For those of you who follow NFL on ESPN, they started doing segments where the commentators show a clip from the past week where a player often is caught doing a really dumb thing, followed by the expression, “c’mon man!” In my thirty years of direct marketing, I have witnessed some legendary mistakes, goof ups, Read More A View from the Marketing Trenches – “C’mon Man!”
Our Blog
What it takes to REALLY move the needle
As direct marketers, we all spend much time “fine tuning”, working under the premise that success will come from the cumulative effect of applying “best practices” in everything we do. This is especially true for us “data geeks” who are continually tweaking this or that model or contact strategy. This search is even more intense Read More What it takes to REALLY move the needle
Online Cart Abandonment: 3 Disturbing Industry Statistics and 7 Tips for Successful Cart Reminder Programs
I had the pleasure of leading not one but two webinars last month on digital marketing for retailers. I always like to round out my case studies and practical advice with industry statistics. And what I learned about online cart abandonment surprised and disturbed me: 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned (Bronto/Magento Study) Shopping Read More Online Cart Abandonment: 3 Disturbing Industry Statistics and 7 Tips for Successful Cart Reminder Programs
3 Statistics-Based Reasons to Make Your Website Responsive
1. Your desktop visitors are disappearing. How many of you have seen a chart where every year a few more of your desktop visitors get replaced by more visits on a mobile device? Ok…let’s be accurate…your desktop visitors are getting replaced by smartphones. This phenomenon is occurring across our client base and is very consistent Read More 3 Statistics-Based Reasons to Make Your Website Responsive
Why your buyer file may not be as valuable as it used to be: A lesson in lifetime value
The internet is a wonderful marketing tool for most companies, but the impact it has on your house file is often not accounted for. Let’s take a journey back in time; say 5 years ago, when there was an explosion of online marketing services that helped deliver new customers, online, at an unbelievable return on Read More Why your buyer file may not be as valuable as it used to be: A lesson in lifetime value
Do You Really Want to Go Younger?!
This week a client lamented that his customers are growing older, and he intends to target younger prospects with his future catalog mailings. This “Ponce de Leon syndrome” is frequently expressed to me, and in fact, has led many direct marketers to disastrous results as they purposely pursue younger customers with their existing offers, or Read More Do You Really Want to Go Younger?!
3 Tips for Improving the ROI on Your Email Marketing Efforts
What’s the return-on-investment (ROI) for each of your organization’s marketing channels? According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing delivers a higher ROI than any other online or offline channel. And not by a little – by a lot! See the chart below – email marketing is delivering more than four times the ROI of Read More 3 Tips for Improving the ROI on Your Email Marketing Efforts
3 Reasons Why SEO Still Matters After Google’s SERP Changes
Earlier this year Google started rolling out updated SERP (Search Engine Results Pages) with a new layout. The new layout typically displays four paid ads above the organic listings, with PLA (product listing ads) now prominently featured in the upper right corner. After the paid ads you will often see local results (like if you Read More 3 Reasons Why SEO Still Matters After Google’s SERP Changes
KNOW PAIN. KNOW GAIN. 10 Ways Brand Leaders Win by Leveraging Customer Pain Points – Part 2
Last week, we discussed the evergreen topic of customer pain points (click here to read part one). Today we continue that discussion with the second part of my 10-point plan to leverage these pain points in creating meaningful, relevant and engaging brand experiences. 6. Think Like a Publisher. Harry Potter may have started out as Read More KNOW PAIN. KNOW GAIN. 10 Ways Brand Leaders Win by Leveraging Customer Pain Points – Part 2
KNOW PAIN. KNOW GAIN. 10 Ways Brand Leaders Win by Leveraging Customer Pain Points – Part 1
“Customer pain is the ultimate renewable resource,” Jon Burgstone writes in Breakthrough Entrepreneurship. In this fast-paced world of change and flux, one thing remains for certain: the subject of customer pain points is an evergreen topic for all brand leaders, merchants and creative strategists. Those of us who make it our work to diagnosis these pain points Read More KNOW PAIN. KNOW GAIN. 10 Ways Brand Leaders Win by Leveraging Customer Pain Points – Part 1