According to experts, the move to cloud-based CRM solutions won’t be abating anytime soon, with a recent report predicting the revenue will total more than $14 billion for the enterprise application markets.

The report finds that the CRM solutions market had the second largest amount of revenue across market segments.

Cloud-based CRM solutions cover everything from customer relationship management to enterprise resource planning to e-commerce and more.

Thousands of companies around the globe are starting to use cloud-based solutions to gain new efficiencies. Due to the structure of cloud computing, business will be able to operate various business processes across multiple locations and is ideal for companies with international offices.
 
It seems more companies are likely to use cloud-based services in 2010, not just for CRM solutions, but for other aspects of their business as well.

As featured on TMCNet.com.

This is the view of Frank Washkuch of DM News, who believes direct mail volumes will increase in 2010 as businesses seek to improve performance through direct marketing.

He claims that industry experts are now more frequently combining direct mail with other new marketing channels, such as social media, to offer web-based customer-specific offers.

This is despite claims that email marketing still boasts the highest return on investment (ROI) when compared to other direct marketing channels.

Email marketing remains strong, despite claims it’s been overtaken by other marketing channels, as clients are now increasingly concerned with receiving tailored content and  annoyed with unwanted mail.

However, through better targeting, personalisation and tracking techniques, the traditional channel of direct mail can continue to thrive this year.

As featured on businessstrata.com.

According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), one way for companies to do this is through the use of direct mail.

This is because companies are able to select targeted mailing lists and create marketing messages that address the prospects’ unique and specific needs.

Due to the rise of e-communications in marketing, mailboxes are less cluttered than they used to be, meaning items of direct mail are more likely than ever to catch the attention of consumers.

Recently it was claimed that direct mail is still an effective tool for businesses and recommended that companies turn their attention to mail targeting to ensure the channel continues to provide good return on investment.

As featured on qas.co.uk.

It has been claimed that despite email marketing being a proven winner in online direct marketing, companies should aim to get the most use out of the tool through a variety of imaginative of creative ways.

One way marketers could make email marketing campaigns stand out is by going viral, as this helps companies compete with the abundance of messages found on social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Digg.

This ensures that the marketing email gets passed on and shared by tailoring each forward link to its specific campaign, which will be of immense help in getting it sent on.

Earlier this week it was revealed that email marketing should support campaigns delivered through other promotional channels.

As featured on Equimedia.com.

Russell Parsons, a columnist for Marketing Week, has stated the slow economic recovery will mean that marketing budgets will remain under intense scrutiny in 2010.

Writing for Marketing Week, he claims that direct marketers would have to demonstrate their strategies are cost-effective and efficient in the coming year.

Direct marketers will start to push the case for well-targeted direct marketing campaigns with measurable return on investment, rather than expensive and unfocussed campaigns that propose mass media activity.

This supports Mark Thomson’s, Media Director at Royal Mail, claims that 2010 would witness the continued union of digital and traditional channels, with marketers seeking to develop innovative ways of linking direct mail executions with online platforms to boost client engagement.

Due to the state of the economy many firms have been prompted to focus on measuring their return on investment from direct marketing campaigns.

This is likely to lead to businesses placing more emphasis on compiling client information in 2010 to widen their marketing outreach.

As featured on Marketing Week.

Writing for Marketing Week, Mr. Thomson claims that the explosion of personal technology during the last ten years had created a wide range of opportunities for marketers. However, this development has put control firmly in the hands of prospects, requiring marketers to attempt engagement across numerous platforms.

In order to target campaigns effectively, it was suggested that marketers use direct mail alongside other promotional media.

This comes after Royal Mail research found that digital campaigns saw a 62 per cent increase in return on investment when combined with direct mail.

It was also claimed that email marketing campaigns should be integrated with other online platforms like social networking and video in order to widen their impact.

This follows additional research that shows timing is hugely important for email marketing as it competes for client attention against social media and mobile phone content. Marketers should focus email marketing campaigns on the best trading periods for their businesses.

Moreover it was suggested that email marketing has been a particularly suitable channel during the economic downturn because it has allowed marketers to change their messages quickly and be flexible in their promotions.

As featured in Marketing Week.

They will increasingly look beyond email-open and click-through rates to determine the level of client engagement, with measurement data set to significantly develop in 2010 to allow email marketers to analyse how a client interacts with a company website.

The trend will focus on keeping consumers engaged for longer periods of time. Email marketing was a proven performer in 2009 for return on investment and this is likely to continue in 2010.

It is also believed that email marketing in 2010 would become increasingly integrated with social media marketing. Email marketers could engage with clients through a variety of creative ways, such as visual media like video or by directing email traffic to an exclusive custom website. 

As featured on Businessstrata.com.

Nativity cribs were ‘abandoned’ at major locations around London to highlight the lack of safe houses for street children. The direct marketing campaign was organised by experiential agency Nude and will be followed by advertising on the London Underground.

The recent RLNI interactive campaign has transformed its brand into one of the most talked about charities online by the youth sector. To persuade an audience more likely to be interested in the X-Factor, Twilight and Gossip Girl to follow topics on lifeboat crews and lifeguards is no mean feat and credit due to the RLNI’s direct marketing agency Proximity. The campaign was awarded the Direct Marketing Association’s 2009 Grand Prix award for making an “important step-change for direct marketing in the digital age”.

The report found that of all strategies, email marketing generates the highest direct marketing conversion rates, while Twitter is the most effective means of extending advertising reach.

Peer-to-peer emails were shown to generate a 36.8 per cent conversion rate, but email marketers need to ensure that their messages have attractive promotional subject lines.

Social media avenues like Twitter and Facebook were also found to be areas growing businesses were looking to explore and capitalise on in the next 12 months.

It’s apparent growing businesses are adapting to market changes and are considering trying other methods, such as email marketing and other online initiatives, as this is where potential customers appear to be heading.

The survey also found that a majority of small businesses require help in developing an online presence, with only 38 per cent responding that they currently have a website.

As featured on Businesstrata.com.