One thing we can count on is by the time you have finished reading this buying behavior may have been altered one again.  Changes in buyer behaviors continue unabated.  This is making it difficult for marketing and sales leaders to plan the right mix of strategies and tactics resulting in a winning formula.

5 Buyer Behaviors B2B Marketing Must Keep An Eye On

New buying behaviors means B2B marketers have to become more responsive today.  Creating nimble organizations and improving knowledge in buyer understanding.  Here are ways buyer behavior will continue to reshape marketing:

Buyers Embrace Collaboration

Social and digital technologies has allowed for progress in the area of collaboration.  Meaning the sphere of influence and interaction not only has widened but increased.  Old ideas about roles on buying teams are being shattered as we speak.  The era of collaborative buyer networks has arrived.  We now have to consider internal as well as external members of collaborative networks impacting decision-making.

Buyers Want Co-Creation

Collaborative networks are fostering a new environment for co-creating products, services, and for solving problems.  This new development will put pressure on B2B organizations to get in line with flexible products and services which allow buyers to play an active role in co-creating.  Buyers and their collaborative networks will demand it.  For B2B marketers, this means a broader view on how you deliver messaging.

Buyers Want Less Content

I am sure some will do a double take on the above sub-header.  The fact is buyers are overwhelmed with content.  Here is how one buyer put it to me: “Look, I think twice now about putting my name in a form - not because I am not willing - but I know this just means I am going to get a flood of emails to download more information.” Buyers want less content – yet desire smart content.

Buyers Want 1-to-1

A funny thing happened on the way to marketing automation.  Marketing may be inadvertently dripping back into the mode of 1-to-many as opposed to the coveted 1-to-1.  I came upon this thought after conducting two reviews of lead generation and nurturing campaigns.  Buyers can see right through this screen.  They can smell automation.  A buyer’s voice on an email she received: “What is this?  I really don’t know because it doesn't say anything to me.”

Buyers Want More Than Insight

There is the old adage “too much of a good thing.”  I think we may have such a situation happening.  We have embraced the idea of the Challenger Sale and you see organizations racing to offer insight.  An issue here is too many items are being classified as insight.  This can actually counter-balance the act of contributing insight.   What this means for B2B marketing and sales is they will have to be more judicious in what they label insight.  Why dilute a good thing?

Adaptive and Agile Marketing

With rapidly changing buying behaviors, B2B marketing will need to be more adaptive and agile.  I foresee buyer behaviors shifting in waves.  This means marketing must be able to see these waves and make adaptive shifts in how they connect with buyers.  This will certainly not be easy to do.

Predictability will become even more important as we look ahead.  While Big Data holds promise, it will equally take developing the qualitative ability to anticipate where the new buyers of today are heading.

(Become part of the dialogue.  Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus as well as subscribe to the Buyer Persona Blog on the tonyzambito.com website.)

Related articles

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• The Art of Buying
• 7 Big Questions for B2B Marketers in 2013

1.  Logo – (Noun) “A symbol adopted by an organization to identify its products or services” We all know it’s never about what you have, it’s about how you use it that makes the difference! Since you've spent the time and/or money on this masterpiece called your "logo," make sure it shows up everywhere including business cards, social media sites, and any other promotional materials. Your logo is your company's identity in a picture and the more you show it off, the quicker your brand recognition will grow.

Does this really matter, you ask? Consider this… how likely are you to remember a random fast-food restaurant you visited when they use generic bags and soda cups versus the restaurant that brands every cup and bag with their logo? That garbage in your car becomes advertising and will make an impression every time you see it.

2. Interact – Who knew this was a part of branding? Speak directly with your target and, even more importantly, with your clients. Share and respond to social media comments, answer your phone using your company name and/or slogan, and use interactive communication tools such as surveys and email marketing. Remember, everything you send and share should always include your logo and slogan.

3. Solve – Your mission should be simple. Every business offers a product or service that offers results and/or a solution; and just because you know that, it does not mean your target market does. Leverage your interactive tools to share a clear, concise, and consistent solution that is unique to your brand identity. Remember, the process you use to help your clients may be complicated but your message should be simple enough to earn the trust and comfort of your clients.

Branding is more of an art than a science; it takes creativity, time, patience, and just like a painting, it will even go through an ugly stage. An initial brand launch should focus on creating awareness for your unique product or services. Luckily you have a friend in the industry- whether your current brand is sour or your business is brand new, HMG can help you too!

What other media channel can compare with this?

Consumers are rapidly adopting mobile devices and behaviors and spending an average of 2 hours per day on smartphone devices. We are rarely separated from them, and we check our phones every 6.5 minutes (or 150 times daily). 

MOBILE advertising grew by 88% in 2012

While MOBILE ad/media spending is only 1% of total media (vs. 10% share of consumer media time), MOBILE advertising grew by 88% in 2012 (from $2.4B to $4.5B). MOBILE ad spending growth to-date has been limited by marketers/agencies challenges in creating MOBILE ads designed specifically to take advantage of MOBILE devices. Chia Chen, SVP Mobile Practice Leader at Digitas indicated their client's mobile ad spending grew by 400% (4X more rapidly) because their ads for Amex, Taco Bell, M&Ms and other clients treated smart phones as "small TVs" and incorporated richer media, and more native creative palettes.

Global Tablet Advertising Study - Results Presented

Beth Doyle, Innovation Director at Vivaki, revealed the results of a 14-month global industry study of 20 million global tablet users (sponsored by 12 advertisers including P&G and Coke and 12 media companies) titled The Pool: The Tablet Lane - TABLETS RISING. This study tested 35-40 tablet advertising formats and yielded 3 STD Tablet ad formats being proven as meeting consumers' needs: (1) let me drive; (2) more for me; (3) "tablet-ize" the user experience; (4) no guessing games - keep it intuitive and simple. Clearly, with MOBILE (smartphone and tablet) ad standards emerging, marketers are well on their way to utilizing this new medium in unique ways not available through other previous media channels.

MOBILE's Big Differentiators

MOBILE is a one-to-one media channel and LOCATION is MOBILE's big differentiator. These devices give consumers the ability to find anything they need in real-time and for marketers (with opt-in permission) to find their best customers and prospects when they are in active shopping/buying mode. 40% of consumers already utilize MOBILE devices as their primary (exclusive) online research channel and 60% of mobile shopping converts to purchase (with 75% of sales take place in-store).

Todd Morris, EVP of Mobile & Marketing at Catalina indicated mobile-assisted grocery shoppers buy 8%+ more and over 1M+ consumers are already spending over $1B+ in mobile grocery shopping where items are scanned, store discounts/coupons are applied, and orders are delivered or picked up without waiting in checkout lines.

Trish Mueller, CMO at Home Depot indicated mCommerce grew 129% in 2012 and sales from MOBILE are projected to exceed $650M by 2016. Home Depot has developed a MOBILE web and apps which make it one of the top 10 retail sites creating "an endless aisle" where consumers can access 400,000 SKUs as well as product information and peer reviews at the point of purchase. One of the most innovative apps is "Find A Pro" where consumers can take a video of a problem, send it to Home Depot, and they will connect consumers with "Pros" who can bid the job.

Winston Wang, Global Director - Strategic Innovation at AB Bev, demonstrated "beer and MOBILE go hand-in-hand" indicating beer is the original social network and MOBILE is helping Sales & Marketing along the entire purchase funnel as well as in the loyalty/advocacy areas after purchase. Winston shared MOBILE apps for Stella Artois (9 step pouring ritual, LeBar finder), Beck's and Bud Light.

Announcement: A New MMA Initiative To Address The Mobile Talent Gap

MMA-NA has launched a NEW Mobile Talent Task Force (Jeff Gundersen - Co-Chair) and the first open Committee meeting was held at the MMA-NY 2013 Forum. All parties (marketers, agencies, media companies, technology providers, educators, training & development companies, and other interested parties) are invited to reach out to Jeff Gundersen for a copy of the "Strategic Framework" and related mobile talent research studies pertaining to this new Committee.

A key component of understanding buying decisions is gaining a reality check on how buyers perceive you and whether you match to their criteria.  How well organizations are perceived will serve as one of the primary influences shaping buying behaviors and purchase decisions.

Buyer research can reveal many aspects of what comprises buyer perception.  Buyer experience is now becoming one of the most important factors contributing to and influencing perceptions.  The new digital age is introducing new types of criterion buyers place a value on, which can directly affect their perceptions:

Buyer Experience: previous as well as current experiences can have an enormous impact on how buyers perceive you. Do you think waiting an extra day to return a call was no big deal?  Think again.

Engagement: evidence is building on engagement being a factor in shaping buyer perceptions when making purchase decisions.  What the "engagement experience" tells buyers can make a big difference.  This differs from buyer experience in this way: when you ask customers and prospects to engage - meaning interact - it better not be painful.

Knowledge: the sharing of knowledge and insight is fast emerging as a one area shaping how buyers perceive companies.  Content marketers need to watch for information fatigue setting in with their buyers.  Suffocating buyers with content is not the answer.  On the other hand, if buyers feel like they have to perform a tooth extraction tor pry information from your organizations, then they will move on.

Community: buyers today are getting tuned into joining various communities specific to their industry.  Are your efforts tuned into the communities buyers are at?  Are you contributing to this community - or "selling" and annoying the community?

These are just four factors affecting how buyers can perceive you and your organization.  Based on hundreds of buyer interviews I have done to date - I can say the above directly impact the why and how of purchase decisions.

Now What?

Getting to understand how buyers perceive you can be challenging.  Two ways you can get a handle on buyer perception is:

• Have buyer research performed specifically for perception
• Have mystery shopping performed to get insight on how buyers experience their interactions with your organization

Understanding how buyers perceive you can often be a surprise.  When I have provided insight into buyer perception, I often get the "I had no idea" response.  Given the hyper-competitive digital world of today, this might be one area you should have an idea about.

(Become part of the dialogue.  Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus as well as subscribe to theBuyer Persona Blog on the tonyzambito.com website.)

Related articles

• The Art of Buying

• 4 New Values Affecting How Buyers Perceive You (tonyzambito.com)
• 5 Buyer Behaviors Reshaping B2B Marketing (tonyzambito.com)
• Is Your Lead Generation Off-Target? (blogs.imediaconnection.com)

A problem facing organizations today is generating more leads.  Making this issue even more challenging is changes in buying behavior.  Depending on which study to reference, buyers are performing different activities for up to 70% of their buying evaluation before sales intervention.

A recent report by the Aberdeen Group on sales performance shows there is a fair degree of dissatisfaction among sales leaders.  56% saying they were not seeing sufficient growth in top line revenue.  Nearly 30% expressed dissatisfaction with lead conversion to sales.  A recent CSO Insights report indicated that only 20% of organizations understood their buyer’s buying process.  These two perspectives combined point to one of the key issues – targeting the wrong buyer.

Looking back on over 12 years of qualitative buyer research and buyer persona development work, I found in 6 out of every 10 organization– a different buyer was identified than the organization had been targeting!  If you are off-target with the buyer – you will be off-target on your demand generation and lead generation.

Getting On Target

Marketing and sales leaders today are looking to increase their percentage of being on target when it comes to lead generation.  There are four steps you can take to resolve targeting issues:

Do Lead Research:  It all starts here.  You can no longer assume the buyers you've been targeting are the correct ones.  A level of lead research is needed to outfit your lead generation and nurturing team with knowledge about ideal prospects.  For example - it may not always be the CIO but the IT Director.

Develop Lead Personas:  Lead and buyer personas are useful in understanding consideration and purchasing behaviors.  Organizations, through personas, can determine how a prospect behaves when moving from a lead persona to a buyer persona.   One of the main benefits of this approach is the ability to tailor lead and buyer personas to fit the needs of dedicated lead nurturing teams as well as sales team.

Buyer-Centered Design: Designing your lead generation strategies, systems, and processes should revolve around buyers.  The key is in modeling their behaviors when in lead nurturing and when they enter the buying cycle.  Better results will happen when you meet buyer expectations and goals – which can be distinctly different when in lead nurturing versus buying cycle.  Conversion rates at the point of when a lead persona converts to a buyer persona (becomes a sales-ready lead) will rise.

Conversation Enablement Training:  What is needed is making conversation enablement a staple of training for lead generation and nurturing teams.  The long ramp-up time it takes for lead generation teams to understand prospects is out of synch with the pace of change in buying behavior.  As the CSO Insights report pointed out, barely 20% of organizations understand their buyer’s behaviors and buying processes!  In my qualitative research, I often hear of the frustration prospective buyers have in the lack of productive conversations.

Targeting the right prospect is becoming the lifeblood of organizations today.  For many companies, tackling this issue means discovering who represents their ideal target buyer.  In addition, gaining greater clarity on how buyers differ in behavior when they are being nurtured versus actively engaged in a buying cycle.  Combining these can be a winning ticket and get your lead generation results on target.

(Become part of the dialogue.  Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus as well as subscribe to theBuyer Persona Blog on the tonyzambito.com website.)

Related articles

• 5 Buying Behaviors of the Persona Buying Cycle
• 5 Buying Behaviors of the Persona Buying Cycle

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The quest to uncover how and why people and businesses engage in the act of buying is becoming an endurance race.  Spurred on by increasing social technologies advances.  The result is many organizations, whether academia or business, have focused on the science of buying.  What we may be losing is critical understanding of the art of buying.

What we are witnessing in the new digital age is the old rules of near total dependency on understanding processes and rules associated with buying is no longer the sole winning ticket.  Buying processes and rules have been dissected and analyzed many times over throughout the past few decades.  We clung to the belief of knowing the how will lead us to systematic knowledge of how to close more business with buyers.   The problem marketing and selling organizations face today is the how – processes and rules – are not as easily defined or structured as in the past.  Social technologies have made it possible for new networks and collaboration amongst buyers – causing plenty of flex in processes and rules.

The Why of Buying

If the science of buying has focused on the how of buying, the art of buying is a heightened quest for understanding the Why of Buying™.  The focus on how businesses buy in B2B marketing and sales has led to many different spin offs of stages, processes, cycles, and funnel shapes.  These exercises do have value.  However, here is a way of looking at what is missing:

A pure focus on process and stages, for example, creates a focus on what buyers are doing rather than what they are thinking and why it is important.

My point of view goes something like this:

Despite all the hype and efforts made in demand generation and content marketing, organizations are still struggling in these areas.  This is due to campaigns and programs designed to fit into established ideas of how businesses buy.  We have even believed automating processes to fit into our view of how we believe buyers buy will speed up purchase cycles.  This is happening at the expense of innovating marketing and sales to get at the core why of buying.

In the recent B2B Demand Generation Benchmark Survey 2012 sponsored by Eloqua, CMO, and Software Advice, I was struck by how 45 to 60% of the 155 marketer respondents believed demand generation performance were below expectations.  Those using marketing automation believing performances were better than those not using marketing automation.   In recent CMI as well as eConsultancy surveys, 40 to 50% of marketers surveyed believed their content marketing efforts were not effective.

Effectiveness a Continuing Struggle

Effectiveness and performance continue to be ongoing issues when it comes to demand generation and content marketing.  While organizations may be getting more productive and efficient at automating processes related to demand generation and content marketing, the missing link is an understanding of why buyers behave, think, and decide as they do.  How buyers behave, think, and decide do not always fit squarely into boxes we have defined to go with processes, rules, or stages.

To become more effective at helping buyers, marketing and sales organizations will need to do this:

Put more investment and energy into understanding the why of buying as opposed to an over abundance on the science of marketing and sales.  We cannot understand how to help buyers unless we are grounded in knowing the why.

Competitive advantage will be determined by knowledge of the motivations, beliefs, thinking, perceptions, goals, behaviors, and responses on the part of buyers.  Marketing today must fulfill the role of understanding how buyers behave and think.   Sales must become the enablers of buyers helping themselves.

The Stories of Buyers

The art of buying is represented through the stories of buyers.  For every industry, there are compelling stories about buyers, which can be told.  It is through these stories we can learn the motivations and goals of buyers, which open the door to understand the why of buying.  For marketing and sales, the key to future success will be in understanding what stories are unfolding, why these stories are important, and how to become part of stories. To mold this key, it will take more art than science to achieve.

(Become part of the dialogue.  Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus as well as subscribe to the Buyer Persona Blog on the tonyzambito.com website.)

Follow @tonyzambito

Related articles

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Question is, have they succeeded and just how user-friendly is Mailbox? Well, see, we all know of the Android vs IOS division and Mailbox yet again polarizes us into two distinct camps – unless you count Blackberry.

Let’s start with what we like about mailbox. It works, and really well at that. Despite some initial hiccups with downtime, the general consensus is one of seamless Gmail compatibility and integration. If you’re one of those people that put off dealing with emails indefinitely and subsequently end up forgetting about some, then Mailbox will change all that.

While some might prefer not having to deal with correspondence right away, an industrious approach to mailbox management is what this application effects best.  While your emails will be synced to your iProduct automatically, you will still have the option of choosing when you would like to read your mail. With a mere swipe of the hand you’ll be able to decide the fate of unsuspecting emails in mere seconds.

The coolest thing about Mailbox - besides the slick look and super-fast management - is the mail management options you’re presented with. Feeling a little relaxed, drop your mail in the ‘later today’ folder and a reminder will have it pop up when you’re feeling a little more industrious. Procrastinator of note, then perhaps you’d be more inclined to sort out your mail ‘tomorrow’ or ‘this weekend’; our favorite, however, is the ever-so-specific ‘someday’. The lucky mails to end up in the latter category are probably of the bills and accounts kind.

Now, for direct marketers the last snippet of info doesn't sit all that well. See, we like getting our stuff right to the top of the inbox list, but with an application as clever as this one it becomes a bit trickier. There are, however, a few things you could do to make sure your email marketing gets opened straight away or at least makes it to the ‘later today’ folder.

New product’s or breaking news always make for interesting content and incorporating this into your subject line will ensure that your snippets don’t get the cut. Instead of the age old ‘ATT Mr X’ or ‘WOW Look At This’ you should rather opt for something a little more specific, yet concise and relevant. ‘Apple And DropBox Partner Up’ is sure to get someone’s attention – take into consideration, however, your demographic.

We can go on and on about how you should word your mails or what you need to say for ultimate deliverability, but the fact of the matter is: you know your target market better than anyone, so just stick to best practice and be ENGAGING, above all.

Quirky labeling aside, Mailbox is a great simplifier of the endless barrage of mail and does what it says; it allows efficient mail management, giving you control of your email. What it doesn’t do, however, could be a deal-breaker for most.

First, and this is by far the most pressing issue, Mailbox is, for the moment, only available for Gmail users. Yes, not a single other mail provider can sync with your Mailbox…yet. Another drawback you might not be too comfortable with is, once you’ve read and responded to your mail it won’t be accessible through Mailbox again. Better hope you have a photographic memory, this application has no ‘save to folder’ options and as an added bonus, no archiving feature either.

While Mailbox approaches email management with the precision and minimalism of a Scandinavian furniture designer, some might argue that this ‘zero inbox’ approach limits your ability to self-manage to a certain extent. Sure, it’s great to know that all your mails have been handled, or that some are soon to return as performers in another day’s correspondence production line. The problem, however, is that our emails often act as points of reference, resources even. So if you find yourself on the go without the information you need then no amount of streamlining or simplicity will help.

Besides the apparent drawbacks, Mailbox will, undoubtedly, do exceedingly well. Millions of iUsers have applied for the application and if you, like so many others enjoy having a clean, uncluttered mailbox then this application is definitely for you. For the die hard ‘sync and disseminate’ crowds, the score of Yahoo and AOL users, well, maybe in time.

According to a Market Reach, Royal Mail survey, responsiveness to direct mail remains high in the UK, 83% of direct mail is opened in comparison to average email open rates of 11%, a statistic that alone demonstrates the worth of the channel within the digital setting.

Response rates are also significant, a TGI report highlighted that 44% of UK adults have done something within 12 months of receiving direct mail. This “something” ranges from the 29% that purchase, the 12% that visit stores or the 7% that enquire, further showing the value of direct mail beyond the initial interaction.

For direct mail to remain successful however, it’s essential that marketers consider how they target prospects; the carpet bombing approach of old simply doesn’t cut it with increasingly savvy consumers. Effectively targeting direct mail messaging can be achieved along the lines of interests, demographics and purchasing behaviour, this is of course heavily reliant on the quality of the data being used.

One of the reasons direct mail is still considered relevant is because it is perceived that mail creates greater emotional resonance than other channels - based on a survey of around 2,000 UK adults carried out by BMRB, over three quarters like being informed of special offers or promotions by post whilst over half welcome mail that offers useful information.

The physicality of direct mail is also purported as a huge benefit to marketers. Put simply, digital channels can’t place something in the hands of their target audience in the same way as direct mail, a considerable advantage in competitive spaces. When taken further the physical connection can be used to exploit all the senses,  a particularly valuable tactic when it is taken into account that 47% of consumers are more likely to open “scented” mail and 49% are more likely to open intriguing packages (BMRB 2005, 2011).

Direct Mail has the power to deliver great ROI, but to achieve this you need to understand where costs arise. Look for high quality, targeted data if acquiring new customers, it will cost more, but it will also help to maximise ROI. Printing your literature is also a necessary expense, but as highlighted previously, being innovative and investing in quality is advisable. When it comes to sending the mail pieces, franking machines can open up considerable discounts on postal charges and, through envelope printing, help to deliver a professional image and provide additional space for marketing messages.

Whilst there have been many proclaiming the death of direct mail as a marketing channel, this has hopefully shown that it remains as relevant as ever – as long as it is targeted, creative and carried out as economically as possible.

Statistics sourced from: http://royalmailsmp.newsweaver.com/o9eotklh35mtl735ubqq8m?email=true&a=3&p=32867575&t=22934395

Small to medium enterprises have the potential to boost a country’s economic power significantly. Through vast employment opportunities and stable growth, countries like Germany have seen this sector sustain their economic growth throughout the global recession, and the world is waking up to this winning formula, as can be seen with President Obama’s move to boost SME’s with his ‘middle-out’ economic agenda.

There are certain obstacles facing businesses today and challenges faced by many SME’s materialize at two key points in the business cycle. The first is at start-up, that crucial time when rapport with clients and partners is established and the groundwork for future expansion is laid. The second key point is when the business starts looking to expand; a time when marketing information and research is crucial in guiding the flow of expenditure and focus of new projects. These challenges can, however, be managed and converted into genuine success with the help of the right email service provider (ESP), as ESP’s enable integrated B2C and B2B marketing.

What are the three key elements SME’s need for effective start-up and growth?

Networking

It goes without saying that any business, whether small or corporate, relies heavily on networking with both consumers and industry partners-and leaders. Being able to connect and engage with those outside your business allows you to gain valuable insights and fresh perspectives that are often not available when you’re not connected on a real-time basis with those outside your immediate working environment.

Efficient Communications

Being able to effectively communicate with those outside of your business might seem like a no-brainer, but a surprising amount of start-ups and businesses spend far too little time considering the effect of their communications. Being able to project the image of your business through well-written and precisely-executed communications campaigns gives you an edge when compared to others. This exercise is especially important in the time before you decide to take your operations to the next level as it will create a greater awareness of what you have to offer and what you intend on building on.

Communications also form and integral part of a SME’s ethical image, projected through its interactions with those outside the company.

Statistics / Research

Although important throughout the life-cycle of a business; being able to grow your start-up from small to medium and so forth relies heavily on targeted operations which, in turn, rely on having the right information at the right time. The marketing cycle, especially in the digital arena, can change very quickly and the whims of consumers must be measured on a regular basis. If  you’re able to do this effectively then not only will you be able  send out targeted marketing material, but you will also be able to monitor the success of your campaigns afterwards.

Looking at the key factors in SME’s development, what can the right ESP do to effectively manage these challenges?

Building a Mailing List

A good ESP will enable you to collect contact details of both potential clients and partners in business through integrated marketing material that draws opt-in subscriptions and real-time responses to material sent out. As you continue to collect contacts, your ESP, which almost becomes your digital partner, continues to diversify and build your contacts, constantly keeping your mailing list active and up to date. Mailing list construction is integral in digital networking and ensures that you‘re never out of touch with your support base.

Structured Communications

Digital marketing enables businesses to reach a vast audience, but there is a danger in this in that you could easily be regarded as spamming your audience or even worse, sending out standardized, impersonal communications. Think about all those newsletters and text messages you receive that make you look and feel like just another number on a list. The help of an ESP, however, can ensure that your communications are both targeted to appeal to the right audience while containing all the information necessary for them to convert to using your product or service.

Statistics for Growth

Once you’ve established a valuable working relationship with your consumers and partners you’re left with the daunting, daily task of managing these relationships. Staying up to speed on the latest external developments is challenging enough, but keeping tabs on the wants and needs of those you’ve already built a relationship with can be even more high maintenance. Garnering statistics, metrics and pulling company-wide information and collecting it in one place makes it easy for businesses to judge the effectiveness of their marketing operations. The services of the right digital partner, however, will help manage commercial relationships, leaving businesses free to build new relationships as time goes by and expand in the process.

Small to Medium businesses are perfectly positioned for taking advantage of the digital marketing boom. Now, more than ever, there are opportunities for expansion unlike before; but although the environment for new and growing businesses has become very conducive to expansion, the right partner in digital marketing is needed to ensure sustainable growth through external engagement.

The average person sees 30,000 branded marketing messages every day. And they receive at least 45 email marketing messages daily – most of which they signed up to receive, a few of which they might actually remember signing up for and still want.

Email provides a direct, personal connection to your customers. And while it might be tempting to blast out all of your company news to everyone on your list, remember this: your email campaigns aren’t about you, they’re about the customer. Stop talking about yourself and start communicating the messages each customer wants to hear. You can do that with email.

How? By segmenting customers by past purchase data – not just by categories or brands, but by actual SKUs, amount spent, number of purchases, etc. Looking at a customer’s purchase history as a whole helps you accurately predict future purchases. That, in turn, lets you send highly relevant and timely messages to each customer.

Let’s say you sell pet supplies online, and I frequently spend $75 a month with you on dog food and chew toys for our office dog. Then my sister adopts a kitten, and I add a scratching post and kitty condo to my regular order, spending an extra $150 one month.

Do you:

A. Do nothing – Keep sending me weekly emails about pet supplies, because keeping your brand in front of me should be reminder enough when it’s time to reorder dog food
B. Start sending me emails with cat-related images and promotions – I bought cat supplies once, so I might do it again
C. Send me reminders when it’s time to reorder dog food – Once I’m online, I’ll see the menu item for cat supplies, so I can purchase something else if I want to
D. All of the above – The more emails, the better!

Before you answer D, keep this in mind: Return Path found that eNewsletters make up 29% of a consumer’s inbox, yet account for an astonishing 70% of spam complaints and 60% of all spam trap hits, meaning real spammers are doing a better job than some email marketers. Ouch!

You will keep my business and keep me happy just by sending me a reminder when it’s time to reorder. If you want to send me the occasional email offer or announcement, that’s fine too, as long as it’s the exception and not the rule. Over-sending is one of the quickest ways to turn off your customers. They’ll stop listening – and BUYING – and even report you as a spammer, hurting your reputation and deliverability. You will be most likely to get my sale by sending me the messages that are most targeted to my needs.

Remember, as my favorite online pet supplies retailer, you know much more about me than just the brand of dog food I order. You know how frequently I order and how much I usually spend. You also know I haven’t purchased a new dog bed in over a year, at least not from your site. And as a regular customer, you can easily assume that if I’m ordering dog food from you, I’m probably not stopping at the pet store after work for other dog supplies.

Knowing all that, if you send me an email featuring dog beds in the $100-$150 area – which is close to my average order value and in line with what I spent on the cat condo - there is a good possibility that I’ll buy one. The message will stand out from the 30,000 others received that day and you’ll keep me engaged with your brand.

That’s email marketing at its finest.

We recently released a whitepaper on segmentation so you can get more details here. I’m also available to answer any questions.

But sometimes email makes me want to scream. Because it’s just so darn easy to use, people tend to abuse it. They are sloppy with their correspondence, incomplete with their thoughts, not to mention sentences, and scatterbrained in how they communicate. As a recruiter, whether it’s working with a candidate or a client, email sparring can sometimes be exhausting and frustrating — especially when thoughts are not expressed clearly and the person on the other end refuses to get on the phone. So, keeping that in mind, here are some recommendations on how to clean up your emails, get more e-organized and, frankly, be more buttoned up.

#1 — Don’t Assume the Person on the Other End Knows What you Are Referencing

Don’t use one word responses. If you are confirming a meeting, for example, don’t simply write back “yes.” The initial email chain could have listed multiple dates and times and then all parties could be confused as to the final decision. Instead send a note that says “Jane, we are confirmed for Wednesday, March 20th at 4pm EST.”

#2 — Include Time Zones as a Norm

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve set up bi-coastal meetings that have had to be rescheduled due to a miscommunication regarding time zones. To avoid this, always put EST, or whatever your timezone is, in your email. Bolding it is not a bad idea either.

#3 — Customize Subject Lines

Make sure you use subject lines in all emails so that the recipient knows what you are reaching out to him or her about. And, as you go back and forth in a long string of email exchanges with one person, try to remember to change the subject lines to reflect the subject of the e-string. If you are scheduling a meeting with someone, the subject could read something like: “Meeting, 3/20 at 4pm — Jane and Eric to discuss ABC Tactics.” If you are giving someone a business address, the subject line could say: “.comRecruiting’s Address.” Simple things like this make a huge difference when someone is searching thru their emails for specific information.

#4 — Read, Read Again, and, Yet, Again

I’m not bothered by a typo or a missed “the” in an email. But when someone sends me an email from an iPhone seemingly from a moving bus, and it says “we are all vet, and seat you in Amsterdam,” instead of “We are all set for our meeting on 75th and Amsterdam,” it’s annoying and a waste of everyone’s time.

#5 — Make Your Emails Concise

Emails should not take the place of a meeting where you can dig deep on a subject. Don’t send a client, co-worker or associate an email chock full of information, pages long. Make sure you are clear in the information you are presenting by breaking up content into short paragraphs — using four at the most. I recommend keeping each paragraph to approximately two to three sentences. And, if possible use bullet points so it’s easy on the eyes and the person on the other end actually reads the email, vs. putting it aside for some later time where it will most likely gather e-dust.

#6 — Make Sure Your Signature Appears on Every Email

I can’t tell you how many times I have conducted a search in my inbox to look for someone’s phone number, which I expect to find at the bottom of an email, only to find that the person in question didn’t have contact information in his signature. In fact some people don’t have an email signature at all. To rectify this, and make it easier for people to reach out to you, go into your email settings, under “general” and create a signature that includes your email address, cell phone, land line and all other relevant contact information. If you are using Google mail, make sure to check the box underneath your customized signature that says “Insert this signature before quoted text in replies...”

#7 — Respond Immediately or Save as “Unread”

The only time I ever fall down on an email exchange is when I open up an email and neglect to respond right away. If I open it and read it and it goes into the “already read” section, it’s a goner. If you know you are not going to be able to respond to an email immediately, mark it as “unread” so you don’t forget about it.

#8 — Confirm Receipt

If someone sends you an email with information you need that does not necessarily warrant a response, send a quick note to say “thank you,” just so the sender knows you are on the same page and that the email was received.

#9 — Watch What You Say

Don’t ever put something in an email that would make you wiggle in your seat in discomfort if it fell into the wrong hands. By now, we all know the power of Facebook and Twitter.

#10 — Disconnect and Pick up the Phone

If you have to get an important message across that might come off in a way that could be perceived as combative or potentially have a negative consequence, pick up the phone. Emotions and context can not be conveyed in an email. It’s time to unplug.

Carpe diem

Jane Ashen Turkewitz is the President and Chief Talent Officer at .comRecruiting where she helps senior level candidates in sales, marketing, media, editorial and e-commerce find their next career moves. She has been active in the digital media space since 1999.

Changes can be unsettling, whether they're potential or actual, positive or negative. You may be gearing up for a promotion/new position, staring at a wide-open field of new prospective clients, or launching new products and services. Or you may be hunkering down in the face of outsourcing, downsizing, mergers/consolidations, takeovers, and local or global competition. 

Consider the Changes Taking Place at Yahoo!

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has certainly unleashed enormous, untold passions about how, when and where people should work at Yahoo.

The recent, now infamous, change requiring Yahoo employees to work in the office instead of telecommuting from home has been likened to the shot heard round the world.

No less than a great war has ensued and Marissa Mayer has been villainized and vilified by some and verified and validated by others.

It is no secret that Yahoo has been struggling to keep pace with the likes of Apple, Facebook, and Google, all of whom have strong in-office cultures and not coincidentally, strong revenues to match.

In Our Opinion...It’s not about trusting people to work at home, it’s about Mayer’s challenge in the turnaround of Yahoo regardless of where people are working. Mayer has to build a new corporate culture of trust in the infinite possibilities of what the Yahoo organization can create together.

However, as we are hearing, this change process is creating considerable stress for Yahoo employees.

How We Respond to Change

Do you respond or react to change and do you know the difference? As soon as something nudges you out of your regular routine, or challenges your understanding of how the world works and where you fit into it, it will likely trigger a deluge of feelings including; fear, anxiety, overwhelm, excitement, distraction or denial.

How Does the Way You Respond to Change Impact Your Brand?

These feelings can manifest in your behavior.  You may, unconsciously, act out with behavior that is not a brand match for you, or your communication style alters, both at work and at home. You might feel compelled to push yourself and others to overwork, or take the opposite approach - which most do - and procrastinate, avoid the work that's on your plate and get sidetracked with misconceptions, assumptions and gossip to changes that may or may not happen.

On a personal level, your self-care may suffer and you may reach for unhealthy substances, get less sleep, skip meals or overindulge. You might cut yourself off from friends and family, and spend more time alone or with other people who have unhealthy habits or attract people who are in the same place as you.

The Impact

Dealing with change requires flexibility, resilience and an ability to think on your feet. Unfortunately, when you're caught up in your reaction to change, these mental abilities are affected as well. When you're preoccupied, worried and focused on the future instead of the present, it's much harder to concentrate and apply your brainpower to what's in front of you.

Great leaders are admired for their serenity and confidence even in the face of uncertainty and upheaval. For many of us, though, when change is afoot, serenity is far from our reach. Instead, emotions are much closer to the surface and can flare up at the most inopportune times. Whether you lash out, cry, or pound on your desk behind closed doors, it's incredibly uncomfortable to feel so out of control.

Consider, also, the impact on the people around you. Emotional outbursts, whether at work or at home, can irrevocably damage your effectiveness, your reputation and your relationships.

Successful Strategies for Dealing With Change

Here are five strategies to help you remain flexible and resilient in the face of change:

1. Take care of YOUr body. Eat well, sleep well and refrain from harmful habits like indulging in caffeine adrenaline behavior, excessive drinking, or other risky behavior. Work out whatever that is for you!

2. Take care of YOUr mind. Stay in the present moment. Challenge your negative thinking and keep things in perspective; when the doom and gloom sets in, ask, "How important is this, really?"

3. Take control of YOUr emotions. Find reasons to smile and laugh, even when you don't feel like it—especially when you don't feel like it! Funny movies, blogs or videos can help. Vent your negative feelings by exercising, banging on a drum or pounding on a pillow.

4. Treat others well. Strengthen your good relationships so you can draw on their support and work at your challenging relationships so they don't add to your stress.  In fact, this may be a good time to remove them from your life altogether.

5. Take charge. Be proactive and prepare the best you can for the changes that might come, but then accept the reality of the moment. Think back to other challenges that you've come through and remind yourself that everything will work out okay this time, too.

What personal characteristics do we look for when hiring for Private Equity?

How can you assess if you have the “chops” to work for private equity? Is your personal brand a match for private equity? What can you expect and what is expected once you are hired, in terms of the operational differences, compared to working for a large, publicly owned company?

If you are considering a career opportunity in a private equity financed business, then check out the top 5 qualities and characteristics to better understand if you really are ready, willing and able. 

1. PE firms want to work with entrepreneurs.

Private equity firms have been started by investment bankers, successful corporate executives and entrepreneurs with a proven track record of building wealth by risking capital and building businesses entrepreneurially. In selecting a CEO, COO, or other C-level executive, private equity firms want to see proven entrepreneurship in the executive’s prior career steps. Has the candidate successfully started and built a business from scratch? Has he or she turned around a troubled business? Does the candidate have the proven track record and hands-on leadership profile to build confidence among others in the organization (including strategic alliance partners)? You need not apply if you do not have “entrepreneurial DNA" and passion, plus prior success implementing a business plan involving significant change (i.e., not managing a “steady state" business).

2. PE investors want “hunters" not “farmers."

While they tend not to manage from quarter to quarter, like so many public companies, private equity investors are looking for—and expecting—mega-growth of a business over a five- to seven-year window. The expectation is that the returns on capital are multiples of the original investment once the business is sold (usually to a strategic buyer) at the end of the investment period. Hunters have the fearlessness to compete in the marketplace on a daily basis, and their hunting skills are usually directly tied to an ability to increase the top-line revenues. In addition to growth via acquisition, most private equity investors evaluate revenue increases in the base line (“same store") business. This almost always leads them to hire a new Head of New Business—and it always needs to be a “hunter." We recently completed four executive search assignments nationwide for this type of position, most within the first year after a private equity firm has made an investment.

3. PE firms hire "doers" with a strong bias for action.

In LBOs and buyouts of privately held businesses, there are typically major issues that need to be addressed immediately: the prior owner/parent company/CEO may have failed; growth in the business may be stagnant; and investments or changes in the business were deferred because it was deemed a “non-core" asset. This is one reason that private equity investors like to hire “doers" with a bias for action – because typically so much needs to be done – and very quickly. Consider the GM turnaround and the three months the Board gave the initial CEO before making a change. As Jack Welch has said numerous times, a non-decision is sometimes the worst decision a CEO can make. If you are a procrastinator, stay away from private equity.

4. PE investors are reasonable until they become unreasonable.

Private equity investors typically resist hands-on involvement in the day-to-day operations of a business. They will typically put two to three of their own people on the Board of Directors and will remain minimally involved as long as the business moves forward according to (and in alignment with) the corporate business plan. They may come to Board meetings to listen to the CEO (and others in senior management), and they’ll work on complementary activities related to expanding and growing the business, such as additional acquisitions, or capital investment to increase manufacturing capacity. However, when/if the CEO and senior leadership begin missing the milestones, and the business turns south (even slightly), they are back with a vengeance ready to make changes in the senior leadership team (i.e., trade out the CEO, hire a strong COO with a sales/business development background, etc.) Working with a private equity-backed firm is potentially good for executives who (1) under-promise and over-deliver, and (2) are good at developing and implementing realistic business plans—and keeping the company on track and ahead of the key milestones outlined in these plans.

5. PE firms want an accelerated pace of change; be prepared to “ride the rapids."

While many C-level executives express frustrations at the slow pace of change in large corporations, many are unprepared emotionally to work in the rapid waters of private equity. You can expect almost 180 degrees the opposite environment once you switch over to a private equity-owned business. When you meet with the partners of these firms, invariably the first question they will ask you is, “If given this job, what would you do first?" and “What would be your plan for growing/fixing this business?"

Know what works best for your personal brand before jumping in!

It is extremely important to be prepared, and to do your homework, especially if you are considering one of these types of opportunities. For some true entrepreneurs, those unafraid of operating without a safety net, it can be exhilarating and highly rewarding (equity stakes and payouts are usually much higher than stock options earned inside a public company). However, for those executives lacking the necessary risk-profile and DNA, this is a career step to be avoided altogether.

If you have worked for a private equity firm, or have considered pursuing one of these opportunities, please write to us and share your experiences and perspectives.

When we hear the word endurance, we usually relate it to the performance, stamina and the resilience of an athlete. As leaders and emerging leaders, we suggest you “hear” the word and take the same definition, but add the elements of bravery, prevail, and persistence.

Particularly in these challenging economic times, we need to create athlete-like minds AND bodies to sustain performance in the pace of the current marketplace, to be great role models, and to create outstanding results in every area of our lives!

Endurance is Crucial not Optional

Where does your brand need to ramp up it’s endurance? Is it the challenges of your company, role or business sector? Is it the balancing of work and home responsibilities? Or perhaps it is the uncertainty of your brand not getting the traction it needs. What do you need to do to strengthen and flex your endurance muscles? What can you eliminate or change immediately to increase endurance both personally and professionally?

What relevance does building physical endurance have to your performance in business? In our experience as senior-level talent acquisition and personal branding specialists, endurance is crucial and not optional. We all know and have seen too many examples of over-stressed and out-of-shape CEOs, some of whom have died on the job due to stress-related illnesses or heart attacks.

Clearly, such a lifestyle is personally dangerous. But it can also be professionally dangerous. In today’s 24/7/365 environment, you do not want to risk making a costly business or personal brand decision simply because you were tired, careless, and sloppy due to a lack of endurance.

Also, if you are a C-level or even an emerging leader and you do not take care of yourself, how can you expect to be a role model for others in the organization? To the contrary, you send an undesirable message to the organization.

Take control of building the endurance you need to maximize your performance. Incorporate our EC Top 5 List of “Endurance Best Practices” into your daily schedule to improve your endurance:

1. Take an Endurance assessment. Check your endurance levels and create an action plan where you need energy the most. Want more endurance?  Stop doing what drags you down. Plan for eliminating the “tolerations” in the following areas; business, personal, finance, health and well-being, and relationships. This could include questions, such as; What is keeping me up at night? When do I schedule time away from my work?  What do I need to improve to get into better physical condition? What relationships do I need to remove that drain me of my energy?  Remaining active outside the office will help you build the stamina and endurance you will need on the job.
2. Develop and maintain an optimistic attitude. It is proven medically, people with a “glass half full” mentality are happier and less stressed than their alternative counterparts.  It takes a lot less energy to be positive. Work on your unique outlook and eliminate worrying about all the people, places and things that are not aligned with being positive or outside of your personal control.
3. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate! Identify the tasks at work and at home that you really do not want to do or you are not good at (the “drudge” tasks) and delegate these immediately. You will be amazed how much lighter this will make you feel and give your endurance a boost! Notice how our energy levels seems to be low when we do not want to do something or be somewhere we don’t want to be.
4. Take Control of Your Calendar. Don’t constantly overbook yourself. For example, after a late night of meetings, travel or client entertaining, do not schedule yourself for a 7 a.m. breakfast meeting. Give yourself time to recover. Don’t let business issues spill over into your personal life and vice versa. Work on compartmentalizing the different areas of your life and use success and happiness in one area to raise your energy and spirits in the other areas.
5. Plan ahead. Be Pro-Active! Manage your health and mental well-being! Most senior executives have at least four to five weeks of vacation annually; you will be surprised how many do not take this time off, or if they do, they actually work all day on vacation. Set boundaries, leave the laptop at home, empower others to step up, and disengage on a quarterly basis.

And above all…check in with yourself on a regular basis and make course corrections as necessary, you can shift and change as you need to. Continue to build your brand to endure maximum performance!

1. Know the Audience

Companies should learn as much as they can about their clients. Before contacting a major account, check the news and see if anything major has happened in the client's work or personal life. Learn about general demographics by monitoring social media. Companies should make sure their email messages are a good Client Fit. Cater information to fit prospective clients'' lives. If a product is aimed at students, time email campaigns for the start and end of semesters, for school breaks, and other big occasions. Think of how a product will help them, and write pithy emails that showcase these benefits. Tone and word choice are important factors. Language used with students should differ from language directed at attorneys.

2. Keep it Short

Being overly verbose can detract from an email experience. Messages should be short, entertaining, and to the point. A reader should be able to get the idea without scrolling down through a message, so make sure text and graphics are visible in one screen. Longer business messages may go unread, so keep it brief. If a company needs to send out a lengthy message, try to break it up into chunks that are easy to scan, with bold headers to denote new sections. This will help readers to quickly find information relevant to them.

3. Showcase Current Happenings

Make sure that email messages reflect up-to-date information. A company's credibility may go suffer if facts, statistics, dates, or product information are no longer true or in use. Make sure to promote any upcoming business events, product promotions, or networking opportunities. Interest can be piqued when a company shows knowledge of community happenings.
4. Avoid Errors Make sure an editor reviews important outgoing emails. The last thing a company wants is a careless typo or fact error appearing in thousands of email advertisements. Or a top client receiving a message that is poorly worded. Avoid these nightmare scenarios by running messages by an editor.

By - Jeff Gundersen, CEO Executive Connections LLC

We are approaching the time of year when annual bonuses (both short-term cash incentives and long-term options/restricted stock) are being paid out and the incomes of CEOs and senior officers in public companies are disclosed. It’s the perfect time to ask yourself, “What’s the value of my personal brand and how beneficial is my current company (and industry sector) as a vehicle to increasing my brand value over time?

Use Brand Consultancy Models As A Guide

Interbrand, the branding consultancy owned by Omnicom Group, publishes an annual study of the Best 100 Global Brands including the value of each brand. In 2012, once again Coca-Cola (#1) was the top global brand, closely edging out Apple (#2), IBM (#3), Google (#4) and Microsoft (#5). Interestingly, 4 of the top 5 most valuable corporate brands are in the technology sector and this coincides with CEOs of technology companies achieving some of the highest levels of compensation primarily based upon the value of long-term incentives (i.e., stock) tied to the rapid growth in market capitalization of many technology companies. While Facebook shareholders may not be faring so well in the early going, Mark Zuckerberg became one of the top 10 richest people in the world based upon Facebook’s valuation at the IPO in 2012. Likewise, many of the early private equity investors, and early-stage employees became multi-millionaires as a result of the IPO.

Consider Sheryl Sandberg, COO at Facebook, who sold approx. 1 million shares of Facebook stock in Dec. 2012 netting $26.2 million. If you think this is not bad for helping Mark Zuckerberg run the company, Sandberg still owns 18.7 million shares valued at over $550 million. Assuming Sandberg remains at Facebook, and the share price recovers and rises beyond the original IPO level, Sandberg might well net over $1 billion from her total long-term stock incentives at Facebook. Not bad compensation for a COO!

Investment Banking Is Another Lucrative Personal Brand Sector

Investment Banking was another lucrative sector in 2012, with Goldman Sachs providing CEO Lloyd Blankfein a $13.3 million restricted stock bonus as part of a $21 million total 2012 pay package (for increasing GS’ net income by +76% over 2011 performance) making Blankfein one of the highest paid Wall Street executives. Further, in 2012 GS awarded a total of $100 million in restricted stock awards to the top 12 executives (including Blankfein) meaning the average long-term restricted stock payouts to other members of the GS executive team averaged between $7-8 million.

Long-Term Incentive/Equity Compensation Matters Most

From EC’s perspective, the greatest single factor impacting personal brand value is the long-term incentive compensation (i.e., restricted stock, options, and equity awards). So in evaluating you career and your current and long-term brand value, ask yourself, “What do the top people earn in my company and industry sector and what will it take for me to rise to become one of these leaders?” If your industry and company are growing, particularly related to unique technological innovations and/or financial deal-making, your personal brand value can skyrocket based upon choosing the right company and riding the wave of earnings and market capitalization growth over a relatively short time period.

On the other hand, if your industry sector is shrinking instead of growing, and if your company is not among the category leaders, you have to ask yourself, “Why does it make any sense for me to continue to invest the value of my personal brand at a place where there is little prospect of achieving a long-term return?” Frankly, most people in this circumstance would be much better off quitting and starting or joining a small business where they will have an equity/ownership stake.

Now Is The Time To Act

Now is the ideal time, early in the New Year, to make career changes. Make the choices that put you on the best path toward a large long-term incentive payout and you will be maximizing your personal brand value and thanking yourself down the road.

About the Author:

Jeff Gundersen is CEO of Executive Connections LLC, a boutique executive search consulting and personal branding firm, specializing in placement and development of senior-level digital, social and mobile marketing talent.

Basics of Lead Nurturing

Lead nurturing isn’t just sending emails once a week. It involves providing relevant, useful information to the subscriber about the offer you want him to accept. And it requires planning.

• Create a target audience persona. Your email list includes a variety of personality and customer types, but in order to create the most effective email campaign, you’ll need to choose one target persona to focus on. Create each email with that personality in mind. What motivates them? What information do they need? What questions do they want answered? Focus on building a relationship with your target audience in order to earn their loyalty.
• Determine a consistent email frequency and sequence. Every new lead on your list should receive the same emails in the same order and at the same frequency. Each new message should have a specific goal and call to action. Frequency should be no less than once a week; every five to six days works well in most cases.
• Create content. Each email should contain helpful, actionable, and educational content. Be creative. Try videos, FAQs, surveys, special reports and other formats to get the most important information about your company and your offer into the hands of your subscribers. Emails should build on each other, creating forward momentum and culminating with your ultimate call to action.
• Use offer-based opt-ins. Provide an incentive for opting in to your email list that is related to your ultimate offer. If you’re selling a weight loss e-book, for instance, your opt-in offer could be a free report detailing seven secrets to reducing the risk of Type II diabetes.
• Use autorepsonders. Autoresponders ensure that each new lead gets the same emails at the same frequency. It’s the smartest way to keep your email campaign ducks in a row.

Securing Action With Lead Nurturing

Once your campaign is up and running, keep a close eye on your analytics. Monitor which links are being clicked, how many subscribers convert, how many new leads you get, and where those leads are coming from. Tweak your campaign based on subscriber behavior.

Persuading your target audience to say yes begins with a strong lead nurturing campaign designed to educate and build relationships. Strong content, effective planning, and a solid approach to email creation and distribution will create a loyal audience that wants what you have to offer.

By Jeff Gundersen, CEO – Executive Connections LLC

With digital marketing, social media, mobile advertising and marketing budgets growing at a compound rate of more than 20% annually, what steps are you taking as a senior marketer to build and develop your personal brand in an increasingly digital, social, and mobile marketing world?

Are you a Digitally & Socially Proficient or Deficient CMO?

We are seeing that a surprisingly high percentage of senior marketers are not compatible with the fast-arriving digital-marketing and social/mobile world, and this may explain the short average tenure of CMOs (i.e., less than 2 years) that makes this the highest-risk C-level position.

In many instances, senior marketers lack the professional experience to integrate the digital channel and new media with traditional off-line media and marketing strategies. They often don't have the digital/social marketing, direct marketing/CRM, and analytic/segmentation skills to lead integrated media and marketing programs, where digital/social/mobile marketing and media strategies are increasingly leading branding, broadcast and print media, direct, promotion, and PR.

So what does this mean for you as a senior marketer as you look ahead to the future and go from a mass marketer to a one-to-one marketer?

Here are the top five best practices you need to do now:

1.Learn everything about new media, including SEM, SEO, social media, and mobile marketing tools. These new media channels are fast becoming the new drivers of integrated-marketing and media efforts.

2.Immerse yourself in direct marketing, CRM, database, analytics and segmentation.  This will allow you to manage your personal transition from a mass marketer to a one-to-one marketer.

3. Focus yourself in the internet and understand best practices in website design, online customer engagement, e-mail marketing and e-commerce (online sales and lead generation), both within your industry sector and in other sectors. In this new marketing "Age of the Customer," online customer engagement is critical to overall brand-building success.

4. Do a deep dive into understanding mobile marketing -- smart phones, iPhone, tablets, and other mobile devices are the future communication hubs for receiving just-in-time, and geo-targeted communications and incentives -- at the point of sale.  The mobile phone is rapidly becoming a new payment and coupon system where discounts can be applied and funds automatically transferred at the point of sale.

5. Hire talent  (VP levels and below) with complementary digital and technical skill sets -- people who understand the numbers, who focus on ROI.  (i.e., explore engineers with Ph.D.s.)  In other words, surround yourself with VPs and Directors who have the relevant skills in database/analytics, online marketing/social media, mobile, e-commerce that you may be lacking. Then learn from them.

"The Age of the Customer".... It Needs To Be Personal and Relevant

We have arrived at a new marketing era ("The Age of the Customer") where the customer is in charge and today's marketer is expected to deliver relevant content and exceptional customer engagement in whichever channel the customer chooses. Marketing is not about the masses but about the individual, and today's focus is on identifying and understanding "micro-segments "of customers and using tools that enable marketing campaigns to be delivered on a one-to-one level.

We are seeing the death of traditional brand management. Consumers are taking away less from brand advertising (take note of the negative reviews of recent Super Bowl ads) and more from customer experience and what their friends, family, colleagues, and people they are connected with are saying positively or negatively about specific brands. What this means is marketing, advertising and communication processes are changing quickly and senior marketers need to change their core competencies quickly to remain relevant in the digital and social marketing world.

Marketing in "Real Time"

Unlike marketing campaigns that take six months to develop and then remain in the marketplace for a long period, new integrated marketing campaigns are being created in less than half the time, and in most instances, online elements are being changed and optimized in "real time." The ability of a senior marketer to think on his/her feet, and respond quickly and nimbly, has never been more apparent or more important.

About The Author:

Jeff Gundersen is CEO of Executive Connections, LLC, an executive-search consulting and coaching firm specializing in CMOs and senior-level digital & social marketing leaders.

By the Numbers, Email is King

When it comes to digital marketing, email communication is as classic as it gets. When done effectively, email marketing can drive a significant amount of traffic to your business; consider these numbers, courtesy of the 2012 Channel Preference Survey, conducted by the digital marketing group ExactTarget:

• 96 percent of online consumers use email at least weekly
• 66 percent have made a purchase after receiving an email marketing message
• 76 percent prefer email over all other channels for customer service messages
• 66 percent of teens (ages 15-17) prefer email over all other channels for permission-based marketing
• Email marketing drives more consumers to make a purchase than Facebook and text messaging combined

To put the popularity of email into context, this helpful graph from GovDelivery shows the breadth of users across various communication platforms.

• If Facebook were a country: Population: 850 million. It would be the world’s third-largest country, bigger than North and South America combined
• If Twitter were a country: Population: 200 million, bigger than Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan
• If email users formed a country: Population 2.9 billion. It would be an empire.

Email marketing is untouchable because of its immense user base and the way it brings targeted messages into users’ most personal digital space – their personal inbox. There are variances in email approaches and strategies and new advancements in email marketing software that aid in this process, and here are some tips to get you started:

Use a catchy subject line. No pressure, but the fate of your email rests in the 50-something characters used in your subject line. Avoid spam-friendly language such as “free,” “act now” and “limited time” – these words will send your email straight into spam purgatory. Never use all-capital letters (why would you yell at a potential customer?) and cool it with the exclamation points (ditto – why are you exclaiming? It! sniffs! of! overstatement!). "Reminder” is another word that usually causes users to click “delete” right off the bat.

Make the design user-friendly. Your email communication must be both responsive and scalable. Users must be able to take action, whether they are viewing it on their mobile device or desktop computer, so scale your content to be viewed on multiple platforms. “For all the sophistication of mobile devices, email marketers see the most success with layouts that have as little noise [i.e., graphics, photos and video] as possible and the call to action visible without scrolling," Dean Levitt, chief of culture at email marketing software provider Mad Mimi, told CIO.com.

Value the importance of permissions marketing. Because your customers are highly valued and have opted to receive messages from your brand, it's important to communicate with value. Your emails should offer relevant substance and value to your readers. Bring news, brand insights, customer survey information and more to the table. Avoid puffery and pumped up nothingness in the body copy. Have your readers see the effort of substance that your brand is putting forth, and how you are staying true to your company’s brand and mission statement.

Make the user want to read your email. What motivated people to sign up for your emails in the first place? Knowing this will help you understand them as a community and facilitate delivering what they want. Are they looking for discounts? Do they want something to do? Provide them with relevant content other than your featured promotion. In return for their time and loyalty, engage with them to inspire their curiosity.

Give a call to action above the fold. Provide a link, special promotion or other eye-catching tactic on the initial screen, without no need to scroll down. A clear call to action drives the reader to take the next step toward conversion.

Finally, before you click “send” … Make sure your address list is accurate before you send your email. A recent Experian survey found that more than 90 percent of companies suspected that up to 25 percent of their data is inaccurate. Look at the number of bounce-backs or routinely un-opened emails.

Remember, your marketing emails are sharing valuable real estate with consumers’ personal messages. Consistently give them something they want. To ensure deliverability, research how users like to receive updates (all posts, limited information, etc.) and determine what day and time are the most effective when it comes to open rates and click-thrus.