How well do you think you know your customers? According to a recent study, probably not as well as you think. IBM’s study, developed by Econsultancy, a firm that specializes in helping clients with digital business, marketing and eCommerce, surveyed marketers, 90 percent of whom said that in order to be successful, they need to personalize customer experiences in their marketing campaigns. It appears that only 10 percent of these marketers are doing it right because 80 percent of consumers... Subscribe to this list via RSS Blog posts tagged in marketing
How well do you think you know your customers? According to a recent study, probably not as well as you think. IBM’s study, developed by Econsultancy, a firm that specializes in helping clients with digital business, marketing and eCommerce, surveyed marketers, 90 percent of whom said that in order to be successful, they need to personalize customer experiences in their marketing campaigns. It appears that only 10 percent of these marketers are doing it right because 80 percent of consumers... 
We’ve all heard the quote, “good artists copy; great artists steal.” While this is not something to be taken literally, it’s an idea that has some credence in the world of marketing. There is nothing wrong with mirroring the efforts of those who have found success. A recent report from Digital IQ titled “Sportswear 2015” offers an intriguing look into how activewear, which did not suffer the same slump in sales as the apparel industry saw in 2014, is marketed on... 
Back in the days when the Hare Khrishna were spreading the Hindu word at airports and other public places, single-stem flowers could be found in the nearby trash cans. For anyone who was paying attention, the Hare Khrishna would, from time to time, fish those flowers straight out of the garbage. This odd behavior was described in the book "Influence: The Power of Persuasion," written by Robert Cialdini. In it, Cialdini described the rule of reciprocity, which the Hare Krishna leveraged... 
Launching a new website (or marketing campaign for an existing website) can be incredibly exciting. Seeing all of your hard work come to life in bright, vivid online colors is definitely deserving of a little pat on the back. And it’s also fitting to let others see the fruits of your labor. Because after all, the website is just the beginning of what could be a long and successful eCommerce endeavor. When it comes to getting your website in front... Don’t do this or don’t do that: Life comes with so many rules that it can almost stifle an individual’s ability to be an individual. Everything we do, from what time we get up in the morning to what we order for lunch, can be dictated by someone else’s preconceived notion regarding what’s best for society as a whole.
Even something as simple as how to write a subject line for an e-mail carries dozens of rules. There are so many “tips” tied up in writing those few words that a business will grapple over the task to the point that a simple marketing campaign can’t even make it out the door.
1. Don’t use all caps
2. Don’t use the word free
3. Don’t use more than 30 characters
4. Don’t use special characters
5. Don’t use exclamation points
And those are just a few.
In the video above, DJ Waldow presents a few examples where companies bucked all of those trends and found success. He says that at times, breaking the rules of e-mail marketing has garnered more click-through rates and customer conversions. And he would know. He’s the author of “The Rebel’s Guide to Email Marketing,” which touts the idea that marketers have more opportunities than ever “to guide customers from consideration and trial to repeat purchase, loyalty, even advocacy.”
So check out the video, and don’t be afraid to do what’s best for your customers, your company and your product. Rules, after all, were meant to be broken.
Success on Facebook has thwarted some businesses, leaving them with what they consider to be an unacceptable number of likes and worse off, leaving them with a depleted sense of social media self-esteem. What these businesses may be forgetting, however, is that it’s not the quantity of likes that matters; it’s quality that reigns supreme.
Regardless of the quality-over-quantity mantra, businesses still feel compelled to strive toward bigger numbers. And who can blame them?
So, to encourage your Facebook counter to grow, take advantage of the sage advice from Get the Dash, the social media gurus that created the video above. By implementing these approaches, any business should be able to grow their friend-base – in an honest and sincere way.
Tip #1:
Review the businesses that you “like” on Facebook and ask yourself: Why did I like them in the first place?
Is it because you simply wanted to support their social media efforts? Is it because you truly love the brand? Was it because you received a special offer that required a “like” to obtain it?
By asking yourself these questions, you’ll be able to apply the answers to your own Facebook strategy.
However…
Tip #2:
Don’t simply mimic the efforts of others. Inject a little personality.
That approach will resonate with the individuals who have shown interest in your business. It’s important to remember that your “likes” are more than just a number; they’re living, breathing human beings who for one reason or another, want to interact with you and your business.
At NetSphere, we’re always yammering about all of the stuff that folks are supposed to do to make it in today’s business world: Set up a Pinterest account to diversify your web presence, create effective meta descriptions, implement social logins, live and die by your analytics, launch a mobile marketing strategy, employ third-party marketplaces, start producing videos and for Pete’s sake, take out the trash. And yes, we know; we’re beginning to sound a bit like your mother. All kidding...