Strategic Guru, Inc. » interactive

Better Email Marketing Through Reputation Management

Chelsea Junget — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:50:37 +0000

To improve the results of your email marketing, it’s important to do everything you can to ensure your company’s reputation is intact. A study by ReturnPath, an email deliverability company, found that 83% of delivery failures are caused by problems with sender reputation.

Here are a few tips to help improve your reputation as a good email citizen:

Set subscriber expectations for the content of the emails and the frequency at which they may expect to be contacted.
Send a welcome message as soon as possible. Express your thanks for subscribing and again reiterate what they can expect to receive and how frequently.
Authenticate your messages through SPF, Sender ID and DK/DKIM.
Use consistent from addresses. Once a recipient has white listed your address, you don’t want to compromise deliverability by changing it.
Use relevant subject lines. You will not build trust by deceiving recipients with bait and switch subject lines.
Use a legitimate physical address in your email to remain CAN-SPAM compliant.
Swiftly honor any unsubscribe requests. You must honor these requests within 10 days; a good email service provider will automate this for you.

Remember, message relevancy builds customer and prospect trust, which in turn delivers greater ROI. You can achieve near-perfect deliverability, but if your message is not relevant to the recipient, engagement will likely be low and not result in conversion.

What does your company do to ensure your reputation is not impacted?

*Image courtesy Flickr user DioMakr

Google’s New Backgrounds a Bust?

Chelsea Junget — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:56:08 +0000

For years Google has been known for their stark white website, with an ever-changing look to their bright and colorful logo. Many users look forward to seeing how Google will decorate their logo next. So imagine users surprise when the white page with multi-colored logo they’re accustomed to seeing was replaced by a large photograph with a plain white logo on top!

Within hours, “remove Google background” became one of the most searched phrases of the day. Google discovered that so many people hated the new background images, they ended their experiment quickly.

The choose-your-own background feature was actually launched over a week ago. It was announced only on the official Google blog, and not on the main site. What was meant as the promotion of a new feature delivered an unexpected backlash from Google users.

Introducing new new features can be tricky business, delighting some customers and aggravating others. The key is to communicate the change well in advance and in the broadest way possible to ensure all customers get the message. Focusing communications on the value and benefits of the change are likely to improve the reception of the message as well.

Is personalizing your Google background important to you?

Foursquare for B2B

Chelsea Junget — Fri, 28 May 2010 18:03:19 +0000

Foursquare, one of the newest new social networks on the block, uses one of marketing’s hottest trends: geo-marketing. Smartphone users install the free software (or use the Foursquare website) to “check-in” at places they frequent to collect badges, earn points and receive special offers. Some of the appeal to users is the ablity to become “Mayor” of an establishment by checking in via Foursquare the most times. Businesses who register with Foursquare can track when users check-in, offer specials to Foursquare users, and reward the Mayor.

Like Twitter, most B2B marketers are thinking, “Great tool but how do I use it?” Like other social media tools, consumer adoption of Foursquare is rapidly growing. B2B marketers shouldn’t ignore the trend.

Location-based marketing can be important even in a business-to-business setting:

Tradeshows

Many businesses have already discovered how useful Twitter hash tags are at tradeshows. Foursquare could be even more powerful. As a tradeshow attendee, you have a limited amount of time to visit exhibitors at their booths. Foursquare can show you what other users recommend—in real time—so you can get to all the must-see exhibits.

For companies exhibiting at tradeshows, Foursquare check-ins tell you who’s actually at the event. You can drive more traffic to your booth by sending messages to Foursquare users nearby. And by posting a compelling offer for the Mayor on Foursquare, visitors will check in more often.

Search Engine Optimization

Making sure your keywords are targeted to your location can really help your business’ rank in search engine results. By now, every business should have a customized listing on Google Maps—which pulls additional data and reviews from CityData and Judy’s Book. Newcomer Bing’s map view pulls data from Foursquare. You can even include what your Foursquare customers are saying about you on your own website.

White Labeling

Because Foursquare has an open API, outside developers can create their own applications. A company could use Foursquare for their sales force to track sales calls and automate rewards for sales leaders. Workers out in the field could easily view data left by other employees and leave their own feedback right from their phones.

We’d love to hear how you’re using Foursquare!

New Marketing Strategies: Augmented Reality

Chelsea Junget — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:15:06 +0000

Get consumers actively involved with your marketing! Ready to look beyond tired social media strategy? New technology can use consumers’ webcams to create an interactive 3D image from a printed marker. See how USPS embraced Augmented Reality technology:

Augmented reality (AR) combines the real world with a computer-generated virtual 3D experience. Unlike virtual reality, AR does not replace reality completely; it supplements consumers’ existing reality. Augmented reality is one of the Top 10 strategic IT technologies of our time, according to Gartner, Inc.

AR can show how green energy works or help consumers “try on” clothing through virtual mirrors. Some companies are even selling the AR experience itself. Topps 3D Live line of baseball and football cards look like regular trading cards at first. But when you point the card at your webcam, the player leaps off the card and into your hand. You can use your 3D player to play online versions of baseball or football.

Desktop-based webcam AR seems to have more practical applications than mobile AR. Although, there are applications that overlay subway maps with your current location to help you get around large metro areas.

What other ways could AR be used in marketing strategies?

Why the Smartest Strategic Communication Agency Isn’t an Agency

Chelsea Junget — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:09:27 +0000

I read something that made me laugh today – a blogger mentioning that their pre-ordered iPad had arrived and they needed to decide how to use it. That’s right, an American consumer plunked down $500 for a device that they hadn’t a true use for! Why? Apple’s smart. They created demand for a product we didn’t know we needed. Not just once, but over and over again.

An argument could be made that Apple is possibly the savviest strategic communication agency out there. Despite cries that the iPad is just a bigger version of the iPod touch, that the lack of a camera was a deal-breaker, or its inability to run several applications at once, 300,000 units were sold on the first day of availability. Whether the iPad is truly a step towards the future of computing remains to be seen, Apple’s power to change the technology game is apparent:

They know how to build buzz. Prior to the launch of almost every product they have released in the last 10+ years, Apple has had the tech and consumer world talking. When the iMac, iPod and iPhone launched, the anticipation was high.
They don’t try to please everyone. Sure, the 1st generation of the iPad is missing a few features, but it still was snapped up quickly by consumers. No doubt a sales retention strategy, too. Draw consumers back to upgrade when the 2nd generation is released.
They are a little snarky. Apple’s TV ads fuel the perception that PCs are old fashioned, slow and unhip. The tongue-in-cheek poke at the competition glues the tribe together.

The takeaway is that Apple knows its core user base, innovates and has a lot of fun building a quirky but successful brand.

How To Optimize your Facebook Presence

Chelsea Junget — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Many brands have created Facebook fan pages to jump on the bandwagon, but don’t know how to optimize their page to leverage the power of social networking. Facebook fan pages offer the user many of the same options as a personal profile such as posting status updates, info and photo tabs, and application boxes. However, to be effective the user should understand the importance of placement and interaction.

Here are a few ways to optimize your fan page:

Create a vanity URL – We’ve spoken about this in a previous blog post and can’t stress it enough. Having a vanity URL makes it easier for users to find you on Facebook and increases your shareability.
Optimizing your share preview – A new feature to personal profiles as well as fan pages is the opportunity to share links. This feature allows users to select thumbnail images to be displayed when shared and allows the placement of the Facebook logo or link to your own site to drive traffic to your fan page.
Perfect Profile Picture – Having the perfect profile picture is key in attracting new fans – it’s the first thing they see when surfing for your brand. When cropping the picture make sure it’s 200px wide with a 12px border around important information since Facebook automatically crops images.

Facebook fan pages are growing in popularity, so be sure to follow these tips to ensure your brand doesn’t get lost in the shuffle and help your fans find you. An added bonus – It’s free and easy!

And become a fan of Strategic Guru while you are at it!

The Move to Online Advertising is Happening – but there’s a catch.

admin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:36:07 +0000

Do you find online ads annoying or distracting? If so, you’re not alone! In a recent poll taken by LinkedIn Research and Harris, consumers are less than thrilled about the idea of online advertising. As a consumer, I dislike online ads that are flashy, distracting and pop-up over the content I am reading. But an increasing number of marketers are moving advertising spending away from traditional mediums to online.
The poll reported that 80% of consumer respondents find online ads that expand to cover their reading irritating. 79% said they didn’t like ads that were difficult to close and 76% don’t like pop-up ads. (Who are the 24% who do?) 66% don’t dislike ads that open when they mouse over them. 60% mentioned animated ads—either silent or those with sound—as distracting.
If consumers are so dissatisfied and irritated by these ads, why do marketers continue to use this approach?
Online ads are an important tool in a marketing mix and shouldn’t be used alone; they should be used in conjunction with other forms of advertising such as media, television and radio. They also should be targeted properly, so the consumer doesn’t get frustrated with the content and see it as a distraction.
Our suggestion is if you plan to use online ads as a form of marketing, be sure to do research on what your target demographic likes before initiating an online ad campaign that receives negative feedback.

Coke's Touch-Screen Machine

Chelsea Junget — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:28:17 +0000

Coca-Cola is rolling out new, interactive vending machines across the globe featuring large touch-screens and Bluetooth capability.

The new machines look quite fun and engage the user with the brand beyond the 15 second transaction time of a typical vending machine. They certainly aren’t practical (think vandalism) and they are likely much more costly than a standard vending machine so wide-scale deployment is unlikely. They are being tested in Simon malls across the Southeast, so keep your eyes peeled – or have you already seen one, if so, let us know!

Interactive Marketing Will Grow – Is It Right For You?

Chelsea Junget — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:42:45 +0000

Interactive marketing (email, social media, online and search) is contributing to a major shift in the marketing landscape. With social media sites and mobile marketing emerging as the next big thing, some marketers are moving away from traditional tactics (print, television, display advertising), but is this wise? A recent report from Forrester predicts that interactive marketing will “cannibalize” other channels. In fact, 60% of those surveyed will increase their interactive marketing budgets by shifting funds from traditional media.

Here’s our take:

Yes, interactive marketing and social media are becoming increasingly popular, but it’s risky to place all advertising dollars in one basket or move away traditional channels altogether. It’s clear that social media’s not just for kids: the largest group of Facebook users are aged 35-54. There are still people out there that don’t engage with social media and prefer old-school communication channels-direct mail, newspapers, magazines and television. Furthermore, a recent report from Razorfish suggests that people don’t trust their online friends as much as their offline friends.

For most companies, a combination of traditional and interactive marketing still makes sense. An integrated strategy will give you a better opportunity to reach your target market through various channels. A blend of online and offline messages support each other -–print ads can drive people to a Facebook fan page and a Twitter stream can direct prospects to get a coupon to test out your service. For example, Starbucks is currently giving away coupons for free pints of their ice cream via Facebook. Are they still running print ads for their ice cream? It’s likely. An online channel (Facebook) supports an offline channel (in-store advertising).

One last thing to drive the point home, marketing and technology are ever changing, so be sure to know who your target market is and what marketing channels they prefer before making any drastic changes in your marketing plan.