Creative Marketing Channel

The best diplomat I know is a fully-loaded phaser bank – Montgomery “Scotty” Scott
A fully loaded digital marketing plan is a great diplomat too.  So great, actually, that nearly 75% of all businesses are increasing their digital marketing over the next 12 months, according to Adobe Systems (from Mediapost Research Brief, “Digital Marketing Planning”). Their goal – to enhance the customer’s experience. Optimizing websites using analytics data is this year’s most deployed tactic. This optimization comes in the form of geo-targeted site content, content marketing, blogging, and rich media.   Top predicted investments for 2011 include 3D visualization, multi-media product viewing and interactive experiences.  In addition, businesses crave creative design and branded social community pages.  Both Spock and Kirk would be proud.  Why? Because real digital marketing requires strategy, analysis, and creativity.

All she’s got isn’t good enough! - James T. Kirk
If you believe your digital marketing agency isn’t good enough, you’re not alone. The sorry truth is, “only 44% of marketers are truly happy with their primary agency…” and there are two chief reasons why: The agency isn’t creative and/or the agency isn’t strategic (from Mediapost Research Brief, “Primary Agencies in Jeopardy if Reviewed”). Many agencies lack both. Google’s Panda update (or algorithm change) was a big wake up call to businesses who now see anemic, unoriginal content and boilerplate design for what it is – ineffective.   Today, businesses require their agency to be a “strategic partner who can help their business versus just an ‘idea shop.’”

You know, back home we have a saying: “If you wanna ride in the Kentucky Derby, you don’t leave your prized stallion in the stable. - Leonard “Bones”  McCoy
And your prized stallion is your media channel. Businesses no longer need to purchase expensive time and space on someone else’s channel. Instead, your business is media. Your website, mobile website, and blog are your marketing hub from which your agency shares all of your drilled down updates, videos, posts, whitepapers, webinars, enewsletters, coupons, mobile apps, etc. via branded social media.  If you haven’t become media yourself or have yet to fully leverage your media channels then you’re leaving your prized stallion in the stable.

Boldly go so your business can live long and prosper.
This is your voyage – your mission.  We are in the midst of a digital renaissance filled with new life and new civilizations.  Find a digital marketing agency with both Kirk and Spock in command and you too can break through the noise with relevant, amazing content and design. It’s no longer about perfection – it’s about experimentation.   A real digital marketing agency isn’t afraid to try numerous approaches, styles or tools.   Look for an agency that is flexible, strategic, and creative.  Businesses who do their due diligence experience the amazing ROI only digital marketing can give.

About The Creative Marketing Channel
The Creative Marketing Channel belongs to oz 2 designs LLC – a small, flexible, full service digital marketing agency.  Providing a broad range of interactive marketing services to U.S. businesses, oz 2 designs LLC is known for custom website and blog design, mobile website design, and compelling content (or social media) marketing. oz 2 designs LLC is pleased to feature an award winning animator known for excellence in 3D modeling, visualization, and animation as well as a nationally published content marketer.  To contact us email cl@oz2designs.com.

Is there a best time to send email? How many people check email on a mobile device? Is there a strategy to reduce unsubscribes and increase click throughs? Make way for Hubspot’s marketing scientist Dan Zarrella who lets the data answer these questions and more in “The Science of Email Marketing” webinar.   Below is my summation of Zarella’s fascinating email marketing insights.

Data used: Over 9.5 billion email sends and accompanying analytics compliments of MailChimp, 3 focus groups, and survey data.

Email habits: Opening email is equivalent to completing homework and almost everyone has integrated it into their daily work ritual. 70% of people read most of their email because they hate to see unread mail in their inbox and 88% of people have only one inbox.  Over 60% of all email readers use a junk folder.

What encourages opens and click throughs?
1. Time of receipt: Most people open and click through email on weekends.
2. Time of day: Most people report reading email in the morning. 6:00 a.m. -  7:00 a.m garners highest click throughs.
3.  Sender: If the recipient recognizes the sender, especially if it’s a celebrity sender, there is a good chance the email will be opened.
4.  Subject line: People prefer to see the following words in the subject line – newsletter, this week’s, digest, bulletin, and edition – because they indicate the mail is a serialized piece of content.
5.  Mobile compatibility: 81% of all people read their email on a mobile device. Make sure your email looks good on mobile.
6.  Links: The more links in an email the higher the click through rate. More links equal more opportunities to persuade the reader.
7.  It’s referential: People tend to use their inbox as an archive. Readers archive and refer back to useful, interesting email.
8.  It’s exclusive: People love to feel part of a special club where they receive early access and special deals.
9.  It’s consistent: Click through rates are about the same whether you send 5 emails a month or 30. If your audience has opted in to your list, they want to hear from you.
10. Expectations: Readers who expect your email appreciate it the most. Why? Opening your email has become part of their “homework ritual.”
11. Subscription time: New subscribers are the best clickers.

Other interesting facts: Unsubscribes are highest from people who are new to your list. Unidentifiable sender names as well as spammy subject lines using words like magic, raffle, reward, requested, follow up, savings, offer, confirm, and upgrade spur unsubscribes. In most cases, readers will not forward your email nor will they Tweet it. “Follow me” social media links tend to have better results.  Email sent only once or twice a month has a higher unsubscribe rate than email sent 30 times a month.

All information above was gathered from the Hubspot webinar,  “The Science of Email Marketing.”

If you would like oz 2 designs LLC to handle your email marketing campaign, contact Catherine Lockey at cl@oz2designs.com.

Congratulations to loyal follower and winner of 1 month of free advertising on The Creative Marketing Channel to Nature’s Pet Place in Hanover, PA. Each month oz 2 designs LLC draws one lucky winner from our list of new enewsletter subscribers – a working incentive. How do businesses acquire loyal followers? What is the value of a loyal follower?  MediaPost’s Research Brief recently published research results about this which I summarize here: Read the rest of this entry »

I recently gave the presentation “Digital Marketing 101: What is it and how do I implement it?” to attendees at the Gettysburg Adams Chamber of Commerce Expo. As promised, I published it below. The rapid shift from traditional to digital marketing has left many business owners behind. This presentation gets you up to speed with an explanation of the new media mindset as well as fundamentals of digital marketing. Read the rest of this entry »