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Happy New Year! It's a brand-new day—especially when it comes to the American consumer. And that may be good or bad news for marketers, depending on the products they sell and the marketing strategies they deploy. New research released late last year by McKinsey & Company suggests that the downturn may ... more
As Max Starkov writes in an article at Hotel Interactive, the hotel industry is the perfect candidate for managing customer relations via mobile devices. "Using the mobile space to provide intelligent, unobtrusive and highly personalized services convinces customers that this is their service," says Starkov. And one of the hot tools ... more
You recently got the skinny on Square, the service that turns your iPhone into a card-swiping device. Here's another quick, easy and secure way to flow payments to your business via mobile (or even social networks): mPayy. Unlike Square, mPayy is more of a user tool than an enterprise one. It ... more
You probably use a lead-scoring system to answer a number of questions—for instance, to determine whether a lead is ready for your sales team or needs to be nurtured. "Much of the conversation around how best to set up lead scoring," says Digital Body Language's Steven Woods, "tends to focus around the ... more
Let's say you sell trendy furniture for family-friendly prices. What's the best way to push product and spread brand awareness? Well, you could try developing and offering: A showroom. Pros: People see products in context, and they can buy them right then and there! Cons: You don't reach potential buyers who aren't ... more
We've all done it: let out a groan when entering a grocery store packed with people. Ugh. But did we ever consider how a crowded shopping situation might affect our purchases? One group of researchers recently did, and their results are intriguing. In a number of experiments, both controlled and ... more
"Links allow your readers to select which offer or detail they want to understand better or read more about, without distracting them with information that may not be useful," writes Maria Pergolino in a post at the Marketo blog. Another benefit: They also enable marketers to gauge a reader's interest ... more
For small and midsize businesses, the advent of social media has created a host of lead-generating opportunities. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media have leveled the playing field for SMBs with a variety of affordable, effective channels for initiating and nurturing the kinds of B2B relationships that produce sales ... more
Accurate and timely decision-making is a key component of creating competitive advantage, yet only 3% of business leaders describe their companies as "experts" in using business data to drive better decisions, and only 27% agree that their company makes better, faster decisions than their main competitors, according to a survey ... more
In a recent post at the Retail Email blog, Chad White highlights a host of interesting takeaways from this month's Winter Email Insider Summit. Among them are some hot email marketing tactics you may want to consider implementing, such as these: Give email credit where credit is due. "By withholding emails and monitoring sales," ... more
PayPal made it possible to start an online business that transcends physical boundaries. Square takes that notion a step further, making it easier for you to process credit cards or debit cards wherever you are—right from your mobile phone. Here's how it works: Apply to use Square. The company sends you ... more
The number of leads generated by an outbound-marketing campaign should closely resemble the number of real customer opportunities you have waiting for follow-up, and the type of leads should mirror your ideal customer. As Dom Lindars writes at the Marketbright Blog, "Knowing exactly what you're looking for in a prospect ... more
You wouldn't add random people to your email list without their permission—you know better than that—but perhaps you're willing to take liberties with the email addresses of prominent bloggers like Chris Brogan. After all, you might reason, if he likes what he sees, he might forgive the spam you sent—and share the ... more
If there's anything Second Life has taught us, it's that people like having a place to come back to—a virtual hideaway where you're always well-coiffed and surrounded by friends, and everybody knows your (avatar's) name. Well, here's some good news for mobile marketers: virtual living just got a whole lot ... more
According to DIRECT's Ken Magill, a recent announcement from AOL hints at where Internet service providers' spam-filtering techniques are headed, and "what marketers had better start doing if they want their email lists to continue to perform." Here's the scenario: Until now, senders with consistently low complaint rates earned a coveted ... more
It's become standard fare for software vendors to offer free trials to their prospects when they land on Web pages via search or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. This approach makes sense, since most software packages can't be appreciated fully unless they are experienced first-hand. It's also a super-efficient touch point—one that ... more
You might not have the big-time marketing budget of a major retailer—but as the holiday season peaks, don't forget there's a secret weapon in your arsenal. "Email marketing campaigns are affordable, and can help small retailers to compete with the big boys during this crucial sales period, " says Wendy Lowe ... more
Few companies have been spared the ravages of the recession, but some strategies seem to be working to help small businesses stay afloat. In a recent article at Inc., Elizabeth Wasserman suggests tactics that small retailers might employ to add some ho-ho-ho to the late-holiday sales season—and boost results in the ... more
"Every once in a while," writes Ardath Albee at the Marketing Interactions blog, "I get a bit irked at the irresponsible email practices of companies that play fast and free with their databases." In this case, an email from a marketing solutions company raised her ire by lying to her. Repeatedly. ... more
Peruse the blogosphere for email marketing guidance, and you'll discover a number of seemingly inviolate dictums—rules that must not be broken if you aspire to a successful email program. But in a post at the Email Marketing Reports blog, Mark Brownlow argues that many "best" practices are in fact simply ... more
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