Once Again: 2010 was the year of PREFERENCES!

I first published this article on January 18, 2010. It was my prediction about what I thought the year 2010 would bring to both businesses and consumers. The key here was that the consumer expected businesses to know them, and serve them across channels.

---------------------------------

2010 is about knowing your customer or member. It is about understanding prospect behaviour. It is about knowing across channels, & doing so in real time. In 2010 the empowered consumer will do business with people who know them.

Do you really know me?

How much do you really know about your customers or members? You probably know even less about your prospects? Even if you do have lots of data about them, you probably do very little to leverage the information in a timely manner for a meaningful transaction. Your customers, members, & prospects come to your site, visit your social networks, visit your kiosks, ATM’s, stores or branches, & even purchase from you. What do you do with all this information collected?

Think of an account you opened at a financial institution. When you filled out forms - you identified yourself, your family, they knew your needs. But did they actually remember that during transactions? Most customers and members are served up the same standard online ad every time they log into their web site, the ATM still wants to know what language they speak, and look at the 'worthless' statement stuffers. It makes the consumer wonder if the financial institution really knows them.

Retailers don't fare as well either. If you make two major purchases a year, and a few other smaller purchases the retailer has great opportunities to know you and consequently up-sell & cross sell you with relevant offers. Sadly, offers do arrive, but not always when you need them. The web might recognize you every single time, but their emails don’t speak with relevance. A friendly store clerk may know you, but most times they treat you as if you were a stranger.

Most organizations however are always committed to knowing you better. They want you to provide preferences at every channel; they even attempt to assimilate your transactions across channels. They include post transaction product or service surveys. You get this from in person experiences, over the web or phone, at self service terminals, and even on social media channels. They want to know about your transaction experience. They even want your feedback when you do not transact. They want to know you better. But stop and think about the approach and the questions. The survey is typically included because the organization ‘has to’ do it, and in most instances the survey seems to do very little to actually engage the consumer. The survey serves the business!

What is worse with surveys is that most organizations are happy with a less than 2% response rate. While there is almost always a survey included at the end of every transaction, there is very little commitment from the organization towards getting the survey completed.

An introspective question that is important to ask is if you can truly anticipate consumer behaviour? Not sure how, here is a simple exercise - take a look at a set of transactions from the previous month / week / day & see if those were truly predictable. Was it based on something you did, or were you able to predict why your consumer really came in?

The reason we seem to have this issue is because most organizations are focused on the target, the channel, & 'almost' instant success. There is very little cross channel coordination. This makes organizations look goofy in front of the empowered consumer.

Organizations need to unify their preferences pages - not just keep silos of customer data across channels.

Here are some things that organizations should do to build up this repository of actionable information:

1. Have one preference page for the consumer. The consumer should be able to update their preferences across channel. Keep this preference page accessible across the web, or mobile – it is convenient for the consumer to share the information.

2. Have three parts to this preference page – one that is updated by the consumer, the second updated by your organization, & the third updated by consumer behaviour. Don’t forget behaviour is not just consumer action but also consumer inaction.

3. Collect the data in real time. Disseminate transaction information quickly to all your channels. Let your channels be aware so they can serve the empowered consumer better.

4. Get your consumer to update their preferences a little bit at a time, tie your surveys back into the preferences. And do this correctly by having a back and forth dialogue.

5. Provide the purpose of each channel to the consumer. Don’t forget to train your employees about the value of each of your channels.

6. Engage the consumer on ‘their’ social media channels by listing all your social media channels including the purpose of each of these channels. Don’t forget to entice the consumer to check out your social media channels – a mere follow us / share this is not effective.

The important thing for you to do is to keep the consumer engaged on their terms and keep the information flowing both ways. You need to think about an efficient on-boarding process for new members & customers. The on-boarding process could include a welcome stream of messages that make the consumer aware of what your organization brings to the table. You also need to think about ‘what next’ scenarios for existing consumers as they complete transactions or update their preferences.

Many organizations feel that they can know their consumer better by assimilating data into their CRM. Realistically you should be running an ‘Operational CRM’ at the speed of light by pulling data into the CRM through your touchpoints in real time, & quickly messaging the consumer with relevant messages across channels.

The key here is two things – first pull data together from your touch points in real time, and second – message your consumer with relevance.

To do this effectively organizations should assimilate data across channels with special emphasis on recency. Consumers want you to acknowledge their most recent transactions. Next, organizations should write specific use cases driving people across channels. Also, you need to listen & engage across channels.

A post card from a charitable organization talks about inspirational stories of change. A link on the post card takes you to their blog. The blog has more stories and solicits donations.

A grocer sells a product with two recipes. One recipe is listed on the box, the second recipe has teaser that encourages the consumer to go to the web channel.

A bakery tweets specials to people on their list and asks them to 'whisper' the code over to the check out person.

An entertainment company solicits your opinion on the 'show' and then texts you a coupon to use at the concession stand.

A financial institution intrigues you at the ATM machine, and this intrigue actually drives people to enter the branch, provide a mobile number, or go online to learn more about the offer.

A retailer runs an advertisement not for all but for one consumer at a time on their mobile device.

A travel company keeps in touch by asking you for feedback so they can update their recommendations across all channels.

One of the best cross channel social media tweets in 2009 was about how to create an insect free back yard. The tweet took you to an article on the blog which was peppered with good information and great pictures. The article was about attracting bats to your yard so they could keep the yard insect free. The article wanted you to create a haven for bats by getting a bat house. The engaging article ended with a link to purchase a bat house and you could do this by speaking to a person or do it online. The box that was shipped to your home included a catalog that offered even more. It all started with a simple tweet to followers that cared. A tweet that sold & sold across channels!

Social media, direct mail, self service, email, mobile, your physical locations – they need to work together to engage the consumer. The key is about recognizing people across channels, and carrying out conversations with relevance. You can only do this if you know the consumer. You can know the consumer by creating a preference page that can be updated across channels.

2010 will be the year of relevance. Those who are relevant will engage the empowered consumer. It is the year of how well you truly know your consumer. You can only do this if you connect your channels and connect with your consumers. You need to create an inner circle of friends, an insiders club, a small group of advisors and then aspire to create similar relationships with all your customers.

How connected were you with your consumers in 2010?

Read more >>

Once Again: What Consumers Really Want From Businesses!

Earlier this year (January 2010) I published this article about what consumers really wanted from organizations. This was based analyzing behaviour and responses from over 400,000 consumers about different types of online messages they received, here are some insightful tips for organizations.

1. The consumer seeks your expertise. They are looking at you to provide answers. Basic answers don't qualify as the consumer has the ability to research answers over the internet. When they approach the merchant or the financial institution, they are looking for the perfect answer.

2. The consumer wants you to recognize them quickly, & do this across channel.

3. The consumer wants you to offer real convenience - the ability to start transactions on one channel and complete them on another.

4. The consumer wants your organization to seek their preferences and remember thosepreferences so you can create relevant dialogue with them.

5. The consumer wants to be heard. They want their responses to count and want to see real consumer feedback (across channels, plus good and bad feedback).

6. The consumers had a not so positive impression about messaging from most organizations- they felt that businesses are messaging them with the same message over and over again. The messaging lacks continuity and consequently looses the impact.

7. The consumer wants to create deals themselves - mix and match - create their own bundles. They want the ability to choose and not just be offered menu options.

The consumer appreciates that you 'understand' social media. They would like you to leverage these bullets into your social media engagement strategy.

I wanted to put this article out as we close out 2010. The consumer continues to become more savvy expecting you to recognize them, serve them, & continue to listen to them on social media channels.

Read more >>

Once Again: Some Bad Stuff on Social Media

Social Media continues down a frenetic pace and can do an effective job in engaging people. The market abounds with experts & unfortunately a lot of these 'experts' don't espouse the guiding principles of social media. Rants, raves, & self adulation don't really add much value to social media. Here are some horrific examples of what is being said in social sphere.

A very big corporations, very senior person was asked, 'How are you focusing on Social Media?' His answer, 'To continue to strive, to meet, and to exceed my customer's expectations in a dynamic economy, with a focus on values about our core customer and recognition of evolving demographics.' Deep, profound, and hard to comprehend. This is the vision that has stalled this corporations endeavor into the next step.

Another big corporation showed me their Social Media statement, 'Our focus is to enrich our customers' personal lives and to make them more successful by bringing to market exciting and useful products & services, empowering our employees & shareholders, & stakeholders in the process.' I bobbled my head in awe!

A CEO of an online retail software company made a statement in January 2009, 'Social Media will be gone in 2010!' Of course, he had a bias - his software allowed you to invest in search marketing and he was concerned that he would be cutting into his margins.A learned & esteemed internet consultant made a statement in January 2010, 'Social Media is too expensive, too hard, and almost impossible to justify!' What was his bias? He was a very intelligent guy and explained that by partnering with him he would break down the hard part for you. He still charges a pretty penny and knows how to justify his invoice.

A VP of marketing told her audience that they should hold back their investment in social media. Her rationale was that it was still emerging, still evolving, and left a lot of questions about how it could replace advertising in print or on TV. Of course, her bias was that she was in charge of promoting her Direct Response Marketing company that focused on direct mail & TV advertising.

A large consumer service company uses social media to put out free coupons. Every tweet, every Facebook update, & every blog post is about what you can get for free. It started as a vehicle for new customer acquisition, it is now a retention vehicle. I wonder how they are making any money?

The (self proclaimed) maven of social media at a major B2B corporation has taken the 'reality' thing a little too far. She believes in tweeting work & personal stuff in real time. Tweet 1 - This call from hell will never end. Tweet 2 - Thank God for You Tube. Tweet 3 - Join our Innovation Squad at xxxxx2010 - lots of good learning. Tweet 4 - Where's the Xanax? All tweeted within 10 minutes!

To me, many of these people are an inspiration on what not to do. So keep it coming!

The three guiding principles of social media are engagement, listening, & empathy. In addition to adhering to standards and policy, I wish some of these people used common sense in their approach.

Read more >>

Once Again: Seven Tips to Design Welcome Messages

As a marketer it’s easy to focus on the normal email campaigns, these are the ones that you most recently perfected, received management buy-in and the ones with current response data. Odds are you’re planning a couple weeks in advance too, never looking too far back so it becomes easier and easier to forget the welcome campaign that you created a while back… or inherited from your predecessor.

These welcome campaigns may be years behind your current design work or they could be doing only part of their job. Think of the campaign(s)) as your first impression, it’s the best chance you have for the recipient to add you to their safe sender list; your chance to highlight something they may have overlooked while on your site or simply introduce them to your full experience – either through a purchase, survey or social media offerings.

Evaluate these campaigns quarterly (monthly if you can); make sure they are serving your organizations needs:

· Show recipients a sample of what to expect

· Provide them with important information (something that will want them to keep your email for a while)

· Collect information from them – i.e. a simple survey (fill-in from the registration page)

· Push them toward other items – cool/ underappreciated part of your site or social media outlets

· Generate sales – this could be your best chance to convert!

· Don't think about just one campaign - plan a series of welcome campaigns (2 - 3) to help your new prospect become part of your family

· Mix it up – drive your campaigns to them through mobile, social, & email.

You need to use this first impression to start a dialogue with your consumers, it is the best way to learn about them, it is the best way to communicate, it is the best way to market - all towards creating interactive conversations.

Read more >>

You Can Only Engage Through Good Service (& Information)

I know that everyone has had a poor customer service experience at some point; I have had my share – my cell phone provider, an online clothier, & my ‘favorite’ airline.

Outside of the huge amount of hold time, my greatest complaint had to do with lack of integration. In each instance, the “send an email” feature never connected with my profile, I never got a response and my email (the first contact) couldn’t be accessed by the CSR when I called to follow up.

By contrast, I was pleasantly surprised when I made a call at lunch to enroll in a special incentive program. I initially tried to enroll online, but kept getting an error. So I naturally waited two days, and reluctantly called into the customer service department expecting a hassle. I was completely wrong, the CSR addressed me by name (I had entered my SSN) and knew that I had tried to enroll online Tuesday evening. He helped with my selections and even provided information that wasn’t given in my original notice.

So what makes this experience so different? CONNECTIVITY – knowing that your customers/ prospects have logged in, attempted to access your product or service and then helping them correct the issue.

So I ask, at what point in the bell curve does the cost/ time of updating/ integrating your multiple channels offset the attrition of customer dissatisfaction?

Do think about customer service as a key component of your engagement strategy. Also, by allowing your business to access important information about your consumers - you will look smarter in serving them well.

Read more >>

Once Again: What Not to Do with Social Media

A major business has built a ‘Twempire’ by giving away a no strings attached coupon to every follower. While the coupon is a small gift for each consumer – if you add everything that was given away it amounts to an astronomical payment for a following of over 2 million and growing.

Here are some direct issues –

First, they have an identity crisis – there are more contacts compared to the true number of people. People kept creating social identities to get the free money – no strings attached. They should have instead learned about the consumers preferences, asked for other contact information, forced the money to be spent within a short period of time and preferably given them $5 off at least a $10 purchase!

Second, there was never an engagement plan - They grew their list without a real plan to engage each consumer. They simply kept collecting cards. They could have done a better job if they had sent the consumer a follow up email with a survey soliciting additional information. They could have rewarded the consumer with another discount. An engagement plan of a series of welcome emails would have gone a long way in serving the consumer.

Third, they should have leveraged their brick and mortar - By inviting the consumers into their store by hosting ‘Celebrating Social Media Day’ or something similar for different age groups and genders. Driving in store traffic could potentially lead to a sale and definitely help build relationships.

So if you are out and about building up connections on social media – do have a plan to make sure that you are actually converting your connections.

Read more >>

Communication Fundamentals: Be Crisp, Clear, & Concise

As former White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer was the primary spokesperson for President Bush. He served as spokesman during the historic presidential recount, September 11th, two wars and the anthrax attack. His best-selling book, Taking Heat, details his years in the White House and reached #7 on The New York Times best-seller list.

Since leaving the White House, Ari has worked extensively in the world of sports. He has helped Major League Baseball deal with its controversies, as well as its opportunities, and he has worked for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. He also helps advise several major corporations about their communications issues.

He does know a few things about crisis. His job seemed simple - listen to the question and answer it as clearly as possible. He excelled in answering questions that most others would consider 'badgering' and did it with ease. As President of Ari Fleishcher Sports Communications he spoke to a group of us at the National Sports Forum.

I enjoyed his discussion and here are some notes I took for marketers -

1 - Fans like to follow three types of personalities in sports - winners, those making a comeback, & athletes with a clean image. So lesson number one for marketers - make sure you pick the right people / product / service. Build your campaigns around those 'stars' and provide a clear path of how people can take the next step.

2 - Learn how to handle the bad news and take advantage of the good. Always stay in touch with your constituents and keep a pulse on what they need. Answer the little concerns before they become big. Highlight news quickly - good and bad. If you have bad news, make sure you have your 'spin' (explanation) on it. Know when to talk and when not to talk.

3 - There is tremendous power in messaging. Know what you are trying to answer before you frame the answer. As you put together your messaging make sure it is crisp, clear, & concise.

4 - Invest in social media education and listen in on social media channels. Know what the channels are and hear what people are saying. You don't have to respond to everything but you should be aware of conversations.

5 - You have to know what you are talking about. Immerse yourself in the product / service / athlete you are promoting. You should be able to translate what you learned into effective messaging.

6 - Most corporations have one spokesperson - make sure your messaging follows the same consistency.

Read more >>

Once Again: The Problem with Social Media

20 town council members (from different towns) met at an event to talk about youth engagement programs. This wise group of people included both elected and nominated members who have worked really hard to improve services to their constituents.

The council members had a major issue - the youth it seems were too quick in discussion groups, not giving the council members an opportunity to listen and respond to requests on social media channels. The council members prefer that the youth came to their meetings, or called their offices to discuss their concerns.

On a positive note, 3 out of the 20 members actually knew about Facebook - they knew how to use it and they even had Facebook pages. That's a grand 15%.

95% of the youth were on social media. That was their primary means of staying in touch.

Comment made at the council meeting, "These kids are just creating problems for us. They shouldn't be using Facebook!"

Ouch!!

Message from youth on Twitter - Get with it! Know Social, Listen, Learn, & Do Social.

Read more >>

Six Simple Survey Opportunities to Drive Engagement

There are endless opportunities to gather customer insight, feedback and strengthen relationships with your recipients- some of the most popular survey thresholds I recommend are:

• During the initial engagement or signup

• The 'tell us what you think link' (within each email & every transaction)

• If they stopped in between - an abandoned cart, an incomplete booking, or a half filled form

• After a transaction - could be a call, a visit to your branch, a purchase, an inquiry...

• Out of the blue - 3, 6, and 12 months into the marketing relationship

• If they want to drop off your list

Once you collect this information, try to leverage it into your dialogue. Most businesses do not even acknowledge the consumer who provided this additional insight. A sign up via email should receive an email thank you. Same thing with Facebook & Twitter - send a message, and try to personalize as much as possible.

Don't treat your recipients like carbon copies - especially if they have provided you with information about themselves. The fastest way to engage your recipients in a dialogue is through the application of relevant personalization and preferences, the easiest way to gather that information is to survey your consumers at one or more points in the recipient communication lifecycle.

When your consumer joins you on your Facebook page, or signs up for your email program, or follows you on Twitter - don't forget that they have invited you to converse with them!

Read more >>

How a Few Spoken Words Can Help Engage Consumers

There are a couple of gas stations close to my home, both are clean, well lit and offer gas at the same price. Both offer free coffee without a minimum purchase, they simply want you to come in and grab a cup. Yet one is always more crowded than the other, for a pretty simple reason – the empty store uses signs to offer the free coffee. The full store has no signs, but their people are really friendly.

Their employees greet you even if you are pumping gas, they ask you to come in and grab a cup of coffee, talk to you and typically while you’re there you pick up other things.

After about 10 fill-ups at the station, Suzi thanked me and asked why I wouldn't step in for coffee. I felt a little bad, so I walked in and jokingly told her that I prefer tea, she quickly helped me brew a cup and since then when I roll into this gas station, they all know my preference and remember to invite me in for tea... personalized stuff always works.

When you begin to think about competitive businesses, there are often few differentiators – product, service, price, reputation, accessories – all factors that influence purchase decisions; but sometimes when these are all equal it comes down to the their experience and your branding… those underlying factors that can’t always be seen but make a huge impression.

As digital marketers we have the ability to carry on very focused conversations with our recipients, we know what they open, we know what they click, we also know what our consumers are talking about on social media – all we have to do is zero in and facilitate the dialogue.

It is not just about offering a deal, but making sure that you are actually talking to the recipient and keeping them engaged. Take time to understand what they want by watching your numbers, and never forget to say thank you.

Read more >>

Internal & External Strategies to Strengthen Digital Engagement

If you run marketing for a retail store chain or are trying to build up your digital database at branches train your representatives to engage the consumer in a dialogue before they ask for the digital address. Here are some simple things you can tell your consumer to build up your lists:

‘If we add you to our database, you’ll be able to look at your purchase history online’

‘You’ll be able to return/ exchange items without a receipt’

‘You’ll get advanced notice of sales and special events – before the public’

‘You’ll be able to access all your account information online’

‘You’ll be able to ask your peers (other consumers) about us – real references’

A simple dialogue helps in increasing capture rate, both in-store and across channels – web and catalog. Also, think about extending your data storage so that you can capture additional data fields on your customer base and their purchases. Your site, email and their transaction could be used as a contactless loyalty program system. Doing this in real time makes it more impactful.

Additionally, think about doing the following:

1) Spend a little more time engaging the customer in relevant dialogue; talk to them about the product they’ve purchased, solicit their input and point out your digital assets – sell them on visiting these portions of your site and sharing information.

2) As you sell them on these digital assets and associated benefits, be crisp and precise – make sure you have this scripted so there is no confusion by the reps. A consistent branded message across channels goes a long way in keeping things clear.

3) Take a little extra time to get their email ID, get them to notice your Facebook page, let them follow you on Twitter. Don't just ask for their email first, describe the benefits of your program and only then ask… this increases your chances of collecting the information. This intelligent conversation gives your brand credibility, makes your reps look real and helps to engage your customers.

Now, think about engaging your own team and keeping them involved throughout the process. Start by getting your team to be proficient users of your digital programs, your goal should be 100% opens and clicks by your own people. If your team is paying attention to your program – they’ll be in a better position to describe the emails to your customers/ prospects.

Don't forget to have signs in your store/ branch and posted on your other channels listing the benefits of your email program – really crisp messages to 1) entice the user to sign up; and 2) stress to the recipient that you have a program worth their attention.

Try to keep your solicitation messaging consistent across channels, run internal contests to reward your own people – on digital collection and email capture effectiveness. Define email capture effectiveness as a scoring system for a customer to both open and click your campaigns.

It is not just about collecting names, it’s about getting people to pay attention.

Read more >>

10 Writing Tips for Interactive Media - Social, Mobile, Email...

Interactive media implies media that allows for a conversation - a two way dialogue - you can not only track where the consumer is going but you can also solicit feedback in real time. The web, email, social media, self service, & mobile are part of interactive media.

You need to communicate with clarity & creativity, keeping the consumer engaged - here are 10 tips.

First, choose your content based on the channel you are going to use. If you are using a kiosk - you need to be quick (people may be standing in line) & give the user options to choose from. If you are using mobile, reduce the content, but you can take a little more time and allow the consumer to think about a response. Email can be used to probe and serve up targeted content on the web site. Social Media can be used to solicit feedback in near real time.

Second, realize the importance of being brief. State your point, provide convenient links as needed, & think about the 'next step' or purpose of the page. Reduce your copy as much as possible.

Third, focus on your audience. Do not use big words or phrases that sound rhetorical or cool or things that are too complicated. Keeping your message focused on the audience level keeps them engaged. If you are too cool, complicated, or too serious you could confuse them or offend them.

Fourth, think about the message and how it ties in with the rest of the interactive screen. If you are serving up an ad on the landing page - make sure that it is contextual and doesn't draw away from the overall message.

Fifth, use an active writing style. You want both a reaction and a reply from a user. Carry out a conversation offering the benefit of your product / service rather than just stating the offering.

Sixth, organize your content to make it more effective. Headline, sections, bullets, clear icons, definitions, images, bold, italics, links - organize the information into 'chunks' of information so the consumer can find the information easily.

Seventh, you have the ability to change and adjust your message so keep testing what works best on a smaller group before releasing the content to the rest of your population.

Eighth, think about using rich media – consumers enjoy pictures and video. You need to leverage all of these ‘more than a thousand words’ channels as you try to engage the consumer.

Ninth, get your consumers to take the lead in conversations. Over a period of time, you will find that some of your consumers are active participants on your social media sites. Recognize these consumers as leaders and thank them for being proactive. Other consumers will appreciate your ‘user centric’ approach to dialogue.

Tenth, think about mixing up your messages to consumers across multiple channels. So if you start a conversation with a consumer on social media, you could send them an email, follow up with a mobile coupon, and close things off with a thank you at a self-service machine.

Got more ideas? Please do share them in the comment box.

Read more >>

12 Tips on B2B Email Marketing

Ask any B2B marketer and they’ll tell you that their communiqués aren’t the same as B2C – in our experience, they’re partly right…

Regardless of the offer/ message the rules are mostly the same – you still have to grab the attention of the reader, it just may need to be done in a different manner. As a B2B marketer you have to convey a different sense of value while still intriguing the user into open, read and click through your email. Here are 12 ideas on building an effective email marketing program:

1) Online Business Cards – insert a picture of the rep into the email campaign, this helps in three ways, it keeps the rep in front of the customer, it offers consistency (as the company sending the email controls the message) and it looks good. This works nicely in sales environments where the rep is making calls on customers/ prospects.

2) Create Personal Reminders – This is the equivalent of a F2F and allows the rep to send out different types of emails. Don't forget tomorrow's call or Thank you for your time – each of these can be packaged into personal reminders that the rep now has at their disposal to send to customers and prospects.

3) Super-Duper Deals – If there is a special rate or promotion, send it out from the rep instead of the company, this creates goodwill and gives the rep talking points when they call on the customer/ prospect. Personal coupon codes and private events are ways to execute this.

4) Use a Secret Code – Use a little personalization to drive customers to an event; again this creates talking points, promotes the program and seems to unite the team. Have the prospect use the secret code to get in.

5) What’s Up – Be sure your reps know about the communiqués being sent. I’ve received some great B2B emails, and in three instances I decided to call them back – I struck out every time. Not one of the three people who were listed on these campaigns had any clue about the offer or the email program. I sheepishly crawled away, quickly unsubscribing from their list.

6) Return phone Calls – In other instances I’ve left messages based on email campaigns received, I’m still waiting for my phone to ring. This is across industries; I have multiple messages out there at a resort property, a printer (new brochures) and a software company (looking to introduce a colleague). Common courtesy demands that we pay attention to returning phone calls – especially when it’s being requested. The purpose of email from these companies was to create interest and induce a response… they were half successful.

7) Superior Service – When people request information from you make sure you take very good care of them. Remember, these people have taken extra effort to respond to your email - notice what they clicked on and use that to initiate a dialogue with them. Respond quickly but not in real time else they will feel that they are being tracked.

8) Surveys & Preferences – Surveys work very well in the B2B environment, as recipients are more inclined to answer something that’s not exactly about them. Three very good twists to incorporate include the offer (i.e. copy of a published report), something with mystery (intriguing questions that are slightly off target work well) and the recurring approach – shorter surveys that are quarterly compounded (requiring less commitment from the recipient) are great and can be built upon by saying “this is what you have been saying.” The final example is a great way to leverage interaction using preferences and creating more conversations.

9) Micro-Segmentation Works – You don’t need a big list to get a lot of responses, take the time to target small groups of people with personalized notes – include their rep. Each rep can be provided the reporting of their campaigns and encouraged to contact the customer/ prospect based on response. For unsubscribes, the rep should call them up, thank them and try to garner why they unsubscribed. The rep may end up with a new contact, renew the relationship or simply get the real reason. As an email marketer you should always pay attention to this rep feedback and encourage them to keep sharing this information with you.

10) NEVER Rent Lists – The recipient is a consumer who understands CAN-SPAM. While they realize that it doesn't really apply to B2B – imagine the aggravation of getting a campaign that you did not want. This is one of my biggest peeves; as an alternative, challenge people to use other channels – keep emails handy after phone calls, use contests, news articles, product information, etc. Sending an email to someone is the easiest way to alienate them.

11) Copy Rules! – Unless you have an engaging game to share with your readers, focus on text and your copy. It will help you with deliverability and give the reader your message without much static. Keep it short and to the point, longer articles/ details should lead to subsequent pages giving the recipient the opportunity to click through.

12) Non-Perishable – As a marketer, your goal is to educate, interact and engage; creating a relationship with a long shelf life. Mixing useful information with offers encourages the reader to file your emails or print for future reference; B2B emails have a long shelf life so keep the utility principal in mind.

Read more >>

Seven Reasons to Use Social Media

1 - You use social media to increase your outreach. Pick a few channels and stay focused to drive 'growth' metrics. Perhaps you are looking to find more people or raise awareness. List what you want to do and then measure that metric month over month.

2 - You use social media to let your consumer know more about your organization. That way if the consumer is in the market for a particular product or service you want to make sure that they are aware of what your organization has to offer.

3 - You use social media to know more about your consumer. You do this by listening to conversations, engaging the consumer in a dialogue, and constantly seeking feedback.

4 - You use social media to build a relationship. You do this by staying in touch with the consumer and not just trying to close the sale. You use social media for customer service, feedback, answering questions & getting personal.

5 - You use social media to go viral. If you speak tactfully and offer value on your social media channels your consumer will share what you offer with others. Keep thinking of ways to engage your consumers in a dialogue - answer their question, solicit their opinion, & make it easy for them to share.

6 - You use social media to cut costs. There are dozens of things you can do to begin cutting costs from your traditional marketing channels through judicious application of social media. This is an absolute requirement to drive social media success.

7 - You use social media to drive revenue. It is easier to measure your success in the digital world and the impact of social media can be measured easily. Pick a few programs and then use social media to try and sell those programs within your organization.

You have to save money, and drive revenue to continue any marketing program. Social media is no exception.

Read more >>

How to build relationships?

Wonder what your customers and prospects are thinking? There are research firms out there that will charge you thousands of dollars to research this for you – but there is also a free way to gather the same information. Add a feedback link to all your messaging - your emails, web site(s), & yes even your social media channels.

First you have to grab their attention - using intrigue works well - a backyard birding company asked - 'What is the only bird that does not walk?' A gardening supply company asked - 'Do tomatoes really grow upside down?' A relationship company asked - 'What are the seven mistakes guys make on their first date?' A travel company asked - 'What 10 items are a no-no for your holiday travels?' A bank asked if you knew the '10 ways to cheat the IRS on your taxes (legally)?'

Once you have their attention you should proceed with the following:

1) Ask them to rate your product

2) Ask them to rank your service

3) Ask them how you could do better - the more open ended the response, the better your input!

Acknowledge their response in as near real time as possible. Add them to a special segment, and make sure that you try and respond to their concerns. They are your source for feedback, and what they tell you could be more valuable than most consultants.

Then all you have to do is compile the responses, over time you’ll gather valuable feedback without that research firm. You’ll also engage your recipients and further the relationship.

The only bird that does not walk is a Hummingbird!

Read more >>

Five Tips on Leveraging Video & Email

Video is an excellent way to engage the consumer. Delivering the message about the video through email is only going to help you enhance your consumer connection.

Here are five things to consider when leveraging video:

1) The Medium is the Message: Consider the possible rendering challenges – how your message will be viewed on Hulu or mobile devices is just a new twist.

2) Be Creative: Always a challenge in eMarketing, you want to make sure you’re being brand loyal while simultaneously garnering attention in the inbox to achieve that open.

3) Use Video to Monetize Email in New Ways: Knowing that the open isn’t enough we must continue to push for a click, conversion and continual engagement – peak their interest to drive the consumer to the landing page.

4) Promote Video to Stimulate List Growth: This is where exclusivity factors in, by making your email the single source for information, alternate formats and updates you’re creating necessity and playing toward engagement.

5) Test Everything, Constantly: You’ll never break away from this one, as an eMarketer you know your recipient list is fickle, their needs/ wants change daily so you have to keep leveraging possible factors to stay top of mind and retain your importance.

Read more >>

Could Tracking Lead to Awesome Service?

You walk up to an ATM and as you put your card in you are greeted in your prefered language, offered the usual amount, and even given the usual coupon to the coffee shop across the street. As you sip the coffee, the financial institution sends you a text message thanking you for banking with them.

After a long day at work you walk into your favorite restaurant. They saw you coming and brought your family the usual drinks and the first round of appetizers. As you eat the appetizers the chef walked out to inquire about last weeks meal and wanted to know what you all would like. This is exceptional service.

You stroll into a huge department store, they recognize you. Actually, they spotted your telephone - all your phones. An employee invites you to come take a family portrait since all of you are together. They even bring you some outfits to wear for the photo shoot - things that you had purchased before - the right size et al. You are in and out in no time at all.

You are helping register your child for an after school activity. You show up, sign in, and have barely sat down when one of the experts comes to talk to you about your options. Not only did they see you come in, they actually answered every question you had, even though you didn't remember all the questions. See, they simply tracked your activity on the web and made a list of the information that you were seeking.

You zip into the grocery store to pick up milk, bread, and bananas. You usually walk out with more things but were in a hurry to get home. As you come up to the register, a manager waves you to the service desk. Not only are you first in line, she also offers you the other items that you usually purchase. Talk about convenience.

You call your favorite gardening catalog spending about 30 seconds on hold. Your call is transferred to Kathy, she is the one you spoke to the last time. She talks to you about your garden, your last purchase, and offers you ideas on what you could do to tend your garden during the winter.

You have been surfing the web on options for a new car. You see a few cars online and soon proceed to your bank's web site to see what options you have to finance the vehicle. You get a call the next morning from the manager who invites you to the branch. Not only do they pre-approve you, they actually help you negotiate a better price from the car dealer. You walk in - they know what you want - they give you what you need - you drive out, happy. Now that was quick, efficient, and personalized.

Tracking transactions brings some immense advantages. It is like having a personal concierge that is always looking out for you. It allows you to leverage channels, technology, and preferences to your advantage giving you back time, money, and exactly what you want.

The FTC just introduced a proposed framework around protecting consumer privacy. This proposed legislation is also being called the ‘Do Not Track’ legislation. Take a look at the legislation and join us as we continue this conversation of the pros and cons of being tracked!

Concerned about tracking? Don't forget to read yesterday's article about the fear of being watched!

Read more >>

Beware: You are being watched!

You just checked into a hotel – they watched you walk in from the parking lot and had your folio ready for you. That is awesome service. You proceed to your room – non-smoking, king size – just as you like it. They now watch your every move, they know what you are watching on TV, they know what you ordered from room service, and they know what sites you visited on the web. They knew you because of your past stays, and now they are tracking your every move to try and personalize your experiences even more.

You have offers being slid under your door, being served up on your TV, targeted ads on your computer, personalized messaging in the elevator, and the manager ‘bumped’ into you on three different occasions. Her offers to you were relevant. You seem not to mind because the offers were relevant.

You drive away the next morning in your rental car. They are listening to your conversation as they track every turn. Billboards change their messaging for you as you drive by. An advertiser starts speaking to you on the radio. You are a little freaked out as you scurry for cover diving into a restaurant.

You slip into a corner asking for a cup of java. The reality is that you really cannot get away because your phone knows and conveys your presence. It allows geo targeting and your server knows that it is one cream two sugars. The jukebox strikes up your favorite tune and the server asks if you would like their fruit crepe combo.

You have never been to this restaurant, it is not art of a chain, but they subscribe to the Preference Factory – one of many companies that sell personalized consumer data on demand. The Preference Factory pulls your data – tracking you across real and virtual channels. Your virtual channels include digital, mobile, and social.

You try to get away into a crowd stepping into the mall. You are reminded about your spouse’s birthday with an offer to pick up the perfect gift from a favorite retailer. The perfect gift is an outfit that was in your spouse’s preference center. You are then given an option of sending a birthday card that even plays your favorite song!

You think about your kids and are scared that they are also being tracked. The song grows louder as you wake up in a cold sweat. Was this a dream or was it reality?

This is a choice we are going to make as consumers – how much are we willing to be monitored. Do we want the convenience of personalization or do we want our own space back!

The FTC just introduced a proposed framework around protecting consumer privacy. This proposed legislation is also being called the ‘Do Not Track’ legislation. Take a look at the legislation and join us as we continue this conversation of the pros and cons of being tracked!

Read more >>

How to Involve Your Company in Your Email Program

With rising costs, email’s ROI continues to drive decisioning in many organizations - all for the standard reasons, ability to track and personalize, speed of communication, dynamic content and lower costs.

Use this increased focus on email to involve others (key groups) within your company. You have to show everyone the success of your campaigns - simply shine the light on your email marketing program.

You should start by building your analytics team - invite members of your call center, merchandising, creative, circulation, human resources, public relations and finance; recap your monthly numbers and offer them the ability to use the medium.

Here are a few ideas:

Confusion in messaging often increases calls to the call center; include them as part of your email approval team.

Merchandising can track the performance of products; a simple survey on their behalf regarding what items to purchase for your catalog/ store will help them qualify buying decisions.

Creative should get involved to provide input on the look and feel – they will get instant feedback based on the campaign performance and my have the opportunity to test print campaigns online.

Likewise, Circulation can test various markets and offers by email before going to print/ alternate mediums.

Human Resources could solicit feedback through surveys or send internal notices about company-related events (i.e. annual healthcare information) therefore saving time and money.

The PR team could leverage consumer feedback as they approach the market with various announcements.

The Finance guys will always look at numbers… and a few months of you creating these cross-functional meetings should help you get more recognition and drive even more ROI.

If done correctly, this group involvement should increase awareness, strengthen your campaigns and help cut costs in quite a few areas.

Read more >>

Desperate Acts of Bad Email Marketers

I received an email to attend a dinner at a conference. The company sending the email sent it on behalf of the conference – a questionable practice, but perhaps I opted in to receive emails from their platinum exhibitor during the registration process. My biggest issue with the email was that it was a big graphic pasted into a template – there was no design, the fonts were different sizes and inconsistent. To top it all off they had an excerpt from a technical study with charts! Truly a poor attempt. It showed me that they were having a hard time filling seats and email was a means of last resort to drive people in.

The second email was from an exhibitor at the same conference; the subject line was MUST ATTEND SESSION @ CONFERENCE! … I opened the email and saw the keynote being touted as a must attend followed by a visit to a product demonstration by an exhibitor. Wouldn’t the keynote session already be on your calendar? This one in my opinion borders on fraudulent because the subject line is completely misleading. The exhibitor had nothing to do with the keynote session – bait and switch at its worst!

The third email was my last chance to register for the conference at a discount – at a price lesser than I paid a few months ago. Well, many thanks to the conference folks for this email because it helped me get $200 back! A lesson in segmentation, analytics, & common sense would go a long way to help the conference committee.

Sure, email is inexpensive and a quick way to reach recipients – just don’t squander the opportunity, take the time to execute correctly and you’ll avoid looking desperate.

Read more >>

Once Again: 10 Key Considerations for Email, Mobile, & Social

Email, mobile, & social are becoming increasing relevant to consumers. Many businesses are beginning to leverage these mediums mostly because they offer an expedient way to communicate and the costs are relatively low. A few businesses take it a notch higher because they know that digital messages can be tracked, social media can be heard, & mobile can make things very personal.

Here are some some important things to consider as you create marketing programs around these three channels:

1) How do you measure the impact of each of these channels? You should have a starting point benchmark on where you are in each channel and also don't forget to measure the impact as it relates to the consumer. So look at your messaging in unison and not just as separate messages that could influence their behaviour.

2) How should you make sure that your list is segmented correctly? How can you test your segmentation strategy? Do you test your segmentation strategy on a sample group before you try to influence your entire base?

3) How do you measure deliverability or sends or interest? Is your email getting through? Are your SMS messages bouncing? Is your consumer even paying attention to your social commentary? More importantly, are you responding to comments or questions from your consumer across email, mobile, or social?

4) How do you truly integrate different channels; where should you start? How should you combine the cross-channel data collected? How do you create a consumer interaction dashboard for cross channel messaging? Don't forget to tie in your consumers email, mobile, & social media identities within preference centers.

5) How do you deal with those who want to get off your lists? Do you offer to reduce the messaging frequency? Do you offer them an incentive to stay? Are your benefits clearly stated? How can the consumer contact you when they want to reduce this frequency? How do you make sure that the consumer is truly taken off?

6) How do you explain your engagement strategy to your team? What information should you provide management? What information should be provided to consumer touch-points or the front line? What information should you share with your peers? How do you see if your consumer is in tune with your engagement strategy?

7) What can you automate in your digital marketing programs? What do your auto-replies say? Do you have a systematic approach for email, mobile, & social? Are your Tweets and Facebook updates tied into your other digital channels? Are these updates really relevant? How often should you test your automated messaging?

8) What is the best way to measure your results? Should you look at impressions? Should you look at clicks? Should you look at conversions? How should you measure conversions? Do you have an ROI formula defined? Do you have an ROE defined?

9) How should you survey the recipient? How should you ask questions? What questions should you ask? How often should you survey the recipient?

10) What is your plan on growing your list? Is your growth plan part of a comprehensive strategy to manage growth and churn? Is your team bought into your strategy? How are you measuring your list growth?

These 10 considerations are some of the things organizations should plan for as they put together their consumer interaction programs. A successful blueprint here is going to help put structure for your program and help you drive measurable success in consumer engagement.

We will be hosting a series of workshops in January & February 2011 on the best approach to engage consumers. These workshops will be peer discussions - online, & in person. To sign up for these events you can join the Service in Action Learning Network.

Read more >>

How Casinos Can Engage with Social Media

A lot of casinos are trying to engage their patrons young and old; leveraging multiple social media channels. From Blogs to YouTube and a lot in between they are focused on 'showing off' their brand in an effort to dazzle the consumer.

The key to engagement lies in making things convenient for the consumer, the messaging has to inform & ENTERTAIN, and you have to look for ways to leverage every interaction. Yes, not just online, but you need to involve your direct marketing channels to drive effective engagement across channels.

Here are some practical ideas on how a casino can use Social Media -

1. Twitter - You should tweet about events leveraging your brand, your performers, & special events at the property. Mix up information with an occasional special coupon driven by trivia. Of course, all coupons have to be redeemed in person.

2. Blogs - Take the feedback you get from your consumers and post that on your blog. Invite some of your patrons to write about their experiences. Genuine articles work very well. People can blog about their first visit or special events that they celebrated at your property.

3. Facebook allows you in to the 'living room' of your patrons. Give them an opportunity to share their pictures & experiences on these pages so these can further be shared with friends & family. MySpace can work in the same way as well.

4. Flickr & YouTube allow you to share your experiences. Yes pictures & video are worth a million words. Encourage your kitchen or your bartender to whip up one of their favorite recipes. Capture this on YouTube. Take pictures of cakes & pastries and post these on Flickr. Be sure to tag both video and image with the right captions.

5. Email is your gatekeeper. Encourage & reward your EMPLOYEES to collect email ids from your patrons by focusing on the value of the email program. If you use your social media channels effectively, your employees can talk about whats being shown off on social media. Done correctly, this can help lure the patrons to sign up for email.

You have to be a little careful here not to create too much virtual reality. The experience over the web should be done as 'teaser information' to drive the patron in.

The marketer must create an aspirational destination not limited to the casino floor. You have to engage the patron as someone special.

Read more >>