COVID-19 Crisis Alters Fundraising Tactics

As the coronavirus crisis alters the social and economic landscape for nonprofits, fundraising tactics will need to alter, too. In a recent NonProfit PRO post, two Orr Group fundraising agency executives suggest some quick tactical shifts. First of all, don't panic and cancel events, they advise, but reschedule or repurpose. If an event can be postponed, a nonprofit may be able to transfer tickets/table buyers to the future event instead of refunding, and can add touchpoints along the way. Or, the fundraiser can switch to a digital event, perhaps with livestreaming. Indeed, this is an opportunity to go digital in multiple targeted ways, starting with more social media ads, paid search ads and SEO efforts. For example, now is a good time for a digital forum, such as a virtual “fireside-chat” with a subject matter expert discussing COVID-19 impact on the mission. Or the nonprofit can pen an article to post on social media as well as e-mail to donors and prospects. And don't forget nondigital communications, such as direct mail and phone calls. The authors suggest building out a phone-call list of top funders, for example. Michael Wasserman, CEO of the stream fundraising platform Tiltify, uses another NonProfit PRO post to stress how the crisis should push fundraisers to boost social media use. The potential audience is huge: almost 80% of the population uses social media, with Facebook and YouTube having over 2 billion users per platform. Even newer sites like TikTok boast 500 million, Discord gets 250 million, and Twitch attracts 15 million daily visitors. Note that the Facebook Fundraisers tool has already raised over $2 billion. So charities that still use elementary fundraising pages with a simple donate button, some text and an image are missing big opportunities. He urges nonprofits to focus more on enticing content, such as video, which can leverage YouTube, the No. 2 search engine in the world with 2 billion registered users. Nonprofits should also consider livestreaming events for fundraising, he argues, to raise big sums in a few hours, citing the example of a group that raised in a week the amount it costs to run St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a day, which is about $2.7 million. What about the impact of "social distancing" on traditional face-to-face connections with major donors? Suzanne Hilser-Wiles, president of philanthropic consulting firm Grenzebach, Glier and Associates, offers some tips in a recent piece in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Start by showing you care and reach out quickly to ask how the donor is faring and discuss how the nonprofit is responding. Enlist top executives to communicate plans; e-mail can quickly provide a direct but formal assurance, while social-media platforms offer a more human touch. Ad hoc “investor calls” may be appropriate for smaller donor groups. In messaging, highlight the nonprofit's expertise and how gifts support efforts relevant to the COVID-19 crisis. And don't abandon events; get creative with virtual format substitutes, such as a conference call or webinar. For more detail, see https://www.acculist.com/covid-19-crisis-alters-tactics-for-fundraising-success/

Managing Marketing in the Coronavirus Crisis

The global spread of the coronavirus already has caused significant disruptions in supply chains, corporate profits, economic growth and government policy. No one knows how bad things will get before they get better, but marketers need to be prepared. Certain industries are more likely to be significantly affected as people shun travel and large gatherings: airlines, cruises, events of all kinds (perhaps even the Tokyo Olympics), business conferences, hospitality, and even retail venues. Supply disruptions also could affect sectors ranging from auto manufacturing to high tech to promotional products. A general slowdown could cut advertising spend initially, but experts believe it is more likely that there will be a reallocation of dollars to cater to quarantined or self-isolating consumers via mail order, digital marketing and e-commerce product sales; via online video and gaming options; and even via streaming of sports events instead of stadium venues. In a recent blog, AI and data tech company Appier suggested tactics to leverage this rise in online consumption, for example by using online data to identify coronavirus concerns and deliver targeted relevant content and advertising via keyword segmentation, which is especially relevant for health, wellness, medical, and sanitation sectors. Companies can also develop more branded online apps, games, and videos to compete for the expanded online audience. Plus, it will be important to use AI and audience data for contextual targeting and proper placement of advertising to avoid creating a negative brand impression. Because companies may face logistical delays, they need to commit to transparent multichannel communications on product shortages and estimated delivery times, as well as timely response to questions and complaints, advises Appier. At the same time, increased engagement via website, e-mail, social media, push notifications or in-app messaging can bring customers closer and help reduce frustration levels. Appier also stressed that marketers need to set the right messaging tone for an anxious audience, avoiding the hard sell in favor of customer and community support. In a PR Week interview, Priyanka Bajpai, regional head, Southeast Asia, SPAG Group, promoted the company's 3E approach to messaging during the crisis: Empathy to show cautious optimism and trust in the future ability to work together and find solutions; Engagement of internal and external stakeholders to inspire confidence; and Education using multiple channels to outline the criticality of the situation and steps taken by the brand to support stakeholders. Brands may also want to highlight corporate social responsibility efforts such as nonprofit donations to address the pandemic but should avoid marketing around those donations. For more, see our website blog at https://www.acculist.com/managing-marketing-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/

2019 Marketing Creative: Simple, Bold, Interactive

A new year brings new marketing creative inspirations for both digital and printed promotions, and some interesting trends are shaping up, per graphics and ad agency experts.The Ballantine and Brand Shouter agencies and the Digital Agency Network suggest some key digital creative trends to embrace this year, including more clean, minimalist designs and less use of borders, bars and boxes to separate elements. At the same time, minimalist doesn't mean drab; more designers are forecast to embrace bright colors and bold color transitions and gradients with black or white text. And speaking of type, Brand Shouter foresees more beautiful, complimentary, brand-consistent typography as well, especially since marketers are shifting toward more text-only designs, while DAN forecasts more use of multicolored vector fonts. Plus, thanks to print technology advances, metallics will rise in popularity to pop in simplified designs, per DAN. Meanwhile, the minimalist flat look, which works well in mobile presentations, also can be livened with the inclusion of 3D elements, as Apple is doing, notes Brand Shouter. And since everything old is new again at some point, several retro trends are forecast. DAN sees use of the bold duotone graphics of the 1970s as well as vintage fonts and motifs, while Ballantine thinks the bright colors and funky designs of the 1990s and early 2000s, which remind many of today’s designers and target buyers of childhood, will reappear to leverage nostalgia. Finally, hand-drawn illustrations will be used to create that feeling of originality and authenticity, predicts DAN. Meanwhile, Ballantine underscores three ubiquitous trends for all creative this year. Video will only continue its impact in marketing, especially in social media, now that 54% of Internet users watch social media videos at least monthly and 65% of ad impressions on Instagram come from video ads, making video a necessary part of most creative budgets. Story-telling over selling is another general trend, especially in social media advertising, where story ads are designed to reflect a platform's personal user experience rather than slick promotion, mimicking a post from a friend. Finally, marketing design must cater to mobile users now that 57% of online searches originate on mobile devices, almost 50% of web page views worldwide occur on mobile devices, and 95% of Americans own a cellphone and 57% own a smartphone. Any creative that is not mobile-optimized is sacrificing a huge market. For more on creative trends, plus a useful infographic, go to http://www.acculistusa.com/2019-marketing-creative-simple-bold-interactive-design/

Are Your Fundraising Plans Ready for 2019 Trends?

Nonprofit marketers making final tweaks to fundraising plans for 2019 may want to do a quick survey of this year’s top trends as identified by fundraising pros to make sure they are ready for all challenges. NonProfit PRO magazine cites three general 2019 trends that will affect both traditional direct mail and digital fundraising via e-mail, mobile, social media and website. First, nonprofits should include a commitment to story-telling in this year’s fundraising communications, the magazine says. Stories create an emotional connection to the mission and are remembered better than facts, studies show. NonProfit PRO urges creation of a story-telling culture via leadership buy-in, a mechanism to regularly encourage and gather stories, a story-banking method and regular and consistent story communications. “Personalization” is another marketing mantra for 2019, with success requiring clean up-to-date data and list segmentation to craft targeted messages for direct mail and e-mail. Finally, put that targeted story-telling into a video format to maximize results in a year when video is projected to represent 80% of Internet traffic. Meanwhile, the Nonprofit Tech for Good blog identifies some key digital trends to include in 2019 fundraising plans: 1) increased use of marketing automation software to create personalized appeals and individualized pathways and engagement with the general mission and specific programs; 2) more focus on a recurring-gift donor base and commitment to engagement strategies and technologies that nurture donors; 3) more relevant, personalized, contextual messaging based on data technologies; and 4) more disruption by commercial social media players like Facebook via removal of fundraising fees, matching funds and direct access to donor data and AI. The TrueSense Marketing blog came up with a whopping "21 Fundraising Trends and Best Practices You Need to Know in 2019" from a survey of fundraising pros. We’ll only cite a couple here, starting with a prediction that the visually oriented Instagram, which hit 1 billion monthly active users in 2018, including the 50-64 and 65+ age cohorts, will become a more popular platform for nonprofits in 2019. Another prediction is that, with data breaches continuing to grab headlines and a patchwork of data privacy regulations at the state level (such as California Consumer Privacy Act passed last summer), nonprofits will face added costs and changes in data collection and storage policies this year. For more, see our full on-site blog post at http://www.acculistusa.com/is-your-fundraising-plan-ready-for-2019-challenges/

Shoppers Demand Seamless Omnichannel Retailing

Omnichannel marketing is the rule for today's retailing. While print catalogs continue as a vital merchant tool, with 42% of households reading catalogs per the U.S. Postal Service, integration of multiple channels--including online, mobile and social with direct mail--is now essential to store, catalog and e-commerce marketing. Unfortunately, while the majority of consumers expect to shop seamlessly across all those channels, only 7% of retailers provide the unified "start the sale anywhere, finish the sale anywhere" experience that customers want, per the recent "2018 Customer Experience/Unified Commerce Survey" by BRP Consulting, a retail management consulting firm. Marketers can't afford to ignore that the majority of shoppers interact with promotions and purchase services via multiple channels and devices. According to the same BRP study, three in five (62%) consumers surveyed said they check online reviews/ratings before visiting a store, yet just 61% of retailers offer consumer product reviews for research! Shoppers now rely on mobile to continue a digital buying process in-store, with nearly 60% of shoppers looking up product information and prices while using their mobile phones in stores, per Retail Dive's 2017 Consumer Survey. Merchants can leverage customers' cross-device penchant to optimize acquisition and conversion, argues a Direct Marketing News article by Pierre DeBois. But they must keep in mind that, while the opportunity to boost ad frequency and content across channels is huge, smart management is required to avoid turning it into a bludgeon. As Bill Kee, Google's group product manager for attribution, highlighted at the 2017 Google Marketing Next conference, "If I am on three devices, and if I see your ad five times, it means you've reached me 15 times…believe me I get it." The first place to start is good omnichannel analytics to understand the contribution of each channel to ROI and its place in the customer journey. Only then can merchants cost-effectively tailor targeting and investment to maximize sales. One useful analytics tool is Google's Unique Reach report, which displays digital ad frequency metrics across devices, campaigns, and formats to measure how many times a person views a given ad, and combines attribution influences from AdWords, DoubleClick, and Google Analytics, suggests DeBois. Good omnichannel analytics also can improve use of image and video content to maximize the proven effectiveness of image/video in digital engagement, to answer the customer demand for education, and to direct prospects through the sales funnel. However, quantities of images bombarding customers across multiple channels can overwhelm and confuse, so both media curation and a content mapping strategy aligned to the customer journey are needed. One example of a targeted image strategy is use of an "image story" feature on a social media platform to orchestrate images and/or a short video, notes DeBois. Pinterest Lens, Instagram Stories, and Twitter Moments are all image story features. For more, see http://www.acculistusa.com/shoppers-demand-seamless-omnichannel-retail-strategies/

Nonprofits Enter Year-end Fundraising Season

With a third of annual giving occurring in December, over half of nonprofits starting year-end plans in October, and direct mail the leading fundraising channel, October often sees final tweaks to direct marketing plans. So nonprofit marketers may want to check their current campaigns against the four-step master plan recently offered by fundraising consultant Gail Perry on her blog. Step 1: Set goals for each donor segment, and don't forget lucrative leading-donor annual gifts, lapsed donors and board members. Step 2: Select channels for a multi-pronged appeal, integrating direct mail, e-mail, telemarketing, social media, website, and video creative--and design a consistent message for all. Step 3: Gather resources and set a budget. Step 4: Set a timeline and calendar. Of course, smaller fundraisers often bemoan budget limitations at this point. A guest post by Damian O'Broin for the Institute of Fundraising offers a bracing response. Greatness is not a function of size, it’s a function of attitude, he argues, citing donor surveys. The things that matter most to donors don’t depend on big budgets and lots of staff but on good, donor-centric fundraising practices: thanking promptly and properly; showing progress and impact; getting to know supporters and responding to their needs; empowering supporters; and asking consistently. Even modest direct marketing campaigns, assuming they are well targeted, can use these practices to boost response. For details and tips of Perry's year-end master plan, see our complete blog post at http://www.acculistusa.com/nonprofits-crucial-year-end-fundraising-drives-have-begun/

E-mail Regains Lead in Fundraising Digital Efforts

In 2017, e-mail is expected to regain its lead role in the digital efforts of nonprofit fundraisers, per numerous nonprofit marketing pros. For fundraisers and fundraising consultants to make the most of a renewed e-mail focus, they may want to check the tactics provided in a recent post for thedatabank.com by Michael Stein, a nonprofit consultant and digital strategist. For example, to maximize response, e-mail outreach in 2017 may require nonprofits to reboot, refresh and rethink, says Stein. He urges marketers to address four basic issues before blasting out e-mails: Check to see if your e-mail template or e-newsletter needs a creative refresh; make sure the e-mail works well for mobile viewers; consider a rewrite of your welcome e-mail to new subscribers for better engagement; and develop new creative and messaging ideas to test for boosted e-mail fundraising appeal. Next, he advises marketers to "mobilize," personalize and automate e-mail campaigns. Certainly, mobile readiness is essential for wooing donors, especially given, as Stein cites, the recent Movable Ink report that, across industries, 69% of e-mail opens were on a mobile device. A good mobile experience should extend from the e-mail subject line to the website landing page and, most importantly, to the donation page, advises Stein. Personalizing is another proven way to maximize e-mail response. That means digital messaging with relevant, timely content based on smart e-mail list segmentation, using data such as event attendance, website downloads, and donation amount or frequency. Finally, marketers need e-mail automation, especially for timely engagement of new e-mail subscribers and donors. Automated responses should include key transactions such as e-mail subscription, event signups, and online giving, since these are often the most opened and read e-mails, says Stein. Other suggestions include using more graphics and video to boost e-mail response. For more, go to http://www.acculistusa.com/e-mail-regaining-its-lead-role-in-fundraising-digital-strategy/

2016 E-mail Winners: Mobile, Interactive, Automated

Digital marketers betting on e-mail ROI need to make sure they are playing a hand with winning strategy cards in 2016. A recent MarketingProfs post by Cynthia Price, marketing director at Emma e-mail marketing services, cited five high-scoring trends to include. With mobile exceeding desktop traffic for the first time last year, a dedicated mobile strategy of responsive design for small screens is a must--because 71% of e-mail recipients will delete immediately if an e-mail doesn't display properly. Next, invest in interactive content, Price urges. It's hard to argue against interactivity when adding video to an email can boost click rates by 300% and including dynamic content can increase click-to-open rates by 73%. And then be sure to make that content personalized, relevant and appealing; time to go beyond a first name greeting and generic pitch as consumers' e-mail screening options rise. One way to boost appeal is to leverage user-generated content, such as testimonials and product photos. Remember Nielsen found 84% of consumers trust recommendations from their peers, and just 15% trust brands' recommendations, Price points out. And finally, get automated. You can't argue with the 70.5% higher open rates and 152% higher click rates delivered by automation, Price asserts. Just look at her cited stats for basic automated e-mails: Welcome e-mails have 50% better open rates; birthday e-mails lift conversion rates by 60%; and thank-you e-mails, with an offer, drive 13 times more revenue. Read the whole post: http://www.marketingprofs.com/opinions/2016/29443/five-superhot-email-marketing-trends

2016 Marketing Spend Seen Up for Most Channels

Marketers will be boosting spending for almost all marketing channels in 2016, according to the latest Winterberry Group forecast reported by Direct Marketing News magazine. Election-year politics and the Olympics are seen as key marketing drivers this year. Overall, data-driven channels, both direct and digital, are expected to grow by 6.4%, with the biggest bump for digital display (desktop and mobile), which is predicted to rise by 20.1%. Search and e-mail will also increase by 11.4% and 8.7%, respectively, per the Winterberry forecast. Still in the mix, direct mail will hold its own, boosted by electioneering, with an expected 0.4% rise. As a result, data spending to support direct mail, e-mail and display (lists, database management and hygiene, analytics) will see 1.1% growth. The only exceptions to the marketing growth trends are magazine and newspaper ads (forecast down 1.9% and 6 %, respectively), along with flat budgets expected for cinema, insert media and radio. Watch for programmatic ad spending to continue surging, grabbing a larger share of display budgets and driving up data spends, advise analysts. Plus, video, which exploded in 2015, is still on the upswing, per Winterberry. For forecast details, read the full article at http://www.dmnews.com/marketing-strategy/2016-will-be-a-growth-year-in-marketing-spending/article/469545/

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/

Mobile Trumps Language in Wooing Hispanics

Marketers are eager to cash in on growing U.S. Hispanic purchasing power, which is rising at more than two times the national rate, but a recent MarketingProfs article warns that success goes beyond how well the brand message is translated into Spanish to how well it is translated to mobile, video and social platforms. For example, Hispanic consumers are less likely to access the Internet via desktop and more likely to own a smart phone than non-Hispanics, the article points out. So focusing on the mobile user experience becomes vital, via use of responsive design, mobile e-mail, an easy toggle to Spanish, or native advertising in appropriate mobile-friendly sites. Video--whether pre-roll, in-banner or social--is another way to engage with an audience that spends nearly 30% of its online time watching videos, streaming twice as much video as non-Hispanics. And with 71% of adults Hispanics using social networking sites, a social brand and ad strategy is another must. For more advice, read http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/28109/the-biggest-hurdle-to-reaching-hispanics-isnt-language-its-mobile

B2B Needs to Tap Growing Native Ad Trend

Native advertising may be a hot digital marketing tactic, with spending expected to hit $10.7 billion in 2015, but many marketers, especially business-to-business marketers, still haven't embraced its opportunities. Our thanks to Ash Nashed, founder and CEO of digital tech company Adiant, for his educational b2bmarketing.net post on native ads. Nashed especially speaks to B2B strategists, where only 34% of marketers have put native ads in the mix, he notes. Native ads, which are specifically created to organically fit within content, include search ads appearing alongside organic search results; social media ads resembling organic feed posts; promoted listings on e-commerce sites like Amazon, which appear next to algorithm-generated recommendations; video ads that entertain to promote brands; ads that appear within news articles targeted to specific interests; and advertorials offering educational editorial content. Per Nashed, the keys to success are what we'll call the four "T's": targeting (using data to select hypertargeted segments by demographics, intent, location and/or platform), testing and results tracking (marketing givens), and trust (qualified leads don't come through trickery; the audience must know they are clicking on an ad). For inspiration, Nashed holds up GE's award-winning efforts, including a blog on global innovation for The Economist magazine, a segment on "The Tonight Show," and in-stream ads on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest. For more: http://www.b2bmarketing.net/blog/posts/2015/06/24/win-over-decision-makers-smart-native-advertising

Marketers Embrace 2015 Spending, Including Mail

Direct marketers have finally left behind recession-inspired cautionary spending, with many in a "full-steam growth mode," per Target Marketing magazine's "2015 Media Usage Survey." And the good news for direct mail data professionals like AccuList USA is that direct mail retains a key role in media budgets. Per the survey, about 44% of business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketers reported that their media budgets are staying the same as in 2014, with 32% increasing spending and only 12% planning a budget decrease. Where are they spending? Most respondents (65%) are increasing e-mail spending, and most respondents (61%) plan to increase social media engagement investments in 2015. Search engine marketing (SEM) and optimization (SEO) also both continue as high priorities, especially for acquisition, so that content marketing, video and mobile optimization—each offering strong search benefits—were cited as high priorities, too. However, snail mail is still a critically important channel for most direct marketers. Overall, 30% plan to increase mail budgets and 37% will keep spending the same compared with last year. More than half are still using direct mail for both acquisition and retention. Yes, 11% of respondents reported decreasing direct mail budgets, but, as Target Marketing sums up in its report, that doesn't mean direct mail is withering away but that "newer strategies are factoring into the direct marketing equation, and its share is being spread around to other corners of the media landscape." For more detail, read http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/article/target-marketings-media-usage-survey-2015/

E-mail CTA: Best, and Hardest, Way to Up CTR

The best way to boost your e-mail click-through rate (CTR) is a meaningful call to action (CTA). That's the verdict of 65% of the marketing, sales and business professionals surveyed worldwide by Ascend2, as reported recently by MarketingProfs. Second place went to list segmentation for targeting (47%), followed by message personalization (42%). Tactics garnering frequent online discussion gathered the fewest votes by the way: social sharing (6%) and video e-mail (10%). There isn't a big surprise in those findings from marketers, who were weighted more heavily toward B2B (68% of surveyed). But before you rush off to spruce up your call-to-action effort, note that those same marketers also rated list segmentation and call to action as the most difficult tactics to implement for improved CTR, by 41% and 35% respectively. Clearly, knowing what to do isn't the same as knowing how to do it well. Maybe that's why the surveyed marketing pros saw e-mail CTR trends as relatively stagnant, either not changing (34%) or increasing only modestly (33%). For more details of the survey, go to http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2015/27811/the-best-tactics-for-improving-email-ctrs

Off YouTube, Nearly Half of Web Video Ads Unseen

Video ads get great response–if they are seen. But almost half (46%) of video ads served across the Internet–excluding YouTube–will never be seen by consumers in the United States, according to a study from Google recently reported by The Drum marketing site. Viewability depends both on where an ad is served on a page and how quickly it disappears when a user scrolls. And nearly a quarter (24%) of video display ads today are scrolled off screen in less than two-seconds, according to the report, which recommends that advertisers use video players in a higher and more centrally located position on web pages. Another way to insure that video ads are seen is to go with YouTube. Google found that viewability figures massively improve when ads are served on YouTube, where over nine out of 10 will be viewable. Also, video ads are significantly more viewable on mobile devices, where 83% of ads are viewable, compared with 81% on tablet and just 53% on desktop. For the full story, read http://www.thedrum.com/news/2015/05/11/only-half-video-ads-served-across-web-will-be-seen-versus-91-youtube-says-google

Staying on Top of E-mail Trends That Deliver ROI

Marketers are expected to spend $2.3 billion on e-mail marketing this year, and emerging e-mail trends can mean the difference between stellar marketing ROI and wasted dollars for many moving forward. Our thanks to Liga Bizune's article for MarketingProfs, which highlights six e-mail trends likely to define success in the next few years. Her list includes 1) planning for the triage effect and creative challenge of wearable technology like smartwatches; 2) adapting e-mail to the continued charge of mobile marketing, with its triage, creative and content impacts; 3) proximity and geolocation opportunities for hyper-targeting and smart automation; 4) the arrival of video as a standard e-mail engagement and sharing technique; 5) embrace of transactional e-mail, which delivers four times more revenue than promotional e-mail, via detailed list segmentation and optimized, timely delivery; and 6) greater use of predictive analytics for behavioral marketing, allowing for automated, triggered, targeted and re-targeted messaging throughout the sales funnel. For details on each trend, go to http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2015/27328/top-six-email-marketing-trends-you-need-to-keep-pace-with

In B2B Content Marketing, Message Trumps Format

In business-to-business content marketing, substance beats format, or what you say is more important than how you say it, advises a leading B2B strategist. Consider how that affects implementation of findings of the 2015 B2B Technology Content Survey by Eccolo Media. Eccolo Media's survey respondents rated the helpfulness of 10 types of content at each of four stages in the technology buying process: pre-sales, initial sales, mid-sales and final sales. The two most highly rated content types for the pre-sales phase were blogs and e-newsletters. Tech buyers tapped white papers and case studies as most useful in the initial sales phase. By the mid-sales phase, content preferences shifted to detailed tech guides and videos. And detailed tech guides and e-books were most desired in the final sales phase. That's good information for both B2B tech marketers and general B2B marketing, but, to succeed, each content type stills needs to meet some key criteria, advises B2B marketing consultant David Dodd in a recent Business2Community post. The three attributes of successful content, in descending order of importance, are right message, right length and right format, Dodd summarizes. First, comes the right message, meaning content that meets the needs of a potential buyer at the appropriate stage in the buying process. So the right message at the pre-sales stage, whether delivered in a blog or e-letter, will focus on making the prospect aware of the problem or challenge that the product or service can address, for example. Next in importance is the right length of content. Continuing with the example of the pre-sales phase: When the potential buyer may be unaware of the problem, content needs to be delivered in bite-sized pieces that engage without a big time investment. Finally, successful content marketing uses the right format to engage the buyer. Because buyers have such different preferences, the best tactic is to present the same message in multiple formats, Dodd advises. Hopefully, coupling basic content criteria with buyer preferences will set B2B marketers on the road to more sales. For the full article: http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/content-marketing-substance-matters-format-01144993

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

Time to Create a Video Marketing Strategy?

Marketing statistics are showing the potential power of online video in terms of audience, engagement and response, but successful video marketing requires a careful strategy. A recent MarketingProfs article by Michael Litt, CEO of video marketing platform Vidyard, comes to the aid of video neophytes, suggesting five basic steps for achieving video marketing goals. Step No. 1 is to decide what your video content seeks to accomplish for the brand, including defining the audience, its needs and desired added value at the outset. Step No. 2 moves on to selecting video story topics (questions from the target audience are one starting point) and then the type of video (webinar, how-to, leader interview, product demo, customer testimonials, case studies, etc.) that fits with the story-telling. Step. No. 3 is to assess resources and budget and clearly assign responsibility for video creative and content. Whether the video is put together by an in-house team or outsourced to an agency, don't neglect key stakeholder feedback during the process. Next, decide where the video will reside on your website and direct customers and prospects there. Note that YouTube is a great distribution channel but it serves competitors and distractions, too, so make sure you have links to your site within SEO-optimized YouTube descriptions and a destination on your site where prospects can learn more. Finally, measure results by setting up metrics-gathering from video platform and distribution, including attention span and drop-off rates, click-through rates and video consumption patterns. For more detail, go to http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/26187/five-steps-to-creating-a-video-marketing-strategy

Why Inbound Can't Replace B2B Direct Marketing

Inbound strategies are grabbing more marketing budget these days, and that can be bad news for business-to-business prospecting. Inbound marketing -- social media, e-newsletters, video, podcasts, white papers and some permission marketing -- should not displace traditional direct marketing -- cold calling, networking events and direct mail -- for three reasons, argues a recent article for LifeHealthPro.com. First, inbound marketing is designed to leverage a prospect's knowledge of needs. But, except for industrial commodities, most businesses aren't aware of the need for discretionary purchases until persuaded by a sales contact. This is especially true for business financial and insurance sales. Second, most business owners and executives are so busy with daily management that there is little window for inbound to break through. That's why the "interruptive prospecting techniques" of traditional cold calling, events and direct mail have higher response, the article proposes. Finally, if the goal is to increase leads while lowering cost per sale, marketers should be aware that the addition of inbound marketing may actually raise cost per sale. For example, if all inbound costs for an appointment with a decision-maker are included, the cost of cold calling alone is cheaper on a cost per lead basis than combining inbound marketing and cold calling to boost leads, based on the article's actual campaign data analysis. Assuming the same conversion rate for leads, the cost of sales is thus increased by adding inbound to a cold calling campaign. That's not to say inbound doesn't have its benefits in warming up prospects, providing compelling online support, or developing targeting data to improve response. The point is that b2b inbound marketing is no substitute for b2b direct marketing, since "waiting for the phone to ring has never been a particularly good strategy," the article concludes. For more on the analysis, see http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2014/03/05/is-inbound-marketing-right-for-prospecting-to-busi?t=life-practice-management