With the new year come numerous changes. From New Year’s resolutions to new goals, this time of year makes it more evident than ever how much people change. Buyer personas, like people, are constantly evolving with consumers’ varying wants, needs, interests and goals. Therefore, creating buyer personas is not a one-time deal but an ongoing process.
“Coming together is a beginning;
keeping together is progress;
working together is success.”
—Henry Ford
The holiday season is a time for gift-giving, hot cocoa-sipping, family reunions and of course well-earned time off for employees. While the holiday season brings many joys, it also brings new obstacles for many organizations, the biggest of which is keeping employees engaged and motivated throughout the season.
One of the exciting aspects of digital marketing communications is that anything can happen. Consumers may be attuned to one campaign and not the other. The trouble is that as marketers we don’t always know what works. Finding the “sweet spot” of generating clicks, views, conversions, etc. can be difficult. A/B testing is an efficient way to find the sweet spot and continue to improve performance. A/B testing is a method that can be used across most channels to identify a more effective way to communicate with customers and impact the performance of a campaign.
Many people would argue direct marketing is on the decline. The reality is, however, that the principles and best practices of direct marketing are becoming more commonplace. Technology is enabling direct marketing principles to be applied to a myriad of channels. As a result, direct marketing best practices are currently being utilized in many measurable channels across a number of different industries. Examples include call-to-action buttons in email, limited-time retail offers and retargeted banner ads based on web user behavior. These are all current channels leveraging the tried and true direct marketing best practices.
I’d argue that direct marketing is more alive now than ever. The core principles of direct marketing are being used across a number of different channels, especially digital channels.
Does your organization have a style guide for its marketing content? If it doesn’t, it should. Your credibility with your target audience may be at stake.
OK, I admit it. My only wish is to be able to tell marketers when their “personalized emails” are, in fact, not personal at all. This bold statement is not based solely on the fact that most marketers will say they are doing something when in truth they are lacking in the execution. Rather, my frustration stems from the fact that most people who say they are already personalizing emails are basically telling me that they see no value in optimization. They are already closed off to any possibility of improvement.
Every day, customers receive dozens of emails flooding their inbox. Email is an essential touch point with customers. Whether it’s providing brand visibility, product updates or new promotions, email is a fast, effective way to engage an audience. As a designer, you want your email campaign to not only stand out from the crowd but also engage your audience. Incorporating direct marketing best practices into your design can help your email campaign achieve these goals.
