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Given the highly competitive playing field for all online marketers these days, it helps to know what’s waiting out there. More to the point, though, it’s really critical to know who you are as a marketer; in close touch with not only your strengths and weaknesses, but also your long-term goals. Sure, it might be a cliché, but if you don’t have an overall plan, then you don’t have a viable strategy. There isn’t any one cross-the-board, surefire method to increase ROI, attract new users and maintain the ones you’ve already got, but asking yourself the following ten questions is a very good place to start:
1. How can I incorporate the mobile channel into my marketing efforts?
Many marketers continue to struggle with the practical applications for mobile marketing. The travel industry has made modest gains in leveraging mobile for service messaging, but overall we are still behind other corners of the globe such as the Asia Pacific region. In North America, look to team up with companies like Air2Web, an Epsilon partner who provides turn-key mobile messaging solutions that reduce operational costs, improve customer service, and increase sales.
2. Am I leveraging social media?
Join the bandwagon of marketers trying to turn social networking into social marketing. Today’s reality is that social media still remains a networking and communication tool, not a marketing vessel. The main issue is that, much like mobile, the end user sees their social network as being very personal, and therefore they are not receptive to external influencers. Therefore, use social media to create a personal experience for your customers. Make the messaging engaging and personal and create experience that they will want to allow into their personal space.
3. Is email dead?
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal suggested that the emergence of social networks will be the death of email as more consumers migrate from email towards networks for communication with their peers. While social networks are a forum for communication, email continues to grow as the preferred messaging choice by consumers. Nielson Media released a recent study which showed that among those using social media over the past six months, 44% report using email more. Only 4% stated that they were using email less than social media. Epsilon’s own proprietary research has shown that email is the preferred channel for consumers around the globe. Email remains a cost-efficient and highly measurable marketing communication channel and it is alive and well.
4. Am I capturing my audience within three seconds of opening an email message?
Content is king. A typical customer opens an email and decides within three seconds whether or not they are going to interact with the message (i.e. click on links, forward-to-a-friend). Follow creative best practices such as personalization, dynamic content and targeted messaging to ensure that you messages break through the email clutter.
5. What are the proper metrics to measure my marketing program?
Success can be measured in multiple ways. Among the most popular metrics are: revenue, revenue per email, operating margin, page views, opens, clicks, purchases, and more. However, email goes far beyond the end goal of the purchase. Other important metrics include brand affinity, intent to purchase, and brand awareness. Try to find ways to measure the online and offline impact of each email marketing campaign and demonstrate the added benefits. This is a surefire way to report to your executive team and get the budget you need and deserve.
6. What new technologies should I consider?
There are hundreds of new technologies to help you take your programs to the next level. But how do you know that you are looking at the right ones? The real question you should ask is: Is the financial benefit worth the time and effort to implement? 99 times out of 100 the answer is no. Be aware of the different options, but consider whether the technology helps you with your long term corporate goals or if they’re just a fleeting trend.
7. Am I an industry expert?
In today’s marketing landscape there are so many opportunities for involvement. Get involved in the industry associations and make sure you’re reading their studies and articles. Attend conferences and get a sense of what’s happening in the competitive arena. Network with peers to share ideas or program thoughts, they can often make your program better or think outside the box. Make sure you’re reading the latest articles, industry research and blogs – not just about your own company and clients, but your competitors and all major brands and marketers.
8. What are my competitors doing?
We tend to focus on our own company and work that we often overlook what our competitive set is doing. Take a look at their cadence, segmentation patterns, message strategy, promotion history, and industry presence. Use this information to learn how to be more effective than the competition.
9. Am I leveraging my customer data to drive relevance?
Marketers rarely take full advantage of the data at their fingertips. In an increasingly complex, multichannel marketing world, we need to apply the same rigor and process around data, preferences, and customer history as we have for the offline channel. Email has become the primary push marketing tool for programs. By using the same practices learned from 20 years of direct mailings and implementing those analyses and models into an email marketing program, opportunities are endless. Marketers should be pulling data from all touchpoints into a master data warehouse or CRM infrastructure to ensure a 360 degree view of each customer. Only then can you begin to create one-to-one, highly relevant dialogues with individual customers.
10. Am I truly a multichannel marketer?
Email is not a standalone channel and while marketing organizations may still have silos, the most effective marketers are able to integrate CRM, search, web, direct mail, call centers and more. Remove these barriers to create a full integrated, multichannel program that leverages each and every touchpoint to deliver a strategic, unified message.
So what’s the verdict? Can you answer all ten questions? Can you answer some of them? Be honest; pretending that certain pivotal elements are incorporated into your business model - and worse - denying that significant problems may exist, will only make it tougher to compete. Review the questions again and then revisit them in the near future. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and figure out how to leverage the former and neutralize the latter. And when you’re going over the all-important Q&A in your mind, remember to think of your customers. Make sure you know them cold – their buying tendencies, their likes and dislikes and how in touch they are with your specific brand. And while you’re at it, put yourself in their shoes: What makes your brand messaging attractive to consumers, and more importantly, what keeps them coming back for more?
