brand awareness by 50% and purchase intent by 53%. In the e-mail arena, data shows that personalized e-mails can yield transaction rates and revenues six times higher than non-personalized messages, she notes. And when it comes to online ads and content, Yahoo reports that 78% of consumer surveyed say they want some degree of content personalization. But, Wegert cautions, personalization can be a double-edged sword, turning off audiences if it is inconsistent, intrusive or mistargeted. She cites three basic tactics for succeeding with digital personalization: 1) coordinate messaging across all channels; 2) go slow and avoid creepy, excess personalization upfront and all at once; and 3) make sure personalization is targeted based on accurate data and profiling. For the complete story, go to http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2374653/the-importance-of-personalization

Poor Map of B2B Buyer Journey Leads to Lost Sales

If inbound marketing fails to guide the buyer’s journey with relevant content, traffic and leads fail to become sales. Business-to-business marketing faces a special challenge because a purchase may involve a team of prospects--each with different personal and professional concerns--points out a recent Hubspot blog post by business consultant Ed Marsh. When B-to-B marketers don't have one decision-maker to woo, they must build content for the role and concerns of each prospect "persona" at different points in the buying process. Plus, marketing must choreograph segues between personas to prevent sales from slipping through the cracks, creating a "series of 'yeses' that keeps buyers moving" to the close. Marsh suggests what he calls a "3D corporate buying journey" framework. Start with a good understanding of your prospective buyers' industry--the hand-offs, push-back and analysis to which projects are subjected--and get the details by conducting real interviews with each persona at target companies, he advises. When you do so, make sure to get the objections on the table so your content can address them. Then map the buying process like a GANTT chart, a linear process that is full of interdependency, precedent and constraining factors. Note the hand-offs and create content for a smooth transition. This requires content that helps your prospects sell on your behalf and that overcomes finance, legal, production, HR, IT or other departmental hurdles by resonating with each discipline. For the whole post, see
http://blog.hubspot.com/insiders/why-your-existing-buyer-personas-might-not-be-working

B2B Online Success Is Still Built on the Basics

Distracted by the buzz of new tech toys and tactics, B2B marketers sometimes need to be reminded of the basics of online success. For a review of B2B online fundamentals, check out Lee Odden's recent TopRankBlog post. Here are just the first four of the 21 basic tactics that he lists, and note that they are not high-tech investments but offline efforts with online impact: client testimonials that speak to the target audience; case studies that show the brand's problem-solving breadth and depth; industry recognition to enhance credibility; media relations to get quoted, profiled and linked in the press and blogosphere. Other, more online-specific basics include quality website design and functionality, targeted online advertising, search engine visibility on competitive terms, and so on. To further aid online success, we'd also like to remind of the basic marketing disciplines -- targeting, testing, tracking, updating and optimizing. Analyze your customer and make sure an event presentation, news release or social post offers useful content in a format likely to be shared by the target audience, for example. And avoid wasting ad, design and search dollars by implementing targeted, measurable response testing. For Odden's complete article, see http://www.toprankblog.com/2014/07/21-b2b-online-marketing-tactics/

Is Your Marketing Hobbled by These Data Missteps?

Make sure your "data-driven" marketing isn't undermined by data mishandling. A recent Adweek article outlined five of the most common blunders. At the top of the list is failing to take advantage of the deeper demographics being culled in this big-data era. Going beyond age and gender can reap big returns. An example from the article: The Neustar Global Media Intelligence Report for 2013 found retail marketers that targeted campaigns according to attributes like home value and brand of car earned a 500% performance lift over non-targeted campaigns. Second, marketers can focus on the wrong metrics, choosing "vanity metrics," such as Facebook fans, instead of behavioral data linked to conversions, such as navigational paths and brand preferences. A third data misstep is focusing on shiny new digital data without integrating offline inputs (such as retail stores), creating a false picture of marketing's multichannel ROI. Fourth, marketers can get stuck looking at past data to the neglect of predictive modeling and forward planning. A forward-thinking success story from the article: American Express used predictive analysis and behavioral data to identify at-risk customers, for a 740% increase in attrition-combating efficacy. Finally, organizations can fail to invest in crucial data management and analysis skills, and surveys of executives find a majority admitting as much. Do you recognize areas for improvement in your own organization? For the complete article, with links to relevant studies, see http://www.adweek.com/brandshare/5-ways-marketers-are-mishandling-data-156449

Survey Finds Most B2B Buyers Ignore Social Media

Social media doesn't really turn on business-to-business buyers, suggests a new survey. Only 6% of B2B buyers said social media has "a lot" of impact on their buying process, according to the recently published "B2B Website Usability Report." But before scaling back social media involvement, B2B marketers should note that the survey -- conducted by DH Communications and KoMarketing Associates -- was focused on B2B buyer expectations of vendor websites and had a very small pool of respondents, with only 175 surveys completed. Respondents also were not the most technically savvy, since 49% did not use a smartphone to look for B2B products or services, and 18% did not know what was meant by a "responsive" website. That said, it's interesting that only 24% said they look for social media icons on a vendor website home page, and even fewer – 22% of respondents – look for a blog. However, B2B marketers probably should keep blog posting: Some 85% of buyers polled also said that a blog helps establish a vendor’s credibility. For more details from the report, see http://marketingland.com/report-6-buyers-claim-social-media-impacts-b2b-buying-process-76396

Senior Market Increases Use of Internet and Mobile

Seniors are not as tech savvy as millennials yet, but older consumers' Internet and mobile use is climbing. In fact, if higher-income Americans age 65 and up are the target market, be aware that these seniors now use the Internet and broadband at rates approaching or even exceeding the usage rate of the general adult population, according to the latest Pew Research Center study as reported by MarketingProfs. For example, 90% of seniors with an annual household income of $75,000 or more go online and 82% have broadband Internet access at home, compared with rates of 86% and 70% respectively for all adults over age 18. That said, only 59% of seniors overall reported going online in 2013, although that senior rate was still six percentage points ahead of where the 65-plus crowd was in 2012. And, of the seniors who did use the Internet, 71% reported going online every day or almost every day. The Pew study had some senior news for mobile marketers, too: By last year, 77% of U.S. seniors owned a cell phone (up from 69% a year earlier), although only 18% of seniors reported owning a smartphone and 27% had a tablet or e-reader. For more on the Pew data, see the MarketingProfs article at http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/24878/how-older-americans-are-using-technology

When You Bore Customers, You Lose Customers

Here's a no-brainer: If your marketing message -- whether delivered via website, direct mail, event booth or in-person pitch -- bores customers, it fails. Recently, Brian Ladyman, a consumer engagement leader at Slalom, penned an article for iMedia Connection with tips on how to avoid slipping into the yawn zone of marketing. His advice was geared to B2B marketers, but it works for B2C content, too. See if you can pep up your marketing by doing some of the following: Make sure your core value proposition is the core of your message and avoid losing audience attention by piling on the meaningless buzzwords even if, especially if, your competition loves them. Make it real and show how your product or service delivers benefits with examples and success stories. Stand out by picking a competitive advantage to highlight with engaging content. Ladyman lauds Volvo's use of a martial arts star to focus attention on the precision steering of its large trucks as an example. Offer choices in what information customers get and how they want to get it. Have you adapted your message for video and mobile formats as well as basic print and online, for example? Chase away boredom by engaging in an interactive relationship with buyers through humor, entertaining visuals and dialog. Take a look at your social media and event efforts with that in mind. For all Brian's tips and examples, go to http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/35982.asp#singleview.

How Share-Worthy Online Content Wins B2B Buyers

When 88% of business-to-business consumers say online content has played a major to moderate role in vendor selection, B2B marketers need to make sure they are creating compelling online content, and then promoting and targeting effectively. That 88% figure comes from a recent report by The CMO Council and NetLine, as reported by MarketingProfs. The study also found that 94% of B2B buyers, influencers and researchers are not just giving online content a quick look, they are curating and circulating information internally before purchasing B2B goods and services. Targeting and quality of content then should take into account the most common sharing cycles -- led by a from-the-middle-out strategy as execution-level execs use content to educate senior managers about their buying decisions (35%), followed by a from-the-bottom-up pattern as junior execs share with senior management to get buy decisions (30%), and rounded out by a from-the-top-down cycle as senior managers hand content to lower levels for purchase actions (29%). What content is dubbed the most valuable? Research reports and studies (65% of respondents), followed by technical spec sheets and data sheets (50%) and analyst intelligence and insights (46%), according to the survey of 352 B2B buyers (mostly from large companies). Equally important to know for marketers is how potential buyers find online content. The majority (68%) cite search engines and portals, with vendor websites (40%) and trusted sources/peers (25%) rounding out the sourcing. For more on the study, see http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/24769/how-b2b-buyers-consume-vendor-content