MarketingProfs Daily: Customer Relationships

Five Tips to Emotionally Connect Readers to Your Writing

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Most bloggers don't know how to emotionally connect with readers and get them sucked into their blog posts and articles. Here, I want to give you five easy tactics to instantly transform an ordinary blog post into an empathetic work of art. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Four Outside-the-Box Ideas to Better Understand Customer Experience

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

In the show "Undercover Boss," senior execs go undercover as frontline employees to see how the company is really doing and what customers experience. CMOs should try that, too--with these outside-the-box ideas. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

The Nitty-Gritty of Brand Story Power

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Understanding the power of stories is one thing; knowing how to craft them is another. So, let's delve into some practical applications of story. I'll use case studies, annual reports, and video as examples. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Wherefore Art Thou, J. Peterman? The Quest for Social Engagement

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

J. Peterman is a brand with far more personality than most. However, somehow, it got lost along the winding road to the social Web, and it's a tragedy that's costing the cataloger. Here are our ideas to engage the J. Peterman fan base. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

4 in 10 CMOs Feel Unprepared for Challenges Ahead [Infographic]

Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Nearly four in 10 chief marketing officerssay they do not have the right people, tools, and resources to meet their marketing objectives, according to a recent report. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

How to Properly Close the Loop... and the Sale

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

First impressions matter a great deal. That's why you need to structure your sales calls to establish rapport and drive toward a sense of trust and camaraderie with your prospects. Here are three tips for success on that first call. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

When Did Social Media Lose Its Way? [Infographic]

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

In the early days of social media, users interacted like real people do. However, in time, social networks evolved into pits of broadcast messages. Here's how companies lost their way in social media, and how they can find a path back to its friendlier roots. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Email Open and Click-Through Rates: Benchmarks by Vertical

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Education, retail, and computer hardware/electronics are the best-performing verticals in email marketing, according to a new study that benchmarked open rates, click-through rates, and churn metrics across 14 industries. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Three Key Ways to to Help Your Business Find '2X' Profit Growth

Thu, 9 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Many companies turn to newer, hotter media and technology when they want to increase profits. But being successful isn't about tech; it's about effectively engaging customers. Here are three ways to do that. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

How to Keep It Human in the Robotized Socialverse

Wed, 8 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Social networks were meant for real humans--for real-life conversations about real-life things. But, of course, we marketers saw an opportunity. Social media can become a powerful medium... so long as you preserve a human face while acting on behalf of your company. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Pinterest Brand Engagement: Best Days and Times to Pin

Tue, 7 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Unlike Twitter and Facebook, where brands drive engagement with their content through official accounts and pages, 70% of brand engagement on Pinterest is generated by the community itself, according to a new report, which also found the best day/time to pin for optimum community engagement for three industries. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

From Broadcast to Unicast: Quick, Easy Steps to Engage Your Customers via Social

Thu, 2 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Moving from one-size-fits-all broadcasting to highly targeted communications that are personalized and timely, and in the consumers' preferred channel... that's the proven path to marketing success in today's world. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

10 Critical Actions for Enhancing Customer Loyalty: The Case of Travel Companies

Thu, 2 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

The time has come for air travel and hospitality brands to address an existential threat to the travel industry: Customer loyalty has all but vanished. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Build a Customer-Centric Marketing Automation Strategy

Wed, 1 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

The if-then logic of the marketing automation process can lead to a snarl of over-communication, with only a loose relevance to the recipient's true interests and needs. It doesn't have to be that way. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Mobile Innovation (Part 5): Innovating Customer Experiences Through Mobile

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Mobile is a boon to the customer experience, because mobile provides myriad ways for marketers to delight customers and improve their experiences in ways previously unavailable. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Five Steps to Improve Your Marketing to Generation-Y

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Millennials grew up with the Internet, and they are used to having everything at their fingertips. After interviews with 21 global marketing executives, we defined a five-step plan for improving your marketing to Gen-Y. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Stop Saying 'Awesome': Five Best-Practices for Americans Marketing to Europe

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Globalization brings exciting opportunities and enormous challenges for all parts of a business, but nowhere is that more apparent than in the marketing department. Here's how to avoid five common European marketing pitfalls. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

B2B Event-Driven Marketing: Triggers Your Analytics Shouldn't Miss

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

The retail industry has recognized that critical events in customers' lives can shift loyalties, or serve as opportunities to retain or upsell via event-driven marketing. That approach can also work with B2Bs... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Marketing and IT: Big Data an Obstacle, an Opportunity, and Key to Customer-Centricity

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Though frequently at odds, marketing and IT executives agree that harnessing Big Data is imperative to building a customer-centric corporate culture; they also agree that a lack of alignment, rigid silos, unclear responsibilities, and a lack of leadership impede an organization from using Big Data to its full potential. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Why Lead Nurturing Is Like Hosting a Dinner Party (and Nine Ways to Do It Right)

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Lead nurturing and dinner parties require the host (marketer) to build and maintain relationships through conversation, rapport, and trust. And both involve careful planning... Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Three Steps to Using Instagram for E-Commerce (Without Sharing a Single Photo)

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

If Pinterest is great for driving referral traffic, Instagram takes the lead in customer retention and engagement. The practices outlined here are only just starting to spread, and they will continue to do so as more brands adopt Instagram. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Mobile Innovation (Part 3): Innovating Sales Channels Through Mobile

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

As any marketer knows, sales are mission-critical to the success and survival of all companies. But what many a marketer doesn't yet fully understand is how many ways mobile can be wielded to stimulate sales... more so than via any other medium. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Four Ways to Create an Army of Fans for Your Brand

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Why do rock stars have fans but companies have customers? The short answer: that's what rock stars and companies want to have. But if you think like a rock star, you can cultivate an army of fans for your brand. Here are four steps you need to take. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Connect Customer Experience, Convenience, and Differentiation to Business Results

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Understanding how the customer behavior you can monitor influences the buying process... is key. Here are three areas to monitor and how to tie them to more outcome-based metrics. Read the full article at MarketingProfs

Want to Slash 50% Off Your Marketing Budget? Try Being Nice...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

In the '80s, in the days of Michael Milken and Gordon Gekko, the rule on the street was "eat your young." Nice guys finish last. Hold your information. Keep the rules to yourself. Win at all costs. No matter who or what you have to trample. But not anymore... Read the full article at MarketingProfs