For proof, take a look at how the Obama campaign used email outreach to rack up significant fundraising wins. With unconventional subject lines like, “I will be outspent,” “Do this for Michelle,” or simply, “Hey,” the Obama campaign used email to raise millions of dollars.

So, if the Obama campaign can use with unusual subject lines, should you try to do the same? Is it time for your marketing team to start breaking the rules?

Not necessarily.

Keep in mind that when it comes to email subject lines, there will always be certain things you should NOT do.

For example, don’t include anything that’s likely to get your message caught by your readers’ SPAM filters. These SPAM filter treats include, but are certainly not limited to:

• Words relating to sex or pornography.
• The words “free” or “fast cash.”
• References to brand-name prescription drugs like Viagra, Levitra, Cialis or Vicodin.
• Extra (and unnecessary) p.u.n.c.t.u.a.t.i.o.n.
• The oh-so-obvious words “Not SPAM!” . . . because if you have to say it’s not, it probably is.

Even after you have steered clear of SPAM filters, your email message won’t be read if it’s not opened. Here are a few more tips to help you create compelling subject lines a’la the Obama campaign. Make sure you pay attention to:

• Length. With a limit of 50-60 characters, you have about 6-10 words to get your message across. Brevity is key. Studies show a link between shorter subject lines and higher open rates.
• Your name. Keeping your company or brand name as part of your message can help significantly increase your open rates. But, how can you use your company name and stay within the character limit? Your “From Email Address” should include your company name.
• Call-to-action. Use the subject line to emphasize a call-to-action. Try piquing curiosity with news snippets and other important announcements. Or, set deadlines or countdowns, to create a sense of urgency. You can even ask questions in the subject heading if it suits the topic; these typically involve the reader much more than pure statements alone. Example: “Have you seen these discounts? Only 24 hours before the sale ends.” But, make sure you pay off on this promise quickly (not buried) in the content of the email, or readers will get frustrated.
• Added value to the recipient. Accentuate benefits, but get straight to the point. Put yourself in your recipient’s place. What does he/she need to know? Example: “Order now and receive two shirts for the price of one.”
• Truth-telling. Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Focus on appropriate subject headings and only raise expectations you are able to fulfill! Nothing causes more harm to your business than a dissatisfied, disappointed customer. Be reliable and truthful, and you’ll build long-term trust with your customers, while establishing a loyal readership. Example: “We can save you up to 25% off your heating bill.”
• Personalization. Customizing the subject line with the recipient’s name is definitely an eye-catcher. But, don’t personalize each email you send, or you risk turning something extraordinary into something mundane. Also, don’t forget the recipients who may not have provided you with their name when registering; you’ll need to design a subject line that works even without this kind of personalization. Also, make sure your first name data collection and validation process is solid. As an alternative, try customizing with the sender name, as well. People are more likely to buy from other people. Example: “A special offer for Lucy Hudson.”

Two final points:

1. Remember to be creative. A recent campaign from MarketingProfs, a Massachusetts-based marketing think tank, used a tactic that earned some interesting publicity. To promote its “B2B Forum” in November, MarketingProfs sent an email from Don Draper, the main character from the wildly popular “Mad Men” series” with the subject line: “Why I’m Not Attending B2B Forum 2012.” Perhaps for many who were unfamiliar with the show, the email was immediately deleted. But for countless “Mad Men” fans, their curiosity was immediately piqued. The message was successful and discussion of its creativity (and possible, but not probable, copyright infringement?) lit up channels like Twitter and LinkedIn.

2. And, remember to test, test, test! Let’s not forget the Obama campaign had a team of data crunchers analyzing inputs and collecting insights across all of its digital channels. Take a lesson from that playbook and test your subject lines. Track results. Learn what works, and what doesn’t, with your target audience. At Aprimo, we’ve seen how even small changes can have a significant effect on results. Of course, that’s good news . . . very good news. It means the more you count on the science of analytics and the art associated with marketing experience, the less you have to count on luck –and the more accountability you’ll have when it’s time to report on your email marketing ROI.

The FTC published a report calling for greater transparency among data brokers and asking Congress to give consumers the right to access information these firms hold about them. As it now stands, information brokers who collect consumer information for marketing purposes are not currently required to show consumers information that has been collected about them. Data brokers are effectively able to create complex consumer profiles without their knowledge or consent.

By contrast, credit-reporting agencies that collect consumer information for credit-rating purposes are required by federal law to provide people their credit reports and enable them to correct errors. Earlier this year, the FTC imposed a penalty on data broker Spokeo for engaging in the practices of a credit-reporting agency in ways contrary to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA).

Eight members of Congress are investigating what data brokers collect, collate, analyze and sell about consumers for marketing purposes. The investigation underway has requested information on collection processes from Acxiom, Epsilon (Alliance Data Systems), Equifax, Experian, Harte-Hanks, Intelius, Fair Isaac, Merkle, and Meredith Corp. The information requested included:

• A list of entities that have provided data from or about consumers to the company
• A list of data items collected from or about consumers, and the methods by which it is collected
• Products or services offered to third parties that utilize consumer data.
• The information consumers are given access to, if it is requested, and any policies around sharing or deletion of that data
• Encryption or other safety protocols used to protect data.

If data brokers ultimately become regulated under FCRA, the quality of their data may increase but the volume may decrease. It may be good timing to accelerate data-append projects.

This is the third post in a series developed in collaboration with Jay Cline, President, MPC: The Global Privacy Experts.

Browser makers and regulators are lining up against the online-ad industry over default settings for browser cookies. The outcome of this battle could change how online marketing is executed and even how Internet-based services are financed.

For Do Not Track: Microsoft. Microsoft launched the first salvo when it announced that users who install Internet Explorer 10 – first available this November – will have their ‘do not track’ (DNT) settings turned on by default. By having this setting turned on, websites won’t be able to place on those users’ machines tracking cookies such as those used by online-ad companies and marketers. Persistent tracking cookies have provided online marketers highly valuable information about ad performance and overall website design. Audience members with IE10 browsers would now need to opt in to enable tracking cookies, an action they are unlikely to take without a compelling call to action or incentive.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

For Do Not Track: Yahoo!, Google, Twitter. Microsoft will not be alone. For their part, Yahoo!, Google, and Twitter have announced they will follow suit in the coming months, to different degrees. Google, for example, will allow some cookies such as those used by law enforcement and market research. By taking this DNT approach, browser makers and leading portals can claim they are protecting privacy while at the same time transfer market power from the online-ad companies to their own products.

For Do Not Track: Regulators. EU regulators have publicly supported Microsoft’s move, which could simplify their efforts to enforce their new cookie laws. Many EU member-state cookie laws — enacted following the 2009 EU e-privacy directive — allow that browser settings, if granular enough, could indicate an appropriate level of consent by users for the placement of cookies on their machines. If browsers didn’t offer this level of control, it would be up to the regulators to find and fine companies that were placing cookies without the appropriate consent.

For Do Not Track: Politicians. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), char of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee, has introduced a DNT bill that would give the Federal Trade Commission more authority to enforce do-not-track rules. In the House, the co-chairs of the Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus, Joe Barton (R-TX) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), also support new legislation if the online industry fails to adopt better do-not-track mechanisms for consumers.

Against Do Not Track: Industry. The Digital Advertising Agency (DAA) and Association of National Advertisers (ANA) are the main opponents of Microsoft’s move and of do-not-track regulation in general. The DAA administers the self-regulatory principles for online behavioral advertising and for multi-site data. The DAA does not require companies to honor DNT settings in browsers. Similarly, the Council of Better Business Bureaus and the Direct Marketing Association won’t penalize members who don’t honor DNT settings. At a recent W3C meeting in Berlin that sought to forge a global consensus on greater DNT restrictions, the ANA was able to prevent the adoption of new controls.

“If these various proposals limit this type of advertising,” said Dan Jaffe, the executive vice president of the Association of National Advertisers, after the meeting, “it will cut down on the amount of free information that consumers have on the Internet, create incentives for online companies to erect pay walls, and lead to more shotgun forms of advertising.”

Marketers should start planning for DNT restrictions to eventually become the norm and test the most effective ways to entice audience members to allow cookie placement.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Canada finally has its own CAN-SPAM law fully defined. The so-called Canada Anti-Spam Law (CASL) was enacted on 15 December 2010. But it took until 28 March of this year for the necessary regulations to be issued, and just recently for the detailed interpretive guidelines to be released. Now e-mail marketers can adjust their marketing to Canadian e-mail addresses to match the new rules.

The big development is that Canada is taking a double, express opt-in approach to obtaining consumer consent for the three following practices:

• the sending of commercial-electronic messages, including e-mail, SMS, and fax (section 6 of the Act);
• the alteration of transmission data in electronic messages in the course of a commercial activity (section 7 of the Act); and
• the installation of a computer program on another person’s computer in the course of a commercial activity (section 8 of the Act).

These consents must be separate’, meaning the consumer has to be able to accept one but reject the others. Also, the requests for consent can’t be bundled in the acceptance of terms and conditions. The guidelines recommended that marketers present to audience members separate, unselected tick boxes for each of the three items.

Canada’s definition of a ‘computer program’ also appeared to include cookies that capture personal information. In other words, Canada appears to have taken a stricter approach than even the UK. These guidelines are sure to create controversy and discussion as companies read through the details and estimate the impact to their operations.

To review the guidelines, see below:

• Guidelines on the interpretation of the Electronic Commerce Protection Regulations (CRTC)
• Guidelines on the use of toggling as a means of obtaining express consent under Canada’s anti-spam legislation

Marketers communicating into Canada should consult an attorney expert in Canadian privacy law to obtain an interpretation of the impact of these guidelines on their operations.

Image courtesy of secrets in HR

What if your favorite restaurant had offerings only fans like you knew about— super-secret items an Average Joe off the street would never think to order? Or what if your local shop gave you access to items not stocked in-store –ones you couldn’t find anywhere else?
Savvy businesses are doing just that . . . and as their regular customers spread the word, these secrets are becoming a very un-secret sensation.

For example, California-based fast food chain, In-N-Out Burger, has had a secret menu for years now. (In case you’re curious, a few of the options have been published –perhaps in an attempt to keep all but the most fervent fans away from the more unorthodox picks?)

Likewise, you can get a “secret” smoothie made with Sour Patch Kids candy from another California-favorite-gone-international-sensation, Jamba Juice. Sure, the chain has built a reputation for blending healthy drinks, but those in-the-know can enjoy a sugar buzz along with their Vitamin C.

Crave a caffeine jolt instead? Head over to Blue Bottle Coffee, and order yourself an off-the-menu java concoction, the Gibraltar.

Of course, different types of ethnic restaurants have long been known to have secret menus for those who want a more “authentic” dining experience, or for those who have grown up with the cuisine . . . and naturally, the secret phenomenon is not limited to the restaurant industry, either.

Video game developers have a penchant for hiding “Easter egg” objects and functions inside popular games. (Now there are entire websites devoted to “cheat codes”, “mods”, and secret game levels.) Even the fashion industry thrives on its “sample sale” culture, where shoppers can only learn about pop-up sales via word-of-mouth.

And that may be what lies at the heart of the “secret” strategy: word-of-mouth. Consumers love to feel like they have “underground” access to things that no one can get… and they love to share the “insider” action with friends. Not only do the loyal customers look in-the-know; they also deliver a whole new group of customers ready to be won over by “special treatment.”

So, what happens when these secrets spread so far they go mainstream? Do they lose their allure?

The answer? Well . . . That depends.

In-N-Out made the choice to out some of its “Not-So-Secret Menu” so more customers could tap into the quirky and custom aspects of the In-N-Out experience. The company hasn’t seen a decrease in business or in enthusiasm about the off-menu items. For In-N-Out, the “open secret” is working just fine!

Smaller brands, however, may benefit from keeping the circle tighter, since secret offerings could be core motivators for their most loyal customers. (Not to mention the resources required to scale special offers for an entire customer base.)

To sum it up, if you want to take advantage of the “secret menu” concept, keep these three key points top-of-mind before putting anything under wraps:

Nobody likes a boring secret. Make sure your secret offerings are more “hidden treasure” than “meh.” Customers should be excited to be in the inner circle, and they need to know they’re going to receive something special or unique as a result.

Too many hoops? No one will jump. In contrast to a traditional loyalty program, don’t require special memberships or points programs for a “secret” item or special. If customers know enough to ask, they’ve done enough to receive.

You won’t tell anyone, right? Okay, maybe ONE person. Encourage customers to keep your secret a secret… kind of. Make sure your customers know they’re part of a choice group—but that you’re happy to welcome their friends into that choice group, too.

Are there secrets your business could be keeping? Inject a little mystery into your customer experience—and you could be adding buzz and business value at the same time.

The challenge of designing custom content that’s readable on all screens has been an email marketer’s constant headache for years.

Sean Shofstall

But now –at last –it’s time to put away the Tylenol.

Relief, in the form of responsive design, has arrived. Responsive design is a smart coding technology that automatically adjusts layout based on the device used for viewing.

Let me tell you more by inviting Sean Shoffstall, Creative Director for Aprimo Creative Services, to join in on the conversation.

Me: Sean, Can you describe this technology in more detail? What is responsive design, exactly?

Sean: Responsive design is a hybrid of UX and Code that organizes and delivers content so the end user can see it in the most beneficial layout. This optimal layout is based on where/how the end user is consuming the content. Essentially, responsive design ensures your content is delivered to the consumer where and how they want to consume it.

Me: So, how does responsive design work?

Sean: Like the name suggests, responsive design organizes and codes content dynamically. Your single set of code changes size and layout based on the screen size of the end user’s device. For websites, responsive design code is a mix of CSS and HTML. For emails, it utilizes inline CSS and master style sheets.

Me: That sounds incredibly exciting for marketers! But, in practical terms, what does responsive design mean to the end user?

Sean: For the end user experiencing it, responsive design brings an end to cryptic, difficult-to-navigate emails from merchants. Finally (!), end users will be able to read and consume offers and promotions –no matter what device they’re using.

Me: And what about the organizations leveraging it? What does responsive design mean to them?

Sean: For the organizations leveraging it, responsive design means fewer headaches. But, it also means more investment in UX and template planning . . . and smarter copywriting and design. Of course, over time, these improved planning and enhanced design capabilities will lead to efficiencies that allow even greater agility with templates.

Me: I know I’ve heard you describe responsive design as a “game-changer.” Why do you think it will have such a big impact on email marketing?

Sean: Responsive design is a game changer on several different levels. First of all, any organization leveraging responsive design will no longer need to develop both a mobile and a desktop email and site. In addition, all content will be delivered to customers in a digestible format, no matter where they are or what device they are using.

In other words, using responsive design technology marketers can create/script the HTML code so that it automatically adjusts the sizing and look-and-feel of the email or page depending on the end user’s device. As a result, even though you’ve only designed one HTML email or page, you can be confident it will render in an optimized way for a mobile device (smartphone, iPad, etc.), as well as for a web page on a PC.

We ran a test for a B2B client and saw a remarkable 300 percent increase in clicks for a responsive design email –and a full one-third of the conversions came from mobile devices.

Me: Thanks Sean, this is great information! I know that we get a lot of questions as to whether the Aprimo products support Responsive Design. We design Aprimo products to enable email marketing regardless of HTML coding, so they can certainly handle this technology. As you know from reading my blog posts, I think that metrics are king. We highly recommend you use the response metrics (clicks and opens) within the Aprimo Reports to justify the fact that if you spend more time on HTML coding, you can experience a higher ROI.

As fewer and fewer people stay tied to their desktop, it’s becoming increasingly essential to reach the end user at the right time with the right message delivered in the right format. Responsive design is a key part of meeting that goal and creating an experience tailored to customers’ preferences (and devices!).

On one hand, if your goal is to make the crowd happy, it makes sense to ask the crowd what it wants and what it likes. On the other, it might seem like a bit of a cop-out to sit back and let the crowd supply all your ideas.

Regardless of where you land philosophically, it does appear that crowdsourcing is definitely here to stay. So much so, in fact, that new startups are taking full advantage of all the opinions, wish lists and group-think now flying around social media channels on any given day.

The children’s retail space is a particular hotbed of crowdsourcing activity, and for good reason: Moms are some of the most active digital citizens on the web, and online shopping is an important part of that picture. Not only are digital moms looking for convenient ways to find the things their kids need, but they also have strong views about the products they love and hate, and they actively seek out recommendations and opinions from others before they make purchases.

Most important of all, crowdsourcing works. When retailers really listen to what moms want, moms line up to buy.

One Jackson is taking an innovative approach with its new service created to connect moms with fashion-forward pieces by up-and-coming designers. The company releases “inspiration boards” that give fledgling designers a starting point to create sketches for pieces and outfits for kids.

The One Jackson community then votes on the pieces they like best, after which the winners are produced for families to buy. Several designers make their way into each collection —and get their start in front of hundreds of thousands of fans and buyers.

image courtesy of sweetiesfrisbies.com

Fashion-hungry “tweens” —and by extension, the moms that give them access to their laptops, iPads (and credit cards)—are the target market of FPGirl, an online community/e-commerce platform that gives girls the opportunity to design their own custom clothing from a pre-set selection of styles and decoration options.

Not only do girls end up with the clothes they really want—and will actually wear—but they spend hours putting their collections together online (and that’s the kind of internet fun moms can get behind).

The rise of crowdsourcing for children’s retail has kept pace with the rise of parents’ involvement online, especially in the realm of social media and blogs, where one out of every three bloggers is a mom.

As a result, you can expect to see more and more startups taking advantage of the trend . . . and more consumers connecting with the products they want, with a little help from their friends.

Image courtesy of Top News

Rolls-Royce is one of the most recognized brands in the world, and this icon of engineering and luxury has stayed at the top of its market through recessions, depressions, wartime and peace.

Over the years, Rolls- Royce has built a rock-solid tradition “To be Trusted to Deliver Excellence.” But, don’t be fooled. Not everything at the company is so steeped in convention.

In fact, the marketers at Rolls-Royce recently started rolling with the hipsters thanks to the launch of a new mobile-compatible, digital tool that alerts subscribers via SMS or email when their dream used car becomes available. The resource is compatible with smartphones, computers and iPads and is a way of engaging customers who are searching for pre-owned vehicles.

“Rolls-Royce clients are busy people who rightly demand uncompromising quality and excellence as standard,” said CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös in a press release announcing the new resource. “And, whether they seek a new or pre-owned Rolls-Royce, they also expect every aspect of the buying experience to be effortless.”

While many luxury automakers are using digital channels to reach the aspirational consumer, Rolls-Royce appears to be plying thoughtful innovations in line with its rich heritage and focused on personal relationships with each and every owner (or owner wanna-be). Clearly, the company understands customization is key when marketing to the crème-de-la-crème, and by focusing on customer preferences and needs, Rolls-Royce improves both the buying and ownership experience. And, 40% of iPad owners have a household income of $100,000 or higher, which means they are reaching their target demographic.

Let’s get behind the wheel. Here are three take-aways from today’s modern-classic, Rolls-Royce:

• Driven by mobile and SMS. Using digital and mobile channels expands the brand to prospects and customers who now want to relate via digital channels and devices. Rolls-Royce’s Provenance Pre-owned Stock Locator, for example, offers a responsive design and seamless browsing experience across mobile and digital platforms and allows registered users to perform searches, compare available vehicles and download brochures. Rolls-Royce’s decision to create a mobile-optimized site rather than an app helps give busy customers a more direct path to access a mobile tool and features effective and simple search functionality. As more consumers use mobile devices for product discovery, customer service, etc. Rolls-Royce appears ready to strengthen its brand while building new relationships.

• Steering toward channel integration. Consumers increasingly expect engagement with their favorite brands, and Rolls-Royce knows its customers want a white glove experience, whether it’s in the motor car or on their smartphone. Every brand should strive for this sort of customized relationship with customers, and fortunately, today’s technology makes it easier than ever to understand –and respond to –consumer preferences, needs and behaviors. Even if your customers don’t have stratospheric levels of net worth like some Rolls-Royce buyers do, your goal is to give them what they want, when they want it, across multiple platforms. An integrated marketing approach empowers you to rise to this challenge (and it will improve internal efficiencies, as well).

• Hugging new turns in the road. Rolls-Royce might be an old-school brand, but the luxury automaker isn’t afraid to upgrade its more traditional channels, either. The September digital edition of Robb Report (“the Global Luxury Source”) advertises new models of the Rolls-Royce New Series II Phantoms using interactive editorial content enhanced by videos, images and other information (think lead generation). Readers have a “new-age” virtual experience, but one that’s focused on the craftsmanship and quality that is the hallmark of Rolls-Royce. Social media and technology put control of messages in the hands of customers, and more and more, a customer’s opinion of your company is what drives the brand. Luxury enthusiasts enjoy knowing what separates Rolls-Royce from its competitors, whether it’s wheels, exterior features such as paint and sideboards or interior colors.

Is your brand rolling with the times like Rolls-Royce? Adopt a customer-centric strategy, showcase your customer service, and you’ll start driving home sales, too.

Don’t worry. I’m not writing today to pass judgment on your desk –provided, of course, you don’t pass judgment on mine! But, I amwriting to let you know about new research suggesting it may be time to address clutter around another aspect of your business: your company website.

Image courtesy of UI Designer Blog

According to recently released study results from SAY Media, a website that’s too “messy” may be costing you sales. Among the key findings of this intriguing research:

• A “clean” site enhances ad and site perception. SAY Media found that sites with an uncluttered ad layout were perceived as more useful, more trusted and better than similar sites. Likewise, ads on these sites were seen as more engaging and positively adding to the overall site experience.

• Ads on clean sites are always seen. Based on eye-tracking data, the study concluded that 100 percent of respondents viewed the ads on clean pages. Only 76 percent viewed ads on cluttered, multi-advertiser pages and 89 percent on sites with multiple ads for the same advertiser with complete share of voice. Content remained consistent across all test pages.

• Viewers spend more time with ads on clean sites. If you send an email or have a TV ad campaign that directs prospects to your website, but they can’t find the link or relevant information, they will likely bail in the first 3.2 seconds. Those who believe a site is uncluttered will spend more than 13 seconds looking at the ad, four times more than time spent in a cluttered environment.

• Clean environments result in higher ad recall. Both aided and unaided ad recall was highest in a clean environment compared to a cluttered multi-ad page and a page with 100 percent share of voice.

• Clean sites improve brand metrics. With only one ad exposure, there was an increase in key message association for two advertisers on a clean page vs. a cluttered environment. More importantly, one advertiser saw a significant lift in purchase intent.

Consumers today are bombarded with marketing messages both on- and off-line, and it’s no surprise shoppers’ attention spans are shorter than ever before. But, don’t make the mistake of thinking your only recourse is to cram more into every interaction. This same logic also applies to your email campaigns.

When creating an email campaign:

1. Ensure the subject line is clear and to the point
2. Ensure the content in your message pays off on the subject line and is easy to find, not buried among other content
3. Use custom landing pages or even personalized landing pages (PURLS) on your website to drive consumers to the content you are trying to promote
4. Follow the tips above to highlight and reinforce what you are sending them in email. Sometimes consumers will not click on your email but go directly to your website to find information.

“More” typically leaves consumers feeling confused, overwhelmed . . . and perhaps even worse, frustrated and annoyed –because they can’t find the information they need on their (smaller-screened) smartphones or tablets.

“Clutter is killing digital media,” said Troy Young, president, SAY Media.

Is it time to revamp your approach? Digital marketers now need to think simple and clean. Your goal should be to streamline messages and deliver only the most relevant information. In addition, pay attention to ad placement. The right ads in the right places are a key to helping improve ROI on website design.

Once again, I think Albert Einstein summed it up quite nicely:

“Out of clutter, find simplicity,” he advised.

If you want a captive audience for your message, start focusing on mobile. (Image courtesy of LapTop magazine)

On average, smartphone users now look at their phone 150 times a day, fueled by what a recent study called frequent “checking habits” – repetitive, almost unconscious, inquiries, reinforced by highly accessible “informational rewards.” “Ah! A new text message!”

How pervasive and addicting is mobile? Here’s just one of a multitude of examples:

According to the latest data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than half of the adult cellphone owners in the U.S. now use their phones while watching TV, keeping themselves occupied during commercials or breaks (38 percent) or visiting sites mentioned during a TV show (35 percent). Some of these “connected viewers” also use their phones to exchange text messages with someone else who is watching the same program in a different location (23 percent). Others like to fact check (22 percent), read what others are saying about programs online (11 percent), post a comment of their own (11 percent) or vote for a reality show contestant (6 percent).

The use of mobile is known as “narrowcasting,” versus “broadcasting.” Under the steady barrage of status updates, news feeds and emails, the attention span of the typical online consumer is quickly diminishing. Conversely, take a look at focused “narrowcasting:” Research from Frost and Sullivan found that 98 percent of all SMS or MMS messages are opened, while 84 percent of Facebook news feed stories aren’t viewed, 88 percent of emails go unopened and 71 percent of tweets are ignored.

Consumers crave mobile –so much so that mobile is expected to be bigger than the internet in five years, and in just three years, 81 percent of all U.S. cell users will be wielding smartphones. Already, a comScore study revealed that 43 percent of smartphone users have used their device while in a store for shopping purposes. They’re using their smartphones to find retail locations, check prices, research products, read reviews, use coupons . . . and more (Nielsen, 2012).

Marketers are catching the wave, too. More and more companies are joining the mobile movement, implementing the vast array of mobile marketing options to communicate key messages with their customers. Just keep this in mind: Mobile marketing is less about “shouting” and more about “talking” –once customers have opted-in, they are likely to continue the conversation, establishing informal, yet interactive, communication. What’s more, now that so many are connected/dependent/habituated to their mobile devices, mobile customers are available to receive your message at almost any time, and delivery is virtually immediate, allowing you to send even last-minute promotional messages.

As I see it, the question really is not “Why go mobile?” but rather, “How should you market products and services to the growing market of mobile users?” Initiatives to consider include use SMS for contests, special promotions, discount codes and to increase membership/activity in loyalty programs; mobile versions of selected pages to boost page views and conversions; apps that specifically improve the customer experience for your audience.

I could go on and on with statistics and ideas to keep your mouth watering, but winning the mobility race will take more than simply developing some cool, new mobile thing-a-ma-jig. You’ll need a sound, comprehensive strategy, one that’s integrated with the rest of your marketing plan. Your mobile efforts will pay off only if: 1) users actually want your content, and 2) that content is aligned with business goals.

Beyond that, I don’t think you’ll have to worry much about finding your audience. According to a CNN article, some users actually break out in a cold sweat if they can’t check their cell phone.

• What is the right message to send over SMS?
• When is the right time to send an SMS message?

Of course, my answer to each of those questions begins the same way. I always start my response with, “It depends…”

Now, to some, that may sound like I’m taking the easy way out. But, in fact, just the opposite is true. You see, the answers to questions like those really do depend on certain parameters. Before you can decide on the right SMS time and the right SMS message, you have to identify your target audience. You have to know that audience’s preferences and behaviors. And you have to be crystal clear about the goals of your SMS campaign.

Here’s an example to prove my point.

As Mobile Commerce Daily reports, Bestbet Jacksonville used SMS to drive last-minute sign-ups for a $500 buy-in poker tournament. About two hours before the event, the company sent an SMS message to about 500 opted-in consumers. As a result, Bestbet Jacksonville netted 25 new tournament sign-ups within one hour.

What made this initiative so successful?

• The channel. Because SMS is immediate, it’s the perfect choice for pushing out time-sensitive messages.
• The message. Bestbet Jacksonville used a clear prompt and a straightforward call-to-action. The text sent was: “$50,000 guaranteed prize pool, $560 buy-in. Seats avail until 2:30 pm TODAY at BestBet Jacksonville. You have until 2:30 to register.”
• The timing. By sending this message about two hours before the event, the company created a sense of urgency and incentive to act.
• The audience. As the director of marketing at Bestbet Poker, Simulcast & Gaming, Jacksonville, FL, points out in the article, this particular target audience is known for last-minute sign-ups.

Clearly, this case study shows SMS can be a great medium for encouraging customers to respond to last minute registration opportunities or offers…and now, let’s take a minute to contrast that with email.

I have several clients who want to guarantee delivery of their emails within a certain time of day. Even though I hate to disappoint them, I have to let them know the simple truth: With email, that type of guarantee just isn’t possible. Why? Because the time that an email arrives in a customer’s inbox is dependent on several factors, many of which are beyond the control of any marketing team.

For example, email delivery times depend on:

• the volume of email an ISP receives at any given moment
• overall internet traffic
• your recipient’s connectivity
• your sender reputation (Although, you do have control over your good name!)

And on top of all that, even if your email is delivered in a timely fashion, there is no guarantee your recipient will log in and read your email within the timeframe you’d prefer.

For me, the choice is clear: SMS tops email for last minute registration opportunities or offers. Still need convincing? The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) reports that 97 percent of SMS messages are opened – and a full 83 percent are opened within the first hour. What’s more, SMS can help you cut through the digital noise. The average number of emails a customer receives a month is 1,216. The average number of texts? Less than 200.

If you’re nodding your head, acknowledging that, yes, indeed, catalogs still lure you in, too, then you know I’m right when I say:

Any merchant who thinks print in dead better think again.

After all, that J. Crew catalog goes to 40 million customers a year, and despite the rise of 300 J. Crew retail stores, it’s still the catalog that defines the brand. Roughly 30 percent of J. Crew’s revenue comes from catalog and online sales, and according to J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler, the company’s print and digital campaigns are now tightly intertwined. In fact, he says much of J. Crew’s business moves specifically from catalog to online.

The same is true for other retailers who are seeing traditional print channels, such as catalogs or magazines, inspire mobile purchases.

Just last month, Google and Ipsos released results of a new study revealing that nearly half (48 percent) of smartphone users are performing mobile queries based on ads they see in magazines. By comparison, only 35 percent of smartphone users are inspired to search by posters and billboards, while 57 percent do so from in-store promotions and 58 percent from TV.

Do these searches result in sales? Apparently so. It appears that once they’re inspired by a catalog photo or magazine ad, more and more shoppers are turning to their mobile devices for their final purchases. Among smartphone users surveyed, the Google/Ipsos study found that 35 percent have already made a purchase on their smartphone, and more than two-thirds (68 percent) of those m-shoppers have made a mobile purchase in the last month.

Certainly, these numbers herald the rise of the smartphone as a purchasing tool, and there’s no question that mobile is poised to be next disruptive force in marketing. Just don’t forget: Much of the time, the initial inspiration for that mobile transaction comes from good ol’, traditional print marketing, not the latest social media platform or a new app.

As Lisa Cavales, CMO of Express, explains, customers (especially younger ones) are beginning to make “little delineation between channels.” Today’s empowered consumers expect to interact with brands across a wide range of touchpoints, and that means a strategy integrating both off- and online approaches is becoming increasingly essential.

Sure, The Google/Ipsos study indicates shoppers are feeling increasingly comfortable hitting the “Buy Now” button using their mobile devices, but the wise retail marketer knows the best way to make a sale is by integrating messaging across both “old” and new media. The omnichannel revolution is here, and marketers who want to maintain a competitive edge are going to have to create campaigns that are nimble, responsive, multi-channel, integrated . . . and sometimes a little slippery out of the mailbox, too.

At first blush, you might think housekeeping like this is a “nice-to –do.” Everyone likes to keep their email subscriber lists tidy and up-to-date, right? But, as I explained in my earlier article, scrubbing your email subscriber lists is no longer just a “nice-to-do.” It’s a “must-do.” Regular deliverability audits are becoming increasingly important as spam traps become more and more sensitive and ISPs fine-tune their scrutiny of email traffic.

So, once you’ve completed a deliverability audit and identified all inactive subscribers on your list, you need to chart a strategy to reactivate them. Here, in very general terms, is the course of action I suggest:

• Create segments to isolate any subscriber who hasn’t clicked or opened in the last three months.
• If you have other data indicating that these subscribers are active (purchase history, etc.), use that data to define “activity,” and then bucket active individuals into their own group.
• Bucket subscribers by “opt-in source” and “opt-in date.”
• Send a reactivation (win-back) message to inactive subscribers.
• Create a win-back message that clearly communicates the value of your program to your subscribers and ensures they know they must confirm in order to continue receiving email from you. (You can consider sending two messages to this user base, but make sure this is clear in both messages.)
• Consider including customization in the message related to the source of the opt-in. For example, “You subscribed to receive our newsletter when you completed a product purchase….”
• In addition, consider a win-back message that’s very bold and punchy. Try a unique offer, a survey or something else that’s different from your normal messaging, but still within their permission grant. I’ve seen Aprimo clients use language similar to “We hate junk mail, too….”
• Be certain you do NOT send your win-back message to your “active subscriber” list, and don’t send it to more than 50,000 audience members in a 48-hour period.
• Closely monitor opt-outs and spam complaints as you deploy the message.
• If inactive subscribers do not respond to the win-back messages, remove them from your file.
• Evaluate why they became inactive in the first place. Look at their source of opt-in. Is there a large # of inactives coming from a specific source? List purchase? Partnership? Event?
• Review your message stream and determine at what point in the message stream did they become inactive? Fix it!

Why spend time on reactivating inactive subscribers, and determining why they became inactive? There’s a two-fold reason.

First, inactive subscribers may be more apt to view your messages as spam. Then, if they report you as a nuisance, your overall inbox placement with ISPs can be negatively impacted. Stay out of spam traps and stay on the good side of the ISPs by keeping your email subscriber list clean and up-to-date.

Second, remember this: Every inactive subscriber was once an active subscriber. At some point in the recent past, each inactive was so interested in your product/service that he/she took the time to join your email list. Determining the reasons they became inactive will help minimize inactives in the future. They’re already familiar with your brand and may need only a little nudge to become active once again, but if you can determine what makes them switch, you can use this to your advantage to curb inactivity in the future

There are a lot of people in the industry that use different practices to acquire lists. However, using the wrong vendor, or acquiring the wrong name can have a long term impact on your overall reputation so we highly recommend you proceed with caution.

When you purchase a list, you need to approach it with the following items in mind:

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Who am I targeting?
2. What are my objectives? List Growth, foot in the door or purchase?
3. How many names do I need to not only acquire, but convert?
4. Or, how many names do I need to meet my chosen objective to make this worth my while?

Questions to ask your vendor:

1. How often do you refresh your list?
2. How do you verify contacts / titles?
3. How did you acquire the names you are selling?
4. Are they opted-in? By what method?
5. How often are your names sold?
6. What is the typical delivery, open, and click rate?
7. Are you consistently removing bounces, opt-outs, spam complaints?
8. Do you cleanse your own data against known spam traps, bad domains, etc.?

Acquiring your names is just the beginning. Once you have the email addresses, you need to use a product like Aprimo to not only execute your tactics, but develop strategies and messaging to ensure you’re talking to the right person with the right message, through the right forum, and garner more intelligent potential out of your list purchase.

The market is moving away from batch and blast to intelligent, targeted, segmented, Digital Marketing. Aprimo, for example, will allow you to include your lead source as a data point to track engagement and response over time. You can also use this data to customize and refine the message you are sending to this new audience base.

You can and should subsequently use this information to ENGAGE better with your data / target markets and segment your data faster and more accurately. You should carefully mail to your purchased list and frequently monitor response metrics to ensure that this list doesn’t ultimately damage the reputation of your domain /IP address if you’re using the same domain/IP to send email to your engaged customers.

You should use your data to LEAD your marketing function/campaign with more confidence … delivering campaigns that PERFORM better in terms of results. Always think in terms of any customer communication strategy on how to ENGAGE – LEAD – PERFORM.

The Beacon Hill Patch gets hyper-local in the upscale Boston neighborhood, helping marketers deliver segmented and relevant information to this target market.

Now, there’s one more to add to the list: hyper-local marketing, which is going above-and-beyond to maximize business results through street-level local campaigns that bring your message directly to the consumer (instead of flying high from a thousand-foot view).

Sites like Patch.com, owned by AOL, specialize in community news, while hyper-local content providers include established players like Foursquare, Google Maps and Yelp.

According to the Pew Research Center, the internet is now the go-to reference source when consumers want local news and information. More specifically, the Pew study found:

• Most adults (55 percent) said they get news and information about local restaurants, bars and clubs, and when they do, they rely on the internet most (51 percent), followed by newspapers (31 percent), word of mouth (23 percent) and local TV (either broadcasts or websites) (8 percent).
• About half (47 percent) of the adults polled who get news and information about local businesses other than restaurants and bars said they also depend mostly on the internet –and that’s ahead of print newspapers (29 percent), word of mouth (22 percent), local TV (8 percent), local radio (5 percent), printed newsletters (4 percent) and mobile phones (1 percent).
• People who seek out information and news about local businesses and restaurants are a diverse and somewhat upscale group. They are more likely to live in relatively well-off households – those earning $75,000 or more – and have college educations. Plus, 55 percent of adults who get information about restaurants, bars, and clubs are more likely to be women, young adults, urban and technology adopters.

Findings like these suggest that digital marketing can be extremely beneficial, helping local businesses find new customers and reach a receptive audience. But, are you using digital hyper-local marketing to its full advantage?

If you want effective neighborhood reach, keep in mind these five characteristics of successful hyper-local campaigns:

A unified force

Although hyper-local media is unique in its ability to target closely both in geography and time (reaching people in seconds), it cannot stand alone. Sure, you might be able to tackle the one-off goal of reaching a niche audience in a certain zip code, but without integration, hyper-local marketing leads to ineffective use of resources. When you go local with your marketing, make sure it fits with other campaign efforts and even larger organizational goals. Brands need to consider why hyper-local makes sense. Do you want to reach a new demographic? Overcome a particular obstacle that’s preventing audience engagement? Offer new promotions or discounts? Try out a new mobile platform?

Quality, not quantity

The digital roadmap to hyper-local is different than reaching out to a national audience. Local marketing isn’t about the number of hits, but rather the quality of the leads that come in. Keep audience size and demographic in mind, and remember it’s not just about return, it’s about value. Test, measure and learn. Use analytics to gain insights into how can you adjust your efforts and tweak your messages to improve your hyper-local marketing impact.

SOS to SMS

Segmentation based on customer location is literally hitting home in more than one way. What offers can you make to customers that are location-specific? Provided that they have “opted in,” those with smart phone-in-pocket welcome relevant, real-time interaction. Hyper-local SMS campaigns provide a way to directly engage targets with personalized messages they understand (and want). For example, mobile coupons not only extend the brand, but they can be timely incentives to visit local outlets.

BZZZ, hear the feedback?

Local is relevant. Where is the closest and cheapest gas? How’s the traffic? What are movie show times? No matter what service or product, the beauty of hyper-local is that users truly want the meaningful, useful information can provide. Make the effort to think through how your business/brand is experienced on a local level, and proactively collect consumer data, whether it’s through email or social media feedback. Analyze the behavior of your target audience and explore the growing variety of mobile app/advertising opportunities to reach them when they are out and about and searching for information.

Standing on multiple platforms

Hyper-local communication on a variety of platforms is the new must-have accessory for marketers. Location-based information works well on Twitter and Facebook, of course. But, be sure to design your efforts around your customers and prospects. What are their favorite digital channels? Should you be using a blog, an app, or other social network to reach them locally?

Clearly, this space is heating up fast as consumers become increasingly comfortable with using digital channels for local, real-time information. Here’s the hyper-bottom line: Mobile devices are redefining the consumer experience, and it’s time to start planning for hyper-local digital initiatives as a critical component of your marketing mix.

How can you tell if your emails resonate? What can you do to make sure your transmissions aren’t being ignored –or worse, sent to “Report Spam” oblivion?

For starters, check your campaign level report. Data from this fundamental analysis will provide basic insights about your rates for click-through, spam, opt-out, etc. and alert you to any glaring red flags.

But, don’t stop there.

If you want to improve your deliverability rates and stay out of increasingly more sensitive spam traps, you need to start regularly reviewing your domain level report, as well. Domain level reports are essential to comprehensive deliverability audits because each ISP now looks at its own subscribers independently. By monitoring the metrics at this level, you’ll be able to see how your audience is distributed across ISPs and where there are the highest spam complaint rates, percentage of hard bounces, etc.

In other words, combing through your domain level report will help you determine where you can fine-tune your approach to increase your effectiveness. For example, we feel if your:

• Spam complaints are greater than .05%,
• Hard bounce rates are more than 3%, and
• Opt-outs (Unsubscribes) are greater than 1-2% . . .

. . . then you have work to do. Why? Because exceeding these thresholds can negatively impact your overall inbox placement with the ISPs.

So, scutinize your domain level report, and then consider these steps to lower spam complaint rates and improve overall deliverability for your email campaigns:

• Run a domain distribution report for each message you send and look at each message to determine what is causing the high spam complaints. The usual suspects are: subject line, content, frequency and content/ frequency mismatch.

• Review your points of opt-in. Make certain customers are fully aware of the specific publications, frequency and content they have subscribed to. Resist the urge to auto-populate opt-in boxes, and always provide a link to review a summary and sample of the publications your recipients will receive.

• Send a welcome email when new subscribers opt-in. A simple greeting like this reminds users that they subscribed and helps them better understand the benefits of opting-in. Plus, a welcome email is a valuable opportunity to include an “Add to Address Book” option.

• Consider differences between ISPs. For instance, does your domain distribution report signal there’s something different about AOL addresses , compared to others? Often, AOL subscribers are older (as in, they are longer on the file because they signed up in early days –not that they are genealogically older) than other web based email subscribers. Is that an issue? Are these AOL users less active?

• As I mentioned earlier, you must recognize that each ISP handles spam differently. For instance, we know that AOL takes into consideration “This is not spam” votes, spam complaints, hard bounces and opt-outs. Some strategies to help avoid these spam filters are detailed in my earlier post about challenges with Gmail . (These approaches can work for all ISPs and can improve results across your whole list.)

• Look at each communication and segment you have defined (Purchasers, Newsletter Subscribers, Event Attendees, etc…) and see if there is a different level of response in each of these segments. Is there one segment that has higher complaints, bounces, or opt-outs? Why? What was their opt-in experience when they signed up? Did they ever respond?

• Pay careful attention to specific subject lines that are causing higher spam complaints, opt-outs or lower engagement (clicks/opens).

• Consider using a spam checker and/or inbox monitoring service to help optimize your process.

• Reactivate inactive subscribers. Create segments to isolate anyone who hasn’t clicked or opened a message in the last three months, and then target these addresses with special appeals and promotions. (I’ll talk more about this in a future blog post.)

• If they resist reactivation, scrub inactive subscribers from your list. Ensure you are eliminating unsubcribers, as well. Keeping your email list clean should now be a top priority. After all, if someone doesn’t want/doesn’t respond to email from you, and yet you continue to deliver to that address, that recipient is more likely to report you as spam –and that will subsequently affect your reputation and inbox placement for users who do want to get your email.

Email is an effective strategy to engage with customers and increase sales, but you’ll only be successful if your message is delivered –not relegated to the void of “spam.” So steer clear of spam traps, and make sure you reach your intended target with a message that’s relevant and compelling.

Unfortunately, there’s also a dark side to this “clutch” marketing tool. In addition to legitimate email marketers, spammers send billions of messages to consumers every day, leading harried recipients with little to do in response but send everyone to “Report Spam” oblivion.

So how do you avoid “guilt by association?” How do you ensure that your valuable messages make it past junk filters and reporting buttons?

If your recipients are using Gmail—and it’s likely many of them are, since it’s the email client of choice for more than 350 million users worldwide—here are some useful tips to improve Gmail deliverability. Although these strategies are smart for Gmail, they are good to keep in mind for other ISPs as well.

1: Ask your users to mark your messages as “not spam.” If your email happens to trip some junk filters and get put in your recipient’s spam folder, ask your readers to click on the “not spam” button to let Google know that you’re an approved sender—not just for that user, but for other users, too. Google puts a premium on user input, and trusts their devoted Gmailers to tell them what they want to receive . . .and what they don’t!

Likewise, if you do get to their inbox but have your display images filtered, encourage readers to click on the “Always display images from this address” button. This lets Google know that you’re a valid sender, and enables your recipients to see your carefully constructed emails in all of their HTML glory.

2: Ask your readers to add your sending “from” address to their Gmail contact list. This is a simple way to ensure that all of your emails are delivered, as it puts a big seal of approval on everything you send. If at some point you change your sending address, be sure to let your recipients know — they’ll have to add that address, too!

3: Keep a close eye on recipient behavior. Recipients who open your emails and click through your links are engaged users. Their behavior indicates they want to receive messages from you. Recipients who never open your messages (and miss your links entirely, as a result) could become an issue for you if they decide to report you as spam – even though they signed up to hear from you in the first place.

ISPs, and we believe Gmail especially, use “engagement metrics” as a factor to determine if your recipients are interacting with your email (clicking and opening), just deleting it, unsubscribing, or reporting you as spam. If a subscriber hasn’t clicked or opened your email in the last 45-60 days, or 2+ publications, you should consider a reengagement strategy and ultimately remove unengaged users from your list. Monitoring your list and segmenting out unengaged subscribers will help your inbox placement across the board.

4: Make it easy—and as quick as possible—to unsubscribe from your emails. The easier you make it to leave your messages behind, the less trouble you’ll see from frustrated recipients. At first, it might seem like a good idea to bury your unsubscribe link somewhere easy to miss. But, if someone who doesn’t want email from you can’t get rid of you that way, they’ll simply report you as spam, which will subsequently affect your reputation and inbox placement for users who do want to get your email.

This also goes for senders who don’t have an automated unsubscribe function, or who take too long to scrub unsubscribes from their lists. Your recipients aren’t going to be too happy when you pop up in their inbox after they took steps to banish you.

5: Monitor Domain Level Engagement Reports and Third Party Data. Even though Gmail doesn’t offer a feedback loop for complaints, you can assume that Gmail subscribers would behave about the same as the active portion of your other webmail customers (*not ALL those subscribers, but the active ones). You should create a domain level email metrics report and monitor clicks, opens, bounces (by type), unsubscribes, opt-outs and spam complaints for your top sending domains. You can also use this data to make judgments about Gmail engagementand to determine if a specific campaign is causing higher complaints.

In addition, you should seed your lists using a product like Return Path to monitor inbox vs. bulk placement.

By putting these simple tips to work in your email marketing campaigns, you’ll increase your conversion possibilities in a big way by getting into the inbox and staying where you want to be, on the good side of one of the biggest email providers operating today.

• Open rates: The open rate for texts is a whopping 98 percent –compared to a 22 percent for emails.
• Immediacy: One study showed that 95 percent of texts are opened within 15 minutes. Emails can languish unopened for days.
• Cutting through the digital noise: The average number of emails a customer receives a month is 1,216. The average number of texts? 178.

Of course, SMS campaigns do have certain limitations, and one of the biggest ones is this: With SMS, you have 160 characters to deliver a message that will engage your customers and spur them to action. Not 160 words – 160 characters! Obviously, you have to make each one of those characters count.

What else can you do to optimize an SMS campaign and take advantage of all this platform has to offer? Here are a few tips:

Targeting and Segmentation

As with planning for any campaign, one of your initial steps must be to carefully define your target audience. What age range do you want to reach? If you’re developing an SMS campaign, you need to keep the age of your customers top of mind. According to a 2010 study, the sweet spot for SMS is between the ages of 20 and 34, where 60 to 70 percent of those polled text every day. The percentage drops after age 35 to about 45 percent. In other words, I wouldn’t recommend an SMS campaign aimed at senior citizens. It’s becoming increasingly important to target different demographics based on the communication tools they use in their every day lives.

Along with age and other preferences, marketers are going to have to start paying more and more attention to segmentation based on customer location, too. What offers can you make to customers that are location-specific? Studies have shown that –provided they have opted-in –consumers welcome this kind of relevant, real-time interaction. Never underestimate the power of a targeted, location-based SMS campaign to excite customers about your business!

Adjusting Copy

Once you have fine-tuned targeting and segmentation, you need to adjust your copy accordingly. As I mentioned above, you have only 160 characters to spur recipients into action. So for SMS, think small and precise. Leave longer, more in-depth messages for email. For example, if you’re planning to market a special event, use email to promote detailed information about the event to your audience. Then, send a short text message reminder/alert on the day of the event.

Think like your customer and focus on these three questions while composing your message:

• What is it? (What is the product? What is your service?)
• What’s in it for me? (How does this benefit the customer?)
• What can I do next? (How can the customer take action?)

Answer those questions in 160 characters or less and you’re on your way to creating highly relevant and targeted messages, special coupons or discounts.

Regular Customers: Sending Messages and Improving Response Rates

Regular customers require different messaging than prospects. You’ve already hooked them, and they trust your company (perhaps even to the extent of anticipating your messaging). But, maybe the response rates aren’t exactly where you’d like them to be. What else can you do to inspire action?

SMS communication can be a valuable two-way street. It can foster a dialogue between you and the customer. One way to make this conversation happen is by embracing shortcodes. They can help your brand engage customers with news announcements or activities including polling, surveys or charitable giving.

Savvy marketers are finding that SMS campaigns help regular customers get –and stay –involved.

Test, Measure and Learn

Marketers need to always be learning. How can you adjust your SMS campaign if you discover the messaging isn’t driving the desired result?

First, don’t send messages to your entire list at once. Consider segmenting that initial contact to 100 customers instead of 1,000. Then, track response rates, response times and follow-throughs from this first batch. Are these customers engaging with you (the two-way street)? Why or why not? Find out what works. Be honest about what doesn’t. Then, apply these insights as you move forward.

Fine-Tune for Different Devices

Not every device is the same. How many on your list are using iPhones? Androids? Blackberries? Simple flip phones that only receive texts and calls? Be sure to test your campaign on a variety of different devices so you can witness first-hand the experience that your customers receive. Different screen sizes and display features can wreak havoc on your intended presentation. Test before you send.

image: Wikipedia

Mobile payments are well on their way to making your phone your new “organizer, memory and good friend.”

Here are a few eye-opening stats: 91 percent of Americans have a mobile phone, and 82 percent have their phone with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What’s more, a recent survey found that mobile phone users now spend 33 percent of their media time on their phones, compared to 25 percent spent on television. Think about that for a minute. According to those poll results, today’s consumers are interacting more with their phones than they are with their televisions. Clearly, a tidal shift towards always-on connectivity in the palm of consumers’ hands is underway, and it’s picking up steam.

As the mobile phone becomes increasingly ubiquitous and convenient, consumer buying habits are also becoming more and more phone-centric –thanks in large part to the growing trend of mobile payment.

What exactly is mobile payment? It’s an emerging method of digital payment, joining the familiar cash, check and credit card. So, instead of fumbling through pockets for another nickel to make exact change, consumers will be able to use their phones to complete a purchase, the perfect marriage between convenience and technology.

In fact, the demand for mobile payment options has been so high among consumers that PayPal is working to bridge the gap in retailer adoption by allowing customers to charge their accounts directly using a new triangular card reader, called PayPal Here.

What does all this mean for marketers? Let’s take a look at three key ideas that you need to keep top of mind while considering mobile payments.

1. Discounts and promotions can apply automatically.

With the touch of a button or swipe of a finger, mobile e-consumers can purchase anything, from anywhere, at anytime. The global marketplace is literally in the palm of their hands (or, at least, in their pockets). What marketing potential does this provide?

For starters, you can lure customers with discounts and promotions that apply automatically. Last fall, Google Wallet helped guide people to two dollar smoothies. Other companies are jumping onto the bandwagon, with retailers like American Eagle, Office Max, and Toys ‘R’ Us offering discounts to shoppers using the Google Wallet app.

Who knows? Purchases motivated by mobile payment discounts may become the 21^st century version of the impulse buy. My prediction is that businesses will begin to partner with credit card companies to offer mobile discounts See Chase’s email below for an example of some personalized offers already in effect:

2. Technology empowers both consumers and marketers.

I love this quote from the Girl Scouts of America, which announced earlier this month that Girl Scout troops in 23 States are now accepting mobile payments.

“We want to give members real-world skills and applications they’ll carry with them as they become adults,” said Carol Smith, a leader of Girl Scout Troop 24 in Solon, Ohio. “Using Sage Mobile Payments is a great way for our girls to use technology to sell additional boxes of cookies. This is an example of something we teach our girls; using technology is a way to empower themselves.”

Just as technology empowers consumers, it empowers marketers, too. Mobile payment offers new ways to reach and engage customers with communication that’s relevant and personalized. Plus, you’ll be able to better track responses and measure success, potentially in real-time.

3. Credit cards and cash aren’t going anywhere yet; we’re in a transition period.

As powerful as mobile payments are, plastic and cash aren’t going to disappear anytime soon. Transitory services like Square (created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey) offer a comfortable middle ground. Plug a square-shaped credit card reader into your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad and you can take credit card purchases with the same convenience of mobile payment.

Why the transition period? Comfort. Customers are accustomed to paying with cash or credit card. (Checks have become less and less a factor, especially with the rise of debit cards). A study found that even in 2011, 46 percent of people refused to do their Christmas shopping online (for a variety of reasons).

Square is like introducing a menu of complicated cuisine to customers accustomed to simple meat and potatoes; it’s probably best to meet them halfway to gourmet. While consumers may not be quite ready to make the full dive into digital currency, technologies like Square introduce the concept of mobile payments and will help buyers evolve towards more advanced digital payment methods.

There’s no doubt about it: Big changes are on the way. Mobile technology has shaped everything from how we communicate to how we spend our free time. It only makes sense that consumer buying habits will be the next to transform.

Of course, we still have a long way to go. Remember George Costanza’s wallet from Seinfeld? It was his “organizer, memory and good friend.” It will take some time for consumers to say goodbye to their “good friends,” but if 82 percent of Americans now have their phone with them at all times, they may have already met their new best friend without even realizing it. Mobile payments will become key to small businesses and with the advantages they provide, especially in the realm of location based and immediate offers, savvy marketers will be ready.

• 91 percent of Americans own a mobile phone. 82 percent never leave home without their phone.

• 65 percent of all adults age 18 and older send and receive text messages.

• 98 percent of text messages are opened, and the average “open” time upon receiving a text message is four minutes.

Still, you may ask; “But, aren’t SMS campaigns technically complicated? What do I need to know before I get started?

Let me help. If you want to get started on an SMS campaign, one of the first steps is to understand that at its most fundamental level, SMS marketing boils down to the effective use and understanding of two key elements: shortcodes and keywords.

Shortcodes

Shortcodes are short telephone numbers (usually only five to six digits) that function as SMS addresses.

Optimally, shortcodes are designed to be easy to remember and difficult to forget, and they can be promoted on everything from television shows to product labels. Shortcodes can help consumers engage with your brand via a wide spectrum of activities, ranging from survey polling and charitable giving to news alert subscriptions and mobile services (like ordering ringtones or checking account balances).

In addition, shortcodes can be one of two types: shared or dedicated. Simply put, shared shortcodes are shared between companies, while dedicated shortcodes are numbers leased exclusively by only one. Here are some of the details involved:

As I mentioned, dedicated short codes are exclusive to the brand using them –and that’s a definite plus. On the minus side, however, dedicated short codes also can be expensive to lease (to the tune of $15 – 30K a year), and they can take months to implement. Even so, for high-visibility brands, dedicated short codes can be extremely beneficial, and they may be well worth the time and expense.

For example, exclusive ownership of a shortcode allows marketers to utilize the unique branding opportunity afforded by the vanity shortcode. Examples of companies and organizations using these include: Coke (2653), Fox (20369 – 20FOX), ABC (22288 – ABCTV) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (27727 – ASPCA). However, vanity comes with a price — $1000 a month to lease. A non-vanity dedicated short code (aka a random shortcode) can run $500 a month to lease. (Remember: In all cases, your total expense will include setup costs, automation solutions, etc., as well.)

Also, when exploring options with mobile marketing, it’s critical to keep something else top-of-mind: mobile marketing is not like the open frontier of the internet. Service providers can shut you down if they don’t like what you’re doing. If you opt for the more cost-effective shared short code, this consideration takes on a whole new spin. Worst case scenario, your campaign could be shut down because of shady practices from another company using the same shortcode. What’s more, subscribers could become confused by mixed messages from competing organizations.

A well-known example of shared shortcode conflict happened during the 2008 Democratic primary. Barack Obama used a dedicated shortcode to mobilize and reach his supporters (62262, spelling Obama), while Hillary Clinton opted for a shared short code. In a moment that lays bare the contrast between shared and dedicated shortcodes, a Clinton supporter texted his zip code to Clinton’s shared short code. Moments later, he received a communication from a local community hospital, not the Clinton campaign.

Keywords

To stave off confusion among subscribers to companies with shared shortcodes, keywords are a must. A keyword is the word or phrase consumers send to your shortcode to subscribe to your mobile marketing.

For example, you may ask consumers to text the words “SignMeUp” to “(insert shortcode here)” to subscribe to a breaking news alert. The Ed Show on MSNBC uses a dedicated short shortcode and two keywords for polling. In this case, the keywords are “A” or “B.” Host Ed Schultz then reveals the results of that night’s poll at the conclusion of the 8PM hour. Another example is American Idol. The show invites viewers to text “VOTE” to the (dedicated) short code of the contestant of choice.

A few tips for choosing keywords:

1. Keep them short. Maximum of ten characters. (Easy to remember; difficult to forget.)

2. Make them organic to your brand. Coke wouldn’t say “send JUICE to 2653,” would it?

3. Make sure you use separate keywords for separate actions. In other words, don’t instruct customers to text “SUBSCRIBE” for both subscriptions and donations. When each action has its own keyword, you’ll avoid confusing your customers –and you’ll be better able to target your messaging, as well.

Of course, understanding shortcodes and keyword –two fundamental elements of mobile marketing campaigns–is only the beginning. Next comes the creative part: improving the customer experience with a compelling and innovative SMS campaign. Though SMS may seem daunting for such a short message, Aprimo can help. Our Marketing Studio On Demand can deploy and integrate SMS campaigns into your marketing mix. Get in touch with us and our team of SMS experts if you’d like to learn more!

So, exactly how ubiquitous is SMS? Researchers estimate that in 2011, some eight trillion SMS messages were sent. In fact, close to 200,000 texts are now transmitted every second. What’s more, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) reports that virtually all (97percent) of SMS messages are opened –and a whopping 83 percent of those are opened within the first hour.

But even so, many marketers completely overlook this powerful tool for customer engagement. Why? For me, the answer to that question is two-fold.

First, marketers tend to gravitate towards the newest, “sexiest” thing (aka, shiny object syndrome). SMS messaging has been around for years. Despite its documented effectiveness, it’s not necessarily the hot new thing. And, unfortunately, that means SMS marketing often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Secondly, many marketers simply aren’t familiar with all that SMS marketing has to offer. Most don’t know how to develop targeted, trigger-based SMS campaigns, and even among those who do, many aren’t leveraging marketing automation to maximize the effectiveness of their SMS initiatives. Without the right tools, it’s impossible to have insight into what’s working, what isn’t and why.

If you are wondering how SMS marketing can work for your organization, let me walk you through the most successful ways I see our customers taking advantage of the power of text messages. Savvy marketers now use SMS for:

1. Local Marketing. Once you’re equipped with accurate data regarding segmentation, sentiment analysis, etc., you can send customers targeted SMS messaging relevant to local happenings. For example, you can drive traffic to brick and mortar stores during down times, weather events . . . (A discount on shovels and rock salt would be welcome news when a blizzard is forecast, wouldn’t it?) Or, you can pair local campaigns with sporting events in a specific region. Customers increasingly expect companies to know what they “like” and what makes them unique. Once you start combining data across channels, you can develop a detailed picture of consumer behavior, so you can specifically tailor your messages with a local, more personalized flair.

2. Event Marketing. A conference, trade show, or other event is an opportunity to implement strategies akin to “hyper-local” marketing. SMS messaging allows you to quickly and conveniently update attendees with agenda alerts, schedule changes, speaker announcements, logistics information, etc.

3. Customer Engagement. The concise, brief format of SMS is ideal for connecting with your audience in unique, compelling –and fun –ways. Try engaging with customers via a quick poll, voting or a scavenger hunt.

4. Cross Channel. SMS messaging can be the perfect complement to other channels. Use email, social media networks and offline channels to build awareness about the benefits of participating in your mobile database, and encourage consumers to opt-in with incentives such as special offers, promotions and/or content. Then, use SMS to reinforce this cross-channel engagement. For example, send a text promoting a Facebook-only promotion. (“Check out our Facebook page for a secret special this week. While you’re there, like us if you haven’t already.”)

5. Transactional. Because texts are delivered directly to your customers’ phones (which have become their personal digital ecosystems), SMS marketing is ideal for communicating information that’s more private and customer-specific. You can use texts to alert your customers about shipping details, payment confirmations, appointment reminders, service outage notifications, etc.

There’s no doubt about it: SMS is now entrenched in everyday communication, and the technology is showing no signs of going away any time soon. Smart marketers recognize the potential power of a “simple” text message, and they’re using SMS campaigns to engage with customers and drive sales in new and compelling ways.

Brady Edwards from our Email Reputation Desk, and Greg Kriaos from the Den of Deliverability have put together the following recommendations.

The expectation is that delivery to the Big Pond domains will continue as you’ve seen them to date, however please keep in mind that Windows Live/Hotmail:

1. Does not maintain an internal “whitelist”. Hotmail does use Return Path’s Sender Score Certified program for “preferential treatment”; however, this does not guarantee Inbox placement. Adhering to permission, sending content at a frequency that user’s expect (or even better, can control) and paying attention to un-engaged subscribers (subscribers who have not registered an open or click) is a good formula for success.
2. Offers a Feedback Loop. All of Aprimo’s IP addresses (both shared and dedicated) are enrolled to receive complaints from Microsoft. As such, it’s possible that you may see an increase in complaints as BigPond did not offer this functionality.
3. Provides internal mailing data via their SNDS (Smart Network Data Services) platform. This data gives Aprimo’s Reputation Desk an idea of what happens to messages (and more importantly, why) once Microsoft accepts them. This data is monitored daily and any (obvious) concerns will be communicated back to our clients.
4. Offers a “Sweep” feature that allows subscribers/end users to maintain control of their mailbox. Some of these include moving, deleting, flagging, forwarding, etc. mail to various designated folders/directories. As this migration will likely be fairly progressive, any declines in clicks and opens cannot be attributed to this; however, once the migration is complete and new trends have been established, you should keep an eye on these metrics. For more information on the “sweep feature” you can read more here.

As the shift happens, you may see a larger number of inactive users on your database and your clicks and opens may decrease. To help combat this:

1. Monitor campaign metrics at the domain level (directions on how to create a domain level report)
2. Consider sending an “Add to Address Book” campaign. While incorporating this strategy is recommended in every message you send, mailing a dedicated campaign using this call to action could yield good results. Microsoft uses the Address Book as a “local whitelist” where messages from those senders will be placed in the Inbox with images on and links active. It might also serve as a good opportunity to remind subscribers they can change their preferences (including email address) at any time.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact our Reputation Desk – eds@aprimo.com.

An IP address is similar to a physical address. As a brand, your “technical email identity” is defined by the IP address you are sending email from in addition to the domain you are sending email from. When an Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as Yahoo!, Gmail, or Hotmail, sees email being sent from your IP address and from domain, they use this to identify where the email is coming from and as a reputation component to determine if you are a reputable sender.

Most larger ESPs will give you the option of a shared or dedicated IP address with a cost differential associated with each. A shared IP address means other customers are sending from the same IP address. If you’re on a dedicated IP address, you are the only customer sending from that IP address. Since ISPs like to see consistent traffic coming from your domain / IP address combination, it is important to use the below factors to determine which option makes the most sense for you.

Reasons to choose a shared IP:

• Since spammers tend to send email in spurts and then abandon the IP address they’re sending from, to ensure you are a reputable sender, ISP’s like to see a consistent volume of email being sent, and a consistent sending pattern. Therefore, if you are sending low volumes, have large spikes and valleys in your volume, or inconsistent sending patterns (once or twice a month), you might always be stuck with a neutral reputation or no reputation at all. This can cause issues with getting your email into the inbox.
• The advantage of having a shared IP address is that you will share the volume and consistent sending patterns with other customers on the same IP address. This allows you to leverage the reputation that has been previously developed on these IP addresses.
• If your volume is less than 50MM a year, and the volume of your email addresses are less than 500K a week, a shared IP address is often recommended.
• However since you will be sharing your reputation with other customers, if you do choose a shared IP address, make sure that your ESP actively monitors all senders in the shared IP pool to ensure compliance with email sending best practices.
• You will not need to go through the IP address “warm up period” required for new dedicated IP addresses.

Reasons to choose a dedicated IP address:

• If your volume is a minimum of 50MM / year and you have a consistent sending volume with at least 500K/week then it makes sense for you to be on your own IP address.
• You will be responsible for and be able to isolate your own reputation.
• If you do have a dedicated IP address, the ISPs require you to go through an initial “warm up” period. The goal of IP warming is to establish a reputation as a legitimate email sender in the eyes of ISPs. When an ISP observes email suddenly coming from a new IP address, they will begin evaluating the traffic coming from that IP address. ISPs get suspicious if an IP address they’ve never seen email sent from in the past starts sending large volumes of messages or have sporadic volumes and sending patterns.

Some tips to keep in mind about IP address warm up include:

• Depending on your volumes and ISP breakout, since you have to slowly ramp up your volume and sending cadence, it will take approximately 8-weeks to fully warm up your IP address.
• In order to properly establish a Sender Reputation, you must email consistently – every week if possible – from every IP address.
• Start out strong. Ideally, you should send to the active data first (recent clickers / openers), so you minimize bounces, spam complaints, unsubscribes and optimize engagement.
• If ISPs see a high # of bounces coming from your IP address you will run into issues immediately. We recommend that our customers use a product such as [insert Fresh Address product] to clean up their lists and ensure you don’t have issues with bad email addresses or spam traps before you start sending from a new IP address.

Dedicated and Shared IP addresses are both good options, but you need to consider the above points when deciding which approach to move forward with. Your ESP should partner with you to help provide the best recommendation. You can also start sending from a shared IP address and move to a dedicated IP address if your growth and sending patterns warrant it.

No matter the option you choose, remember that you need to always have healthy sending, list acquisition, and opt-in practices.

Image: Pong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

According to Mobile Commerce News, the fast food giant is using an iPhone app from Pandora to provide smartphone users with ads and information about McCafe hot beverages. Since the app can also identify the location of the smartphone, it offers directions to the nearest McDonald’s restaurant, as well. (How convenient!)

McDonald’s is out in front of the pack with this geotargeted twist, but of course, it’s not the only one jumping into the mobile ad marketplace.

In fact, a new report from the analyst firm Berg Insight predicts a “major boom” in mobile advertising over the next five years. Berg Insight’s analysis concluded that by 2016, the total global mobile marketing and advertising market will grow to 15.2 percent of the total online advertising market –or 3.8 percent of the total global ad spend for all media.

“The popularity of smartphones and the increasing availability of mobile media that can include mobile advertising are the main game changers,” said Rickard Andersson, Telecom Analyst, Berg Insight. “Brands are now progressively embracing the mobile channel, including the entire range of apps from games and entertainment to utility applications. Also mobile web advertising and opt-in SMS campaigns are popular.”

There’s no question that marketing is hot right now. But, it’s key to understand that a mobile marketing campaign isn’t simply “shrinking” your current digital content to fit on a mobile screen. As McDonald’s geotargeted mobile ad campaign illustrates, mobile marketing requires next-generation strategies, tactics and analytics . . . and perhaps most of important of all, you need to know specifically how your customers want to use mobile.

Consider using a pixel-based tracking service to help you monitor activity, audience segmentation, types of devices and the response activity where devices are a differentiator. A partner of Aprimo’s, Return Path, offers a Campaign Insight product that allows you to incorporate device based email client tracking, and provides you with subscriber level data you can use to subsequently target your audience members based on the device they are reading your email on. You could also provide a mobile option in your preference center to help you gauge how popular mobile is for your specific audience.

Then, once you have defined your audience and its preferences, design your approach around how your organization can best connect its digital messages to the customer’s physical world. If you create a mobile campaign that truly engages and delivers value, you’ll start winning on two fronts. You’ll grow revenue and improve the customer experience, at the same time.

One more thing: Your customers aren’t the only ones who can benefit from the convenience and connectivity of mobile. Mobile interfaces and apps can be incredibly transformative and liberating for marketers, too, freeing them from their desks and creating the ultimate office on-the-go. Today, a CMO or marketing programs manager can access creative content, look up prospect profiles, check marketing budgets and review real-time campaign performance metrics virtually anywhere, at anytime. That means mobile also can be the game changer that leads to competitive advantage in today’s increasingly aggressive business environment, as well.

Image: Wikipedia

Every one of your prospects asks that question when they take a minute to consider your company, your product and your message. When consumers purchase your brand, click through pages at your website or reply to Tweets from your company, they are investing in your knowledge and in the environment you create. How can you reward them for their time while simultaneously nurturing brand loyalty among your already faithful customer base?

As I see it, the most immediate and rewarding method (for you and for your prospects and customers) is to freely share your knowledge. In other words:

Teach, don’t preach!

Here are three ways you can do just that. Learn to teach consumers something new, without lecturing about all the advantages your product or brand has to offer.

The instructional video

Take a look at Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo produces clear, concise videos, hosted by knowledgeable, likeable spokespersons. The company says up front what each video is about, and in less than three minutes, viewers know much more about some aspect of credit than they did when they first clicked “play.” One important metric to bear in mind: You have approximately eight seconds to grab your potential customers with video content before they move on to something else. Make sure your video is simple, entertaining and engaging –right from the start.

Instructional videos generally target prospects, though they certainly could be valuable to customers, as well. Everyone can benefit from useful tips, how-tos or an enjoyable presentation filled with helpful information about a specific, popular topic.

Content that goes behind-the-scenes

What makes those behind-the-scenes features on DVDs so fascinating? They show real people making real movie magic. So, take a lesson from Hollywood: Never believe your organization is boring or without something beyond the brand to offer.

If you make a great product, tell your audience how you go about doing so. (For ideas to get you started, check out Evernote’s podcasts.) Maybe there’s somebody seeking inspiration on how to run a business, and they want to look to you for that kind of know-how. Don’t be afraid to reveal how you make something great (although you’ll want to protect any company secrets, of course). This behind-the-scenes look can provide education and insight to those who value your organization, while it also humanizes your company. There’s real value to prospects and customers alike in knowing that a product is made by people they can relate to.

While a behind-the-scenes approach goes in-depth to provide additional content for your customer base, it could also attract new customers, as well. You never know who is going to benefit from the expertise that only your company can provide.

A topic unrelated to your product

Have you ever seen the extra features included on any of filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s DVDs ((Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico,e.g.)? Rodriguez always includes a “Ten Minute Cooking School,” teaching viewers how to make his favorite recipes or a recipe from one of his films. Usually, this video has nothing to do with the mechanics of the movie on the disc, but is a fun little extra for the Rodriguez brand-faithful. This approach typically requires a charismatic and engaging spokesperson with something witty and fun to offer.

Engaging customers with a topic that’s unrelated to your product represents the deepest level of customer interaction you can provide, though it also may prove useful in attracting a completely different –and perhaps completely unexpected –demographic, too. The other value created by this approach is that it shows you don’t take yourself or your company too seriously. Always take your work seriously, but don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone once in a while.

The one thing I haven’t mentioned yet is selling. If you’re busy “teaching, not preaching,” when exactly do you sell your product? You don’t. You sell by not selling, and in this media landscape, that’s one of the most valuable and endearing qualities of all.

The next time your customers ask “What’s in it for me?” respond with shared knowledge, inspiration and fun. If you do, the selling will take care of itself.

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net