Marketing News & Expert Advice
|
|
|
Direct Marketing
Time to Put the Banner Down
Have you heard about how they catch monkeys in Thailand? You just can't get around the laws of physics, even in a web-centric virtual world. So don't get caught in the monkey trap: Let go of the bright red ball of banner advertising -- before it's too late.
Direct Mail for Online Offers? Definitely...
There are numerous dot-com firms using traditional postal lists to direct targeted traffic to their sites, to strengthen branding, and to secure direct sales via their e-commerce-enabled web sites. Direct mail marketing is a mature industry that supports highly refined targeting activities via the tens of thousands of direct mail lists available for rent. Larry gives tips on how to maximize your use of direct mail lists.
Behavior Trumps Demographics
Flashback: We were going to collect a myriad of data to build a scientific direct marketing machine. Tailor each piece of mail to an individual's desires by statistical modeling. But all that testing didn't improve what previous direct marketers had learned by trial and error. Criteria that were relevant decades ago still apply today. Before taking the online primrose path of targeting, keep in mind what data matters. The reality is that behavior matters most, and certain behaviors more than others.
Back Off
In the rush to maximize sales during the holiday season, a lot of e-commerce companies appear to be sending out promotional emails much more frequently than usual. Based on testing, two or three emails a month work well, but if you go to once a week, you'll experience some serious unsubscribing. Trouble is, too much volume from some companies spoils the inbox for everyone. Nick advises some serious restraint.
Buyer Power
Looking into the online future is a dangerous thing to do. But sometimes Nick feels the need to stick his neck out and open his big mouth. Here's his rash prediction of the day. He thinks this is the last Christmas season in which we'll see 'traditional' online retailers dominating the online marketplace. Because of a shift in power. Buyers are slowly waking up to the fact that they don't have to play by the retailers' rules any more.
How To Be Human 101
Nick explores the limitations of technological solutions to creating customer relationships. It's a tough one. Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) solutions are a big thing right now. There are tons of software and outsourced 'solutions,' and it's hard to figure out which are doing the best job. Trouble is, the term 'solutions' is a little misleading. It may give you the impression that these packages somehow look after the entire relationship with your users and customers. Not so. They are simply tools.
Watch Their Eyes
You're a girl in a bar on a first date with a promising new guy. The guy says, "I want to know all about you. Tell me everything." Hey, nice guy. Sounds promising. But as you begin to tell him all about yourself, watch his eyes. There's a number of things he could find more interesting than you... Same thing online. You can't automate a human process and expect a positive result. Your average e-commerce site says it's customer-centric, but watch their eyes.
Time To Slow Down
It's a nasty ailment. It's deceptive, too. The worse you get it, the less you think you have it. Then one day, you wake up and realize what's happening. The ailment? Working too fast. There's a seductive appeal to writing at speed. It fits so nicely with the culture of the Internet. Email is such a 'light,' throw-away medium. Easy come, easy go. Trouble is, when emails from your site are written quickly, without sufficient thought and care, you miss a great opportunity.
ExcessVoice.com
Our lives are drowning in the excess voice of others. TV, radio, billboards, catalogues and, of course, that most excessive of all voice-generators the Internet. The Internet has given voice to everyone with a computer and telephone line. Nick's not suggesting that we shouldn't all have the opportunity to have our voices heard. It's just the excess that gets to him. He gets a feeling that excess voice is going to start depressing responses to just about any online marketing effort.
Speed Sells
Baseball's declining in popularity because it doesn't happen fast enough. Hockey and wrestling, however, give you quick bursts of activity. And the same thing's happening with TV soaps. Sports and TV are becoming more like the breaks that support them. If you think that's bad, try customer expectations on the Internet. They want it now, at the best price, and they don't want to lift a finger to make it happen. That's why you need one-click shopping.
Moi -- Customer From Hell
Nick thinks it's a miracle that anyone ever buys anything online. As the months pass by, some e-commerce sites will win simply because they make shopping online easier. Shopping online is a pain. It's hard. It takes too long. New Internet users have to learn a whole new way of doing things. They're too lazy for that. Really. Here's what the shopper from hell wants from every e-commerce site.
Flying Carpets
Once upon a time there were two web sites, each selling genuine Turkish carpets. The first site, PatsCarpets.com does everything right, 'forcing the network effect' of the Internet by pushing its message out. Meanwhile, across the virtual street, NicksCarpets.com opens for business, 'riding the network effect' simply by being worth talking about. In this tale of two carpet merchants, which will make more money?
Nice Guys Finish Last
A couple of weeks back Nick wrote an article under the title, "I'll Kiss You Unless You Tell Me Not To." And he got a bit of feedback on that. A few people were a little surprised by the fact that he closed the article by suggesting that e-commerce sites collect as many names as possible through a two-step process. A process that begins with an opt-out opener. Nick wants to add a little meat to that.
Look... It's Interactive Guy
Last week, Nick took part in a 'Soap Box' event hosted by the Direct Mail Council of the Canadian Marketing Association in Toronto. It was a great event. But he got the impression that the Canadian direct marketing industry is hopelessly behind the times in understanding direct marketing online and its impact on direct mail. Not only that, it seems that the advertising industry misunderstands the nature of the web.
I'll Kiss You Unless You Tell Me Not To
This article starts by saying one thing. Then appears to say the opposite. And then attempts to make sense of the conflict. Here goes... If you want your prospects and customers to stay with you for the long haul, to keep responding to your offers, you need to create a relationship that works for them. And if you want to create a relationship, you have to start with an opt-in invitation. It's that permission thing.
Subscribe to ClickZ
ClickZ Today is our #1 newsletter.
Get a daily dose of digital marketing.
WEBINARS
The Total Economic Impact of IBM's Exceptional Web Experience Solutions
June 6, 2012
1:00pm ET / 10:00am PT
WHITE PAPERS
|
|
|
CLICKZ TOPICS
Incisive Interactive Marketing LLC. 2012 All rights reserved.
55 Broad Street, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10004 | Copyright and Licensing | Privacy Policy
