A Direct Marketing Agency - Helping Brands Acquire and Retain Customers

It's not surprising that online shoppers these days want more. More features, more options and more from you.

To keep up with the demands of the fast-moving consumer, businesses must stay ahead of the curve by adding features and options to their multichannel plan in order to increase conversions and provide the optimal customer service to make the customer come back.

In a recent study by Opinion, over one-half of Internet users surveyed desired the option of having merchandise delivered to their home or available for in-store pick-up after purchasing online. Additionally, over 80% of those purchasers would like to return the merchandise to the store even if they purchased it online or over the phone.

Other desires by Internet users include:

Taking this a step further, a more recent survey was conducted to monitor features that would help increase performance of online sales. These features include:

This new demand for convenience will help set the pace for retailers looking to increase their sales in the online retail market.

A recent post to ADRANTS DAILY shows how Zippo is using humor to get their banner ads noticed. Take a look for a good laugh!

It's not often that online banners excite. Gone are the days when a banner would evoke anything other than "Will that friggin' thing stop flashing?!" But Pittsburgh agency Brunner has created an ingeniously inventive banner campaign for Zippo which makes humorous use of the product's primary function. In three versions, a skyscraper banner is cut in two. The top half is a fake ad. The bottom is the actual ad for Zippo. The top reacts to the bottom and then the two come together to deliver more information about the lighter.

View the three versions by clicking on the image below:

There are certain nuts that are hard to crack even with a fifty-pound sledge. Social network marketing is just such a nut. The technique takes more finesse and a deeper understanding of just to whom you are talking.

Social network marketing is the utilization of social networking sites such as Facebook, Ning, and MySpace to reach customers. Companies see the amazing popularity of these sites and have been struggling to come up with effective marketing campaigns to cash in. However, this aspect of Internet marketing is still very new. On the map of Internet marketing there is a caption next to social marketing – "here there be dragons".

The initial idea most marketers have is to build and maintain their own presences on these sites. This is what companies such as Pepsi, Volkswagen, Wendy's, and even the US Air force have done. The results are dismal. Anthropomorphic food items, unbelievably stereotypical (not to mention insulting) characters, and sites that offer nothing more than links to product sites.

The central problem with this approach is that the users of these sites, the elusive 16-28 social networking user demographic, recognize these sites to be exactly what they are – shameless propaganda. If the user feels like they are being marketed to, they feel alienated. This is harmful for all concerned.

The key to effective social network marketing is to use the medium more like a traditional channel. Remember who you are, and respect the user enough to meet them on an acceptable level. That is, speak to the users in a way they understand without the pretense of being a user. As long as the efforts aren't duplicitous, they will be well received.

A good example of this is the marketing Secret has been doing with recording artist Rihanna. Visiting MySpace.com/secret (an address marketed through other channels), takes users to a page that is branded for Secret Body Spray. The content, however, is all about Rihanna. Visitors can download free wallpapers and MP3's, watch an exclusive video performance, and enter a contest to meet the artist. There is no pre-roll on the MP3's, no Secret logo in the corner of the wallpaper. It is just good content. While true fans aren't likely to confuse this with Rihanna's actual MySpace page, the site offers something for every fan.

The trick to good social network marketing it to respect the user, give them a reason to stay for a bit. Even better, give them a reason to pass it on to their friends. That's hard to do with a fifty-pound sledge.

According to 2007 research conducted by Nielsen//NetRatings, content has overtaken communication (emailing) as the Web's primary role.

Some of the main reasons are:

• Traditional offline activities – reading or watching the news, looking for entertainment and events, and checking the weather – have transitioned to the web
• Explosion in watching video online, both for learning and for entertainment
• Faster Internet connectivity at home (better user experience)
• Search knowledge and use (knowing how to use search engines to find relevant information)
• Mobile and text messaging (taking the place of traditional email)

How can marketers capitalize on this trend?

• Use online ad placement and/or sponsorships on content-heavy media sites for awareness and brand building.
• Develop an array of online videos to engage the customer – product demos, training videos, advertising spots, behind the scenes videos, webinars, "ask the expert" interviews
• Make your search program as effective as possible to capture information-seeking prospects
  • Test numerous versions of adword copy - use call to action statements to drive response
  • Employ the "Long tail" theory of search marketing – use many highly targeted search terms to reach a more highly targeted prospect
  • Drive prospects to landing pages with specific, in-depth content based on the search term used
• Enhance email efforts by providing the customer with more information, not just about your company but about relevant industry or expert information to position you as a trusted "source."