Weekly Roundup – 2.1.13

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Ryan

Happy Friday everyone! We’re back again with another roundup of the week’s best digital marketing tips, tricks, and trends. This week we’re emphasizing big data, because we believe it’s a trend that’s changing the very face of marketing. Keep reading to find out why.

Big data success includes personal, real-time analytics: Merkle exec – Big data and mobile marketing are two significant trends that have taken marketing by storm. As society continues to move towards a mobile-centric view of technology, marketers have had to adapt their strategies to accommodate this evolution. Big data plays into this paradigm, because it gives marketers a chance to analyze web behavior, purchases, and other data to determine the most effective way to engage new and current customers. Keep reading to learn more about the tools and strategy marketers need in place to truly take advantage of both mobile marketing and big data.

Vague Goals Seed Big Data Failures – We all know big data is this new shiny toy, but did you also know that 55% of big data projects don’t get completed. Furthermore, “inaccurate scope” is listed as the primary reason these projects fail. Big data is like any problem. It needs to be tackled in increments. To succeed, start with a problem you’re already trying to solve with data, and see if adding more data to the mix clarifies the solution. Measure the results, and iterate from there. For more on the pitfalls of improperly planning your big data initiative, click here.

Major Differences Between Marketers and Consumers #Infographic – As marketers, we sometimes get caught up in the cleverness of our own creations. A multichannel campaign delivering relative content at multiple touchpoints with the intention of steering the prospect along the buying cycle is enough to make our mouths salivate. But it’s important to note that marketers and consumers view and interact with brands in drastically different ways. Check out this infographic for a quick peek at many of the differences.

10 Reasons Why Email Marketing Still Works – Email may be a legacy channel, but we still firmly believe that it’s an effective tool for generating new leads and strengthening relationships with current customers. Check out this quick but comprehensive roundup of 10 reasons why email is still healthy and alive in 2013.

That’s it for this week everyone. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments.

Marketing News and Knowledge Roundup – 1.25.13

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Ryan

We’re back at it again folks! Check out this week’s roundup of the best digital marketing tips, tricks, and industry trends.

Marketers Upping the Ante on Big Data – If 2012 was the year that big data became the darling of the marketing world, 2013 is sure to be the year that marketers start making serious headway into the myriad ways big data can help them deliver better marketing. That means marketers need to focus on finding the right tools and staff that can handle turning those large datasets into meaningful insights. Keep reading to learn more about big data trends in 2013.

6 Ways Not to Succeed at Email Marketing – Email marketing isn’t all easy streets. The ROI might be there, but that doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park. Email marketing is complex; neglecting one component of your strategy can lead to poor performance. Check out this post for six things you never want to do with your email marketing program.

Study: Marketers Realize Their Data is Suspect – Data driven marketing is now the status quo. But despite the desire to use data effectively, Experian’s latest study shows that data quality isn’t where it needs to be. Marketers aren’t taking advantage of automated tools to manage their data or to properly hygiene their data. This trend leads to human error as the root cause of data quality issues. Keep reading this article for more findings from Experian.

The 7 Pillars of Lead Nurturing Strategy Success – Digital marketers know that lead nurturing is imperative. Most of the visitors that stop by your website aren’t ready to buy right away. So, what do you need to do? You nurture them. And where do you start? Just keep reading this article for a seven-step approach that simplifies lead nurturing.

Internet Explorer Still Top Choice for Web-Based Email [Infographic] – Email marketers everywhere need to know the tools their audience uses to access email. Whether it’s web-based mail accessed through a browser, or standard email through a desktop client, this information can help you better decide the design and content of the messages sent to your audience. We’ve talked about desktop client trends in the past, but check out this infographic about browser usage for email access.

That’s it for this week folks. As always, if you enjoyed reading, or have an article suggestion, just let us know in the comments. Enjoy your weekends everyone!

Marketing News and Knowledge Roundup – 1.4.13

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Ryan

Happy New Year readers! We’re back with the first 2013 edition of our weekly roundup. Just sit back, get to reading, and enjoy.

What’s the Most Powerful Use of Big Data for Lead Generation Marketing in 2013? – The New Year is here and it’s time to stop stalling on big data and start using big data. But how? I know, the panoply of ways that big data is poised to reinvent digital marketing make deciding where to start a challenge. Just check out this article for insight into working big data into your lead generation strategy quickly and effectively.

15 Reasons Your Email Marketing Doesn’t Work – Last year we established that social media didn’t signify the death of email. In fact, email is likely to remain a digital marketing workhorse for years to come. It’s just that versatile and effective. So, if you’re having trouble seeing the performance you want from your email channel, that doesn’t mean you should give up. It just means you need to refine your approach. Keep reading this article for solutions to some of the nagging challenges that lead to lagging email performance.

The Holidays are Over… NOW WHAT? Post-Holiday Email Marketing Strategies – This past holiday season, email marketers sent more messages than ever before. Certainly a sign that email is bringing in the revenue that brands need to survive. But that doesn’t mean you should stop emailing just because the holidays are over. Instead, bridge your marketing from the holiday season into the post-holiday season. Click here to learn more about developing a post-holiday email strategy.

Leveraging Dynamic Content in Email Marketing – We’ve said it before, the strength of email rests in its ability to cost-effectively send personalized, relevant content on an individual level. Dynamic content is one way to make this happen. Dynamic content involves leveraging buyer profiles and other data you’ve collected on your customers to send highly customized content to those customers. Keep reading to learn more about working this technique into your email marketing program.

Thank you for reading. We hope you enjoyed this week’s roundup. As always, if you have anything to add, or would like to suggest an article for inclusion, just leave us a note in the comments. Thanks again!

Marketing News and Knowledge Roundup – 12.21.12

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Ryan

As 2012 comes to a close, and the Marketfish office shuts down for the holidays, we wanted to offer one last weekly roundup for you to enjoy. You know what to do. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy. Thanks for reading!

Email Marketing Trends to Watch in 2013

2012 was an interesting year for email. Somewhere along the way, the consensus shifted from claiming its death, to celebrating its continued resilience. With that, 2013 is shaping up to highlight email as the workhorse of digital marketing. But that doesn’t mean email is going to stay static. Just keep reading for a host of predictions that are sure to reflect how we experience email in 2013.

How to Set Achievable Lead Generation Goals

As digital channels increasingly displace their traditional brethren, lead generation plays an increasingly important role in B2B marketing. Gone are the days when bold and flashy branding campaigns could pass muster with C Suite executives. If you find your organization moving towards highly targeted and easily measured marketing tactics, check out this article for insight.

FTC Orders “Data Brokers” to Disclose Operations Information

Digital privacy in 2012 was colored by a series of potential legislations that cast the public eye on marketers. This primarily took form in the Do Not Track movement, but Congress also began a preliminary investigation of data brokers and their collection policies. Keep reading this article for an overview of the latest development in this continuing saga.

Five Trade Show Mistakes to Avoid

Marketfish attended three trade shows in 2012, with much success I might add. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. Trade shows are a significant investment, so it pays to do your homework and approach these shows with an adequate level of planning and preparation. If you’re planning to attend a trade show in 2013, check out this article for advice on hitting the show floor the right way.

Build a Great Body (for Effective Email Marketing)

We all know that email isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s likely to become even more prevalent and valued by marketers. But every now and then I receive an email that lets me know that email marketers haven’t revised their email strategy in years. Email is a finicky beast, and it’s easy to annoy your customers and prospects with ill-conceived messaging. Keep reading this article for solid tips for developing content for your marketing emails.

That’s it for 2012 folks! We at Marketfish hope you have a happy holiday season! Thanks for reading!

Marketing News and Knowledge Roundup – 12.14.12

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Ryan

Google Maps Returns to iPhone, gives Apple Users Turn-By-Turn Navigation

This one’s just for fun, but if you’re like most of the Marketfish staff, you’re an iPhone user. And maybe their decision to push their own mapping application in lieu of Google Maps left you a little stranded? Well, Google Maps is back with a redesigned and rebuilt iOS application. It’s available for download now in the iTunes store. Enjoy.

The Ultimate List of 2012 Email Marketing Stats

I hope you didn’t fall victim to all the industry articles proclaiming the death of email marketing. By now, we all know that email isn’t going anywhere. In fact, email’s evolving in tandem with other digital marketing channels to become an even more viable and effective lead generation tool. It’s likely to remain digital marketing’s workhorse for at least the next few years. That’s why HubSpot put together this list of email stats for 2012. So, keep reading, and brush up your email marketing know-how.

How to Deal With Missing Data: Databases, Zeroes, and Imputation

Big data is perhaps 2012’s most significant marketing trend, and that’s likely to continue through 2013. The idea that brands can better analyze the large datasets they’ve gathered over the years is exciting news for many marketers. Modeling and data mining will help marketers better deliver highly targeted marketing communications to current and potential customers. But what happens when the data you collect has holes? How can you build a complete picture of your customers when you’re missing data? Keep reading to find out.

How to Optimize Your B2B Email Campaigns

Email is one of the most effective B2B marketing channels. You know that; I know that. But as marketers, we’re always after better performance from our marketing activities. So, how can you truly optimize your email marketing campaigns for a B2B audience? Keep reading for some solid insights that will help you do just that.

Email Inspiration: Six Great Responsive Email Designs

While not entirely new, responsive design is definitely getting the attention it finally deserves. This is, in part, due to the rapidly increasing adoption of mobile technologies. People are simply opening email more frequently on mobile devices than on traditional desktop email clients. Responsive design allows marketers to create one email design that renders as intended across a variety of screen sizes. Keep reading if you want to get a better understanding of responsive design and the ways that it can help you deliver a better experience to your email subscriber base.

I hope you enjoyed these articles. As always, if you have any articles or questions, please leave them in the comments. Thanks for reading!