How to Increase Conversion Rates with Google Shopping Feeds

If you sell tangible products online, you already know how crucial Google Shopping feeds can be. But did you know that with just a few simple tweaks, you can greatly improve your products’ visibility in shopping feeds and thus get your products viewed (and possibly purchased) by more customers – thereby increasing your conversion rate?

And perhaps the best part is that it doesn’t require any deep development or programming experience. Ready to learn how? Let’s take a closer look.

Improving Your Feed with Attributes

According to a report recently released by ROI Revolution, simply having a shopping feed is no longer enough. Your feed is your product’s packaging in a world where customers can’t always try it on or feel it. From their point of view, they’re putting themselves at a huge risk simply by choosing to potentially do business with you. A quality feed can show them that you’re just as invested in their satisfaction as they are.

A properly optimized feed means that you don’t just have more data than anyone else, but that your data is better quality.

Your individual product attributes can make a significant impact, so taking the time to do them properly can be the difference between “just browsing” and “I have to have that”. Of course, many merchants settle for filling the basics – title, description and keywords – with whatever’s on the label.

But even doing the bare minimum is doing a huge disservice to your product and sabotaging it before it even gets out of the gate.

So let’s look at how to properly optimize those points before moving on to the more technical aspects (it will be painless, I promise).

Title – Unless you’re the manufacturer of the product itself, don’t waste time or space putting in your company name. Customers don’t care. Use words that they would use when searching for the product, including the brand. Look at these shopping ads for the Samsung Galaxy S6 smart phone:

Image Source: Whoopapp

Here, the customer is most likely to search the exact brand and model – Samsung Galaxy S6. Since you only have 70 characters, it pays to prioritize since only 25 of those show in the feed. So prioritization goes Brand Name > Exact Type of Product > Features/Characteristics – so the full product listing ad might read “Samsung Galaxy S6 Android Smartphone 4G”

Description – Here it pays to look at your product from the perspective of the customer again. Since they are likely only scanning quickly to find a match, it’s a good idea to make your description as visually digestible and helpful as possible.  This is a great place to put features that may not have fit in the title. Here, you want to do your best to answer any questions a customer may have about a product before they click.

Keywords – this is the perfect opportunity to dig deep into those reports and see which words your customers are using to find your product in the first place. Look at the terms that convert best and use those in your description where applicable.

Make Optional Attributes Part of Your Feed

Oftentimes, retailers mistakenly assume that if an attribute is optional, it isn’t necessary. But according to the ROI Revolution Google Shopping report, just because it’s optional doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include it anyway.

Google has a quality score for feeds – and while we don’t know the “secret sauce” of what makes up the algorithm, we do know that products which have all their information complete will have a better quality score than those who do not.  And according to ROI Revolution, certain optional attributes can help further optimize your feed and improve its performance and quality score.

The Alphabet Soup of UPCs, MPNs and Brands

The Universal Product Code, Manufacturer Product Number and brand of your items won’t likely be searched for by customers. They will, however, be used by Google to group and optionally compare products, like the cookware below:

Image Source: ROI Revolution Google Shopping Feeds report

Here you can see that even big-name brands like Macys, Sur La Table and Bloomingdales haven’t exactly done their homework on optimizing their product feeds. But as the report notes, take a look at Austin Kayak. Not only is it a Google Trusted store, which is an added bonus, but it also highlights their offer of free shipping and no sales tax.

You’d be forgiven for cringing when the thought of being stacked up there with your competition comes to mind. But Google Shopping calculates sales tax and shipping as part of the total – found in the “Total Cost” column. Businesses which offer free shipping and no tax automatically become the lowest price – even if they hadn’t highlighted their offer

Now the question becomes, can Google find your products and accurately compare them with others in the same price/feature range? Not if you haven’t taken the time to fill in the alphabet soup of brand, UPC and MPNs.

Size (And Color, and Material) Matter

Merchants are reluctant to input their products’ sizes into their Google shopping feed because they feel like they have to painstakingly measure things like width, height and depth. But at this stage in the shopping experience, customers only need to know the basics.  Consider these examples from the report. Size is important on all of them, but only general information is there for filtering purposes.

Image Source: ROI Revolution Google Shopping Feeds report

The same applies to color. Even if one of your products is “charcoal grey” and the other is “ash grey”, customers are likely going to simply look for “grey” and filter their choices accordingly;  not to mention that even Google’s filtering options tilt toward the very basic:

Image Source: ROI Revolution Google Shopping Feeds report

Material is another matter. Like size, you don’t have to be specific. As the report notes, customers aren’t going to care (in the beginning) about your 90% organic cotton blend when they’re simply searching for “cotton”.

There are many other attributes you can set that will greatly enhance your product’s performance (and therefore its sales and conversions) in your feed, including custom labels. To learn precisely how to set these, you’re encouraged to download the official report from ROI Revolution’s website (email required).

Are You Using Your Google Shopping Feed to the Fullest?

It can seem overwhelming to dive head-first into the details of your shopping feed, but as this report has shown, it’s the little things that matter most. Whether you have 5 products or 5,000, taking the time to submit them right can make all the difference in search, product listing ads and paid ads.

Are you using Google shopping feeds for your own products? How has adding attributes improved your products’ performance overall? Share your triumphs with us in the comments below and let us know your thoughts!

About the Author: Sherice Jacob helps business owners improve website design and increase conversion rates through compelling copywriting, user-friendly design and smart analytics analysis. Learn more at iElectrify.com and download your free web copy tune-up and conversion checklist today! Follow @sherice on Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+ for more articles like this!

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The Secret to Beating Your Competitors in SEO

The Secret to Beating Your Competitors in SEO written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Phil Singleton

My guest for this week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is a web designer and SEO expert, founder of Kansas City SEO Website Design, Duct Tape Marketing Certified Consultant and co-author of the award-winning book The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Local Lead Generation. We discuss SEO, website design and the keys to getting your business to rank.

Questions I ask Phil:

• What are your top tips for SEO for local business owners?
• How can content help drive SEO?
• How much time should a business owner spend on creating content?

What you’ll learn if you give a listen:

• The #1 tactic for improving SEO on a budget.
• How to use content to gain an edge on your competitors.
• Where to look for more information on SEO.

To learn more about Phil Singleton, visit his website here. Click here to find out more about Phil’s book The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Local Lead Generation. Interested in joining Phil as a Duct Tape Marketing Certified Consultant? Find out more about the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network and attend a Discovery Call here.

This week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by our friends at Hover. Do you need a domain name for your next big idea? Hover.com makes it easy to register a domain name quickly. Go to hover.com and use the promo code PhilDTM for 10% off your purchase.

 

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The One Customer Experience Stat That All CMOs Need To Know

Here a stat. There a stat. Everywhere a stat, stat. We marketers sure love our stats. And why not, the right stats can reveal a lot and help us all do our jobs better or at the very least cause us to sit up and take notice. Notice I used the word right in my previous sentence. 

That's because stats are like data in that it's not the big data, it's the right data that matters most. Same logic applies here. 

Like any other topic under the sun there are no shortage of stats when it comes to customer experience (CX). Here's a few before I get to the headline act. 

• 91% of organizations said they aspire to be among the customer experience leaders in their industry, yet only 37% had started a formal CXM initiative.
• By 2020, the customer will manage 85% of its relationship with an enterprise without interacting with a human.
• 91% of organizations said they aspire to be among the customer experience leaders in their industry, yet only 37% had started a formal CXM initiative.
• In the U.S. alone, brands lose approximately $41 billion each year due to poor customer service.
• 92% of organizations that view customer experience as a differentiator offer multiple contact channels.

Trust me, there many more stats akin to these that all speak to - no scratch that, scream to the vital importance of the CX in a brand/consumer relationship. 

And before I go on, please don't make the mistake of thinking that CX applies to B2C brands only. Last time I checked there's not one single business in the whole world that's being run entirely by a machine. In other words, just because it says B2B doesn't mean there's not a human on the other end of the line. 

The One Customer Experience Stat That All CMOs Need To Know 

Before I get to the headliner, one more "opening act" — 78% of marketers say they try to differentiate through customer experience.

And without further ado... 

Three out of four (74%) consumers say they have spent more with a company because of a history of positive customer service experiences.

Let's let that sink in for a moment, shall we? 

Now, go back to the 78% of marketers who say they try to differentiate through customer experience. Sorry kids, as Yoda says you do or do not. There is no try. Not when so much as it at stake. Think about it, there 78% who say they are trying, which means not all 78% are succeeding of course. Then there's the remaining 22% who are not even trying. 

Really?

Just what exactly are these marketers doing? 

This is the bottom line we're talking about boys and girls. The ultimate KPI. The big kahuna of metrics. When I see a stat that shows that 3/4 of people saying they spend more money with my brand based on the right kind of CX... I think I'm going to sit up and take notice, to say the least. 

One final stat, if I may: Over half of all customer interactions happen during a multi-event, multi-channel journey.

That should come as absolutely no surprise to any CMO or marketer of any level. And it speaks to, and yes screams to the need to have the right technology in place and it's why you need to download The CMO Solution Guide to Leveraging New Technology and Marketing Platforms. There's too much at stake not to. 

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Report: Social Media Examiner 2016 State of Social Media Marketing

It can be easy to get caught up in the buzz of new social media marketing platforms and content types (live video ring a bell?). But what are today’s marketers implementing the most and experiencing the most success with? The answers might surprise you.

Social Media Examiner recently released their 2016 State of Social Media Marketing Industry Report which dives into the responses of over 5,000 marketers who share their top priorities, successes, failures and outlooks for social media marketing.  This post will dive into a few of the highlights that I found most interesting from this year’s report.

#1 – Not All Marketers Implementing Social Media Analyze Success & Measure ROI

Social media marketing still seems to hold a mystery for a lot of marketers. Of those surveyed in this report, only 19% strongly agree that they regularly analyze their social media activities. Additionally, only 41% say that they are able to measure the ROI for their social media activities.

In order for marketers to be effective with any aspect of their digital marketing approach, a close eye to the data is essential. By closely watching this information, marketers are better able to adapt and evolve their strategies to meet customer need.

#2 – Some Marketers Are Facing Declines in Website Traffic via Facebook

Social media can be a great source for referring traffic to a brand’s website. But just like those above that are not measuring the ROI of their social media, many aren’t sure if referral traffic from Facebook has declined or not. However, 23% have noticed a decline in traffic in the past 12 months.

#3 – Social Media Marketing is Becoming More Difficult

Social media is a quickly evolving beast. Platforms are constantly changing algorithms, releasing new features and “changing the rules”. That requires marketers to think on their feet and quickly adapt their approach at the drop of a hat. According to this survey, 40% of marketers believe that social media has become increasingly difficult in the past 12 months.

#4 – Many Marketers Are Spending Under 6 Hours a Week on Social Media

A successful social media marketing strategy requires commitment. Building an audience in general, let alone one that is engaged and interacts with your brand takes time, and an ongoing investment of both time and often budget.

However, 37% of marketers are spending a maximum of five hours per week on their social media efforts. That means, at most they are spending 1 hour a day managing their social media accounts.

Today’s customers expect swift responses from the brands they follow and interact with online which would be extremely difficult to master in only 5 hours a week.

#5 – The Top Reported Benefits of Social Media Marketing Might Surprise You

Increased exposure for the business is listed as the top benefit of social media marketing by an 89% of respondents. The other benefits that made the top of the list include:

• Increased Traffic 75%
• Developed Loyal Fans 68%
• Provided Marketplace Insight 666
• Generated Leads 66%

#6 – The Super 3 Still Reign Supreme

Even with the increasingly popular use of platforms like Snapchat and vine for brands across the globe, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are still the most commonly used social media platforms by marketers. From 2015 to 2016, both Twitter and LinkedIn faced a slight decline while Instagram gained a few points.

#7 – The Outlook for Paid Social Media

Many social networks are increasingly making it more difficult for brands to maintain the organic reach that they used to. That change has required an investment in paid social media to become more of a necessity than a luxury.

An overwhelming 87% of marketers invest their budgets in Facebook ads versus the next platforms coming in at 39% (Google ads), 18% (Twitter ads) and 17% (LinkedIn ads).

#8 – The Difference Between B2B & B2C

One of the biggest contrasts within this report is the importance of different social networks for B2B and B2C marketers. The top three social networks (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) both rank high for both types of marketers, but the order of importance is vastly different.

What Does the Future Hold for Social Media Marketing?

Next year, we may begin to see some of these responses shift as more and more marketers begin adopting the use of platforms like Snapchat and SlideShare. We cannot be certain what the future will hold for social media marketing, but we do know that marketers are finding it to be a value tool for interacting with and engaging their audience. Social media marketing is here to stay.

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4 Tasty Content Marketing Recipes to Grill Up on Your Day Off

If you’re like most business professionals, you are likely enjoying today off, spending time with friends and family and celebrating the lives of those that have served our country. Memorial Day marks one of the first holiday’s of the summer that give busy professionals a chance to take an extra day to unwind and enjoy the warm summer months.

If you’re taking the time to read this on your day off, the least I can do is offer you some helpful content marketing recipes for a successful holiday BBQ. A successful meal and content marketing plan both require a full range of elements to meet the needs of your audience, whoever they may be. The four recipes below will help you get started.

#1 – Something Substantial: Content Mission

Most good BBQ’s include a protein such as a burger or steak that the grill master puts most of their energy into creating. Similarly, your content plan should center around a consistent content mission. Your content mission should describe your purpose for creating content and how you intend to use that content to help your customers solve their business problems.

Just like the difference between purchasing stew meat and filet mignon to throw on the grill, you need to invest your time in developing a content mission that will help you develop a “best answer” approach for your customers.  

Use the following recipe to develop a content mission:

1. Determine who your content mission is for.
2. Identify your message and determine how you will deliver the content to your audience.
3. Set benchmarks for your desired outcome.

#2 – Something Starchy: Content Calendar

Carbohydrates provide your body with energy and let’s face it, they’re delicious. No grill out is complete without some tasty potato salad or [insert your favorite starch here]. Sometimes it can be difficult to find a good way to plan your content appropriately, without overdoing it (just like when you find yourself facing down an enormous bread basket).

A well-developed (but flexible) content calendar will help keep you on track and aligned with the content mission that has been developed. If you need help creating a content calendar of your own, check out this awesome list from Curata.

Use the following recipe to develop a content calendar:

1. Always identify who each piece of content is for.
2. Create a consistent experience across all digital marketing channels to build confidence with your audience.
3. Do your research to ensure that content is optimized for customers and search engines.

#3 – Something Healthy: Content Measurement

In the frenzy of planning all the staples needed for grilling, a very important element is often overlooked, fruit and vegetables (no, corn is not a vegetable). To balance the fat and calories in some of the other dishes, it’s nice to accompany a grilled meal with a healthy vegetable or fruit.

Another often overlooked element of marketing programs is the importance of tying content to business objective and then measuring their impact.

Use the following recipe for content measurement:

1. Identify benchmarks and set performance goals prior to launching content campaigns or assets.
2. Utilize unique tracking urls and tracking codes to properly identify sources for conversions.
3. Review your metrics, see what is working and what is not and use that information to evolve your content strategy.

#4 – Something Unexpected: Unique Content Types

Every once in awhile, you might bring something new into the mix and find that you’re pleasantly satisfied with the outcome. For example, last week we decided to try our hand at grilling my favorite food, the artichoke. The results? Amazing!

Like the unexpected success and simplicity of a grilled artichoke, it’s important to provide your audience with something new from time to time that captures their attention. Testing new content types can help break marketers out of a content rut and create more stickiness with your audience.

Use the following recipe for developing unique content types:

1. Collect information from your audience to determine which content types resonate with them the most.
2. Go outside of your comfort zone and try something new such as video interviews, infographics, interactive content, motion graphics, live-streaming video and more.
3. Both successes and failures will teach you an incredible amount about how to delight your audience with unexpected content they are not getting from other sources.

What Are You Cooking Up Today?

These four content marketing recipes should be the basics that you need to have a successful holiday BBQ. While each marketer will add their own flair or have some secret recipes of their own, these will help you get started. Always remember that both grilling and marketing are a process that may seem frustrating at times, but often create many rewards when it comes time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

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The Advantages Of Solar LED Lights

Supplanting your energy source and picking vitality lessening lighting choices can have an immense effect to your expenses and even offer you solid lighting particularly for your open air needs. There are such a large number of lighting options and sunlight based LED lights are a portion of as well as can be expected pick. This is on the grounds that they are financially savvy, as well as don’t require an excess of vitality to serve your necessities. Sun based LED lights use assets at an abnormal state, making them exceptionally useful when utilized as a part of various sources. You remain to appreciate various advantages when you select these lights for your utilization and they incorporate the accompanying.

1. Driven enlightenments are more viable

This is on account of the lights produce directional light bars superior to anything fluorescents. The lights likewise have low lumen yield appraisals making them perfect alternatives for open air light applications. Their aspect makes them very dependable notwithstanding amid dim sky days.

2. Sun powered LED lights have upgraded effectiveness

LEDs and sun powered cells share loads of attributes like they both require adjusting and sorting for execution to be upgraded. Sun powered LED lights need to adjust resistors since they are all around designed. They enhance light levels and current streams and this enormously enhances the general framework effectiveness.

3. They can be calibrated to address client issues

They are programmable and can be calibrated not at all like their ordinary lighting partners. They won’t just convey the light where it is required, however will likewise convey at once and levels that are required. This has diminished the sun oriented board size furthermore the battery limit by a colossal rate. You can choose a lighting profile that works for your application. You can likewise have custom profiles introduced to coordinate your undertaking nature and size when utilizing sun based LED lights.

4. You will appreciate developed battery runtime

Most galaxies today have tended to battery drops that are normal with the frameworks. When you pick a sunlight based LED light that is deliberately organized, you will appreciate highlights tending to framework cost, siting issues and board size to ensure that your definite needs are fulfilled. At the point when the framework operation is guided by the precise needs, you have nearby, then you can make certain to appreciate expanded run time of the battery making them entirely dependable.

5. You show signs of improvement execution even in icy climate

Sun powered LED lights and sunlight based cells offer enhanced execution, effectiveness and even lifetime administration amid colder temperatures, making them profitable contrasted with other light sorts whose lifetime and execution drop amid colder atmospheres like DC fluorescent. A sun based LED light can last up to ten times longer as DC fluorescent in these frosty situations making it more dependable.

Sun powered LED lights come in various styles and outlines and in addition sizes, making it workable for you to pick the lights that are most suited for your open air needs. It begins by considering the lighting prerequisites you have in your space before then selecting the best lights.

Sun based LED lights are unquestionably worthwhile yet you should likewise guarantee that you get your lights from dependable sources to appreciate all the advantages.

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How to Retain Your Customer’s Attention Throughout the Onboarding Process

Onboarding never ends.

Some SaaS teams may approach onboarding as an activity－a one-time event for each consumer.

However, it’s time to change your perspective. Consider onboarding as an ongoing process that continues beyond initial setup.

Whether it’s teaching loyal consumers about new integrations or training newbies about your dashboard, it’s vital that you have their undivided attention.

John Waldron of markITwrite believes that the onboarding stage is “one of the most perilous phases in the whole conversion process.”

So, don’t lose customers just because you failed to capture your audience’s attention. Here are four techniques to get your team started:

1. Offer Ongoing Training

Every customer is different.

Some will adapt quickly to your software. They will learn every feature in one day and possibly point out inefficiencies in your system.

On the other hand, other customers will take longer to learn your platform. They may desire a step-by-step guide to understand everything. And they may need additional content resources to be successful.

To serve both types of consumers, segment training programs based on the customers’ behaviors. This gives everyone an opportunity to learn according to their needs. Moreover, you retain their attention.

“Proactive customer success training is delivered through online courses and on-demand training designed to get your new customers up to speed from acquisition to activation in as short as possible timeframe,” says Miranda Lievers Chief, Customer Officer of Thinkific.

Hubspot offers their customers the option to refresh their learning. The inbound marketing software company has a YouTube playlist dedicated just for product tutorials.

Visage creates training with the help of strategic partnerships. For example, the data visualization company teamed up with Hubspot to help their users tell better stories with visuals.

However, be mindful not to push your customers towards training. It should be at their own pace, not yours.

“[Y]ou should be careful not to take progressive onboarding too far. Let the customer navigate in their own time. There shouldn’t be a need to provide hints on every screen. If you excessively prompt new customers with obvious hints, you risk annoying or distracting your customers,” writes Hannah Levenson, Community Manager at Appsee.

Keep your customers focused. Engage them with ongoing training.

2. Leverage Multiple Communication Channels

Years ago, it took months to communicate with someone. But today, we live in a highly-connected society. And we can talk to someone in a matter of seconds.

In addition, there are various forms of communication channels available to us. With so many ways to get our brand message across, teams forget that the consumer is the one with the ultimate decision.

“By giving people a choice how to reach you, you make your website more user friendly and can drive more leads and sales. Users get to choose the way to communicate that’s most convenient for them, which makes it easier to connect with you and further the relationship,” states Corey Pemberton is a copywriter and marketer.

Experiment with different communication channels, such as text, in-app messaging, and email. If you don’t, your team may risk losing the customer’s interest.

Shopify offers support services via email, live chat, and phone.

Jim Marous, co-publisher of The Financial Brand, says, “Leveraging multiple channels […] allows you to appeal to a customer’s channel preferences while delivering a highly personalized message that will positively impact results.”

Mobile platforms are a popular platform for customer support, with more than 60% of people using smartphones to connect online. Research also shows that “more than 20% of people using Facebook and Twitter seek information about different products and services.” Thus, it may be time for your SaaS to discuss mobile and social solutions.

And here’s a pro tip: Don’t inundate people with bulletins on a dozen different channels. Choose a few and concentrate on delivering attention-getting messages.

3. Incentivize the Process

People like receiving rewards. From an early age, we’re conditioned to expect incentives for positive behavior.

“Everyone loves new and free stuff, and your users aren’t any different. One of the best ways to adopt users or keep them interested in your software is to offer an incentive,” says Omri Erel, Lead Author & Editor of SaaSAddict Blog.

Similar to grade school when earning a passing score may get you an extra recess, reward your customers with a small token for completing a step in the onboarding process

Take advantage of people’s “need to complete.” It’s a powerful psychological driver in customer engagement.

In our brains, completion equates to success. It gives us a sense of relief and accomplishment.

And it can bring back good memories, like when we completed our high school classes or a certificate program.

Offer that same joy to your users. Add a progress bar to the onboarding process.

Each milestone should be simple, yet informative for the customer. You can encourage them to complete their profile or persuade them to learn a new tool.

When setting up an Etsy shop, the brand displays a progress meter showing the next steps in the onboarding process.

It’s essential to reward them for their positive behavior.

“Whether it’s a discount, promotion, or an enticing statistic to show how the steps you suggest they follow will boost conversions, save them money or any other applicable metric. By providing a relevant incentive, people are much more likely to take action,” states Slava Rudenko, Project Manager and Marketing Executive at myTips.

Go the extra mile. Give your customers incentives for choosing your brand.

4. Build Real Relationships

Your SaaS team is told over and over again to build relationships with your customers. But what does that really mean?

For starters, don’t treat your customers like a number. Referring to someone as Ticket #12438 isn’t going to retain your customer’s attention.

Learn more about their goals and interests to create a better customer experience. That means gathering data from several sources.

“The key is to use the quantitative data that you are collecting through your analytics tools, and the qualitative data that you are collecting through customer interaction and in-context messaging to create a individualized experiences that excite and delight your users,” states Brian Rogers, former Director of Customer Success at Evergage.

Real relationships also translate into unbelievable customer service. No one likes waiting 12 days for their concerns to be addressed.

“New clients are going to have a lot of questions. If you want to earn their trust, you need to be prepared with quick responses. Minimal response time should be something you strive to deliver, and it’s even more important when your clients are still getting to know you,” writes, Ron Williams, Business Success Strategist at ConnectWise, Inc.

Customers need a reason to stick around. A good product is a start, but an authentic relationship is better.

Onboard With Purpose

Customer onboarding is an integral part of the conversion process. It’s the difference between higher retention or higher churn.

Offer users ongoing training to help them easily navigate your platform. Deliver customer messages on multiple communication channels. And focus on building genuine relationships rooted in value.

Retain customer attention. Onboard with purpose.

About the Author: Shayla Price lives at the intersection of digital marketing, technology and social responsibility. Connect with her on Twitter @shaylaprice.

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Tips For Getting More Out of Marketing Automation

The Friday Five —a collection of five curated articles from around the Internet — topic this go round: Marketing Automation. 

5 TIPS FOR GETTING MORE OUT OF MARKETING AUTOMATION

The good news is that of the 62% of companies under $100 million in revenue that have adopted a marketing automation platform, 85% are happy with their solution,according to a recent survey from Salesfusion. But the bad news is that 15% are shaking aspirin from a bottle, complaining about their tech’s inefficiencies and scaring off the 38% that haven’t yet invested. Here’s a few simple tips to help those in the latter category find marketing automation success.

Read the full story on Chief Marketer. 

Guarantee your marketing automation success with persona-based content

If you really tried to automate all of your marketing, the results would not be good. We have all seen examples of over-engineered, algorithm-based communications, and it always seems to have some element of whatever Hollywood “computers take over the world” scenario is most burned into your brain. Depending on your age, it could be the computer from “WarGames,” “Skynet,” or when the Cylons infiltrated the Colonial fleet.

Marketing automation is not science fiction. It is really about adding technology to marketing in smart ways and automating processes that happen in the background, like collecting data or sending emails.

Read the full story on Marketing Land.

Improve Your Leads, Clean Your Data & More Marketing Automation Secrets

B2B marketing automation success usually comes down to three factors: leads, leads and leads. CMSWire author Michael Rooney reported that according to research by Regalix, the top three objectives for marketing automation in the B2B sector are improving lead nurturing, improving lead quality and increasing lead generation. 

Read the full story on CMS Wire.

How Marketing Automation Streamlines Sales and Marketing

Combined with your customer relationship management (CRM) database, marketing automation software can improve, simplify, and accelerate your sales and marketing efforts. Although marketing automation has been wrongly associated with spam, businesses and customers both benefit from the personalized, timely, and dynamic messages this powerful software enables. 

Read the full story on PC Magazine.

4 tips to help switch marketing automation systems

What's more nerve-wracking than selecting a marketing automation system? Switching from an old platform to a new one. The transition process can be painful, but these four tips can help you avoid some of the most significant pitfalls.

Read the full story on CIO.com.

Be sure to take a close look at a vendor’s analytics, customer service, reporting, and custom dashboard capabilities. These are just some of the factors to know before you buy. Download Busting Common Myths of Marketing Automation: The Reality of the Marketing Technology Journey to learn more. 

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