After reading several blog posts this morning regarding marketing, Email marketing and Social Media, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s still confusing as to what platform aids Companies in acquiring new customers. I’ve read so many debates regarding these platforms.
Let’s look at all of them for a minute…
Mobile vs. Desktop
How many of you utilize email with a link for a customized landing page to drive new revenue? Customized landing pages send email recipients who click on a link provided in the email directly to the service or product you are selling. However 45% of marketing emails today are opened on a mobile device. Per Google “61% of mobile users will not return to a site they couldn’t previously open on a mobile device, and worse yet 40% end up visiting a competitors site instead” If your only marketing effort is email campaigns, you need to make sure your site or links are mobile friendly, if not you could be losing out on new customers.
Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc…
Most marketers feel that social media is directed more towards building and nurturing relationships. To me social media creates a presence in the online community, and helps customers see others ratings or posts about how your products/services work. Email however should be utilized to increase revenue, by gathering new consumers, and possibly driving them to your companies landing page. Once there users usually visit the Companies Facebook or LinkedIn page for feedback from previous customers.
Snail Mail
According to the Direct Marketing Association “Direct Mail is 10 to 30% more effective than email, and those rates have been steady since 2010”. I personally prefer Snail Mail the most. I can look at the marketing material at my convenience, and if I chose can go to the website, or social media site if I feel it’s interesting enough, or the product or service will benefit me. I do not like email campaigns being sent to me, and only allow a few to come to my email address. Anything that gets through my filters I usually delete before even reading the subject line.
Cold Calling
Cold calling will land you the occasional new customer, however getting to that person can be very difficult. There are roadblocks in place at almost every business. Most good office assistants/secretaries will not allow you to get past them. So what do you do when you don’t get to them? Personally I don’t even answer my cell phone if I don’t know the person calling me. I usually just press the end button on my cell not even allowing it to get to voicemail, unless the number is local (800 numbers never get through). If the caller is local I still don’t answer if I don’t know the number, but that I do allow to get to voicemail. When I have a chance to listen to the message it goes right in to a marketing call, I don’t even listen I delete it, so if you Cold Call what do you do to get through?
Email, Social Media, Cold Calling, or Snail Mail
Many marketing professionals feel that email campaigns should be utilized to increase revenue, by gathering new consumers, and possibly driving them to your companies landing page so they can learn more about what you are offering. Once there they can then be driven to the Companies social media sites to participate or view what others think. Most also feel Cold Calling is dead and Snail Mail does not get looked at. I believe a good combination of all works, so….
What do you do? What kind of marketing system do you feel works best and why? What was the response rate to your most successful campaign and what tools did you utilize? Which one do you prefer to receive?
By Irene Walters