iMedia Connection - ad:tech blog

Last week I was fortunate enough to take part in an email marketing event that brought together many different email service providers and brands to discuss the hot topics in email.  Though the conference was focused on email, mobile and its influence on the channel was discussed in almost every panel discussion.  From deliverability to the small screen optimization of email content to mobile conversion tracking, all elements of email marketing are being impacted by the influence and usage of mobile devices.  Some research shared by Pew Internet showed that of internet users in the US, 88 percent of those users have a cell phone of which 46 percent are smartphone users.  As an email marketer if you are not thinking about how your campaigns are consumed on a mobile device, you should be.
Here are some things to consider when looking at how to work with email in mobile:
-          Know that your emails are being read on mobile devices. Research was shared during the conference that marketers are seeing anywhere between 25-50 percent of email opens being tracked to mobile devices.  As smartphones and tablets become more accessible, this percentage will only continue to grow.  Know your audience and know... Read more

One of the biggest trends that we are seeing in 2012 is that marketing efforts are being created and deployed to be more relevant to their intended audience.  This is a result of marketers becoming more advanced in their efforts but a larger reason is that consumers are demanding the relevancy.  While the “batch and blast” style of marketing, particularly in email is not dead, audiences want brands to provide marketing that speaks to them as individuals.  Core to achieving this relevancy is the ability for marketers to use data they have collected on these individuals to influence these campaigns.  From demographic data to campaign performance data to conversion data, there are many different points of data collection within any organization.  With access to so much it can be overwhelming to try and make sense of it all.  Below are some tips and a place to start:

Find the data. With many different customer touch points, there are likely multiple databases collecting multiple types of information.  Identify those with access to that data and make friends! It is likely that all of this data is not contained within your group so it is important to make certain that all organizational guidelines... Read more

Like any other holiday season, all of our email inboxes have been flooded with emails from marketers looking to capitalize on people looking to make a purchase for a loved one on Valentine’s Day.  From flowers, to chocolate, to even steaks, companies are looking for an opportunity to get in front of those of us scrambling to find the perfect gift.  The use of digital marketing channels like Display, Mobile, Social, and Email allow marketers to be in front of people are when they are looking to make these purchases in a very cost effective manner.  It is important however, that marketing programs do not become focused on what’s next in the holiday schedule.  Holiday promotions are an important part of a planning a promotional calendar for the year but they should work with value based messaging to help drive engagement.
When looking at your promotions for holidays, here are some important things to consider:
Don’t lose sight of your existing contact strategy.  It is important to plan your promotions around holidays with your existing CRM programs.  Make sure that these messages are not overwhelming your audience and driving them away rather than prompting them to purchase.

Know your customer.  The best way... Read more

With 2012 upon us there are a large number of articles and blog posts about predictions for what the New Year will bring to digital marketing.  There is a buzz about all of the new products displayed at CES earlier this month regarding what new technology innovations will drive digital content consumption.  Marketers and consumers alike are all eagerly anticipating what will be the next big thing in digital.  Waiting and watching to dive head first into the next trend.  I am not a prognosticator.  I do believe, however, that there will be some major themes that will be important for marketers, specifically email marketers, need to be conscious of when putting together their email strategies for the year.  Here are a few of those themes:
-          Mobile Inbox:  The mobile inbox will get more and more attention as 2012 goes on.  In 2011, mobile email marketing took center stage with marketers looking at the best way to handle the growing trend of mobile email consumption by recipients.  The question of continuing the status quo or moving to mobile optimized content was raised and discussed, and the jury is still out.  2012 will see more marketers asking their email recipients about... Read more

A couple of weeks ago Nike announced that it has made the iconic space-aged shoes worn by Marty McFly in 1992’s Back to the Future Part II.  The 2011 Nike Mag will make in a short production run of only 1,500 pairs to be sold on eBay, but it got me thinking about what we will be making from today’s films 22 years from now.  In thinking about email marketing today, it is clear that there is a significant shift happening in the way that consumers consume email.  This shift is happening in two different areas.  There is a shift in the devices that people are using to read and interact with email as well as a shift in the platform that is being used to distribute digital content.  This evolution offers a great opportunity for marketers to take advantage of the shift and stay ahead of their competition.
The device shift is important for marketers to pay attention to, as there are an estimated 99.6 Million smartphones in the market today and that number is forecasted to grow to 158.9 million by 2015.1  The first time a user may see an email is going to be via an iPhone, a... Read more