This isn’t some new technology to only show a user a post a single time and then hide it; our systems administrator is simply testing some back end functionality and will delete this post as soon as he is done with his work.

Which got me to thinking:  if marketers who don’t measure results think their ads don’t count, then why are they still buying search ads?  More importantly, shouldn’t this raise red flags for SEO services vendors?  I’d be beating a door to my clients with reports in hand to help validate the effectiveness of their campaigns. 

You can read more on the report in the 4 March 2010 article called, “B2B Online Marketers Focus on Lead Gen,” on eMarketer.com.  Here’s a copy of a chart from eMarketer’s site  illustrating the broad differences between marketers who measure paid search results and those who don’t. 

Would love to hear your thoughts on this…

“For the first time in almost two decades the use of coupons increased in 2009, in part due to the growth of digital coupons as more consumers made them part of their shopping routine and more brands tapped them to engage with their consumers,” said Steven Boal, CEO of Coupons.com Incorporated, in a news release posted on the company’s web site.

So, is it time for B2B marketers to cozy-up to coupons?  Lots of other consumer-oriented marketing methods have been adopted by B2B marketers. 

We don’t have an answer, but we know companies who’ve used email marketing to offer coupons for their services and products in a B2B marketplace.  We’ve done it ourselves. 

Take our quick survey on this question and we’ll enter you into a drawing for – what else? – a coupon for free use of  Ennect Event.  Click here to participate…

So, I thought I’d write a short post with some answers to commonly-asked questions and provide pointers to CANSPAM resources that provide more detailed help.

First, I’d advise anyone doing opt-in email marketing to read about CANSPAM before starting their campaigns.  Ennect posts a link to CANSPAM info right in our application, so users can review it before sending.  Since we’re outside the application, here’s a link to the Act itself: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ187.108.pdf

 It’s not the most scintillating reading or the easiest to understand, especially if you’re new to email marketing. The FTC provides an easier way to digest the main points outlined in the Act here: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/ecommerce/bus61.shtm

One question I get a lot is: how long does a sender have to remove a name if someone opts-out?  The law clearly states that it’s illegal for a sender to email someone 10 business days after they’ve opted out.  It also says that is unlawful for someone else to email to an opted out address on the sender’s behalf or for that address to be sold or otherwise transferred to someone else for any purpose other than to comply with the opt-out request.   

Another question that comes up is: does the email have to provide the sender’s business address as well as email?  The answer is: yes!  The Act clearly states that “a valid physical postal address of the sender” must be included in the email.

Sourcing email addresses seems to be a murky area as well.  Some new users seem to think it’s ok to pull email addresses off of websites in order to build their lists.  Well, it’s not!  That’s called ‘harvesting’ and it’s also outlawed by the CANSPAM Act.

What’s the cost of violation?  It depends on the specific infraction, but if convicted, a single incident can cost $250 per email sent up to $2,000,000. But the court can increase that by three times and add attorney fees.  So, unless you have some serious spare change in your pocket, you should learn the rules and follow them.

Large corporations have made use of sweepstakes to promote their companies’ brands and products for years.  With the emergence of online sweepstakes tools, even small businesses can make effective use of sweeps to gain attention for themselves. 

But online sweepstakes can do much more.  For companies that think creatively, online sweepstakes can be an inexpensive way to address customer service, sales, marketing research, employee motivation, and product development issues.   

With online contests in easy reach, it’s simple to expand the scope of sweepstakes’ usefulness.  Consider three ways to implement sweepstakes that you might not have thought of:

1. Use sweeps to collect marketing research data.  Rewarding survey participants with chances to win prizes in sweepstakes drawings is a great way to motivate them to provide feedback on new products, services, or company directions.    

2. Use sweeps to motivate employees.  Inject a little fun in the workplace. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a sweepstakes for your employees. You could raffle off a bonus vacation day or give away a free lunch.  Do it in return for completing a survey on employee programs and you’ll not only make employees happy, you’ll get valuable information in return.

3. Use sweeps to strengthen customer relationships.  Giving your customers an exclusive opportunity to win a sweepstakes giveaway or special offer shows you value their business. If you’re in the services industry, offering a discount on a future service is sure to be appreciated.

It doesn’t take a lot of time or money to design such sweepstakes.  Take a look here for some other ideas on how online sweepstakes can help you.